Long ago, when the world was young and before the global village had been invented, the girls on British airlines were "gals" and they stood no nonsense from passengers. Anyone with the temerity to so much as stand in the aisle faced the baleful glare of the air hostess. Your first flight was a rite of passage...and the passage was back to school where a thorough spanking from the matron was one's regular fare. Wonderful Being British was many things, many of them wonderful, but many were also painful. You always felt that flying British was a bit of an ordeal but worthwhile because if the going got rough they would always get you through. Then came British Airways, privatisation, profitability and a model airline for the global village. What came next, came to Paris this week... and it's a snapshot of the world. The jury is out as to which world...The venue was the British Airways Boeing 777 on the static park at the show. The occasion, the airline's latest stop in the worldwide unveiling of its amazing new livery.
Motherhood
Unsure whether it is the weirdest paint job in history, or a stroke of marketing genius, thousands of show visitors watched the show.
Inside it was all "mother-hood" messages delivered through seatback video: The company and its customers are a community of people; becoming more open and cosmopolitan; a warm and caring organisation.
That's fine, except that the commentary was delivered simultaneously through the headphone in English and French.
The South American bamboo-rubbing musician sauntered past; a Dutch artist explained his "Delft" style art, one of 15 new tails on BA aircraft.
By 2000, BA will have repainted its fleet whose fins will feature 50 different striking images based on art from around the world.
And no corporate logo.
It may be the high-water mark of post-modernism, but for the journalists on board it was all a bit surreal. The new paint job has drawn some vitriol in Britain for apparently abandoning its old statements of Britishness.
Global
BA Marketing chief Martin George smiles confidently as he explains that the best of British will remain, combined with a truly global approach.
He swells with pride as he points to the astonishing media response to the £60million ($95million) facelift.
"We have had more publicity from this than other exercise," he says.
"Most coverage has been very positive, particularly outside the UK. The more thoughtful media realise that this is a strong statement that BA really wants to be a global player."
The aircraft never left the ground but there was a sense at times of cruising the clouds.
BA officials say the airline is being repositioned as a "global travel organisation" rather than merely an airline.
It's certainly come a light- year or two from the days of stern hostesses who could shut up a passenger with a look from 30 rows away.
You have only to compare it with certain US airlines where smiling is thought to be illegal and the average flight has all the charm of a trip on a tumbrel.
The event came down to earth gently, with an invitation to the journalists to attend a reception across the static park at the Musée de l'Air.
After a hug from the Inuit on the way out, the baffled scribes headed off through the dense crowds to the museum. Unfortunately, the reception was not at the museum.
Scores of increasingly thirsty people walked the halls for any sign of BA and a cooling drink in the scorching heat.
After half an hour of searching many gave up.
The reception was nowhere near the museum. The "global travel organisation" still needs a bit of work.
Design goes well with showgoersIt's unanimous - British Airways has pulled off an artistic masterstroke with its inspirational new logo and tailfin designs, if the views of Paris showgoers are an accurate barometer.
The airline unveiled its new corporate image - one of the biggest rebranding exercises in corporate history - on 10 June.
The company wants to ditch what it believes is a cold image for one that is more friendly and cosmopolitan.
Three of the first 15 tailfin images have been seen here at Le Bourget, on an Embraer EMB-145 regional jet, a Boeing 777 and a British Airways Concorde, parked in the display area.
Has BA's £60million ($95million) facelift been worth every penny?
Flight Daily News collected the following views of people who were stopped in their tracks by the arty aircraft.
Former flight attendant Bonnie Magee from Texas thought Concorde's new paint job was "simply supersonic". She says: "The design is lovely. It is clean cut, simple and very classy.
"I like the other designs but quite rightly they shouldn't be used on Concorde. It's a unique aircraft that's in a league of its own and doesn't need a fancy design to say it's arriving."
Antonia Price, assistant editor of Aerospace International, says: "I really like the new designs, especially the African one. They give the aircraft and BA a modern appeal.
"The designs represent a shift in BA's attitude and show that the company is prepared to move forward. The airline has certainly created a lot of publicity and it will be interesting to see how its competitors will respond."
Allan Pook, who was giving visitors to the Paris Airshow a 10-minute tour of Concorde, says: "I think the new designs will grow on everybody in time. If you compare the old design with these new ones, it suddenly looks very dated."
Alfredo Cabrero, a mechanic in the Spanish Air Force, says: "I think the new designs are beautiful. They are pleasing to look at and much better than just white."
Referring to his EF-18 high performance tactical fighter, he adds: "I would love to try them out on this tailfin, but unfortunately we have to stick to grey paint."
Jacki Caferro from the commercial airplane group of Boeing says: "I like what BA has done to the Boeing 777.
"The design really catches the eye. I think BA is being very innovative and creative by looking at new ways of moving forward.
"And because there are so many designs, BA is catering to everyone's taste."
Parisian Guy Pellissier, his two sons and two nephews all gave a big thumbs up to the colourful creations.
"They're really cool," says 13-year-old Matthieu, "it makes a difference to see aircraft with a bit of colour."
Source: Flight Daily News