I didn't expect rose petals....but
#16
Join Date: May 2005
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC (Gold), Hilton (Gold)
Posts: 4,168
I particularly liked his comment about the one member of cabin crew he liked as 'a pretty young thing'.
BAH
#17
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: Accor PLT,Thai Silver, HH Dia, SPG Titanium (LT Gold), Aegean Gold, BA Silver
Posts: 5,114
It's a shame Civil Servants were allowed to waste the Tax Payers money flying Club.
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,060
What could have been better would have been priority boarding for CW ?
A welcome at the door ?
Occaisionally attentive service ?
Not big things, but the complete lack of any of the above does not shout "Pride of Britain".
A welcome at the door ?
Occaisionally attentive service ?
Not big things, but the complete lack of any of the above does not shout "Pride of Britain".
#19
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,556
Here we go again, somebody makes a less than glowing report on BA, and gets jumped on immediately by the.... I won't use the word.
#20
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: back to my roots in Scotland!
Programs: Tamsin - what else is there to say?
Posts: 47,843
Oh please. You can tell from the tone of the post that absolutely nothing was going to change his view of BA away from 'The world's surliest airline'. Nobody has been disparaging - much as you might like to think so.
I particularly liked his comment about the one member of cabin crew he liked as 'a pretty young thing'.
BAH
I particularly liked his comment about the one member of cabin crew he liked as 'a pretty young thing'.
BAH
Nevertheless, discounting his opinion, on the basis you believe that he was determined not to like BA, is certainly one way of handling/deflecting criticism of BA. So is questioning his stated experience (to show he is not as experienced as he says, so that his views can be discounted).
Of course, another view is that he did experience an off-crew on BA. Most people admit the service can be hit and miss - even out of LGW - why does it seem to be so hard to believe that the OP hit one of those crews? Are they solely reserved for people known to the BA board?!
Having someone refuse you a pen, in the manner described, does not seem like good service.
#21
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chelsea
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,224
This place is like groundhog day.
It is of course unfortunate that the OP had a disappointing experience. More often than not BA is fine, occasionally excellent, sometimes poor, rarely dreadful. Is that a good enough record against the competition? I don't know, but surely BA can't afford to be too complacent.
It is of course unfortunate that the OP had a disappointing experience. More often than not BA is fine, occasionally excellent, sometimes poor, rarely dreadful. Is that a good enough record against the competition? I don't know, but surely BA can't afford to be too complacent.
#22
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Robin Hood Territory
Programs: BA Silver, MUCCI des Soins Medicaux, Le mdecin personnel PUCCI GALORE
Posts: 1,613
I find this post quite interesting. One man's meat etc...
I can't bear KLM or AF, so it's just a taste thing perhaps. There is no rule that says if you are British you must like BA. It is a shame that what is quite a customer-centric form of marketing seems to have backfired for the OP - I cannot think of a single airline that has called me up to the desk to wish me a good flight (or similar) as I have not travelled with them in business/first class before and I have flown with quite a few
The odd thing about this little story is that the LGW crews are usually very enthusiastic, helpful and most un-surly.
I can't bear KLM or AF, so it's just a taste thing perhaps. There is no rule that says if you are British you must like BA. It is a shame that what is quite a customer-centric form of marketing seems to have backfired for the OP - I cannot think of a single airline that has called me up to the desk to wish me a good flight (or similar) as I have not travelled with them in business/first class before and I have flown with quite a few
The odd thing about this little story is that the LGW crews are usually very enthusiastic, helpful and most un-surly.
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,060
And if YOU were tasked with some of the stuff we were tasked with, you would take every opportunity for a little comfort on the way there and back !
#24
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Skywards, Hilton Honors and lots of other under-utilised Hotel Schemes
Posts: 321
It's a shame that someone who flies such a lot found that BA was not as good an experience as on airlines he flies more often. It was just on one trip (was the return any better?) but in reality, that's all BA has to try to tempt frequent fliers from other airlines, so they've failed on this occasion.
Attempting to justify BA by disparaging the OP won't actually change his view of the airline, and I fear, show that this board is little different from the airline.
What could BA have done better that would have impressed you (the seat is obviously non-negotiable! ) more?
(I used to love using HUY - anywhere where you can check bags, but be back in the car park no less than 15 mins after your flight has landed has got to be good )
Attempting to justify BA by disparaging the OP won't actually change his view of the airline, and I fear, show that this board is little different from the airline.
What could BA have done better that would have impressed you (the seat is obviously non-negotiable! ) more?
(I used to love using HUY - anywhere where you can check bags, but be back in the car park no less than 15 mins after your flight has landed has got to be good )
So am I just lucky, or is it that I have a wonderfully winning personality which makes everyone want to do a great job of looking after me, or that I customarily see the world as cup half full or is it that I haven't had prolonged exposure to the uber-bling of EK Business and First which might otherwise cloud my judgement.
If you view the world like Nigel Farage and have been spoilt by lustre of EK First, then maybe BA CW isn't the right solution for you. In any case I am sure it won't be long before you can fly to Kingston via Dubai.
#25
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: I am a lowly ant
Posts: 1,751
Hmm......
I find this website a bit confusing sometimes.
I had a look at the boards for the US airlines, and it seems quite normal/ok to not really like the airline.
OTOH, on the BA board you get castigated..... I would put it down to patriotism, but we are not exactly patriotic in this country, compared to the US.
Now, I think it's generally accepted that if you want to get 'waited on' you need to fly an Asian airline.
That said, the OP stated that he flew BA having a generally negative perception of them, evidently based on past experience. Apparently they didn't get 'Asian' enough for him, as they did nothing to dispel that experience, which is evidently based on lack of servility.
I don't really see that this is unreasonable? "If you don't like 'the BA way', you can f*** right off?"
ho hum.......
I find this website a bit confusing sometimes.
I had a look at the boards for the US airlines, and it seems quite normal/ok to not really like the airline.
OTOH, on the BA board you get castigated..... I would put it down to patriotism, but we are not exactly patriotic in this country, compared to the US.
Now, I think it's generally accepted that if you want to get 'waited on' you need to fly an Asian airline.
That said, the OP stated that he flew BA having a generally negative perception of them, evidently based on past experience. Apparently they didn't get 'Asian' enough for him, as they did nothing to dispel that experience, which is evidently based on lack of servility.
I don't really see that this is unreasonable? "If you don't like 'the BA way', you can f*** right off?"
ho hum.......
#26
Join Date: May 2005
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC (Gold), Hilton (Gold)
Posts: 4,168
If you think telling the OP that nothing would have pleased him is not a form of disparagement (it's making the assumption that nothing would have pleased him, therefore you don't need to accept his viewpoint that BA wasn't good on this occasion, because the problem is his viewpoint, not how the airline worked) then you and I have very different understandings of the term
Nevertheless, discounting his opinion, on the basis you believe that he was determined not to like BA, is certainly one way of handling/deflecting criticism of BA. So is questioning his stated experience (to show he is not as experienced as he says, so that his views can be discounted).
Of course, another view is that he did experience an off-crew on BA. Most people admit the service can be hit and miss - even out of LGW - why does it seem to be so hard to believe that the OP hit one of those crews? Are they solely reserved for people known to the BA board?!
I also stick by my comment about the 'pretty young thing'. Why he (I assume he) feels that it is necessary to comment on the attractiveness and age of a member of cabin crew eludes me.
BAH
#29
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chelsea
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,224
I agree it's disappointing that BA weren't able to win over a longstanding previous customer but it just sounds too dire to be true, I have flown 100's of times with BA in lots of different classes (all the way from the back to the front) and whilst some flights are clearly better than others , none have been calamitous or so dreadful as the OP suggested even in Y.
#30
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Earth
Programs: Proud owner of 3 Mucci's (yes, 3!) the latest being Chevaliere des Bains Chauds, BA Silver (6 yrs)
Posts: 10,985
Can I suggest you write to BA Customer Relatons telling them how angry this has made you then, please.
This is new BA policy to welcome people travelling for the first time in CW or F, and/or their obtaining bronze, silver or gold status. It's done to make them feel welcome and valued as customers. The vast majority of passengers are absolutely thrilled to be acknowledge by name and DO feel special as a result.
I'm not sure how you say everybody was able to hear because the lounge desk is quite some yards from the main lounge itself with a cloakroom area between so unless she was really shouting I find this hard to believe. And I know the agents in the lounge would not shout at all (except perhaps in an emergency), let alone loud enough for another passenger to hear.
What level are you in the BAEC? When did you last fly BA in CW? I ask because if these were recent you would not have been subjected to a staff member trying to make you feel welcome.