Originally Posted by
bananahead
I couldn't care less if BA substituted me to a cessna as long as it had a flat bed
As I said earlier, I know substitutions happen and I will gladly take it on the chin if the aircraft is older, configured differently, IFE not as modern etc etc as long as I have a FLAT bed. First world problems eh?
And for me, this wasn't an irregularity. It has been three consecutive trips. Maybe I have bad plane karma...
Well, just arrived in FRA. The inflight service was absolutely superb - flawless. From what I could see of others meals it easily rivals what BA offers in First. It was 'dine on demand'. The cabin crew member welcomed us all individually on board. At the end of the flight she again came and said she hoped we enjoyed the flight. The menu had so many options that had I eaten and they didn't have my first choice I could have easily found a second or third.
However.....the seat =
For me the bulk of the flight was spent getting increasingly frustrated at trying to pull myself up from the bottom of the ski slope to get some shut eye. Didn't happen. If I had to be in work first thing today (which is usually the case) i'd be fuming.
Oh and apart from an aircraft substitution to an inferior product I encountered another of Qatar's regularities - the extended arab family of husband, wife, grandparents and nanny board just before doors closed. Nanny and kids booked in Economy - yet spend the bulk of the flight running up and down the J class aisle to see mummy and daddy in 1 J & K without being challenged by the crew.
I will propose marriage to Qatar once it sorts out it's seating to a consistent fully flat bed. But until then I will stick with the less glamorous british sister.
As someone who flies mostly self financed for leisure I've always flown QR J; they offer the biggest bang for my hard earned pounds. Sleeping onboard is low in my list of priorities, it's all about maximising the experience & the onboard experience wth QR is normally superb.
I have flown BA CW a couple of times in the last few years for work. The bad points constantly 'debated' on this forum were evident, the limited IFE, grubby cabins etc, but the crew were good (apart from dropping & breaking a wine glass on my foot - she was blonde, she was very pretty, I couldn't forgive her quick enough) & it had that feeling of 'Britishness' that I rather liked. Still, I couldn't understand why so many of you were seemingly joined at the hip to what I considered to be, in my narrow, leisure focused perceptions, an inferior product.
I've just read
bananahead's post with its reasoned comparisons;
BA = flat bed across the long haul fleet
Businessman = #1 priority sleep = any BA long haul aircraft
Nothing else matters, light bulb moment, I now get it. Thanks
bananahead.
That last line did make me laugh though...
Happy flying.