BA turbulence hits business agents

BRITISH Airways risks losing the support of the lucrative business travel community after thousands of passengers were left stranded at Heathrow due to staff shortages.

Corporate agents have been left scrambling to rebook customers on to alternative flights after nearly 90 flights were cancelled due to technical problems and a lack of staff.

Bath Travel business travel division sales and operations manager Alan Field said: "Business travellers won’t be happy. Last year we had wildcat strikes, then the threat of more industrial action and now this.

"BA has to reinvent itself if it wants to remain the choice of the corporate traveller.”

He claimed the ‘bread and butter’ short-haul sector has been neglected in favour of front-end long-haul business.

Leading aviation analyst Chris Tarry said BA has a difficult job to repair its tattered reputation. "There will be a number of people who will book away from the carrier and try something else because they are fed up.”

The airline gave a frank apology. UK head of sales and marketing Tiffany Hall said: "Our reputation has been damaged and we have to work hard with our customers and key partners to repair that.

"What happened was not acceptable and not to the standard our customers expect. We offer our sincerest apologies.”

Unions said they warned BA about staff shortages last year but the airline failed to react.

A GMB spokesman said: "It has not only cut into the fat, it has cut into the bone. Service is bound to be hit.” The carrier said around 200 staff are currently being trained.

The cancellations came only days after BA had fought off proposed strikes. It has agreed to an 8.5% pay increase over three years and to give ground staff a further £1,000 payable in lump sums up to September 2006.

In return, the unions have accepted a "robust” absence policy which targets a reduction from an average of 17 days per employee to 10 days within 12 months