British Airways is our country’s flag carrier and should be a source of national pride, instead it’s beset by delays, cancellations, bad service – and won’t even give you a free G&T, says Jamie Bullen

British Airways’ descent from a beacon of national excellence and pride into something of a national disgrace seems to have reached rock bottom.

Just this past month, chess Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi publicly detailed the “worst experience” with British Airways – an involuntary downgrade and a critical baggage delay en route to a major tournament. He declared they’d lost a customer. From what I could find, the airline apparently hasn’t even bothered to reply.

Flying British Airways once symbolised reliability and quality – a proud expression of Britain abroad. No longer.

A reputation for premium service has been steadily eroded by relentless delays, baggage blunders and a passenger experience that simply doesn’t justify the price. “Cool Britannia” has devolved into frustration and disappointment.

An airline has one real purpose: getting people to their destinations in relative comfort without excessive delays. British Airways is good at none of this.

Consumer champion Which? consistently ranks BA at or near the bottom. Their 2025 survey scores – 62 per cent for long-haul and........

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