Why tolerate airport stress and 90s-era aircraft when a clean, connected coach can take you from city centre to city centre, for a fraction of the price?
Like many others, I breathed a sigh of relief when the oppressive British Airways Walsh/Cruz regime was toppled.
“If there’s one good thing about 2020, it’s that it’s over,” remarked a BA staff member as I reluctantly ate the downgraded offerings in BA’s 'First' lounge that December. Alex Cruz, the CEO of British Airways, had been ousted in October, and Willie Walsh had stepped down as CEO of parent company IAG earlier in March.
From the Emerald Isle arrived a fresh face and a seemingly dynamic leader: Sean Doyle. With promises to rebuild the airline after its turbulent downfall under the previous leadership, Doyle pledged to restore British Airways to its former glory. The airline, once synonymous with premium service but now Britain’s second-largest budget carrier (by passenger volume), was poised for a turnaround. Or so Doyle claimed.
Fast-forward five years to today, 2025, and the question remains: Has British Airways truly been fixed? The answer, unfortunately, is not quite.
The iconic phrase, “BA is premium or nothing,” famously coined by former BA CEO Lord King and echoed by Doyle but without anything really improving, with all the hot air Doyle generates, it’s a wonder his planes still need jet engines
Given that BA's economy product is now very similar to coach travel in the UK, brings us to today’s practical question: If you need to travel between Newcastle and London, which is the better option, Megabus or British Airways?
The scaled down route network of Megabus in 2025
BA must be better than Megabus?
In the 80s, BA transformed from a struggling, union-heavy airline into a premium carrier admired by passengers and staff alike. Britain was proud of it, until the rise of low-cost carriers like easyJet and Ryanair. BA faced a choice: remain premium or go low cost. It chose the latter, sadly.
With Lord King and Sir Colin Marshall (later The Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge) gone, poor leadership plagued BA. A series of ineffective CEOs stumbled through a confusing period for the airline. BA became like an awkward teenager, unsure of its identity. Seven CEOs in quick succession failed to define its purpose. Some cut staff, others attempted "premium" without understanding British values. "BA knows the cost of everything, but the value of nothing" became a common complaint from disillusioned passengers. Attempts to fix operations only left the airline more disjointed:
- Food in economy? Gone
- Bar service? Gone
- Regional lounges? Gone
- Bag charges? Introduced
- Copying easyJet? Absolutely
- Fun-size Twix as a second long-haul meal? Yes
Successive CEOs failed to see that BA didn’t need to mimic budget carriers like easyJet or the 80s Dan Air. Lord King and Sir Colin Marshall understood that winning passengers required a premium offering. Attracting bargain hunters was fine, but BA wasn’t chasing them - until it decided otherwise.
So all was well for Megabus then, to capitalise on Britain's most defeated airline?
Well, no, not exactly.
Megabus was once the poster child for ultra-cheap travel across the UK - £1 fares, sprawling routes, and a no-frills charm that made coach travel feel like a budget adventure. But fast-forward to late 2024, and the wheels started coming off the network in England and Wales. Here's what went wrong:
As of December 4, 2024 Megabus ceased most routes within England and Wales keeping only:
- All services in Scotland
- Cross-border routes between Scotland, England, and Wales
- The Falcon route between Bristol and Plymouth
Ownership Changes & Strategic Refocus
- In 2022, Stagecoach sold Megabus to Scottish Citylink, which began streamlining operations. The new owners prioritised efficiency over expansion, focusing on routes that remained profitable.
Competition & Market Saturation
- FlixBus entered the UK market, offering competitive pricing and modern branding, which chipped away at Megabus’s customer base.
- The UK coach market became crowded, and Megabus couldn’t maintain its edge as the low-cost leader
Megabus Managing Director Simone Walsh summed it up: “It is not sustainable for us to continue operating our current network as the customer demand is simply too low”
How BA compares to Megabus between Newcastle and London
| Megabus | British Airways | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | From £1 each way plus £1.50 booking fee | Typically £100-£200 return |
| Comfort | New fleet: reclining seats, Wi-Fi, power outlets, USB charging, mood lighting | Ageing A320s with tired interiors, patchy Wi-Fi, minimal seat pitch |
| Environmental Impact | Lower carbon emissions per passenger | High emissions for short-haul domestic trips |
| Convenience | City centre to city centre | Airport to airport (with security queues and transfers) |
| Reliability | Predictable journey times, no air traffic control chaos | Frequent delays, cancellations, and strikes under Doyle's leadership |
| Customer Expectations | Clear value, transparent pricing | Overpriced fares with shrinking perks |
| Timed schedule from Newcastle to London | 6 hours 40 minutes | 1 hour 30 minutes (block time*) |
| Baggage fees | One cabin bag, one hold bag, free of charge | One cabin bag, hold baggage is chargeable on many economy fares |
| Complimentary catering | Not provided | Fun size water and biscuit |
*block time is an airline term based on the time from when the aircraft pushes back from its originating airport gate to when the aircraft arrives at its destination gate. Even though 1 hour 30 minutes seems generous, it is padded out by BA to allow for Heathrow inefficiencies. BA's aircraft utilisation rate is amongst the worst in the low cost airline industry
Back to today's Megabus journey..
With my e-ticket in hand, I boarded today's 248-mile Megabus M20 service from Newcastle John Dobson Street, to London Victoria Coach Station. Megabus doesn't use the National Express coach station in Newcastle in order to keep costs down.
Scheduled departure time: 1320
Actual departure time: 1327
Scheduled arrival time: 1925
Actual arrival time: 2020
Megabus UK doesn't have an official app, so you have to book on their website from which you then get a QR code email, which is used for boarding.
Unlike British Airways, today's coach was just one year old, compared to BA's jet that brought me up to Newcastle being 22 years old.
My ticket for today cost just £24.99 which included a £4 fee to secure the front row seat. All fares are flexible for a £1.50 change fee + any fare difference. Readers should note that Megabus is the only coach operator on this route to offer double deck vehicles, meaning you get a great view for the entire journey.
Purchasing a front seat on British Airways isn't possible as these seats are reserved for ultra high spending 'Gold' members of its loyalty scheme.
From a bright day to a rainy day, unfortunately the queuing traffic meant delays to our journey. Surprisingly, Megabus only schedules 35 minutes to get to our next calling point of Durham, which from experience is challenging, even in a car. We ended up leaving Durham 45 minutes late, and from there that was largely the story of the journey - Megabus scheduling is noticeably tighter than FlixBus or National Express so when delays occur there is little margin to recover.
As with British Airways, customers have the use of an on-board toilet however comments from Reddit recommend using it earlier in the journey or come prepared. It was suggested to me that Megabus only allocates one toilet roll per sector - and this coach started its day in Glasgow. Make of that what you will.
The rest of the journey was very relaxing, in a very comfortable seat with better legroom than British Airways. With just three timed stops between Newcastle and London (Durham, Leeds and Sheffield Meadowhall), the 6 hour 20 minute journey went by quickly and I really enjoyed it. It was nicer than the frustration of flying.
Despite a later than planned arrival, it was still less than my ridiculous 1 hour 25 minute delay on British Airways on the flight up to Newcastle.
Verdict
The current state of British Airways and the broader aviation industry leaves much to be desired. When you compare it to alternatives, it's clear that other options not only save you money but also provide a far more pleasant experience. While the actual flight time from Newcastle to London is under 50 minutes, the entire journey is marred by British Airways’ underwhelming service and the frequent delays that have become synonymous with Heathrow Airport. Sure, the speed of air travel is impressive once you're in the air, but that's where the perks end. The rest of the experience is overpriced, stressful, and frustrating.
In contrast, Megabus offers a surprisingly efficient and reliable service. While the coach may take longer than a 22-year-old Airbus A320, the benefits become clear when you focus on the overall experience rather than just speed. Megabus delivers on its promises, offering a dependable service with a modern fleet of comfortable coaches. And let's face it, you’ll never find yourself endlessly circling Victoria Coach Station waiting for a parking slot. The simplicity speaks volumes: Megabus arrives, parks, and lets you disembark. No fuss, no stress. Comparing BA and Heathrow to Megabus is like comparing two mismatched puzzle pieces to a perfect fit - sometimes things just don’t work together, and other times, they simply do.
A satisfied Megabus customer arriving in London
Make the smarter choice. Skip the disappointment. Take the Megabus.
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