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BA01 (LCY-JFK) cancellation on October 15th - serious customer service issues
So I wanted to try the new service yesterday but everything went wrong...the below e-mail is what I would like to send to BA, what is the best way to contact them, resp. is the webform any good?
Dear Madam or Sir, I’m writing you to inform you about some serious process and customer service Issues I’ve encountered following today’s cancellation of my flight – events that not only upset me but that shine a very bad light on BA when it comes how your company treats premium fare paying customers in the case of irregular operations. Let me give you a quick overview of today’s events – the PNR is XXXXXX, so you can follow my explanations within the BA systems: • At roughly 09:45am I received a message form the LCY Club World Concierge team, alerting me of the cancellation of flight BA 1 and working with me on rerouting options • XYZ from the LCY team (who was extremely competent and courteous) offered me to reroute on the 11:25 flight to BOS and then with AA onwards to La Guardia, allowing me to be in Manhattan in time for my dinner meeting - hence I asked my driver to race me to LHR T5 • I arrived at LHR in time, but when I approached the customer Service Desk the Issues started – somebody in BA’s ticketing department decided that the full LCY-JFK Club World C Fare does not qualify as a proper Club World Fare and that I only could travel in World Traveller class • As you can guess this option was absolutely unacceptable to me and I asked for the Supervisor and also called up the LCY team to ask them to look into this • The Supervisor, who really tried to be helpful tried her best but insisted that a LCY-JFK fare does not qualify for Club World - in the meantime the clock was ticking and I was about to miss to Boston flight. • Only at the Boarding Pass check, my BP got refused and the Customer Service/Ticketing supervisor had to go back to look into the systems and when she got back she magically produced a Club World BP. • Waiting in the security line I received another call form XYZ of the LCY team to ensure I’m properly booked into Club World and wishing me a nice journey. The consequence of this was that I was literally running all the way from T5 to the B48 gate, arriving still in time but absolutely exhausted. All of this could have been avoided by training your staff properly or setting the BA fare structure up in a way that it is obvious that the LCY-JFK Club World Ticket is a proper Club world ticket. Besides this, I now have to go through the hassles of connecting to and flying on a domestic US flight in coach… I’m sure you can appreciate that this experience wasn’t living up to my expectations – not improved by not receiving my meal choice on today’s flight and by an IFE that was not playing on demand videos. This is the first time I decided to give BA a try for longhaul but after this highly disappointing experience I believe I will stick with Lufthansa and Swiss where - despite many irregular operation Situations – I never had issues receiving what I’ve paid for. Last but not least I realized this morning that I did not even receive the full Club World mileage credited for the flight to Boston. Feel free to forward my note to the LCY-JFK product management and complimenting them for the staff they have at the LCY concierge team – on the other hand you also might consider an appropriate compensation for my troubles. Yours sincerely Verve |
Oh dear doesn't sound like a positive experience. I guess someone thought there was no need to train staff up on what LCYCW is since they're at LHR. But I thought the fare class might have given it away... :td:
Sending it through the web-form should yield a response. Also you should receive full miles and TP (180) for the LCY-JFK leg since you've been involuntarily routed. |
In fact send your email to the LCY team - they're part of BA's priority assistance team and are far more better trained than normal customer service team.
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Some helpful suggestions:
Firstly, as far as I know everyone is subject to the T-45 (at check in) and T-35 (at security) requirements. Was this not the case in your instance, as you say:
"The consequence of this was that I was literally running all the way from T5 to the B48 gate, arriving still in time but absolutely exhausted." If you were through the BP check (with final boarding pass) at T-35 why the rush? If you weren't, was it because you were at security with the original at T-35, but it got rejected and hence you had to have one re-issued. It would be helpful to clarify. You then say this: "This is the first time I decided to give BA a try for longhaul but after this highly disappointing experience I believe I will stick with Lufthansa and Swiss where - despite many irregular operation Situations – I never had issues receiving what I’ve paid for." Doesn't this make it far less likely that you will get compensation - why would BA bother if you are not flying BA (longhaul) again and why would you bother asking for BA miles in compensation? Also, presumeably if you are getting BA miles you have a BAEC account, helpful to quote the BAEC number. Plus it is worth remembering you did get what you paid for or the closest available equivalent that was available in light of the cancellation. "Besides this, I now have to go through the hassles of connecting to and flying on a domestic US flight in coach…" You accepted it as the best available option, when they looked to reroute you. It's a bit disengenuous to then suggest you are unhappy with it. "Last but not least I realized this morning that I did not even receive the full Club World mileage credited for the flight to Boston." Just ask for the tier points and miles for LCY-JFK. It's a special rate of F miles and tier points. This would seem a reasonable request, and if you don't ask for more, they may give you some extra miles as service recovery. I would focus on the issue of LCY-JFK ticket in C (which is clearly CW) not being recognised at LHR. That could be down to an individual, training, general awareness or system issues. Hard to say. Options from the website are here: http://www.britishairways.com/travel...=BOT_contactus |
Thanks, very helpful!
Originally Posted by JonWB
(Post 12656201)
Firstly, as far as I know everyone is subject to the T-45 (at check in) and T-35 (at security) requirements. Was this not the case in your instance, as you say:
"The consequence of this was that I was literally running all the way from T5 to the B48 gate, arriving still in time but absolutely exhausted." If you were through the BP check (with final boarding pass) at T-35 why the rush? If you weren't, was it because you were at security with the original at T-35, but it got rejected and hence you had to have one re-issued. It would be helpful to clarify. "Besides this, I now have to go through the hassles of connecting to and flying on a domestic US flight in coach…" You accepted it as the best available option, when they looked to reroute you. It's a bit disengenuous to then suggest you are unhappy with it. " Last but not least I realized this morning that I did not even receive the full Club World mileage credited for the flight to Boston." Just ask for the tier points and miles for LCY-JFK. It's a special rate of F miles and tier points. This would seem a reasonable request, and if you don't ask for more, they may give you some extra miles as service recovery. |
Originally Posted by verve
(Post 12656294)
What I've understood from the conversations, the gate can actually accept passengers with less than T-35 and approve them in the system. I was through security roughly at T-30, leving me with 10 minutes to run all the way to the B gates.
Cheers, Rick |
Very poorly handled especially the putting of you in WT. :eek:
This is one of the problems of flying from LCY when things go wrong - the rush to get to LHR for alternative flights. Doesn't help when communications break down along the way. |
I am sure these initial reliability issues are just teething problems, but in recognition of that fact the IRROPS safety-net should be tip-top. Anything less will be unsatisfactory to the target audience.
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Not that this necessarily helps the OP, but I was booked on the BA2 last night and also received an email and SMS from the LCY team asking me to call BA in the US. Within 5 minutes of calling I was booked on a JFK-LHR CW seat. This was reticketed as full J (all that was left) despite me having booked the LCY-JFK return in I without any issues.^:(
Today I have received miles compensation and have been assured that I will get the full miles and TP from the LCY booking credited. Just shows that it can be done, I suspect the OP unfortunately ran into another training issue. |
Originally Posted by BahrainLad
(Post 12656801)
I am sure these initial reliability issues are just teething problems
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Originally Posted by DYKWIA
(Post 12656360)
You should have taken the shuttle. It would have saved you running all that way :)
Cheers, Rick Made me LOL in the office on a Friday afternoon at 6pm :( |
Teething problems. Nothing more, nothing less. Medium sized horse will do.
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Originally Posted by BahrainLad
(Post 12656801)
I am sure these initial reliability issues are just teething problems,
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One of the A318s is sick in JFK after multiple birdstrikes on approach.
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You've got to love migration time :(
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