Well ... that is I think the reputation you have generated immersed as it is amongst lot's of affection and tolerance. I feel your posts were and have been rude to others who criticise the pathetic service they sometimes receive for the F product.

I (even though I only book around 12 to 16 F leisure travel sectors a year for 'er indoors and me - as well as all that opportunistic stuff behind the curtain using "tart" CX Gold for our Europe travel) can find tremendous joy in enjoying the product when it's up to scratch. I love BA as much or more than you. That is why they need non-mystery shoppers telling them what they are bleedin' doing to the punters on the odd occaision they get it wrong. They pay mystery shoppers whereas we pay them.

I have already downgraded expectations with respect to food. Both on board and CCR. As you know I'm a foody. But the food is at it's very best "OK" and normally pretty 'orrible. it needn't and shouldn't be.

I have downgraded my expecations with respect to people. The old cunning CC who are battle worn and don't appreciate their jobs know exactly how far to go to be able to defend themselves against a complaint. They are surly but not out and out rude. They are "wiley". They do the minimum, huff and puff and embarrass their colleagues who care. We owe it to them as well as ourselves to call it out.

I have had three consecutive trips where my choice of seat (2K) has gone technical. On the last trip a few days ago, I and my wife have been given different and contradictory excuses at the gate. We were both told at the gate that our seats were changed and had our boarding passes torn up and told we had been reallocated seats that were in fact different from the re-printed BPs. No attempt at an apolgy. Just torn up and (wrongly) reprinted. So on board I and my wife sat in seats that we were told were our new seats but were completely different from the BPs. She was told it was to make space for a family, I was told it because the seat didn't work. When on board the seat looked fine to me. I was then told by the CSD that if I didn't give my seat up a BA employee wouldn't travel. I wonder whether the "family" was the partner of the BA employee who took my seat and whose partner was just behind the curtain and I believe the intention was to give her my wifes reserved seat and we'd both been moved back. By now ... yes I was grumpy. I can cope with the unexpected, and I can cope with a rational consistant and reasonable explaination - but don't treat me and my wife like poo and mislead.

We were told by the CSD he wanted to process some service recovery points. He said it would be done immediately he landed. The amount he mentioned wasn't many. They weren't even processed. So I have to now do a manual claim.

So .... arrived at CCR to take the cabana I'd booked. Made to feel that I'm a fibber when I said I'd booked it. They then blamed BA. So I produced the documents I had felt to have BA confirm and that I had printed off in the light of others FT'er experiences. No genuine apology. Food below par in CCR, lost the seats I'd reseved and given differeing excuses and BPs different from what we'd told were the new seats. Poor food, and a CC who was scruffy and bordering rude. Service recovery points promised but not porocessed. This is only half the story.

So where should I re-place my expectations exactly?