To share a near miss story.

Mrs. M. was on reward flight which we needed to change. Did this through the call centre and as is usual went smoothly, was told the new booking was in the system and the ticket issuing office would do the necessary. The following day the flight was cancelled, we were offered another one and accepted it. Six months later, a few days before the flight, I went to print off the e-ticket and the computer said there wasn't one. I thought this was because it was a reward flight, (my bad).

The night before we were unsure as to her baggage allowance and went to manage my booking where it said "nil" bags. This was Club long haul and Mrs. M is silver so this couldn't be correct. Phoned up the call centre, long time on hold, but persevered. On getting through was told yes, there is a booking, but no, your wife has not had a ticket issued. It seems that as the request was sent through to the issuing dept. the flight cancellation occurred and we were in a ticketing purgatory with a request for a ticket for a flight that no longer existed so we dropped out of the bottom of the system. The lesson? I've got very relaxed over the years about checking things like e-tickets, assuming all will work as it should, confident I can find it in my email if anyone asks. In these times checking and double checking is paramount.

As for the call centre staff? We've all suffered long waits, being cut off, (after an hour on hold being told you need to ring BA holidays) etc. All that said, when you do get through I find them as courteous and helpful as ever despite the fact they must be on the end of some very aggressive tirades. The long wait is not their fault. The dropped calls are not their fault. The fact I pressed the wrong number for BA holidays is not their fault. Yes they can get it wrong, but I'm a firm believer that where someone gets something wrong, its the training, the supervision or the system that is at fault. Not the individual that you're speaking to. I think the demographic in flyertalk is aware of this, but I just wanted to make the point and seek to have a bit positivity - some of the islands of negativity I see is gnawing at my soul.