... be replaced by tailfins bearing themed designs from around the world. This was to address the "global traveller" a savvy (mainly business) customer whose criteria for purchase were service levels, range of destinations, promptness - not price. But the re-branding became a debacle. Customers, staff, alliance partners, shareholders and retailers (travel agents) all liked the British heritage and imagery and rebelled against the turn to an anonymous, characterless new style. Ayling also focused on cost-reduction programmes which antagonised and demotivated BA's staff - and customers noticed the deterioration in behaviour of staff whose commitment to customer service suddenly plummeted. The upshot was that Ayling was ousted in a boardroom coup in March 2000. During his reign, a loss of £244m in the year to March 31 2000 - the first since privatisation - was recorded and the group's market value had fallen by half. A new face. In May 2000, Rod Eddington joined BA as ...

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