Broken seat in J

Old Sep 5, 2016, 8:33 am
  #91  
 
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I'm afraid we have to be consistent and fair to all our customers
Consistent and fair would include, for example, providing the same advertised seat "which converts into a fully flat bed" and which actually functions for all the customers who bought a ticket in the club world cabin.

Can't think of anything less fair or more inconsistent than one passenger who paid for a ticket but can't do this.

Virtually nothing about initally purchasing (and certainly subsequently changing) air travel is fair or transparent and airlines are happy to work that way. It's disingenuous to pretend they are so committed to fairness and consistency when it comes to service recovery just because it suits them.

Quite apart from that, their dealings with other dissatisfied customers are private between them and totally irrelevant to the OP's case.
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Old Sep 5, 2016, 9:32 am
  #92  
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I had 40,000 in First and 50,000 in Club in the last few years but didn't think either actually compensated for the lack of recline.
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Old Sep 5, 2016, 10:49 am
  #93  
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Originally Posted by willmatt
Consistent and fair would include, for example, providing the same advertised seat "which converts into a fully flat bed" and which actually functions for all the customers who bought a ticket in the club world cabin.

Can't think of anything less fair or more inconsistent than one passenger who paid for a ticket but can't do this.
I think that's a very good point, not that it will cut much ice with Customer Relations, who I suspect are acting under heavy orders, with which I suspect they disagree, to restrict everything to 5K, or 10K if it's really terrible or GGL. It's a bit rich to get lectures on consistency and fairness from that quarter.

Indeed the issue of being consistent and fair is poppycock given that circumstances and context are never comparable. A day flight to JFK is a very different matter to a passenger going from provincial Mexico, via a difficult connection at MEX and then overnight to LHR, to take 2 very different examples, even though the fares could be quite similar.

What we will need is more people, like this OP here, willing to take BA on through other channels, to see what happens. Perhaps this is worth its own "customer relations and after" thread at some point, though just right now I think we are lacking in examples.
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Old Sep 21, 2016, 9:22 am
  #94  
 
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Claim filed in NYC Small Claims Court.
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Old Sep 21, 2016, 11:38 am
  #95  
 
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Originally Posted by justforfun
I'm aware that you feel the gesture of 5,000 Avios does not cover the cost of your flights or the challenges you faced. I've evaluated your case and I'm afraid we can't offer any more gestures of goodwill. I'm afraid we have to be consistent and fair to all our customers, therefore on this occasion we can't make an exception. I understand this isn't the answer you were hoping for and I apologise.
'Goodwill' is a rather insulting term. I'm not sure that the use is appropriate:

Goodwill - friendly, helpful, or cooperative feelings or attitude.
"the scheme is dependent on goodwill between the two sides"
synonyms: benevolence, compassion, kind-heartedness, big-heartedness, goodness, kindness, kindliness, consideration, charity; More


'gesture' similarly implies an optional token, which is clearly not the case.

To me, a company offers goodwill as an 'above and beyond what is required' gesture. 5,000 avios can be bought for £95.00 which I suspect is far below the price paid for the POUG.

Don't waste your time corresponding further. You bought product A, were offered an upgrade to product B and took it. BA gave you product A (in my regard) and then offered you 5,000 Avios when they should have offered you B-A (at least). Good luck in your case, which I am sure BA will not seek to defend.

This really reflects poorly on BA..... trying to shortchange customers. It's obvious what the correct 'consistent and fair' compensation offered from the start should have been.
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Old Sep 22, 2016, 1:34 am
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Good luck. Hope you can report a more happy outcome.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 5:39 am
  #97  
 
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An update on Customer Relations compensation.

Together with Mrs Competency we were on a Companion Voucher, Club World, day flight, LHR to Miami. We paid £176 for adjoining seats on the Upper Deck. Both Blue Executive Club members.

My seat failed to move to a flat bed and the cabin crew could not fix it. There were no other pairs of seats available. I declined to move elsewhere. A report was made on board with a crew member using an ipad.

I was offered an eVoucher of £50.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 6:42 am
  #98  
 
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Astounding.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 6:55 am
  #99  
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Originally Posted by Washington DC
Astounding.
Yes and no. Reading between the lines, it seems that other (working) seats were available, but nothing that would have enabled Competency to still sit next to Mrs. Competency. BA would argue that they were able to offer a properly working alternative, but that option was declined. They can't really be on the hook for a huge amount of compensation in this situation.

I'd consider that a cash refund of the seat selection fee would have been appropriate, and possibly a small goodwill gesture (avios, evoucher, etc.).
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 6:58 am
  #100  
 
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
I think that's a very good point, not that it will cut much ice with Customer Relations, who I suspect are acting under heavy orders, with which I suspect they disagree, to restrict everything to 5K, or 10K if it's really terrible or GGL.
Mr NW (GGL/GFL) recently received 15,000 AVIOS proactively for non-working IFE on a paid first class ticket. He was so bored - he didn't have a book or an ipad with him - so he went to sit in Economy for part of the flight. It's definitely nowhere near as bad as a non-functioning seat. He often does back to back night flights and goes straight to meetings and it would be absolutely essential to him to be able to get some sleep.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 7:59 am
  #101  
 
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Originally Posted by justforfun
Claim filed in NYC Small Claims Court.
Wishing you the best of luck. And please report back when it concludes.

It's unacceptable for BA to think that they can sell a flat bed service, but when that's unavailable to just compensate with a measly 5000 Avios! I'd accept it only if BA reciprocates - by allowing me to upgrade from WTP to CW with just 5000 Avios!!
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 8:27 am
  #102  
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Personally I wouldn't have tried to offer any onboard compensation as I believe that CR are best placed to do so.
I think that you should be refunded your fee for reserving the seats plus a gesture of goodwill.
As you were able to use another seat you wouldn't get the normal amount for a non working seat.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 5:07 pm
  #103  
 
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Originally Posted by Competency
An update on Customer Relations compensation.

Together with Mrs Competency we were on a Companion Voucher, Club World, day flight, LHR to Miami. We paid £176 for adjoining seats on the Upper Deck. Both Blue Executive Club members.

My seat failed to move to a flat bed and the cabin crew could not fix it. There were no other pairs of seats available. I declined to move elsewhere. A report was made on board with a crew member using an ipad.

I was offered an eVoucher of £50.
I sought an explanation as why the seat resevation fee was not refunded and this was the reply - "As you have travelled in the seat you have paid for we're unable to process a refund". So £50 eVoucher for a broken Club World seat.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 5:33 pm
  #104  
 
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In comparison, I flew LHR-DFW on American on a BA ticket last week. Due to a last minute equipment change we got the old sloping J seating on the 777 rather than the flat bed.

Didn't complain, but within two days received a proactive email apology from the AA customer service folks and a $500 travel voucher.
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Old Nov 14, 2016, 7:38 am
  #105  
 
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Update to Small Claims Court case:

About a month before the trial date, BA contacted me and was extremely apologetic about the farcical offer I had received(5,000 Avios for a completely inop club world seat). The agent acknowledged there has been a change in how compensation is awarded, but that some front line agents are taking it to an extreme. After a nice chat, was offered a $500 e-voucher. I probably could have negotiated for more, but this was never about the money. It was about BA owning up to its shortfalls. Content with the outcome, but it shouldn't have taken a lawsuit to achieve it.
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