Would they be the ones with hats - mixed fleet? Or the ones that speak to first class passengers but not use their names...shocking. :D

..and again at 3500.

This was already in preparation, so here it is. :)

I beg your pardon?! :D;)

I completely agree. There was a general backlash against all of the Chase cardholders (got 100,000 avios with their card and then complained that they had to pay taxes :mad:). However, a sticky was created for them and this has helped a lot as you don't get the same question asked every day.

I think that a lot of the BAEC members are also DC members. As others have said, the BA Board will change as the BMI members join in. If you think someone has been out of order - please point it out and often people will back you up. In addition, whilst their are apologists, people coming on and saying "I had a crap flight with BA once, I'm never flying them again", doesn't go down well. I've had crap flights with lots of airlines, but if I refused to fly on them all - I wouldn't be flying anymore :D

T

I beg to differ. An incident is often what prompts a newbie or lurker to post and ask advice or make a point. When either a staff poster(unofficial one assumes) or other thin skinned character in a blazer and brogues comes over all precious or shouty I find it quite unpleasant. If new folk are helped or a possible error challenged in a non aggressive way it makes for a nicer experience for all. Me I'm quite thick skinned and couldn't give a bu**er by now, I've figured out the unpleasant little cliques for myself, but I wonder whether the old school ties could be loosened a little?:)

Everything you say I agree with. If you look back at the origins of this thread, it was originally aired at the tail end of last year. This coincided with a time when the BA forum was a deeply unhappy place. Disharmony and polarisation bred further disharmony and polarisation but the community pulled through; it underwent a process of self cleansing and recovery. The result is the BA forum is now much more conducive to discussing matters of greater importance to us all.

To echo GoldCircle, the BA and BD mod teams are working together very closely and we'll do our utmost to support members make the transition as a smoothly as possible. Over the weekend, GoldCircle introduced me to Brown Ale. If things don't go so well, I am told I'll be introduced to the Twix :o :)

Can't we all just get along? :D

Your comments bring up an interesting point that I've noticed on other forums. If you have a choice between airlines and find one you like, you're going to fly it often and probably be active in that airline's forum. Being you like the airline, you may post in a manner such that some would label you an apologist. There can sometimes be a fine line between being an apologist and just simply liking the airline and standing up for it when people bash it without any real basis in fact. As you pointed out, someone who flies an airline once, has a bad experience, then says something like it's the worst airline in the world is basing his opinion on one flight, which is probably completely unfair and has no statistical significance. People who fly once on an airline and have a good experience may not post anything about it. It's when you have a bad experience that you tend to post, and tend to exaggerate the negatives. So the negative reports may outweigh the fewer positive reports and give an improper impression about the airline. It is only natural that those who like an airline will come down on those posting extremely negative comments having little or no prior experience, as sort of a way of attempting to balance things out.

Still, I think it's worthwhile though to hear a newbie's comments about an airline, even if they are extremely negative. For me I have no problem with that, but do have a problem if the newbie continually harps on his one negative experience. Make a report once, let the people who like the airline and/or are experienced flying that airline to comment about their opinions, such as if it was some one-off problem or not, and then the newbie should drop the subject. No need to attack the newbie for giving his report, but rather to provide constructive analysis and possible solutions to the problems/issues.

Complete apologists who think an airline can do no wrong, and newbies who continue to harp on a single bad experience are equally annoying. Provided the members can find middle ground in the wide range of opinions between the two extremes, hopefully everyone can get along and share/learn useful information.

Note my comments were not directed at all towards the BA board, being I haven't read enough to know the personalities there, so don't have an opinion one way or the other. I'm referring to what I've seen as tendencies on all the various airline forums that I do participate in, and so assume those tendencies will likely also be present on the BA board.

Very well said on all points.

Of course the big difference between the Chase holders and DC members is that a lot of the Chase people had very little experience in miles programmes....in fact mostly none at all. To be fair, the ones who worded their inquiries in a sensible manner were replied to likewise....it was only the ones who ranted who go short thrift.
DC members are no mugs....they are fully clued up on how a FFP works....at least they know they have to pay taxes and charges on redemptions. Avios is still relatively new so even BAEC members still have a lot to learn about the programme.

Anyway what happened to Boddingtons....he seemed a sensible chap.

The only question is whether you get one finger or two. Be warned!

BOAC Presents: Tomorrow Is Theirs - 1950s promo Film
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=WHU6X29z-xw

What is "Avios", was there a different program before?

As a fellow BD Gold-holding refugee, I would like to welcome you all to the BAEC forum.

Please don't put be put off. Come and ask for info or just blubber on about something or the other if you prefer.

BAEC forum inhabitants don't tend to bite anyone reasonable, and I expect that the vast majority of the BD forum inhabitants would be quite reasonable people, so there is no reason for them to bite.

However, sometimes they get a bit 'robust' with their responses. If they go to far, we (BAEC forum moderators) bite them.

Please come over, and feel free to ask any questions. We're not all unhelpful lot - some of us may be, but by and large we do try to help.

We have all been new to a hotel or frequent flyer scheme at some point. I remember asking some incredibly dumb questions myself (and I still do) and felt embarrassed about it at first but I got used to it pretty quickly.

I'm sure it was a plate of those bottle tops that was put in front of me the other day:D