British Airways Selling Artwork: A Tactic to Distract From Brutal Staff Treatment?

One particular airlines is really pulling out all the stops to convince us just how dire their financial situation is. British Airways selling artwork from its lounges and headquarters! ? 

The Evening Standard paper report BA has enlisted Sotheby’s for an imminent sale.

What is interesting is I did not even realise British Airways have that much art work of value. According to the article there are several pieces worth 6/7 figures including well known British artists Damien Hirst & Peter Doig. It is understood some items are over 20 years old and thus gained significantly in value.

Would This Make Much Difference?

When you factor in the scale of funding required for the airline and bailouts of tens of BILLIONS of dollars for airlines across the world. Even if this art auction raised a few millions its a drop in the ocean for BA.

I know some airlines have been overstating their hardship to the biggest bailout they can. But in this case, could it be more a case of an act to justify the callously brutal treatment of it’s staff? In the lines of “…look we are so desperate we are having to sell art and furniture.. 50% pay cut is rather generous!?”

Are some B.A cabin crew really over-paid and have far more generous benefits than the industry average?

Perhaps TFL should take note and use the crisis to fire and rehire all London Underground drivers on a more realistic pay and benefits package. Because in some cases they have been using the unions to milk every pound they can out of TFL beyond their worth. This money could seriously be invested in much needed infrastructure and better maintenance. Here’s a cause I would support!

Overall Thoughts

I’m somewhat on the fence about this. British Airways has really been cementing its reputation as an airline that savagely cuts costs at every opportunity it finds it can get away with. Think taking away food & beverage service in Euro Traveller, food cuts in long haul economy, riding on a substandard business product for so long. A long history of strikes over staff pay and condition disputes. Does B.A not realise how it treats its staff can directly affect how their customers are treated in turn? I often wandered if it should just stop pretending to be a full service airline and be renamed to Cost-Cutting Airways?

So what do you think about British Airways selling artwork to raise funds? Is what BA doing with their staff justified?