Tonight British Airways published two telephone numbers for their helpline where information on the radioactive contamination of aircraft can be obtained by concerned people.

One is an 0845 number, the other which they call "international" although they don't give the +44 country code is an 0191 Newcastle number.

Perhaps our campaign is beginning to have some effect.

lompos wrote on Nov 29^th, 2006 at 8:18pm:

Perhaps our campaign is beginning to have some effect.

Possibly as BA normally use 0870 numbers but obviously due to bad press over these numbers, they've resorted to 0845 instead.

bbb_uk wrote on Nov 29^th, 2006 at 8:38pm:

lompos wrote on Nov 29th, 2006 at 8:18pm: Perhaps our campaign is beginning to have some effect. Possibly as BA normally use 0870 numbers but obviously due to bad press over these numbers, they've resorted to 0845 instead.

Surely the achievement was that they have given a geog number as well!  ;)

But why are they calling it an International number. We know to call that number and boycott the 0845 number but 90% plus of the population are going to call the 0845 number believing it to be local and ignore the International number.

So we are ok but most of the population are still being mislead.

lompos wrote on Nov 29^th, 2006 at 8:18pm:

One is an 0845 number, the other which they call "international" although they don't give the +44 country code is an 0191 Newcastle number. Perhaps our campaign is beginning to have some effect.

Note that BA is now also using 0845 instead of 0870 - in itself an achievement with one of the country's big 0870 adopters.  And as many of the affected customers are potentially overseas and as access to 0845 from overseas is most definitely not universal compared to 0870 they really have no option but to publish a GN alternative.  For an international airline to claim that no one needed to call the 0845 number from overseas is simply not a credible position.