BA to boost on-business service for SMEs

The longest serving airline in Ghana, British Airways has hinted of improving its On-Business proposition to make it the mainstay of the airline.

British Airways has also indicated that the decision was taken with small and medium sized businesses in mind.

This was revealed by the Country Manager of British Airways in Ghana, Kevin Leung during a media interaction in Accra where he further indicated that it is part of moves to improve its offering to small and medium-sized businesses.

Mr Leung said “On Business isn’t complicated. It isn’t supposed to be. In fact simplicity was one of the things companies said they wanted when we did our research.

“That’s why we did away with the somewhat clumsy system of rewarding members on the distance travelled and instead introduced a return on spend. Importantly this isn’t just on the fare but also on carrier-imposed charges such as the fuel surcharge.”

British Airways has been in Ghana for almost 80 years. In that time it has seen the country develop into one of Africa’s most important economies and the gateway to the West African sub-region.

In recent years British Airways has invested over £5bn in its global operations and Ghana has certainly not been left out of this investment - a significant amount of this investment has gone into customer convenience and efficient operation.

As an international airline serving some 200 destination in nearly 90 countries we understand, more than most, the important link between efficient, modern airlinks and successful business.

Back in the early 1970s it was said that the iconic Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, shrunk the world by making long-haul travel affordable. But it is the internet that has really shrunk the world. “Today I can search for and buy anything from a favourite tea blend to a safari holiday online.

“While this ‘always-on’ global economy has certainly posed challenges to businesses, it has also opened up immense opportunities. That is what today’s presentation is about – providing small and medium Ghanaian businesses avenues to spread their wings and explore opportunities to prosper.

We’re well aware that travel expenditure is one of the budget items which business will look to pare back when belts need tightening. But we also know that when every deal counts, every contract is vital and each client encounters a potential make or break, there’s no substitute for doing business face-to-face” Mr. Leung added.

And this is the dilemma for small and medium businesses. Unlike large corporates which can leverage their substantial global buying power to negotiate travel deals with airlines, smaller businesses have limited scope to stretch their spend.