BHDATC

So I am just back from a trip to JFK and back in F. Not my first by any stretch, I benefit from a mix of work in J which gives me miles upgrade opportunities in F for leisure. All ex Dub, but that's because I live 60 minutes up the motorway.

Booked a couple of J seats for a long weekend last week and looked daily in the month leading for some F avios seats. Nothing available. In fact there wasn't a revenue seat for most of the flights in F to JFK last Thursday. On the morning of departure I had a look online and again no avios, but two revenue seats were available. MMB told me I could have both for the princely sum of €7995. I paid €2000 for both J tickets return so not wonderful value.

Arrived at GF and asked about an AUP. Nice girl on the CS desk typed away and showed that 3E and 3F were available and if I popped up to GC they would be able to sell them to me for £600 each. Not bad and certainly better than MMB. As it was a treat for my other half, I booked the seats and ran upstairs.

Fly was having a mare in GC and the agent on the desk couldn't get out of a previous flight as the system kept locking up. He was courteous and jested with me about how 'fun' the new BA computer software was. They are all trying hard to work with what they have, I felt for him as it wasn't playing ball. A quick call to the person 'responsible for the flight' and two new F BPs were handed over and payment given. I was told to make the most by going straight to the CCR. I knew this but was grateful for the advice.

Enjoyed some cocktails and the really nice Swordfish and Risotto dishes in the CCR. Life was feeling good, and despite the horror stories on here, I was enjoying things.

Flew to JFK and can honestly say it was the best F crew I have had in many F flights. My CC, Janet I believe, who has been working for BA for 30 years, was unbelievable. 100% attention, polite service with names used at all times, constant top ups of drinks. Desserts and cheese proactively brought out because we dined together. She swiftly got my golden ticket as I left the plane and was delighted to have it, even know I sadly know it is worthless to her in terms of value.

I can honestly say I would love her in every flight I take. She apologised that the beer I ordered midway through the flight wasn't quite cold enough and made sure the follow ups were icey cold (not sure how), she, quite a few times came to our seats and asked was there anything else she could do to make our journey enyoyable. Perfection.

The CSD also came around to thank me for being a GCH and I also informed her of the gem she had in F and she was quick to tell me she knew how good she was and had heard it so many times with a smile.

The stars were lined up last Thursday. It was the perfect F flight and service.

Departed on time and arrived on time. G-CIVH was spotless in F and the new IFE was a vast improvement over the previous 747 IFE. I have to say the screen doesn't quite look right though with its black plastic surround inbedded into the silver smoothed body of the bezel.

Some observations:

We had a full F cabin and whilst I don't know how many were Gold of GGL, I do know 4 were bronze or silver. My other half being silver and my snooping of a bag tag and BP told me the rest.

Despite this I was the very last to be asked when and what I would be dining on. My other half coming before me and asked because she was I presume a female and my travel partner so good manners prevailed. To me, it seemed that status feel short to the fact we were AUP tickets. This was fine and I understood why.

I was unable to have the beef, other than that my girlfriend got her choice of starter and main. I settled on a really lovely chicken. Janet, in her wisdom and supreme customer service delivery, didn't tell me that because I was an AUP, I couldn't have beef. When I asked for it, she simply said, unfortunately it is unavailable but I really do recommend X Y and Z. Smart and effective way of not making me feel like I had upgraded my ticket on the cheap a hour before boarding.

I know some will say others paid probably less if they redeemed avios, but avois is currency to BA and I don't treat it as any different than money. They booked before me so it was the right thing to do. I wouldn't have wanted my GC to play a part.

After that, there was no difference in service and normal service resumed.

All in all, a wonderful experience and restored some of my faith in the brand after some pretty bland J and F experiences previously.

It really is all about the service.

stu1985

Brilliant!

Sounds like a fantastic experience and just how F should be. Isn't it made that much better when you have an outstanding crew member like you did? It sounds like she really did know how to take care of her passengers (making sure the beer was ice cold). I'm really glad you had a great time.

Hope I get something similar on my F to JFK in November (might phone Gold line and request Janet haha!).

Geordie405

Thanks for the report. It certainly sounds like a good trip with very polished service and F as it should be. I would question whether the fact you were an AUP made any difference to the meal choices. My personal view on this is that it shouldn't matter one iota whether you're a revenue passenger, someone who has paid for J and then upgraded either using Avios or an AUP at the airport, or someone travelling solely on Avios - the level of service should be the same. However, with a full cabin it simply could have been the case that not everyone could have received their first choice on the basis of what's loaded for the flight.

That minor critique apart, I am glad (via proxy I suppose) that you had a great flight and that it restored your faith in BA's brand

orbitmic

Indeed aup is not supposed to change meal priority order. It was a mistake by the crew, however friendly and nice they were.

TravellerFrequently

IME, OpUps are/should be asked last for meal choices but I would not expect this to apply to AUPs.

BHDATC

Interesting responses as all the crew in F, not just the above mentioned seemed to operate by the book but with added flair so it is surprising to hear that I shouldn't have been asked last in a full cabin.

I literally watched her look at her sheet and walk around seats in a organised manner before arriving at me last. She walked past me 3 times to get to other seats.

shefgab

I'm glad you had a good flight, but I don't agree with your reasoning for the meal order taking! You paid cash to BA at a mutally agreed price for the upgrade. For all intents and purposes, you were F pax, not upgrades. If there was insufficient catering to serve all 14 pax, then BA shouldn't have sold you the ticket (or should make you aware that you would be served last). The date of ticket sales doesn't dictate the order that meal orders are taken! £600 might be less that the "face value" of an F ticket, but is around £100/hour to sit in a nicer seat, with better food and service. For that money, I'd certainly expect more, including having a proper choice of food as a GCH.

Skipcool3

Speculation but I wonder what was actually on the manifest?
I was upgraded from a cheap WT+ fare yet the manifest, which I glimpsed, showed a full J fare, and so did my statement with full J mileage. Is it possible that the CC thought you were actually both upgraded? Considering earlier issues around the booking?

BHDATC

I'm really not sure what the manifest said - perhaps someone in the know could share what an AUP shows as to the crew as it certainly said something as she walked past me multiple times before coming to me.

Dicksbits

I do love reading trip reports, esp positive ones! We all want to have a nice experience flying in a BA premium cabin, especially F.

Thanks for posting!

LTN Phobia

Or, it could be that there were other Gold and GGLs. I have been on a flight where over half of F passengers were Prem, Gold or GGL. Not so many Prems but there are lots of Gold and GGL.

orbitmic

Not quite: actually I believe that when you're asked is entirely irrelevant as the service standards are that everyone should be asked in seating order and then orders reconciled in order of status. In other words a passenger in row 2 who is bronze and wants steak would say so before you but you should be prioritised.

Also what people believe is right or not in terms of aup/opups etc is irrelevant: ba has a clear guideline on how meal choices are prioritised and individual crew do not serve as an appeal court for airline processes.

As LTNPhobia says maybe there were more ggl/prems?

corporate-wage-slave

It's likely, during the crew briefing, that those in First knew from the outset that they had x number of Golds and above, and if there were only 2 beef items loaded - not unusual - then it wouldn't take much for even a Prem to be denied, given than particular route. One CSD told me recently he had a JFK flight with 5 Prems, including a rare husband and wife combo (the Gates or Wales?), 10 GGLs and "countless" Golds, it's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

simons1

Good to hear that if us still possible to find crew willing to go the extra mile, even if in F it is not possible to get your first choice of dinner.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Tiffywren

I enjoyed reading your trip report, thanks for posting