The upgrade is at the discretion of the CSM dependant on circumstances surrounding each individual case.

I really am struggling to understand the problem. In this case, there was a 'special occasion' and the crew wanted to make this extra special by opening the First cabin to the guests. I can understand your disappointment in not being able to travel in the FIRST cabin considering your effort.

Furthermore, the CSM should not have snapped at you in the manner that you have portrayed. This seems a slight overreaction on their half, however, rude cabin crew are part and parcel of any airline.

 

You show the reasons given by the CSM, but how much were you questioning her to result in this. She shouldn't have to explain herself in several ways to any passenger. I'd be damn furious if I was her

 

I do sympathise somewhat. I took the same flight back recently and the F cabin was blocked off until around T-3h. At this point a few seats in F were unblocked and became occupied. J was full. The remainder of the F seats stayed blocked. I asked at check in and the gate whether I could be moved to a seat in the F cabin and was told that it was completely full. The seat map showed this was a lie. Fortunately on boarding I recognised the lovely CSM from a couple of previous flights and he moved us into the (not full) F cabin. It was clear that most passengers seated in F had not spent any time in F before so I'm guessing these were last minute upgrades from Y rather than high CIV passengers moved from J. One can see how this might have been better managed by the ground staff...

 

I agree, but your problem isn't that the Captain allowed the First cabin to be used by this group but by the way you were spoken too by the CSM?
Did the customer who witnessed the discussion between you and the CSM give you his contact details?

 

I had to check and make sure I was not on the Delta forum....

 

Good old BA staff for giving the Hen Party a bit of a treat on a special occasion - it shows a caring and generous nature that warms the heart.

Perhaps the Hen Party asked to be moved away form the boring old man who was constantly asking to be upgraded in a self important manner that eventually caused the CSM to loose her rag with him and thus spoiling the party mode for the young people in the Club cabin.....

And let us be clear, the Captain is in COMMAND of all aspects of the aircrafts operation.

Could this thread be merged with DYKWIA......

 

What a shame that the CSM doing something nice for a group of travellers celebrating a major event is turned into a complaint by a frequent traveller.

I sincerely hope that BA Customer Service delivers its normal 'cut and paste platitudes' and nothing more. I would hate to think that the CSM would be reprimanded for going the extra mile to make someone's trip extra special.

 

"Upgrading" people on special occasions, especially when the upgrade is essentially meaningless given that there's no difference in service and no one was displaced, is a simple way to turn some of those people into appreciative customers for life. And giving the cabin crew the authority to make that judgement call should not be discouraged.

Yes, it sounds like the member of the crew did not immediately respond in the best manner, but maybe cut them some slack. They work in a culture where everything they do is subject to scrutiny and they were trying to do something nice. I would hate for all cabin crew members to feel like "no good deed goes unpunished."

My wife had a cough on a flight back in January, and the crew member looking after us thankfully provided sone throat lozenges. I would hate for him to think "I only have one strip of lozenges, so I'd better not offer these in case someone complains that they did not receive free lozenges." Yes, this is a bit contrived, but let's not give BA further reason to take away the ability for cabin crew to delight passengers.

 

Despite the image its contributors like to portray this is not solely a frequent flyer forum. However you're right about them screwing the airline/programme for as much as they can get though.

This has obviously rattled you but I think it's best you forget it. Life's far too short to spend time worrying over insignificant events like that. Especially as I can't see any good coming from it.

 

If hen party did not contain BA Gold Card members then Op has a right to feel hard done by. Issue they have no idea and as such hard to complain!

BA should if they decide to open a F cabin upgrade there most loyal travellers on the plane, that would be the best practice.

My understanding is that BA policy is not to open the F cabin unless overbooked which this flight was not and as such the pilot or CSM has annoyed a GCH and possibly others on the plane and as such guessing this is why they have such a policy. Generally a poor show all round, but impossible to judge fully as some facts are simply not available!

 

Why? BA does not publish an op-up priority list, and there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that BA does not simply op-up based on highest CIV/status, but may actually op-up lower status passengers who may not have travelled in that class before to give them a preview and try to influence their future purchasing behaviour.
In this case it wasn't even really an op-up.

 

No I didn't get his contact details. I'm not going to pursue this like a tribunal in a court of law.
My main issues:
If F cabin is closed, it should stay closed, not become a party zone for crew to 'upgrade' whoever they feel like. That includes the captain (not that I have any concrete information that the captain was actually involved).
The way the CSM spoke to me after I too asked if we could be moved up.

No sour grapes for the Hen do- but obviously it's natural that I would have wanted a F Seat too. I'm not going to deny that

 

But this isn't an opup. It's a question of seat selection. I imagine many on here would be rightly upset if rows 62 and 64 on BA's 747s were blocked out entirely and then a group of passengers with no status were invited from the main deck to occupy row 62 for no real reason. I imagine that a GGL might feel further frustrated if he got a short reply from the SCCM when he asked whether he might move into row 64 given that it was unoccupied.

 

The Captain would have made the decision, do you really think that the CSM would move customers into the First cabin knowing the flight deck is just forward of the cabin and the flight crew can see the cabin with the cameras fitted?
As I have said all along this wasn't handled very well but the Captain and CSM will I am in no doubt be able to defend the decision, personally I would drop it.

 

I would be delighted with a CW seat on a CE sector. The OP clearly spent a lot of time trying to get seats in the F cabin, a lot of time. I think this was a nice touch by crew to give the hen party a flight to remember. Perhaps this will end up in the press tomorrow...with both sides of the story

OP: What are you hoping to achieve by contacting CR for yourself? BA won't provide any specific feedback based on their employee HR records. I just see a patronising cut and paste response coming your way along the lines of you got what you paid for.

Enjoy your vacation