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British Airways is playing dirty, it's cancelled my ticket, claims Virgin's Branson

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

Richard Branson, chairman, Virgin Atlantic Airways, today claimed that British Airways has cancelled his "confirmed" Delhi-London ticket. He attributed the decision to business rivalry.

Branson materialised, unannounced, at the Press Club of India in New Delhi with some officials of Air-India, when media-persons were well into their Saturday lunch, and made this disclosure.

Branson is in India to sign a business agreement with Air-India and hold talks with the government on the aviation industry. On December 10, he created a sensation by announcing his group's future plans for India, and generally rubbishing other airlines that offer services from the UK to India.

“I did not think that they would act so stupidly as this. I always thought that British Airways believes in having a healthy competition but after what they have done to me, I think they are not very happy about the proposed agreement between Air-India and Virgin Airways. But this is not the first time that they have done a thing like this. British Airways have been playing dirty tricks with us in the past as well,” he claimed.

When asked why he was shocked with the ticket cancellation when he himself believes BA specialises in "dirty tricks", Branson said he had hoped that after the British High Court had fined the British Airways 3 million pounds, the airline management would have behaved properly. “It seems that they have not learnt anything from the past experience. If this is what they have done to me, I wonder what they might be doing to others,” he said.

Branson had travelled to India by BA and was scheduled to return back to London by a BA flight and had a fully paid first class ticket for the journey. “I was scheduled to catch a flight to London and my ticket number is MF-SW DG/IG dated December 11,1999.

"My ticket was confirmed. But this morning, I received a call from the British Airways office in Delhi which told me that my ticket is not confirmed and I would have to wait.

"I was supposed to return to London in time to take part in a meeting wherein a decision was to be taken about who to give National Lottery.

"I would be travelling by Air-India tomorrow. I guess the meeting would have to wait now till I return back to London, after enjoying the Air-India hospitality,” said Branson with a broad smile.

Air-India officials hung around him, supporting him in every move, nodding at every line he delivered. One of them even read out the PNR number on the BA ticket for the benefit of media-persons.

Branson claimed that over half a million passengers travel to London every year and there was enough for everyone including Air-India, Virgin Atlantic Airways and British Airways. “Even if we put eight jumbos, still there would be passengers who would still not find a seat on the flights. Yet, British Airways has chosen to act like this. The British Airways management is fully aware that the ministers of civil aviation of India and Britain have already agreed in principle to have another airlines operating on Delhi, London route, yet they behave like this. It is sad,” he said.

He disclosed that the fair structure introduced by Air-India and Virgin Airways once they start operating in tandem would be thirty to fifty per cent lower than British Airways's present fairs.

He assured British Airways's management that if they were to travel by Virgin Airways he would not do to them what they have done to him.

He ruled out the possibility of suing British Airways for cancelling his ticket and chartering an aircraft to reach back in London in time to attend the meeting. “ I don’t think this issue is big enough to file a suit against our rivals for cancelling my ticket. I would not like to waste money by hiring an aircraft. I am taking things in my stride,” he claimed.

Aviation experts take the claims of Branson with a pinch of salt. “Don’t go by what he says. He is a showman and can resort to tricks like these to get attention. He may have done some theatre to get mileage for Air-India and Virgin Airways,” said one of the aviation correspondents present at the impromptu "media conference".

Rediff attempted to elicit an official reaction from British Airways. Queries directed at both Delhi and Bombay offices evoked a standard reply: "We are closed on Saturdays. You may have to wait till Monday."

BA's spokesperson, Ryana Sequeira, who was travelling from Delhi to Bombay, however, said she is not aware of L'Affaire Branson, but assured that she would issue an official reaction after cross-checking facts.

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