I flew EDI-LHR on BD061 this afternoon. When I checked in online yesterday Row 4 was the first row of the Economy cabin but there weren’t seats free there so I chose 5F – I like the view of London from the windows on the right side on the approach to Heathrow. In the Diamond Club lounge at Edinburgh I was told that I’d been upgraded to Business class and was given a new boarding card for 3C with BUSINESS printed on it. So I wasn’t going to have a window seat after all but at least would have an empty middle seat next to me which wouldn’t have been the case in the full Economy cabin.
The aircraft was an A319 with the same seat width and pitch in all the rows in the front part of the cabin – no difference between Business and Economy. The middle seats were unoccupied in rows 1-3 and occupied from row 4 backwards. Unusually, there were no headrest covers at all on the seats in row 3. There were the gold Business class covers on the window and aisle seats in rows 1 and 2 and the blue Economy class covers on all the seats from row 4 back but no covers at all in row 3. (The curtain that usually separates the two cabins had been moved all the way forward so that it was in front of row 1 and hid the exits.)
After take-off the passengers in rows 1 and 2 were offered Bento boxes and drinks but I wasn’t and when I asked if I could have one I was told that I couldn’t because I wasn’t in Business class. “Well I was told I was in Business class and my boarding card says BUSINESS” I explained. “Ah, yes we did upgrade some passengers but then we decided to downgrade them again and we’ve changed row 3 into Economy” I was told!
I found this a minor embarrassment and inconvenience and used my Diamond Club card to get a free sandwich and cup of tea. However, the passenger in 3A was incensed to be told that he wasn’t really in Business class as he had thought he was and that he couldn’t have anything to eat or drink unless he paid for it. He produced his boarding class marked BUSINESS, a receipt showing that he’d paid £900 to fly from EDI to OSL with bmi and SAS, and an SAS Star Alliance gold card but was told that “we’re not allowed to give you anything to eat or drink”. A heated argument ensued after which the passenger was given one cup of tea but nothing to eat. He spent the next 10 minutes loudly telling me (and everyone within earshot) how bad he found bmi compared to the other Star Alliance carriers.
What is the point in downgrading the passengers in the rear row of Business? And if this is done, why not tell the affected passengers about it? Seems like an unnecessary way of pi**ing off some of their best customers given that passengers chosen for upgrade in the first place are likely to be frequent fliers or those travelling on expensive tickets!
If it makes you feel any better, last year BA isssued me a new boarding pass from 10J (Club World) to 1A (First) on a longhaul 777 flight to DFW (so a bit longer than EDI-LHR!) as I entered the lounge at T5B. Mere minutes later I was being paged to be downgraded again back to 10J with a 3rd BP And that's as a 'special' Gold Guest List member not even a 'normal' Gold too, in theory! Thankfully, the Special Services staff at SFO more than made up for that on the return though My attitude was that I wasn't exactly overjoyed, but at the end of the day it's their 'plane, an upgrade is a 'gift' and they can pretty much do as they please without messing my plans up - I flew in the cabin I paid for, in the seat I wanted, in the end so couldn't really complain. But the 'process' and personal communication angle was the real letdown there, as it seems here too (especially to the seatmate).
... But the 'process' and personal communication angle was the real letdown there, as it seems here too (especially to the seatmate).
I agree. It didn't make much difference to me whether I was upgraded to Business or not on this flight. The seat width and pitch were the same in both cabins and I find the sandwich and drink offered to Diamond Club cardholders in Economy as good as the bento boxes given out in Business. However, i did think the way that the downgrades were handled was very poor and felt that my seatmate was justified in feeling that he had been treated badly by bmi.
The way it was handled defies belief but, as you see from the lack of responses so far, unfortunately not a shock to regulars of bmi's upgrade shenanigans, be they op-up or GUV based. It's just a shame there's no happy medium with bmi; it can go smooth as silk (unlike TG ) or, more likely, all hell breaks loose.
The only issue that matters here, IMHO, is that bmi handled the process apallingly. Naturally bmi can do what they wish (within reason) with their planes/seating/upgrades etc but a total lack of appropriate communication to the customer causing (at the very least) unecessary emabrressment? No. A completely unacceptable way to treat anybody, least of all bmi's best customers.
I think the way BMI have treated you Alvaldor is certainly not very professional but these things sometimes happen. However, the way in which they treated a passenger with a PAID business class ticket is outrageous. The fairly lacklustre C class product is one thing but to be told you can’t even have that after paying for it is bloody disgraceful.
Maybe it’s just coincidence but there are a few tales to poor BD customer service at EDI this week, what’s going on?
And that's as a 'special' Gold Guest List member not even a 'normal' Gold too, in theory! Thankfully, the Special Services staff at SFO more than made up for that on the return though 
My attitude was that I wasn't exactly overjoyed, but at the end of the day it's their 'plane, an upgrade is a 'gift' and they can pretty much do as they please without messing my plans up - I flew in the cabin I paid for, in the seat I wanted, in the end so couldn't really complain. But the 'process' and personal communication angle was the real letdown there, as it seems here too (especially to the seatmate).
