CCR Cardholder Recognition When Flying BA
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: New Zealand & United Kingdom
Programs: Qantas. British Airways. Emirates.
Posts: 18
CCR Cardholder Recognition When Flying BA
I was wondering what other CCR cardholders have experienced in terms of recognition/service when flying with British Airways as a CCR member.
I have been completely underwhelmed by the distinct lack of any type of recognition. As a P1 with Qantas, I had invites to multiple events and a welcome back from the CSM on every flight.
I went from newbie to nearly 11000 TP's with BA and I honestly haven't noticed any difference at all in terms of customer service. I have only ever flown 2 sectors in Y with BA; LHR-MAN return, prior to Domestic CE being introduced. Every other long haul flight has been in First, and short haul CE.
I fly a lot between Europe and Australia/New Zealand and my last flight was 4 weeks ago with BA on their 777 LHR-SIN-SYD. SIN-SYD was the most appalling service received to date.
If my next trip to UK isn't a vast improvement, I'll be taking my business to QR.
I have been completely underwhelmed by the distinct lack of any type of recognition. As a P1 with Qantas, I had invites to multiple events and a welcome back from the CSM on every flight.
I went from newbie to nearly 11000 TP's with BA and I honestly haven't noticed any difference at all in terms of customer service. I have only ever flown 2 sectors in Y with BA; LHR-MAN return, prior to Domestic CE being introduced. Every other long haul flight has been in First, and short haul CE.
I fly a lot between Europe and Australia/New Zealand and my last flight was 4 weeks ago with BA on their 777 LHR-SIN-SYD. SIN-SYD was the most appalling service received to date.
If my next trip to UK isn't a vast improvement, I'll be taking my business to QR.
#5
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
Aren't 6k, 7k, 8k, 9k benefits rather generous though?
Sometimes service received on board, even in F, is not exactly great. But I can say the same about QF. The most appalling service to date I have ever had from any airline was with QF, and I had more than enough status credits at the time to qualify for P1 if such a programme existed at the time. The most appalling customer services on the ground I have ever received from any airline to date has also been from QF, unfortunately.
You also seem to get "welcome back" comment from QF upon boarding if you have any status - including BA, it appears, based on what I got on my last 100 or so QF flights in the last few years.
QF, admittedly, seem to have improved their customer services greatly in the last few years, although I am so unimpressed with their J seats that I refuse to fly long haul J on QF unless it's the refurbished A330.
QF isn't all rosey in my view. Neither is BA, but I'd rather have tangible benefits like 6k, 7k, 8k and 9k ones any time than on-board or on-the-ground recognition.
I'm not saying I don't get any recognition on BA though. Earlier this month, it was pretty clear on my first BA flight in 6 weeks as the excellent CSM greeted me on a short haul flight. It made me feel warm and 'at home', almost a reminder of how warm BA service can feel as I have spent more time on BA aircraft than any others (although QF comes pretty close due to weekly domestic commute followed by monthly Europe-Australia commute in my previous life). It's not the recognition as such, it's the warm chat that I prefer to have. I don't want priority, and I don't want pandering to. I had some very nice banters with BA crew on my subsequent flight too. You don't always get that on some other carriers.
I have to say good QF crew tend to be excellent with this, as they've nearly had me falling about laughing on many occasions - and again, no pandering, just friendly banters.
BA do invite some CCR card holders (although appears to be limited to those who are not far from London, with most events being held in London) to events. Come to think of it, QF invited me to an event when I was based near London, and when I was based near Sydney but never when I was elsewhere.
I have a simple rule. If I feel that an airline consistently annoys me or annoys me so seriously that I do not feel I would be happy to potentially subject myself to it again, I would take my business elsewhere. I don't need to part with my money to an organisation for them to annoy me as i have enough annoyances in life to deal with, without their doing that to me as well. So, I do recommend, for one's own mental health, trying someone else such as QR for a while, and see if they are more to your liking.
Besides it's a good idea in some ways to spread across different alliances so you could consider flying SQ Suite/F instead to/from Australia/NZ also. SQ Suite is a totally different product from BA F as you probably know and I find them very good.
Sometimes service received on board, even in F, is not exactly great. But I can say the same about QF. The most appalling service to date I have ever had from any airline was with QF, and I had more than enough status credits at the time to qualify for P1 if such a programme existed at the time. The most appalling customer services on the ground I have ever received from any airline to date has also been from QF, unfortunately.
You also seem to get "welcome back" comment from QF upon boarding if you have any status - including BA, it appears, based on what I got on my last 100 or so QF flights in the last few years.
QF, admittedly, seem to have improved their customer services greatly in the last few years, although I am so unimpressed with their J seats that I refuse to fly long haul J on QF unless it's the refurbished A330.
QF isn't all rosey in my view. Neither is BA, but I'd rather have tangible benefits like 6k, 7k, 8k and 9k ones any time than on-board or on-the-ground recognition.
I'm not saying I don't get any recognition on BA though. Earlier this month, it was pretty clear on my first BA flight in 6 weeks as the excellent CSM greeted me on a short haul flight. It made me feel warm and 'at home', almost a reminder of how warm BA service can feel as I have spent more time on BA aircraft than any others (although QF comes pretty close due to weekly domestic commute followed by monthly Europe-Australia commute in my previous life). It's not the recognition as such, it's the warm chat that I prefer to have. I don't want priority, and I don't want pandering to. I had some very nice banters with BA crew on my subsequent flight too. You don't always get that on some other carriers.
I have to say good QF crew tend to be excellent with this, as they've nearly had me falling about laughing on many occasions - and again, no pandering, just friendly banters.
BA do invite some CCR card holders (although appears to be limited to those who are not far from London, with most events being held in London) to events. Come to think of it, QF invited me to an event when I was based near London, and when I was based near Sydney but never when I was elsewhere.
I have a simple rule. If I feel that an airline consistently annoys me or annoys me so seriously that I do not feel I would be happy to potentially subject myself to it again, I would take my business elsewhere. I don't need to part with my money to an organisation for them to annoy me as i have enough annoyances in life to deal with, without their doing that to me as well. So, I do recommend, for one's own mental health, trying someone else such as QR for a while, and see if they are more to your liking.
Besides it's a good idea in some ways to spread across different alliances so you could consider flying SQ Suite/F instead to/from Australia/NZ also. SQ Suite is a totally different product from BA F as you probably know and I find them very good.
Last edited by LTN Phobia; Nov 23, 2017 at 2:53 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SFO, LON
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, Bonvoy Tit, Hilton Dia etc etc
Posts: 2,354
In F technically there really should be little to no difference in service provided to passengers, it is not in my mind a cabin which justifies differentiation based on status. That said, there have been occasions when the crew have taken care to make sure I have what I need before serving others who perhaps may have been upgraded. It's not something I would expect to see a great deal of in F. Of course service can be consistently poor at times on a flight and in any cabin, it just happens. I'd have to agree that, if it gets too much, it is wise for one's own sanity to move on as this is def not something to get ourselves knotted over about, esp. when we can afford to fly in significant comfort.
As for events, with a CCR card for a little while and being walking distance from the London locations usually picked, I have yet to receive any invitations. I am sure my account has the appropriate black ball symbol on it to make sure it doesn't happen Most definitely not something I am going to worry over, to be honest, but I can see it is something that might grate.
For me, when I had to decide whether to requal or not for a CCR card this year, it came down to a clear negative, the truly awful evolution of most of the short haul product, on which I spend a great deal of time, set against the benefit of having access to the CCR on all those SH flights. The rest is gravy.
#7
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA,CX, BA, Priority Club, SPG, Hilton
Posts: 1,397
In fact, i am extremely happy with BA on board after I qualified for GGL for the first time in sept. 6 out of 8 flights (including 2 Y), I was recognized by name on board, asked me if I need anything. However, my wife, who are on the same flight with me, never get recognized once, and she qualified GGL with me at the same time. She doesnt care a bit, since on board crew we encountered were all very nice.
maybe I was the one booking the flight and they have record?
when we had transfer in shanghai in Sept, we even received SSU service helped us with connection, so we dont have to go thru immigration, flying AA. It saved us at least an hour plus trolling with the luggage. I can only think AA gave me the service due to my status on BA.
Good job BA! I booked 5 trips with BA since then. A looooooong break with AA....
maybe I was the one booking the flight and they have record?
when we had transfer in shanghai in Sept, we even received SSU service helped us with connection, so we dont have to go thru immigration, flying AA. It saved us at least an hour plus trolling with the luggage. I can only think AA gave me the service due to my status on BA.
Good job BA! I booked 5 trips with BA since then. A looooooong break with AA....
Last edited by Fly2Where; Nov 23, 2017 at 12:56 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: New Zealand & United Kingdom
Programs: Qantas. British Airways. Emirates.
Posts: 18
I'm lucky to get a 'welcome back" flying BA. I'm interested in other's experience as I'm new flying BA.
I certainly don't want overt attention from any staff. I used to get embarrassed with being escorted from the aircraft through security when flying Qantas into Heathrow.
#10
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
I suspect one of the reasons is lack of time. On short haul, unlike QF 737 with just 12 J seats, it's not entirely unusual for BA to have 52 J seats on an A320. Senior cabin crew member does the service in CE so they would be pretty pressed for time, serving 52 CE passengers (they wouldn't be on their own doing this but they're the ones with the iPad that shows the status more clearly).
By and large I get more personal greetings from BA crew on longer sectors so it tallies with the time element.
My view is that F passengers should be treated equally regardless of status, except for perhaps staff travel and op-ups but they should be done so discreetly that no-one else would notice any difference.
Last edited by LTN Phobia; Nov 23, 2017 at 3:11 am
#11
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,794
I'm lucky to get a 'welcome back" flying BA. I'm interested in other's experience as I'm new flying BA.
I certainly don't want overt attention from any staff. I used to get embarrassed with being escorted from the aircraft through security when flying Qantas into Heathrow.
I certainly don't want overt attention from any staff. I used to get embarrassed with being escorted from the aircraft through security when flying Qantas into Heathrow.
#12
Join Date: May 2016
Location: LHR
Programs: BA GGL/CCR
Posts: 63
I don't even use the GGL luggage tags. There's a huge difference in the levels of recognition of passenger loyalty between airlines I've flown.
I'm lucky to get a 'welcome back" flying BA. I'm interested in other's experience as I'm new flying BA.
I certainly don't want overt attention from any staff. I used to get embarrassed with being escorted from the aircraft through security when flying Qantas into Heathrow.
I'm lucky to get a 'welcome back" flying BA. I'm interested in other's experience as I'm new flying BA.
I certainly don't want overt attention from any staff. I used to get embarrassed with being escorted from the aircraft through security when flying Qantas into Heathrow.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
You don't need to read very far on this board to see that BA does not do onboard status recognition well. If that is what you're looking for, then other airlines will provide more of it. Different people have different needs.
#14
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: BA CCR/GGL
Posts: 54
From what I know CCR's show up as gold in the printed sheets. The CSM's app shows as Gold as well but your CVV score will show up as 97. If you use a high priority space release there is a higher chance the CSM will know. This is my understanding I could be wrong.
This year I will have done about 45 long haul F flights with BA and I always go with low expectations in air and on ground. I personally like the rewards at 6K, 7K, 8K and 9K.
This year I will have done about 45 long haul F flights with BA and I always go with low expectations in air and on ground. I personally like the rewards at 6K, 7K, 8K and 9K.