pbarnette

If it is so hard, then why do they let me book myself?

But even if we accept that re-ticketing might be a bit more difficult, we are left questioning quite a few things, such as a) why do they have such a vulnerable and complicated process to begin with and b) why can other airlines proactively book me, when BA can't?

Point b is the big one to me. I remember being on a DL flight that was delayed, making it likely I would miss my onward connection. While in flight, I was able to check my record and they were proactively offering rebooking options. Now, I can accept that BA is hurt by the absurdly fragmented European mobile phone system, making in-flight internet difficult, but they could at least let me use the web to rebook on the ground or <gasp> do it for me, just like DL does and push the update to my mobile. Save me the hassle and reduce the stress on the ground staff.

Similarly, I was on a DL flight that turned back due to volcano activity. We landed, before we even deplaned, I called the elite line and they told me I was already rebooked. I walked off the plane and my boarding pass and hotel vouchers were already printed. I was in the hotel within 30 minutes. I was even able to sleep in because there was none of this "come back tomorrow and maybe we can help you".

I like BA, but they really dropped the ball. I'm simply offering them constructive criticism. They should be thanking me, because McKinsey would charge them a few million quid to tell them what I did here. Benchmark against competitors. Simplify processes. Empower staff and line management. These concepts are cliches at this point and BA's IROPs handling suggests they need to give them a bit more emphasis.