jimlad48

Really frustrated with BAEC here - would welcome some advice on what to do.

Flew to US on 21 Sep in F. My wifes membership year expired on 8 Oct and we flew back on same booking on 14 Oct in J. Was told by BAEC (and FTers here) to ring on our return to ensure that the return leg would be credited to her account. This was critical as we needed return leg to get her to 605TP and silver. We were promised when we rang BAEC Bronze line on 21 Sep that a note would be attached to booking to confirm extension of the membership year.

I rang the silver line ten days later on a weekend (so roughly late October), to discover that no note existed. I was told to ring the bronze line as they could help her. I rang the Bronze line on a sunday evening and spoke to the Indian call centre who repeatedly told me I'd need to ring the BA bronze line for help, and then told me to ring the same number I'd called them on for help.

At this point (after nearly 45 minutes of holding and getting nowhere), I escalated and asked to speak to a manager. I eventually spoke to someone who categorically assured me they would extend her membership year by a week and the return leg would be applied and he explicitly confirmed for their own recording of the conversation when I said 'will she be silver' and he said yes. Tonight we logged in and discovered she is still a bronze. They didnt process it and clearly ignored the request. Its now over a month since the end of the membership year and flight, so I suspect we'll be told we're out of luck if we try to chase this further.

Is there anyone in BAEC who is able to fix this - the Indian Call centre seems to send us round in circles and we just want my wife to get the silver status that we are told she has qualified for. Can anyone offer any good advice?

There seems to be no email we can use - we tried using the 'contact us' email part of the website and got told to ring them. The call centre keeps sending us round in circles - there is nothing seemingly complicated about the booking either.

TravellerFrequently

As you appear to have tried and failed with the BAEC, perhaps try Customer Relations?

You can call them or use the site on ba.com to send a message.

Pocalypse

I had something similar happen when trying to get the two week extension to maintain gold a few months ago. As soon as my flights posted I called to have the extension applied, they said they did it and I would see the result over the weekend. After the weekend, called again and they said they could see it in the system, but it takes 7 business days. After 7 business days (can you see where this is going yet?), called again and was told it would take another week. After a week, called again and was told it would apply after my current card expired (my year end was Aug 8th, so Sep 30th). On Oct 1st I actually dropped down to silver, called again, was told since it's Sunday it wouldn't happen until a business day. True enough, the next day (Monday Oct 2nd) I was back up at gold.

So, very annoying process and every agent either didn't know or pushed it off for someone else to deal with, but eventually it got done.

I'd suggest calling again, but if they tell you it's in the system waiting to be processed, it might not happen until after her card expires (Nov 30th I guess?).

Edit: Actually, I see you're talking about an upgrade, rather than maintaining status, so waiting until card expiry is unacceptable. Call again.

CloudGazer

Details of my silver renewal with some similar experiences might be worth sharing Time for new status to be issued? [with two week extension agreed]

Mwenenzi

Does your wife have required number of BA/IB flights for status. Has she been flying other OW airlines?

Tardislass

sadly, I’ve had to call the call center in India three or four times the last two times I’ve used my avios due to a ticket never being processed and or ticket agent never charging my card. It is quite annoying especially when each agent tells me it will be processed and never happpens. I usually write down my experience on the customer surveys BA sends out but nothing seems to change.

As much as I’m a fan of BA and will defend their in flight services, their call center is pretty dire. Just keep calling.

Nuster

The Indian call centre lying to get you off the phone? Who would have thought?

golfmad

From reading the OP's post it doesn't sound like BA are 'refusing to upgrade' her it just sounds like it hasn't been done properly yet. It's frustrating and I hope you get it sorted but the thread title seems a little misleading. I suggest you press on either through the web form, or by contacting @BAMissingAvios here on this forum or via Twitter. If it were me I would probably start with the middle option.

jimlad48

Thanks for replies. Looks like i will try call centre again - is there an english one left or do all calls now go to india now?
also what is best contact form to use - i found one invokving flight details for claims, bug cannot find a BAEC form anywhere.

Prospero

Try calling the Bronze line during UK business hours: Monday to Friday 09:00 - 17:15 and Saturday 09:00 - 1700 GMT. Failing that, you can also contact the BAEC's Waterside based team via private message. PM your message to BA Executive Club

craigthemif

I was under the impression that you could only request the 2-week extension for status renewals, not upgrades.

(which isn't to say that I'm correct, but might explain why the OP's partner is getting the run-around)

windowontheAside

i don't think that's ever been the case. I suspect it's one of those things that gets brought up here so people read it here and so it perpetuates.

​​​​​From a sample size of one, I can confirm that the two week extension can be used for status upgrades.

jimlad48

Quick update – rang the Bronze line today, ended up speaking to Indian call centre who denied all knowledge of prior conversations or agreements. Long frustrating call later after they insisted my wife hadn’t qualified for silver, right up to point where someone went ‘oh yes she has qualified for silver after all’. Have been promised a call back in 48hrs to update me further on progress, but not confident that I’ll receive it based on prior BA experience. If no joy in 48hrs, can any FTers recommend a way to ensure I speak to a person in the UK and not the Indian call centre –they seem to be good at process and not actually doing anything.

Ancient Observer

As someone else has said, a daytime call to the number might get you through to Newcastle. I have been lucky recently with calls to BA and BAEC ending up in Newcastle. I try to aim for 10.00 am ish

Somewhere on here the direct call number has been posted, but I can't remember where. A quick google leads me to.....inside flyer................who say that.. The number to use is: 141 0191 4907901

corporate-wage-slave

Perhaps calling midweek UK lunch time, I suspect that will be more likely to get a NCL agent. That is assuming no disruption (e.g. due to poor weather). Alternatively ring Customer Relations in the mid afternoon, though I suppose strictly it is a BAEC matter rather than a BA issue.