Originally Posted by
shuly
What I didn't like:
- As a non-status member, you can't book your seat before check-in. I can't think of any other airline that actually charges (north of $100) for seat assignments in business.
Much discussed elsewhere. This is not quite the money grabbing exercise it appears to be, it's (at least in part) a way of ensuring the most loyal customers get preferred seats regardless of when they book. It works rather well. As a non-status pax I was able to travel 747 UD because I was prepared to pay and now as a status pax I can pick my preferred seats every time. Without this system the best seats would simply be snapped up for free on a first come, first served basis with no regard to customer loyalty.
Originally Posted by
shuly
- I would have had status had my two Iberia flights the week before counted as eligible flights. But one of them was on AA code, so no. I had the TP to make Bronze, but not the flights. I know, these are the rules... I just don't like them.
Them's the rules. It's a BA loyalty scheme and a bonus that in some circumstances flights in other IAG fleets count, but primarily the scheme favours flights in BA metal.
Originally Posted by
shuly
- The hard product is ridiculous. 747 on the transatlantic flight and 777 on the second one; both 20 years old. The seats are top of the line for 1998, but we're in 2018. It wasn't just that they were extremely narrow; it's the fact that there's simply no storage space. Want to read a book? No place for it. Phone? No. Eyeglasses when you sleep? Sorry, no. And don't put your bag on the floor during takeoff and landing because the entire floor space is considered exit row. Yes, the upper deck on the 747 has some space, but with no access to advance seat assignment...
The age of the aircraft is less relevant that the age of the last refurb.
Few people would argue that CW is now well overdue an overhaul.
The storage in CW varies. It's generous in the windows with side bins, and definitely lacking in the seats without, although I find I can fit a surprising amount in the 'shoe drawer' (certainly enough space for your eye-glasses
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Originally Posted by
shuly
- All window seats face backward.
Is this an observation or a complaint? I prefer it. In fact the window seats in CW have excellent privacy and make a nice sleeping area for me with the more comfortable head position.
Originally Posted by
shuly
- Service was indifferent. On the transatlantic flight I (tried to) sleep. But the crew simply wasn't there. On the second flight, a day flight, they disappeared after the meal service and stayed in the galley for the entire duration of the flight.
This is really the crux I suspect. Had the crew been outstanding, as they sometimes are, I wonder if your overall impression would have been less negative about the hard product. Good service goes a long way and bad service creates issues where none need exist.
Originally Posted by
shuly
- What would you serve on a flight that is supposed to take off at 8am and land at 3pm (local times)? BA serves breakfast. Two versions of scrambled eggs, one porridge (porridge? seriously?) and a continental spread. They ran out of the latter as they only loaded four of them (for 56 pax). I can't remember when I had such bad food in business class.
Isn't 'breakfast' the correct answer to the question about a flight that takes off at 8am? However I agree the breakfast is not great.
Originally Posted by
shuly
What I liked:
- The number of landings equaled the number of take-offs. Which is what really matters.
This is an important part of the BA pilot training syllabus.
Originally Posted by
shuly
I can't see why anyone would want to fly in these miserable seats. I understand that service can be inconsistent and that delays happen. It's the hard product that I find totally unacceptable. Iberia (including the new 350 to NY) was so much better; and so are TK, LH, LX and even RJ, the airlines I tried in the past two years in business. I learned.
It's a long way from 'unacceptable' in my view. But it is in dire need of a fleet-wide refresh and redesign. This is happening too slowly, as everything with BA happens too slowly.