<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by 100,000miler:
Last week I did 5 flights on BD and the service was minimal and often rushed and rude. Since I am an AC SuperElite, I did ask about upgrades and was given mis information and certainly not a simple courtesy.
In fact, it seems BC staff have been given some lines to disarm travelers, such as "my computer does not have that information, you have to go to the gate." This is pure rubbish as on one day I get this from one lazy agent, and on another day at the same lounge (CDG), I get someone who at least looks at the load but still pushes me off to the unsympathic gate agents.
BD pales in comparison to other *A carriers such as LH, AC, UA in my opinion.</font>
Sorry you had a bad experience, but I don't think BD is quite as bad as you suggest:
Service on the 40 minute LHR-CDG is a cocktail and a sandwich at mealtimes, so I'm not surprised the crew are rushed... but that's still loads more than you'd get on AC/UA, particularly given some people are on GBP8 webfares.
Granted, there are better places for good ground service than CDG, but they do a fairly efficient job, given the stresses (eg, last week's ATC strike). They do occasionally upgrade, based on *A status and fare class, but only if operationally necessarily (and operationally possible given back-catering). At CDG, the decision is taken manually by the dispatcher, who will be at check-in and/or at the gate, but certainly not in the DC clubroom. The rudeness was unfortunate, but the information the lounge agents gave was correct.