Midair employee relations impact BA and Virgin brands

THE CABIN CREWS of London 2012 sponsor British Airways voted overwhelmingly for a peace deal in their long-running dispute with management. The deal will see the threat of industrial action lifted giving the company a strike-free year in which to activate its Olympic sponsorship. Given that much of the value to LOCOG was to be taken in flights, it was important for BA to be able to run to schedule. Meanwhile rival Virgin’s boss Richard Branson is having his own problems this time with pilots. He has written to them saying their threat of strike action would leave an “indelible” scar on the Virgin brand.