mtdd

Well I can't do a full trip report like others do so well here.

Having quieted down from my mini-tantrum about the seat reservation or lack of, my worst fears on the CAI-LHR leg were realised. I adore the 787, it is quite my most favourite plane. But that central seat in CW cabin was as awful as I feared. it was like lying in a coffin, claustrophobic and unpleasant. I know others here have opined that it is their very favourite place to be, and I am not sure whether they posted that to put me down or because they are vampires.... (joke! get it?)

Anyhow, the flight to UK was adequate, nothing really to praise or to criticise.

We spent 10 days in the UK, and then checked into T5 as early as possible on the day of departure to JFK, hot with anticipation of the delights of the Concorde Room.

We were in no way disappointed. I may not rank it as high as the Qatar F lounge in Doha, which is a cathedral to luxury travel, but the CCR was up there. The catering was mouth-watering, the staff attentive, and ambiance relaxed and exclusive.

And then, feeling cheerful and mollycoddled, we found ourselves in no time at all cocooned in the front of a B747: 2A and 2K if I recall rightly. I have read people criticising the layout of the F cabin on the 747, and I confess that we did think the rear-most seats were a little close to each other. But we had a fabulous flight. I cannot remember every detail of it, but once again the catering was excellent, great service from friendly and competent cabin crew.

In no time at all we were at JFK, which is where the fun and games started again: no gate was available and we tootled around the parking area until we could finally disembark. All I can say is that if you are obliged to suffer such an indignity, it is best done in a First Class seat!

On the way back, we were able to get 1A and 1K, which felt like being in our own private jet. Once again the experience was more than satisfying. We had dined in the JFK CCR, which we found not quite as good as the LHR version, but nevertheless still very special, and we thought we would sleep early: but when we saw the menu on board, our good resolutions flew out of the window, and we ate a second time. Then into our pyjamas and into a freshly made-up bed.

We had an 8 hour stopover in LHR, which was spent between shopping and enjoying the CCR once more. We were lucky (so we thought) to get a cabana: but frankly it was a big let-down. It sort of resembled a private room in a NHS hospital: the ablutions and toilet dominated the entire cabana, and the shower managed to cause a flood. It really didn't feel like a very luxurious experience, and the TV was on the blink.Nevertheless, it was nice to have a shower and change of clothes before being forced out into the other world of the CCR!

The flight back to Cairo was routine. This time I coughed up BA's danegeld, and got proper seats on the dreamliner.

On a side note, this plane had a F section, which was unused. I must say the cabin did look very nice, maybe nicer than the 747. The FA explained that it was not possible to book this cabin, even with an upgrade. Seems a shame for an airline that is so keen on extracting additional moneys from its passengers, not to take advantage of this revenue opportunity, an empty F cabin can't be all that good business?

The cost of this entire trip? Paid J, with upgrade to F LHR-JFK-LHR? EGP 57,000, which worked out at around $1500 per pax, plus 40,000 avios each.

scottishpoet

Gold till 2 years ago but you did not know that BA charges for Club seating so that elites get the best choice of seating even If they book late?

mtdd

I stopped flying with BA two years ago, and switched to other airlines that do not charge.

So I forgot. Bite me.

NCLBen

I was in the 13E middle seat on the 787-9 and thought it was a great seat. Easy to get out, access to both aisles very private and wider than the aisle seats with extra storage. Would recommend it to anyone.

nivsy

Dont worry about it..there are many on here who see no wrong with BA despite what anyone says....

cxbonne

Flying LAX-LHR on a paid business ticket. Additionally I paid over 100USD for an advance seat assignment per flight. When I arrived at the seat it was stuck in a slightly reclined position not fully upright. I pointed this out to a flight attendant whose response was "Business is full, I won't be able to move you". Not even an apology. I asked her to please write a maintenance report as I will be requesting a refund for the seat fee. Her response was "Good luck" with no confirmation she would even file the repair order.

After landing in London I immediately sent an email explaining the situation and requesting a refund of the seat selection fee and a customer service gesture for flying me in a broken seat since I expected the product they advertised.

Their response was I was entitled to no refund or any other compensation. However they did offer me a 50USD voucher off of a future flight to try their product again.

Is this standard? I'm shocked by such a response. Can I pursue this issue via a different avenue than the online customer service for a more reasonable response or is this what BA actually considers reasonable treatment to a fare paying business customer?

denhaagflyer

I am confused - are you saying the seat was not the position it has to be for take-off and landing? That would be a major safety issue. And could you turn seat into bed? That seems to be the most important question.

cxbonne

Yes the seat was slightly reclined and would not move at all even when unoccupied. So it wouldn't into the take off position or recline any further. I precisely pointed that out to the attendant after takeoff when I asked them to file the maintenance order. They said if the slight recline felt like a safety issue they could find me a seat in economy for the landing.

Betteronacamel

Blimey, if I've understood you correctly that is wrong on a number of levels.

Since when is it up to the passenger to decide what is safe or not?

And if the seat did not recline at all then you did not get what you paid for ie a seat capable of turning into a bed. For most people that is why they sit in Club World.

Given that the food is similar in WTP (Premium economy) and the seats do not recline much there, I think I would, as a minimum, be arguing for the difference in air fare between CW and WTP on that leg.

Terrible crew reaction but even worse customer service response. £50 for a non-reclining CW seat? Really? Something like 10 x that for a 10 hour overnight flight from LAX should be more like it.

mec72

Unfortunately, it is.

I'd go back, it will probably get increased slightly, but not substantially, and then try the small claims court route.

In 2014, I got 50k Avios for a broken (not reclining) seat on an overnight flight to Joburg, but hey, those times are long gone!

denhaagflyer

I second that - definitely, price difference between WTP and CW and I think I would threaten with court action (which seems to be sufficient with BA). I would also tell them you will consider reporting this serious safety failure to the relevant authorities in both US and UK. I remember from an incident at IB some years ago that this really gets an airline's attention.

V10

Considering 50 quid to be adequate for a non-functional seat on an overnight from Los Angeles is about as absurd as it can get.

cxbonne

I responded to BA’s 50USD offer and let them know I wasn’t happy with it. Reminded them they didn’t meet expectations they had establish for a business class product and was possibly put into an unsafe situation regarding the broken seat.

Received a response a few days later stating that to “achieve a consistent approach to their established policies they will not make an exception.” However the offer was made after “serious consideration” to how unhappy I am.

So now I’m even more angry than when I came off the horrible flight. I just filed an online safety complaint with the US DOT while sitting on delayed BA 52 from SEA to LHR. I’m seriously insulted by use of the term “serious consideration” for 50USD on a nearly 5,000USD ticket.

simons1

Does the Consumer Rights Act offer any options here?

corporate-wage-slave

It would certainly be interesting to know, however it has the hallmarks of being within the scope of the Montréal Convention (MC), particularly if it was first discovered on board the LAX-LHR service and/or based on loss of enjoyment. On the other hand if it was discovered on the previous sector(s) and is being deemed to be loss of a contractural, advertised benefit then CRA could apply.

Going to the US DOT is probably the best idea, though I gather they won't necessarily go too far on one individual complaint, but let's see what happens. The OP seems to be USA based, so CRA may not apply there anyway, but there could easily be some other consumer protection legislation / small claims process available in their jurisdiction.

CEDR don't have a good record in this area, from admittedly a very limited amount of information. However they do cover: "Any more general disputes arising where the customer alleges that the business is not trading fairly" and also contract related disputes. It would appear to be important not to frame any approach to CEDR on the basis of "loss of enjoyment" and more on the basis of unfair trading / loss of a contracted benefit. In other words steering well clear of MC.

[Anyone stumbling into this post and lost by the alphabet soup, more information is in the Dashboard in the thread on EC261/2004]