My wife and I flew LHR-MXP today on BA576 for a weekend break in Milan. It started badly; I couldn't OLCI, every-time I tried, a message telling me that this part of the site was not available, so we used the SSCI machines in T1, to find that the seat shifters had split us up; i was now in 2E and my wife in 4E (as opposed to pre-allocated 2A and 2C). Anyway, we boarded on-time. The first hint that we were going to have a slight 'passive' crew was when we stepped on board, and the Purser continued her conversation (about Lisbon) with her colleague, didn't acknowledge us, and didn't bother to check BPs. Anyway, on the flight deck were two captains (maybe a check ride? or a staff shortage), and we were advised that Heathrow was running slowly and to be prepared for an hour's delay. Eventually we pushed back at about 1210, instead of 1110, and taxied to a remote stand, where we shut down again, and waited for about another 25 minutes. After take-off, the purser made the usual announcement, and the cabin 'service' began. The person allocated to J cabin was probably the best CC member on board (not the purser), who, along with a colleague stayed in the front galley for the entire flight, chatting with a colleague, leaving the four other crew (six crew for some reason on the 319) to serve the full flight. There was a school party just behind the curtain in J, who were being just fine, not loud, and none of them pushed the call button once!! However, for the crew, they were obviously not welcome, and another crew member stood in row one talking to the purser (sitting down in the galley, reading 'Hello', basically saying about the 'bloody spoilt brats' towards the back. The same crew member also moaned about a passenger in row 5 who had used a £50 note to buy a rather cheap item from highlife shop, and, right in front of the passengers, the crew member said to her colleague "he knows how hard it is to change a 50, he's just trying to be difficult' and later I heard her moaning to the purser because the man wanted a veggie meal and the crew had run out. Anyway, the service proceeded in this way for the entire flight (basically, the crew scowling at any request). Only one bar service on a two hour flight in J is a bit poor, for example.

About 20 minutes before landing, another crew member SHOUTED down the cabin at the school party "Switch that phone off NOW!" Of course, everyone turned around to look; the person had been taking a photo with his phone, and the crew member had seen. The pupil protested that it was on flight mode, and was not on, to which the crew member basically told him to switch it off, or he would be !arrested! on landing in Milan. The pupil relented and switched off his phone; the crewmember reported this to the purser who was sitting down (still reading Hello), who simply said, "right, I'll get Phil (captain) to give them a bollocking when we land, they've been nothing but trouble." Anyway, we landed in Milan perfectly smoothly, but the brakes were applied quite, but not very, hard. There was a loud CRASH and an exclamation of 'ow' from the back of the plane, followed by a thundering, and i saw loads of cans of coke shoot down the aisle past me, and hit the flightdeck door, I turned in my seat and saw the bar trolley was tilted at 30 degrees, in the aisle, being stopped by the slight ident of the aisle where Club started (AFAIK row 5/6). With all of the drawers fallen out and contents all over the cabin. The purser made a PA saying "Sit down (to the pax who had turned round to see what was happening) and we know exactly how much stock we have, and your school will be billed for anything missing!" I.E. she was suggesting the kids were going to nick the drinks!! After we pulled off the runway, the crew re-assembled their trolley, picked up the drinks and re-stowed it at the rear of the cabin. I decided that enough was enough and something needed to be done, so I asked for a comments card; I watched the purser walk to the front, stand, staring at the door for about 5-10 seconds, turn and walk back to me and say, 'we've run out' and walk off along the aisle to interrogate the kids over the drinks they might have stolen. I decided to wait for the plane to begin disembarking, pretending to be studying the contents of my bag for something, I spoke to one of the captains as he walked down the aisle to speak to the kdis (on the request of the purser), and explained to him about the shocking service, and arrogant/ignorant/rude Purser, and about the trolley coming hurtling down the aisle and nearly tipping over; he looked shocked, the purser had not told him about the trolley; the purser on the other hand tried to insinuate that I was exaggerating about it hurtling down the aisle; I had spotted a Tonic water just under 1C and retrieved it to demonstrate my point. The captain walked to the galley and produced...a comments card for me!! The same card the purser had assured me did not exist on board! I left the aircraft feeling really fed up and angry at this purser.

I really can't communicate how rude this lady and her team were, i think it might have been a dare, but I cannot believe that the trolley was allowed to go shooting down the aisle like that, it's just dangerous; the purser and crew spent too much time gossiping, and giving 'evils' to the kids, instead of doing their job. This sounds like a rant, it is, but it really is dangerous for this to happen. I know the captains were shocked over this, as were other passengers, and my wife was just as annoyed as me!! I think Ryanair offer better overall service. Those kids had done nothing wrong that I saw (and trust me, they were only about 4 rows behind me so I would have known. My wife was right at the back of Club, she had swapped for an aisle seat in row 6, both for comfort, but also to let a couple sit together.

I probably haven't highlighted all of the problems, but generally, the crew as a whole, with the exception of one cc member, were absolutely the worst I've ever experienced.

Seriously, I think there is a safety issue here, and either she's having one hell of a bad day, or has slipped through the system; how do I proceed, any suggestions?

But on a positive, the flightdeck crew were great, the Hyatt here in Milan is superb, and at least we got to Milan, unlike our friends who were on the later flight which was cancelled!

We also got 1 out of 2 bags, which really is a bonus