FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Cumulation of issues, worth feeding back?
Old Jan 15, 2025 | 6:05 am
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flarmip
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Cumulation of issues, worth feeding back?

I encountered a number of issues on my recent US trip in F. On the outward flights there were a few things, nothing huge:
  • 1h40m delay MAN-LHR. Very slow ground handling, perhaps not directly BA's fault but boarding was called long before any movement at the gate.
  • Problem with the seat LHR-JFK (cubby hole lid wouldn't close so I had to keep it closed during takeoff/landing and couldn't put anything there)
  • Dog hair on/around my seat JFK-LAX (AA F). All seats taken so I couldn't swap.
The return JFK-LHR was worse though:
  • Delayed boarding which wasn't announced until already at the gate. I mixed up the announcement from a later BA flight boarding early at an adjacent gate (it would help if they used gates further apart!), so went up too early and was brusquelty rebuffed by the gate agent.
  • CC only boarded 20 mins prior to scheduled departure so didn't have time to put an amenity kit or water. PDBs were very rushed and no champagne was offered.
  • Both another passenger and I asked for pyjamas when asked for our meal preferences, but were rudely told to wait as "we know how to do it all", and "we've done it a thousand times before". This member of CC was sadly serving us throughout the flight and just didn't give a very 'F' level of service, everything felt awkward after those initial rude remarks. Another much friendlier member of CC later asked for preferences and distributed them.
  • Broken window shade button (it had fallen out of its fitting) so I couldn't raise/lower the blind. It was kept centrally closed for almost the entire flight so I couldn't see anything. Again all seats taken so no alternative available.
  • The suite doors were kept locked for a long time after takeoff (I wasn't eating anything) and there was no response to the call bell for over 10 mins. I decided to go to sleep but was then awoken when the doors were eventually closed.
  • The IFM didn't introduce themselves, either in person or through an announcement. No idea whether that is SOP but it's happened on every BA F sector I've taken. Because I didn't even know their name I didn't know who to ask for if I did go searching around the galleys, so I couldn't easily speak to them to deal with the CC issue on the flight.
Obviously none of these were individually major, but the cumulation of issues did leave me somewhat disappointed despite the modest expectations I have for BA/AA F - not that I have any plans of booking new trips at the moment given the EC changes, but I do still have a few more BA F trips booked.

In particular I am thinking back to the member of CC who was serving my side of F on the return JFK-LHR flight. I just don't think they are someone who is well suited to working F cabins from the way they were dealing with people. Is it even worth feeding this kind of thing back, and will it result in a quiet word or perhaps reallocation to a different cabin, or am I just wasting my time?
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