An interesting set of issues last week on my way back ABV to LHR. Being rather taller than usual, and travelling in WT, I had purchased 26A at a cost of £50. Had checked in the day before, but had my boarding pass at check in reissued just over an hour before the flight – they always insist on reissuing them at ABV. Not sure why. Boarded relatively quickly, and settled into my seat. Just before the flight closed, a woman accused me of having taken her seat. I produced my pass and it is clear we are both sat in 26A. And there are at least 4 other people in WT ‘double booked’.

After some little time, I am told that I have been found a new seat – 23F. Now this is WT+, but is in the middle of the 4 middle seats, and comes with a stroppy 5 year old in 23E, who is already occupying my newly allocated seat with his feet (head in mother’s lap in 23D) and refuses to move them. I point out to the crew that I don’t consider this seat to be an upgrade, indeed rather the opposite, and that had they offered me an upgrade at check in, the lounge or at the gate (which they did not), I would not have accepted it in preference to 26A.

After take-off, I was approached and told that there was a seat available in CE, but that I would have to have WT food. I was happy enough to accept that, as my only reason for paying for 26A was to get the leg room. However…about 40minutes after take-off they started serving breakfast. Nothing for me it seemed. Eventually I was given a tray with an orange juice and a cold apple pastry. A further 45 minutes passed. I seem to remember that even in WT, there is a hot meal for breakfast. I am asked if I want a drink. I request a ginger ale. It doesn’t come. A crew member comes and asks if I have finished with my meal. I comment that I haven’t really had anything to eat yet. At this point he comments that ‘one of his colleagues was meant to go to WT to get my food and must have forgotten’. So some 90 minutes after take-off a foil container with breakfast arrives. I also ask whether I might have a blanket, as it is a little cold, but there was not blanket on the seat. The crew member tells me that he can’t give me a CE blanket. I later notice an unopened plastic bag of clean blankets in the overhead locker.

The crew continue doing the rounds of duty free and juices/water. These are not offered to me. My tray is not picked up. A little over 2 hours into the flight I decide that I really don’t want the tray in front of me any longer, so I take it to the galley, and leave it.

It is only after this that I am approached by someone more senior, who recognises that the service to date ‘has not been up to our usual standards of service’.

Presumably the initial problem was caused by the ground staff. But it must have been done at the very last minute. I went through the gate (where I saw some upgraded passes on the deal for CE to F) at 7.15. There was no communication to the crew, and no attempt to inform those who had been shifted. Presumably also, there are no protocols for making sure passengers upgraded but getting food from WT are fed. Slightly more surprised that the drinks service and blankets didn’t happen. Perhaps I should have gone to the WT galley to get these? I was cheeky and stood up to make sure that I got a glass of wine as we hit midday and started to cross France. What else should I have done? Or is this normal for these circumstances?