New Amenity Kit in Club World
Dec 11, 2013, 5:39 pm
#256
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: GGL, CCR
Posts: 3
What's new and exciting about this?
Read an article a month or so back about BA upgrading their amenity kit in business class and was curious to know what the end result was. I should have realised after their new lounge catering "upgrade" earlier this year what the result would be... Flew LHR-GRU on Monday only to discover no ear plugs or eye mask in kit. Had to ask cabin crew which is going to be annoying, especially if they run out on the return leg. Foolishly used the cheap razor in the bag when I got to the hotel and lacerated my skin. Whoever advises BA on this stuff is completely out of touch with what travellers want.
Jan 1, 2014, 11:00 am
#258
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: BA Gold Guest List, CCR, Star Alliance Gold
Posts: 136
I emailed customer services about the 'new bags'..... Summing up the lack of ear plugs and eye shades etc. it was about 3 or 4 weeks ago so too early for a response -
To be fair I emailed just before the air traffic control issue so guess they must be pretty busy with the fall out from that
To be fair I emailed just before the air traffic control issue so guess they must be pretty busy with the fall out from that
Jan 6, 2014, 8:14 pm
#260
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK/ORD
Programs: FB Plat Lifetime - BA GGL - VS Gold - EK Gold - HH Diamond - SPG Gold - Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 905
I just flew the ORD-LHR leg last night in CW. The 'amenity kits' are a joke and the fact that BA operates this flight as a 'sleeper service' and there are no blindfolds/ear plugs in the bag makes it an even bigger joke. Seriously, you have to request them on a night flight?!
Kate Thornton, British Airways’ head of product and service said: “Our goal as an airline is always to make flying as relaxing and pleasurable as possible. Our teams have worked hard with the experts at Elemis to create a calming spa environment at Terminal 5, a new range of services and a specialist range of in-flight amenities to help make that a reality.”
Sean Harrington, Elemis’ managing director said: “We’ve listened closely to British Airways’ customers and designed a unique offer for premium travellers both on the ground and in the air. The British Airways and Elemis brands are both synonymous with luxury and we’re extremely proud to be working together.”
http://thedesignair.net/2013/11/26/b...-amenity-kits/
Kate: You've been Head of Product and Service for nearly three years now with only a 5 month spell as Head of Insight, Marketing Strategy and Planning. This 'enhancement' shows a clear lack of insight and is an absolute failure in terms of the product offered. The teams responsible for the amenity kit changes seem to have no clue about flying long haul. Some consultation with your frequent flyers would have gone a long way to help 'enhance' the amenity kits for the benefit of all and cultivated goodwill. Try again because this really is an epic fail.
Sean: Are you still listening to BA's customer feedback? I certainly hope so. You've been MD at Elemis for 18 years and have the experience to know better. When customers are paying between £2,000 to £5,000 for a business class ticket, do you really think that offering your Elemis sample sized products in a shoe bag reflects Elemis as a "luxury" brand and in keeping with the cost of the ticket? I suggest you go back to the drawing board or better yet, let's have Molton Brown or L'Occitane instead.
Frank van der Post
Managing Director
Brand and Customer Experience at British Airways
I suggest that many of your customers are having a poor experience due to this enhancement. Please take action.
Kate Thornton, British Airways’ head of product and service said: “Our goal as an airline is always to make flying as relaxing and pleasurable as possible. Our teams have worked hard with the experts at Elemis to create a calming spa environment at Terminal 5, a new range of services and a specialist range of in-flight amenities to help make that a reality.”
Sean Harrington, Elemis’ managing director said: “We’ve listened closely to British Airways’ customers and designed a unique offer for premium travellers both on the ground and in the air. The British Airways and Elemis brands are both synonymous with luxury and we’re extremely proud to be working together.”
http://thedesignair.net/2013/11/26/b...-amenity-kits/
Kate: You've been Head of Product and Service for nearly three years now with only a 5 month spell as Head of Insight, Marketing Strategy and Planning. This 'enhancement' shows a clear lack of insight and is an absolute failure in terms of the product offered. The teams responsible for the amenity kit changes seem to have no clue about flying long haul. Some consultation with your frequent flyers would have gone a long way to help 'enhance' the amenity kits for the benefit of all and cultivated goodwill. Try again because this really is an epic fail.
Sean: Are you still listening to BA's customer feedback? I certainly hope so. You've been MD at Elemis for 18 years and have the experience to know better. When customers are paying between £2,000 to £5,000 for a business class ticket, do you really think that offering your Elemis sample sized products in a shoe bag reflects Elemis as a "luxury" brand and in keeping with the cost of the ticket? I suggest you go back to the drawing board or better yet, let's have Molton Brown or L'Occitane instead.
Frank van der Post
Managing Director
Brand and Customer Experience at British Airways
I suggest that many of your customers are having a poor experience due to this enhancement. Please take action.
Last edited by Moriarty; Jan 6, 2014 at 8:39 pm
Jan 8, 2014, 7:19 am
#262
Join Date: May 2009
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,741
I just flew the ORD-LHR leg last night in CW. The 'amenity kits' are a joke and the fact that BA operates this flight as a 'sleeper service' and there are no blindfolds/ear plugs in the bag makes it an even bigger joke. Seriously, you have to request them on a night flight?!
Kate Thornton, British Airways’ head of product and service said: “Our goal as an airline is always to make flying as relaxing and pleasurable as possible. Our teams have worked hard with the experts at Elemis to create a calming spa environment at Terminal 5, a new range of services and a specialist range of in-flight amenities to help make that a reality.”
Sean Harrington, Elemis’ managing director said: “We’ve listened closely to British Airways’ customers and designed a unique offer for premium travellers both on the ground and in the air. The British Airways and Elemis brands are both synonymous with luxury and we’re extremely proud to be working together.”
http://thedesignair.net/2013/11/26/b...-amenity-kits/
Kate: You've been Head of Product and Service for nearly three years now with only a 5 month spell as Head of Insight, Marketing Strategy and Planning. This 'enhancement' shows a clear lack of insight and is an absolute failure in terms of the product offered. The teams responsible for the amenity kit changes seem to have no clue about flying long haul. Some consultation with your frequent flyers would have gone a long way to help 'enhance' the amenity kits for the benefit of all and cultivated goodwill. Try again because this really is an epic fail.
Sean: Are you still listening to BA's customer feedback? I certainly hope so. You've been MD at Elemis for 18 years and have the experience to know better. When customers are paying between £2,000 to £5,000 for a business class ticket, do you really think that offering your Elemis sample sized products in a shoe bag reflects Elemis as a "luxury" brand and in keeping with the cost of the ticket? I suggest you go back to the drawing board or better yet, let's have Molton Brown or L'Occitane instead.
Frank van der Post
Managing Director
Brand and Customer Experience at British Airways
I suggest that many of your customers are having a poor experience due to this enhancement. Please take action.
Kate Thornton, British Airways’ head of product and service said: “Our goal as an airline is always to make flying as relaxing and pleasurable as possible. Our teams have worked hard with the experts at Elemis to create a calming spa environment at Terminal 5, a new range of services and a specialist range of in-flight amenities to help make that a reality.”
Sean Harrington, Elemis’ managing director said: “We’ve listened closely to British Airways’ customers and designed a unique offer for premium travellers both on the ground and in the air. The British Airways and Elemis brands are both synonymous with luxury and we’re extremely proud to be working together.”
http://thedesignair.net/2013/11/26/b...-amenity-kits/
Kate: You've been Head of Product and Service for nearly three years now with only a 5 month spell as Head of Insight, Marketing Strategy and Planning. This 'enhancement' shows a clear lack of insight and is an absolute failure in terms of the product offered. The teams responsible for the amenity kit changes seem to have no clue about flying long haul. Some consultation with your frequent flyers would have gone a long way to help 'enhance' the amenity kits for the benefit of all and cultivated goodwill. Try again because this really is an epic fail.
Sean: Are you still listening to BA's customer feedback? I certainly hope so. You've been MD at Elemis for 18 years and have the experience to know better. When customers are paying between £2,000 to £5,000 for a business class ticket, do you really think that offering your Elemis sample sized products in a shoe bag reflects Elemis as a "luxury" brand and in keeping with the cost of the ticket? I suggest you go back to the drawing board or better yet, let's have Molton Brown or L'Occitane instead.
Frank van der Post
Managing Director
Brand and Customer Experience at British Airways
I suggest that many of your customers are having a poor experience due to this enhancement. Please take action.
Jan 8, 2014, 7:50 am
#264
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,866
Your 30 is double mine. Well said. I remember so looking forward to ba CW from the introduction of NCW to the extent I would fly with a leg added on......
Jan 8, 2014, 8:22 pm
#265
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK/ORD
Programs: FB Plat Lifetime - BA GGL - VS Gold - EK Gold - HH Diamond - SPG Gold - Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 905
Jan 9, 2014, 2:59 am
#266
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,773
Feeding back this type of comment to BA is like banging your head against a concrete post.
Jan 9, 2014, 3:24 am
#268
Join Date: May 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA
Posts: 1,409
Perhaps they should include a tear off slip on the menu with a list of possible amenity items, and you then order the ones you actually want for your flight ?
Personally, I'm not a user of the little bottles of carp they put in these amenity kits. Give me a decent tube of toothpaste and a half decent brush and I'm set, along with socks and ear plugs. I could of course bring all of these items with me, but part of the premium product (for me) is not having to organise and pack these things.
Personally, I'm not a user of the little bottles of carp they put in these amenity kits. Give me a decent tube of toothpaste and a half decent brush and I'm set, along with socks and ear plugs. I could of course bring all of these items with me, but part of the premium product (for me) is not having to organise and pack these things.
Jan 9, 2014, 3:30 am
#269
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,809
I think I know why this doesn't get much visibility: for all the huffing and puffing here, it's not raised as an issue by very regular travellers, nor does it show up very highly on any Customer Service metrics, purely because other items get stronger traction.
I haven't accepted an amenity kit in years - and nor do the other Prems and GGLs that I know. We bring our own junk, or we spend our lives not trying to acquire (yet) more junk. So it's never been raised at a GGL event that I've been to. And, purely selfishly, I hope management don't spend time on this, there are much more important fish to fry.
But I know it's a big deal for some other travellers. So if you want this issue to have visibility, moaning here will do little good. Get your complaints into the system or vote with your wallet.
I haven't accepted an amenity kit in years - and nor do the other Prems and GGLs that I know. We bring our own junk, or we spend our lives not trying to acquire (yet) more junk. So it's never been raised at a GGL event that I've been to. And, purely selfishly, I hope management don't spend time on this, there are much more important fish to fry.
But I know it's a big deal for some other travellers. So if you want this issue to have visibility, moaning here will do little good. Get your complaints into the system or vote with your wallet.
Jan 9, 2014, 3:40 am
#270
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,773
I think I know why this doesn't get much visibility: for all the huffing and puffing here, it's not raised as an issue by very regular travellers, nor does it show up very highly on any Customer Service metrics, purely because other items get stronger traction.
I haven't accepted an amenity kit in years - and nor do the other Prems and GGLs that I know. We bring our own junk, or we spend our lives not trying to acquire (yet) more junk. So it's never been raised at a GGL event that I've been to. And, purely selfishly, I hope management don't spend time on this, there are much more important fish to fry.
But I know it's a big deal for some other travellers. So if you want this issue to have visibility, moaning here will do little good. Get your complaints into the system or vote with your wallet.
I haven't accepted an amenity kit in years - and nor do the other Prems and GGLs that I know. We bring our own junk, or we spend our lives not trying to acquire (yet) more junk. So it's never been raised at a GGL event that I've been to. And, purely selfishly, I hope management don't spend time on this, there are much more important fish to fry.
But I know it's a big deal for some other travellers. So if you want this issue to have visibility, moaning here will do little good. Get your complaints into the system or vote with your wallet.
BA is making a calculated (and I think correct) gamble that irritating though this is they will not see any real fall off in premium traffic (which grew 8% last year).
You get to the point of finding the patronising responses from non complaint feedback to be more irritating than the original cause. It is better I think to accept BA for what they are, a highly cost focused/obsessed carrier where you have to know how to play the game to get the things you might from other carriers as standard.
It is blindingly obvious that cutting back on the provision of these items certainly on night flights will annoy customers. You only have to take a look through the cabin on night flights and look at the number of people wearing them. Every GGL/CCR, Prem, Gold, Silver and infrequent flyer I know always takes an amenity kit and most wear the eye mask and ear plugs. This isn't unimportant but it isn't worth the time spent flagging it with BA because they simply don't care and I would highly suspect would be tempted to miscategorize any feedback they received to avoid disturbing the cost cutting scheme.
I have worked at BA and helped deliver the first wave of product cuts but they were tackled very differently. The low hanging fruit was harvested many years ago.
Voting with your wallet is all well and good but unless you only ever fly to major US cities or single route pairs there isn't a lot of really effective competition out there. BA is well aware of this and much less concerned about the competition than it has ever been in the past.