Originally Posted by
KARFA
I haven't experienced the same issues contacting GGL as you - I tend to phone and email quite a bit and the GGL contact team is in my view a real positive.
I presume your handful of visits to the CCR and Chelsea is because you only passed through those terminals a handful of times.
Other than that, you constantly sound like you had a level of expectations but they were never met. Can you describe what you were expecting being a GGL?
Well, do pass through LHR a bit, although T3 more than T5 to be honest. Prefer the CX and QF lounges whilst there. Also prefer AA over BA.
JFK, a few times a year, but I'm generally heading to the west coast so choose direct flights that miss out JFK. If it's not for TP purposes and the transcon, I don't really need to go via JFK to be honest.
Sometimes flights via JFK cost a lot more, and an hour in the Chelsea lounge isn't really worth the premium to me. Not a massive drinker either, so 95% of the time, I won't be drinking champagne etc.
Expectation wise, with BA, I have practically zero. I've said before that I expect nothing, and generally they deliver exactly that, or on a good day, start digging downwards
They're practically an A to B for me these days, and having spent some time flying other carriers OW, *A etc., I really don't miss them that much and have been getting some nice fares even if they aren't necessarily direct.
Handy being in the MAN area a lot as loads of airlines that bypass LHR completely. Even got Q-Suites on QR last night after an aircraft swap earlier that day
I suppose people do have expectations. Fly a lot, build up status and you expect various bells and whistles - we've all seen, read etc. DYKWIA threads and the associated persons, so someone who has spent a bit, flies a lot, loyal to the brand, may feel they should be treated differently from Mr. Smith on his first ever £300 Y flight, the only one he'll take that year.
Bare minimum wise, it would be nice if a "hello" could be a consistent thing just to make you feel welcome. Once again, I've said before that I begrudge paying say £3k for a CW fare and will survive 10hrs in Y for £350, or PE for maybe £688 ex-ARN if I'm out that way. I can't see too many GGLs sitting in economy or PE on a long haul flight - it couldn't be too hard for the manifest / PIL to indicate to even a general crew member rather than the CSM, IFL or whatever their title may be, that "Mr Xenole, a GGL, is sitting in 26K today".
I may obtain gold again this year - handy to have as it covers my preferred lounges, and does give a few more benefits on QR etc.