Airlines' concerns now include fuel costs as well as security fears

Barclaycard said BA took 35% of the executive market in 2003-4, down from 46%, with Easyjet in third place.

The news comes ahead of results due on Monday, which could show its cost-cutting programme has cut deep.

According to the Observer, BA will say it has found savings of �800m - �150m more than its "Future Size and Shape" programme had previously predicted.

Recovery

Barclaycard's survey put Dutch carrier KLM in second position, rather than one of the army of low-cost airlines which have menaced their bigger, more traditional rivals in recent years.

But fourth position was held by another no-frills outfit, bmibaby, with Virgin Atlantic relegated to fifth.

Still, the rapid rise of the low-cost sector is thought to be under threat, with too many airlines chasing the same pool of passengers.

And the big players have fought back with restructuring efforts such as BA's Future Size and Shape, in an attempt to recovery properly from the damage done in the wake of the aviation meltdown after the 11 September 2001 attacks.

One new problem, though, is the cost of jet fuel, which has soared as tight supplies and terror threats have pushed the price of crude oil sky-high.

Only days ago, BA put a �2.50 surcharge on one-way tickets with a �5 tariff on return flights - although the Observer said that would not recoup the whole burden of the price increase.