Well done, BA. Well done.
Jul 18, 2017, 11:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 16
Well done, BA. Well done.
We left on 17 June for a month-long trip of a lifetime to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Our first First was an enjoyable hop from IAD to LHR on the A380. The crew was helpful and friendly. The most memorable moment for me was the when I asked for a glass of 15 year old Drambuie to go with my desert and they apologetically informed me they no longer were carrying it. The "consolation" prize, a pour of Johnny Walker Blue, was large enough to knock out a horse!
But it was our return trip from Heathrow on Sunday that will be the "remember when" story we share on the porch of the old folk's home 20 years hence. It started out very well with a speedy check-in and an early trip to the Concorde Room Dining for a delicious breakfast. This was followed by a lounge visit that included numerous samplings from the cocktail menu and a “hey is that?” moment when we saw Wolf Blitzer, all while being catered to by a solicitous staff, including a very kind manager who offered to take some pictures of us in our first (and probably only) trip to the CCR.
Our trip home was on the Grey Lady, a Boeing 744, and we were in 2A and K (in front of my buddy Wolf ;-)). The CSD (perhaps because we were delayed at the gate?) made the rounds to each seat in first and introduced himself. When I mentioned in passing that we were celebrating our 25th, he told me he'd be sure to mention it to our flight attendants, who were quick to come over and congratulate us, and the champagne really started to flow then! The nicest moment for me was mid-flight when a gentleman squatted down next to me and mentioned that he had heard that congratulations were in order. My wife didn’t quite understand who he was, but I did immediately, as I had noticed the 4 bars on his shoulder. I was very touched by the gesture. The final kindness, courtesy of the absolutely lovely flight attendant who doted on me the entire flight, was just before landing when she presented us with a bottle of the Bolney Estate Vintage and a card signed by the Captain and First Class crew. As this was only our second (and most likely final) experience in First Class, I genuinely don’t know how commonplace this kind of treatment at the front of the plane is, and frankly, I don’t really care. What I do know is that a few people, through some simple kindnesses, made me and my wife feel like a million bucks. I have submitted a compliment through the normal channels on the BA website, but on the off chance that any of the crew of BA293 from London to Washington on the 16th of July read this, I just wanted to say:
Well done, Ladies and Gentlemen, well done. And thank you.
But it was our return trip from Heathrow on Sunday that will be the "remember when" story we share on the porch of the old folk's home 20 years hence. It started out very well with a speedy check-in and an early trip to the Concorde Room Dining for a delicious breakfast. This was followed by a lounge visit that included numerous samplings from the cocktail menu and a “hey is that?” moment when we saw Wolf Blitzer, all while being catered to by a solicitous staff, including a very kind manager who offered to take some pictures of us in our first (and probably only) trip to the CCR.
Our trip home was on the Grey Lady, a Boeing 744, and we were in 2A and K (in front of my buddy Wolf ;-)). The CSD (perhaps because we were delayed at the gate?) made the rounds to each seat in first and introduced himself. When I mentioned in passing that we were celebrating our 25th, he told me he'd be sure to mention it to our flight attendants, who were quick to come over and congratulate us, and the champagne really started to flow then! The nicest moment for me was mid-flight when a gentleman squatted down next to me and mentioned that he had heard that congratulations were in order. My wife didn’t quite understand who he was, but I did immediately, as I had noticed the 4 bars on his shoulder. I was very touched by the gesture. The final kindness, courtesy of the absolutely lovely flight attendant who doted on me the entire flight, was just before landing when she presented us with a bottle of the Bolney Estate Vintage and a card signed by the Captain and First Class crew. As this was only our second (and most likely final) experience in First Class, I genuinely don’t know how commonplace this kind of treatment at the front of the plane is, and frankly, I don’t really care. What I do know is that a few people, through some simple kindnesses, made me and my wife feel like a million bucks. I have submitted a compliment through the normal channels on the BA website, but on the off chance that any of the crew of BA293 from London to Washington on the 16th of July read this, I just wanted to say:
Well done, Ladies and Gentlemen, well done. And thank you.
Jul 18, 2017, 11:17 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: FLR
Programs: BA Gold, LH Sen, FB Gold
Posts: 504
Congratulations, indeed and glad to hear you enjoyed this flight. IAD-LHR-IAD used to be my regular route for many years (though continuing down to Africa).
While everything else seems to fall apart at BA, the staff is still the one great asset they have. Only can only hope that some of these great people stay on, in spite of all the .... they have to endure!
While everything else seems to fall apart at BA, the staff is still the one great asset they have. Only can only hope that some of these great people stay on, in spite of all the .... they have to endure!
Jul 18, 2017, 11:44 am
#4
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,174
Wonderful. A pleasure to read - my belated congratulations to you both. It's my thirtieth this September.
Jul 18, 2017, 12:02 pm
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL, AA 1MM LT GLD, SPG PLAT, National Exec Selc, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silver
Posts: 8,278
Your Wolf sighting was far more glamorous than mine. He sat behind me on an Amtrak regional train slowly crawling to New York during the middle of a blizzard about eight winters ago. There was so much ice and snow that the crew had to struggle to open a single door at each station. Our 90 minute journey took 3+ hours. He and his wife had been on since Washington for some unimaginable length of time. Nice guy.
Jul 18, 2017, 1:14 pm
#11
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,925
You'll have lots more trips of a lifetime. Who is Wolf Blitzer, sounds dangerous to me. Many more Fs to come your way if you stick around the forum.
Jul 18, 2017, 1:45 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Dubai/Boston
Programs: BAEC Gfl, GGL
Posts: 189
What a wonderful experience. It's instances like this that make me keep the faith in BA.
If it wasn't for their great crew (in most instances!), I would have switched carriers a long time ago and I often tell them that in the feedback forms.
If it wasn't for their great crew (in most instances!), I would have switched carriers a long time ago and I often tell them that in the feedback forms.