Ryanair and Southwest play for higher stakes: New strategies pay dividends for low‐cost airlines Available to Purchase

British Airways used to describe itself as the world’s favorite airline. This was a simple and effective slogan, not least because it was picked up occasionally by journalists who would use it in stories without adding the words “self‐styled”. The phrase did, nevertheless, have an appropriate ring about it during the 1990s when BA’s star was in the ascendant. Now, like many national carriers, BA faces huge difficulties caused by factors such as an uncertain economic climate, the threat of terrorism and the potentially damaging effects of war in Iraq. A further consideration is the impact of low‐budget airlines.