BA Ban Crash Lands! » Acceptance of a failed policy

One company with the right idea ... Virgin© 2009 - Virgin Atlantic

AFTER two years of campaigning British Airways has reversed its ban on surfboard carriage. Famous for its strapline "The World's Favourite Airline", in 2007, British Airways became surfers least favourite airline and garnered innumerable lines of bad press as it banned the carriage of all surfboards. Originally starting out as a campaign on Facebook, by yours truly, the campaign garnered international headlines and ended up with a march on Parliament led by the British Surfing Association. An Early Day Motion was actually presented to the house itself by David Davies MP, a keen surfer.

Most amusing was a tongue-in-cheek campaign run by the ever populist and bandwagon-jumping, Virgin Atlantic, likening British Airways to the stage play, No Sex Please, We're British.

Now surfboards and water skis have been allowed back on board, up to a maximum length of 190cm/75inches or 6'.3", if you round it up. Congratulations have to go to British Airways for coming to their senses and allowing boards to be carried - but not everyone rides a 6'.3" (plus the length of bag or packing) - in effect it is unlikely you would be able to carry more than a 6'.1" plus bubble-wrap. Width restrictions are 29.5inches or 75cm so the widest fish will be acceptable.

Unfortunately longboards and minimals are still banned but you can bring your ripper board and a fat fish, allowing you to surf most waves. Those of you stuck on the logs perhaps it's time to make your protest? Willie Walsh we salute you for this gesture but it is not enough. Why only go this far?

BA recently published an annual loss of £401m, whereas Virgin (who are delighted to carry surfboards) almost doubled their profits and partially this has to be resultant of the success of the campaign. Virgin in response to the campaign released a set of adverts targeting surfers with the strap-line: "No Sex Wax please, we're British Airways".

The original Facebook group is still going HERE as is the BSA petition HERE so get on board if you fancy registering your frustration at BA's partial lifting of the ban.

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