Originally Posted by
FrancisA
I suspect in this case BA leapt at the chance to get compensation. That should have provided a comparable lounge offer to all passenger groups, including F pax and GCHs. Free pour Champagne is an obvious example of something not provided, but we could include a much longer list of premium drinks starting with JW Blue label.
Let's be clear - BA will have been compensated for agreeing to lose its lounge. That compensation should have provided like-for-like replacement facilities plus a further incentive payment to agree to move ahead of your competitors. The question is where has that money gone?
It's not even a case of No.1 may have wanted too much for Champagne. GAL should be paying for like-for-like so that's for them to pick up if they want BA to move first.
I am sorry there is too much giving BA the benefit of the doubt on this one. It looks to me like someone is trying to make a quick buck (short-term profit) on this on, probably for their own bonus and career purposes, hoping that those faced with a far inferior lounge product will just accept it.
LGW is not NBO or FCO, but if we want to make the comparison neither have ever been BA hubs and both had poor lounge offerings before the changes.
Why not go the whole hog and compare LGW to NAP? When the BA lounge there closed, there was nothing at all for four years then a poor third party offering. Perhaps that's the way forward for LGW too.
As yet I haven't come across anyone who would know the commercial position and would be in a position to judge what the contractual position is.
Unless you are about to share something with us (as previously challenged to) it's all rumour and conjecture.
My point about Nairobi and Rome wasn't to make a direct comparison (as you probably know) but to point out that sometimes there are situations where BA is temporarily unable to provide what they had been providing before. Life is not black and white and if we all threw our toys out the pram each time it would get a bit silly.
As I said before most of the people on the review thread seem quite happy with what is on offer. That may or may not be representative but if there is a tidal wave of people complaining at the lounge reception that they simply cannot live without free pour champagne and their value to the airline is significant then perhaps there will be a rethink.
Personally I don't see a voucher for a glass would be unreasonable but I don't think it will cause the world to end.