Programs: BA Gold, AA White, vS Silver, Pilsbury Doughboy Fanclub
Posts: 1,333
Quote:
Originally Posted by BA97
Meanwhile the GGL hotline is doing its usual customary job of sorting out super-premium customers. At least that part of the machine is working correctly.
Well hooray for them
Not as if they don't get enough a$$ kissing already is it....
Good luck to them in trying to find a hotel! News 24 just interviewed somebody who'd been given a leaflet by BA with a telephone number to call for information who then found the numner was wrong.
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 14,918
I don't feel sorry for the passengers. This has been in the news for quite a while now. They knew it was a new terminal and should have known there would be problems. Personally, I'm staying away from BA and LHR for a good long time til things settle down.
Victimising upper management is all well and good, but what should be focussed on is the fact that most flights are leaving today/tonight, delivering people to where they want to go. Admittedly more baggage than the norm has been 'lost' (ie. delayed, not lost at all) but people will get to where they want to go.
With my numerous interactions with staff today, what is prominent is the fact that those who were working T1 yesterday and T5 today are pretty much clueless and hiding behind the "it's our first day" excuse, whereas there are a pretty decent number of staff who know what's going on and are helping passengers out wherever.
The problems may stem from what i've seen at work before - people genuinely do like working for the company, are proud of their new terminal and volunteer for big events, but on the day actually confuse the situation as they're super-keen but DO NOT KNOW DETAILS. Passengers want to know where to go, when and how, etc... and the red shirts (no Wolfie Smiths, though I do live in Tooting Broadway) can't advise them. Willing volunteers are no use at all to customers unless they can resolve their problems.
Meanwhile the GGL hotline is doing its usual customary job of sorting out super-premium customers. At least that part of the machine is working correctly.
Rubbish. What counts in the bad times is good communication and good PR. BA have failed miserably today.
Disgraceful.
Programs: Lifetime Cunard Silver, bmi Blue+, IC RA
Posts: 2,318
Quote:
Originally Posted by BA97
Victimising upper management is all well and good, but what should be focussed on is the fact that most flights are leaving today/tonight, delivering people to where they want to go.
An obscenely optimistic view on the matter that, tellingly, not even Gareth Kirkwood dare share.
I don't feel sorry for the passengers. This has been in the news for quite a while now. They knew it was a new terminal and should have known there would be problems.
Maybe it is big news in the UK, but here in Germany, it is not in the news at all. I can imagine that a lot of folks were caught by surprise, in fact some pax interviewed on TV said just that.
Now I absolutely don't feel sorry for FlyerTalkers enjoying drinks in the lounges
I don't feel sorry for the passengers. This has been in the news for quite a while now. They knew it was a new terminal and should have known there would be problems. Personally, I'm staying away from BA and LHR for a good long time til things settle down.
Lucky for you, some of us have no choice but to use T5, i got a flight tomorrow morning, everything in UK sounds like a good but normally ends up going wrong . IF my flight is cancelled tomorrow i wont use T5 or BA till they get there act together. new or old they should have a man with a plan.
An interesting day for BA. I guess niggles were to be expected - from the sidelines we've seen much more than that
I'd have thought someone might have quietly pulled the "our new home" banner from the ba.com home page - does rather smack of arrogance given the scenes on the various rolling news channels....
Programs: BD*G, PC P. [EK, BA, QR & LI Blue]. Formerly H.Esprit White
Posts: 3,085
Quote:
Originally Posted by BA97
Victimising upper management is all well and good, but what should be focussed on is the fact that most flights are leaving today/tonight, delivering people to where they want to go. Admittedly more baggage than the norm has been 'lost' (ie. delayed, not lost at all) but people will get to where they want to go.
Quite right...when I buy a ticket for a flight, when I take that flight I don't care about my baggage one bit. As long as I get to my destination at somepoint or another its a job well done!
Victimising upper management is all well and good, but what should be focussed on is the fact that most flights are leaving today/tonight, delivering people to where they want to go. Admittedly more baggage than the norm has been 'lost' (ie. delayed, not lost at all) but people will get to where they want to go.
With my numerous interactions with staff today, what is prominent is the fact that those who were working T1 yesterday and T5 today are pretty much clueless and hiding behind the "it's our first day" excuse, whereas there are a pretty decent number of staff who know what's going on and are helping passengers out wherever.
The problems may stem from what i've seen at work before - people genuinely do like working for the company, are proud of their new terminal and volunteer for big events, but on the day actually confuse the situation as they're super-keen but DO NOT KNOW DETAILS. Passengers want to know where to go, when and how, etc... and the red shirts (no Wolfie Smiths, though I do live in Tooting Broadway) can't advise them. Willing volunteers are no use at all to customers unless they can resolve their problems.
Meanwhile the GGL hotline is doing its usual customary job of sorting out super-premium customers. At least that part of the machine is working correctly.
No-one is victimising the management; it's simply that they are all hiding - maybe you BA97? You have attempted to soften the mess that is BA and T5 today, but I suggest you look closely at the disruption this has caused to thousands of passengers. Who needs a pilot strike with T5 around!
I don't feel sorry for the passengers. This has been in the news for quite a while now. They knew it was a new terminal and should have known there would be problems. Personally, I'm staying away from BA and LHR for a good long time til things settle down.
I think the audacity of such a statement is shocking.
The customer does not care if it was a new terminal or not. It is not their obligation to factor in "newness" or otherwise to their travel planning.
Moreover, some passengers do not find news about London Heathrow interesting.
I don't feel sorry for the passengers. This has been in the news for quite a while now. They knew it was a new terminal and should have known there would be problems.
That's harsh. I'm scheduled to fly out on Saturday from T5 and although I expected some problems, this does seem to be slightly more than minor niggles. A slightly higher percentage of flights slightly delayed or a baggage delay fine but some of what is being reported verges on the ridiculous in terms of numbers of flights affected and numbers of delays.
Besides, when I booked it way back in September to match with a friend's RTW trip in places, I don't think I was even aware that it was close to T5's opening since back then, the date wasn't really being publicised.
Bear in mind that most of those passengers that you don't feel sorry for don't have the luxury of free champagne in the lounges and lots of miles credited. They're stuck on those odd looking sofas and the benches in Wagamamas.
Now I'm off to try to figure out whether I can fit everything I planned on wearing in Hong Kong into a carry on bag in case everything is still going tits up on Saturday.
but normally ends up going wrong . IF my flight is cancelled tomorrow i wont use T5 or BA till they get there act together. new or old they should have a man with a plan.
