British Airways

One of the first things that needs to be noted is that technically speaking British Airways doesn’t really exist. The brand is still there and flights still operate under it, but as of 2010 British Airways officially merged with Iberia to form the International Airlines Group which runs both airlines (and making it the world’s third largest airline).

Frankly speaking though – that’s really all just technical, as are the other problems that this airline has faced in recent years such as declining passenger numbers and rising oil prices. At heart, British Airways retains a lot of its old-school charm – but it has changed with the times as well in order to cope.All things said and done though, it is still a premium and full service airline – so you will be given free drinks, free food (on any flight that lasts more than an hour), and even free alcoholic beverages. The inflight entertainment is still up to mark and provided on most flights except those that are extremely short distance.If you’re a long time traveler of British Airways then you’ll be happy to note that they’ve also retained the jam and scones with tea that they’re famous for on their European based flights, so things will seem familiar.

That being said – there have been changes to this airline. Quite some time back they famously became the first airline to introduce fully flat beds for their business class, and now they’ve taken things a step further by introducing rear facing seats for both safety and comfort.Also with the opening of their vaunted Terminal 5 with its polished layout, amazing lounges and great service did definitely help them out considerably.Although British Airways is no longer regarded as the ‘world’s favorite airline’ or even as setting the pace as far as full service airlines are concerned, the fact that it has managed to retain a lot of the familiar features that it was so well loved for while modernizing itself in the face of new competition is a credit to its vision.

When you fly on this airline you can expect professional service that borders on exemplary, as well as all the perks that were once taken for granted when traveling on a plane. Although some may cite that it has done so at the expense of cutting back on some routes, the fact remains that if you are flying to a destination where British Airways is an option then you know exactly what to expect.All said and done, the airline is definitely still one of the biggest and among the best in the world – and unless something changes drastically it seems set to retain that spot for years to come.