New Year's Resolution: GGL in 2018
Sep 10, 2018, 8:00 am
#332
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Sep 12, 2018, 8:06 am
#335
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,609
Return leg Sibu to Kuching on Air Asia today, and not specifically relevant to the quest, but another faultless flight - turnaround 15 minutes, extremely slick, and they even got hot meals out on their equivalent of BoB - prepaid. People take this even on a 35 minute flight because it's part of the flex deal so they put them in bags and take them home. Nice little trip to Sibu for a family wedding, but I wouldn't recommend it for a visit - it's a quiet, quite traditional, Chinese Malaysian town, very unremarkable.
Incidentally the non-BA crews this trip have been very good in filling out the toddler's BA logbook. Sometimes needs a bit of explanation.
And more worthy of note, wife and toddler qualified for bronze - in the toddler's case on the last day of his TP year. He has a sound strategy for reaching silver via a Satay fare at CNY, and we have already discussed fixing his bronze tags to his nursery bag. My wife will get silver on the return flight from Singapore, which is a week on Saturday.
Incidentally the non-BA crews this trip have been very good in filling out the toddler's BA logbook. Sometimes needs a bit of explanation.
And more worthy of note, wife and toddler qualified for bronze - in the toddler's case on the last day of his TP year. He has a sound strategy for reaching silver via a Satay fare at CNY, and we have already discussed fixing his bronze tags to his nursery bag. My wife will get silver on the return flight from Singapore, which is a week on Saturday.
Sep 12, 2018, 8:44 am
#336
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: OneWorld Emerald (BA GGL), *A Silver (Miles & Less), Skyteam Pleb (KLM FlyingBlue), Mucci Platinum
Posts: 907
And more worthy of note, wife and toddler qualified for bronze - in the toddler's case on the last day of his TP year. He has a sound strategy for reaching silver via a Satay fare at CNY, and we have already discussed fixing his bronze tags to his nursery bag. My wife will get silver on the return flight from Singapore, which is a week on Saturday.
Sep 19, 2018, 8:02 am
#338
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Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
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Back in Singapore, which always feels disappointingly civilised after Malaysia. But then again, in a nice hotel, with a 29 sing dollar per night exec floor upgrade which turned a room only rate into a room with full breakfast for three and a free last day late checkout. Happy with that.
Also was just taken out to a slap up banquet in the Carlton by a business associate of my father-in-law, so feeling at peace with the world. Travel has highs and lows, this is well on the upside.
Apart from that, I popped my MH Business Class cherry between Kuching and Singapore today. Nice service (the lounge at Kuching doesn't trouble the scorers to any great extent), but a decent and very tasty meal and all the apple juice I could drink. I've had less pleasant 40 TPs scores.
Still waiting for the 40 TPs from CX a week or more back. I'm not all that surprised, as I do know they're a bit slow and this was an odd booking that I was expecting to need a claim (initially booked on a different flight number but at the same time, all sorts of chaos ensued, including not being ticketed at one point two weeks ago).
Three nights here, and then wending my weary way home on the A380 in J. Closing in on the target now, unless I find a way to get some TPs out of an On Business booking to the US the day after I get back from the Far East, the 5000 point threshold will be cleared on a B2B to Jersey at the end of October which starts a run to Shanghai.
Also was just taken out to a slap up banquet in the Carlton by a business associate of my father-in-law, so feeling at peace with the world. Travel has highs and lows, this is well on the upside.
Apart from that, I popped my MH Business Class cherry between Kuching and Singapore today. Nice service (the lounge at Kuching doesn't trouble the scorers to any great extent), but a decent and very tasty meal and all the apple juice I could drink. I've had less pleasant 40 TPs scores.
Still waiting for the 40 TPs from CX a week or more back. I'm not all that surprised, as I do know they're a bit slow and this was an odd booking that I was expecting to need a claim (initially booked on a different flight number but at the same time, all sorts of chaos ensued, including not being ticketed at one point two weeks ago).
Three nights here, and then wending my weary way home on the A380 in J. Closing in on the target now, unless I find a way to get some TPs out of an On Business booking to the US the day after I get back from the Far East, the 5000 point threshold will be cleared on a B2B to Jersey at the end of October which starts a run to Shanghai.
Sep 23, 2018, 1:46 am
#339
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Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,609
All CX and MH points awarded, and the SIN-LHR leg of this trip safely completed. Just a little LGW-AMS B2B to do today.
The SIN return was really great. Newish A380, extremely good crew, and the new CW catering (which is what I think we got) was outstanding. A fantastic crab/cucumber roll with capers and gorgeous tomatoes, great asparagus soup, and an actual medium rare steak (after a little negotiation with the cabin crew) which was delicious. Breakfast pretty good too. Cabin temperature kept at a sensible level, with the result that we all got plenty of sleep, and the toddler managed to behave himself in the lounge and onboard. I had a minor DYKWIA moment at the end of the flight when chasing some WTP interlopers out of the toilet area when he was bursting for a pee (they were scurrying through the curtain like rats, and I may have mentioned acerbically that these were "business class toilets. For business class people". Bit of a poacher turned gatekeeper moment, but hey ho, and he shameless jumped the little queue of the lower classes who at least had the good grace not to argue.
Karma will bite me tomorrow though, as for reasons I still don't understand I thought it necessary to book myself into WT tomorrow to go to PHL for work. Not looking good for a magic beep either, so my inferiors will become my betters and I'll be sharing the two available cubicles with a hundred odd wild eyed and feral economy travellers.
And no TPs or AVIOS either.
It'll be interesting to see how the B2B goes today. I was thinking the toddler would have had enough of flying, but he ran straight into the house and grabbed all of his airplane toys and is busily playing with them right now.
The SIN return was really great. Newish A380, extremely good crew, and the new CW catering (which is what I think we got) was outstanding. A fantastic crab/cucumber roll with capers and gorgeous tomatoes, great asparagus soup, and an actual medium rare steak (after a little negotiation with the cabin crew) which was delicious. Breakfast pretty good too. Cabin temperature kept at a sensible level, with the result that we all got plenty of sleep, and the toddler managed to behave himself in the lounge and onboard. I had a minor DYKWIA moment at the end of the flight when chasing some WTP interlopers out of the toilet area when he was bursting for a pee (they were scurrying through the curtain like rats, and I may have mentioned acerbically that these were "business class toilets. For business class people". Bit of a poacher turned gatekeeper moment, but hey ho, and he shameless jumped the little queue of the lower classes who at least had the good grace not to argue.
Karma will bite me tomorrow though, as for reasons I still don't understand I thought it necessary to book myself into WT tomorrow to go to PHL for work. Not looking good for a magic beep either, so my inferiors will become my betters and I'll be sharing the two available cubicles with a hundred odd wild eyed and feral economy travellers.
And no TPs or AVIOS either.
It'll be interesting to see how the B2B goes today. I was thinking the toddler would have had enough of flying, but he ran straight into the house and grabbed all of his airplane toys and is busily playing with them right now.
Sep 23, 2018, 2:05 am
#340
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Always, always, love reading the blog bisonrav ; but never, ever, have I found myself (at any stage of your long quest for GGL) remotely envious of all that you put yourself through, even when seated at the front of the plane, or holed up in top hotels.
But clearly you enjoy the unrelenting pace / frequency (a lot more than I would !), and kudos to you for following through on that New Year resolution ; with a vengeance .....
But clearly you enjoy the unrelenting pace / frequency (a lot more than I would !), and kudos to you for following through on that New Year resolution ; with a vengeance .....
Sep 24, 2018, 12:22 am
#341
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Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,609
A very weary and bleary eyed group of travellers assembled at Gatwick yesterday evening for the last rites of the holiday trip - we'd decided to do the final leg which was set up as a B2B to AMS. The toddler had reached that point of fatigue similar to the one you reach after a few expresso Martinis, and his preferred ambulation method in the lounge became kangarooing while singing the Muffin Man. You could see the other travellers praying he wasn't on their flight.
Some of them were, inevitably, unlucky. Including myself. He spent the initial wait for ATC clearance asking loud questions on random aviation subjects, and getting increasingly fractious. However it's a mercifully short flight, and we disembarked at AMS, apologising to the CSM for the fact we would be seeing him in about 10 minutes. On the way out, the Captain poked his head out and said hello to him, saying he could have a look around the flight deck if he liked, but we explained we wanted to get him into a soundproof box at AMS for a while and told him we'd see him on the way back.
Oh, one thing worth remarking on from the outbound was that the despatcher was ex Norwegian, and explained in no uncertain terms to the CSM that BA's system of allowing passengers the choice of whether to check their roll-ons wasn't conducive to a quick turn around. As some of the bags that were causing the problems in the bins weren't claimed, the captain explained politely that any bag not claimed would be left on the airbridge. That did seem to work quite well.
Anyway, back to AMS, and back on board. A very shy and now subdued toddler made it into the flight deck, but declined a photo with a captain's hat. We sat down.
A fairly long wait ensued, due to congestion, and the captain explained that the taxi to the allocated runway would probably be longer than the flight. The delay went on for a while, and thankfully the toddler sank into a deep slumber.
And then the captain popped out of the cabin and handed me a little envelope, saying it was a memento because not many people did what we were doing. And this is what it was:
Absolutely lovely gesture. Until that point it had been an unremarkable ultra short haul service. That little gesture was really why BA remains worth flying - they don't always get it right, but when they do the service is genuinely authentic and human. Golden ticket on the way.
Nothing besides remains, except a somniferic train ride home and collapse into bed. Quite what I was thinking booking Y long haul for this morning escapes me, but here we go again, and I'll be in the Flounge at LHR at around 10 if anyone is about.
Some of them were, inevitably, unlucky. Including myself. He spent the initial wait for ATC clearance asking loud questions on random aviation subjects, and getting increasingly fractious. However it's a mercifully short flight, and we disembarked at AMS, apologising to the CSM for the fact we would be seeing him in about 10 minutes. On the way out, the Captain poked his head out and said hello to him, saying he could have a look around the flight deck if he liked, but we explained we wanted to get him into a soundproof box at AMS for a while and told him we'd see him on the way back.
Oh, one thing worth remarking on from the outbound was that the despatcher was ex Norwegian, and explained in no uncertain terms to the CSM that BA's system of allowing passengers the choice of whether to check their roll-ons wasn't conducive to a quick turn around. As some of the bags that were causing the problems in the bins weren't claimed, the captain explained politely that any bag not claimed would be left on the airbridge. That did seem to work quite well.
Anyway, back to AMS, and back on board. A very shy and now subdued toddler made it into the flight deck, but declined a photo with a captain's hat. We sat down.
A fairly long wait ensued, due to congestion, and the captain explained that the taxi to the allocated runway would probably be longer than the flight. The delay went on for a while, and thankfully the toddler sank into a deep slumber.
And then the captain popped out of the cabin and handed me a little envelope, saying it was a memento because not many people did what we were doing. And this is what it was:
Absolutely lovely gesture. Until that point it had been an unremarkable ultra short haul service. That little gesture was really why BA remains worth flying - they don't always get it right, but when they do the service is genuinely authentic and human. Golden ticket on the way.
Nothing besides remains, except a somniferic train ride home and collapse into bed. Quite what I was thinking booking Y long haul for this morning escapes me, but here we go again, and I'll be in the Flounge at LHR at around 10 if anyone is about.
Sep 24, 2018, 5:18 am
#342
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Posts: 5,609
Correction... thanks to the kindness of strangers I was in the CCR, prior to the long hike back to row 40. Blocked seat and exit row, hoping for an extravagant gold greeting now.
Sep 26, 2018, 2:32 pm
#343
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Posts: 5,609
And no recognition WHATSOEVER. Very disinterested crew in Y. I guess that's not surprising, but it was one of those crews that wanted to chuck the food out and chat in the galley.
Not a bad flight all the same. I had an exit row and blocked middle seat so pretty comfortable. Panasonic IFE was very good, we were given a Magnum prior to take off as there was a problem with one of the tyres necessitating about an hour delay. One other feature of the seat I liked was sort of bunny ears as headrests which were adjustable to stop your head falling sidewards when you dropped off. Pretty tasty chicken curry as a main meal, finger sandwiches and a toblerone for the late snack, I watched a couple of films and slept a bit as still quite tired from the return from Singapore, and the trip passed very easily indeed. Global Entry very good on arrival, the baggage handling less so as it was delivered to the wrong carousel, but not a big problem. It felt good to do a trip in WT, keeps you honest I suppose.
Following a day at a conference, during which my phone kept on flashing up disconcerting messages about flash floods, I decided to hit the airport earlier than anticipated for a flight to Boston. Back on the TP run for this one as I'd upgraded the flight from the travel policy approved cabin fare, and I was able as a result to switch to an earlier flight - AA are really easy to deal with when doing this and I even got my original seat selection. Enough time for a quick chicken noodle soup and cawfee in the rather nice B terminal lounge, and onboard.
To what was a very hot plane indeed.
I mean hotter than the RIN in Bucharest. Really really hot. And a rather confused cabin crew, because it turned out there were no pilots on board, and only the pilots were able to operate the aircon. I was a little surprised we had been allowed to board actually, and various attempts by the CC to help the situation, one of which was to open the rear door without any form of steps there, did nothing. Eventually they let people off, though I stayed onboard in the blissful breeze from 1L. It turned out that the pilots had been delayed on an incoming flight from Boston, they eventually arrived and the aircon burst into life, filling the cabin with steam. It took absolutely ages to get people back on, there was a nice DYKWIA moment when a big guy decided his middle seat in the back wasn't good enough and explained that he was Executive Premium and wanted better. The FA shrugged and sent him back, saying that if there was space later he could move, then stepping aside to let a stream of non-rev passengers on to fill up all the spare space. It amused me anyway.
Not a great flight when it finally left, seemed interminable and I was so tired I slept uncomfortably for most of it. There were some weather related delays causing quite a bit of holding. But we got there, and one uber later I was in a hotel in Andover, 40 TPs to the good. Next flight is another null point job, back from Boston to home in WT on the 0745 flight. I have a less than ideal seat on this, an exit row but with the slide casing in front of me and someone in the middle seat so I have to figure out how to share an armrest.
Not a bad flight all the same. I had an exit row and blocked middle seat so pretty comfortable. Panasonic IFE was very good, we were given a Magnum prior to take off as there was a problem with one of the tyres necessitating about an hour delay. One other feature of the seat I liked was sort of bunny ears as headrests which were adjustable to stop your head falling sidewards when you dropped off. Pretty tasty chicken curry as a main meal, finger sandwiches and a toblerone for the late snack, I watched a couple of films and slept a bit as still quite tired from the return from Singapore, and the trip passed very easily indeed. Global Entry very good on arrival, the baggage handling less so as it was delivered to the wrong carousel, but not a big problem. It felt good to do a trip in WT, keeps you honest I suppose.
Following a day at a conference, during which my phone kept on flashing up disconcerting messages about flash floods, I decided to hit the airport earlier than anticipated for a flight to Boston. Back on the TP run for this one as I'd upgraded the flight from the travel policy approved cabin fare, and I was able as a result to switch to an earlier flight - AA are really easy to deal with when doing this and I even got my original seat selection. Enough time for a quick chicken noodle soup and cawfee in the rather nice B terminal lounge, and onboard.
To what was a very hot plane indeed.
I mean hotter than the RIN in Bucharest. Really really hot. And a rather confused cabin crew, because it turned out there were no pilots on board, and only the pilots were able to operate the aircon. I was a little surprised we had been allowed to board actually, and various attempts by the CC to help the situation, one of which was to open the rear door without any form of steps there, did nothing. Eventually they let people off, though I stayed onboard in the blissful breeze from 1L. It turned out that the pilots had been delayed on an incoming flight from Boston, they eventually arrived and the aircon burst into life, filling the cabin with steam. It took absolutely ages to get people back on, there was a nice DYKWIA moment when a big guy decided his middle seat in the back wasn't good enough and explained that he was Executive Premium and wanted better. The FA shrugged and sent him back, saying that if there was space later he could move, then stepping aside to let a stream of non-rev passengers on to fill up all the spare space. It amused me anyway.
Not a great flight when it finally left, seemed interminable and I was so tired I slept uncomfortably for most of it. There were some weather related delays causing quite a bit of holding. But we got there, and one uber later I was in a hotel in Andover, 40 TPs to the good. Next flight is another null point job, back from Boston to home in WT on the 0745 flight. I have a less than ideal seat on this, an exit row but with the slide casing in front of me and someone in the middle seat so I have to figure out how to share an armrest.
Sep 28, 2018, 3:10 pm
#344
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Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,609
Just back from Boston. I had managed to persuade the work travel bookers to put me into the airport Hilton - horrifically expensive - the night before the 0745 morning flight, and took a room on the 7th floor overlooking Terminal E. So I actually woke up with a direct view from by bed of the venerable 777 that would later bring me home.
Having been booked in WT without a great exit row seat available, I had managed to grab a bassinet seat on the bulkhead the previous evening via the GL (for some reason you can't select these with MMB even when they're showing as open), and was pleased to see the middle seat immediately blocked - WT is OK if you have a bit of space in front and at the side. Actually a lot of the cabin was blocked, I think it is a business heavy flight, it's quite a convenient timing if you want to get home for the weekend.
I was offered an AUG on check in - WT->J for $900 which I declined. Quite often that sort of offer ends up being transformed into an OpUp, though that didn't happen this time however often I refreshed the app. What did happen though is that some bugger took the middle bulkhead seat next to me: I was destined to share an armrest with a stranger for the first time this year.
As an aside, the lounge was chokka. I'm a big fan of the Boston lounge, it's pleasant and relaxing, the food choices aren't bad, and the staff are lovely. I guess that as the Boston to Heathrow flight is short - 5h40 today - those who normally fly in J or W fall foul of 6 or 7 corporate policy limits so there are a lot of status passengers in Y. But the bugger who had taken my blocked seat - a thankfully diminutive woman, I was terrified it would be an overhanging Jabba the Hut style US businessman - wasn't status at all. I know, because I was able to see her boarding pass. I guess she was assigned the seat on check in, overriding the block.
Anyway, I took the view that I would squeeze myself into the seat without using the armrest to my left, and this is what I did. It's extremely uncomfortable. You're really left only with two options - squeeze yourself in and writhe yourself into the least awkward shape, or take the armrest as if you own the whole thing. I'm sad to say that over the course of the flight, I ended up by taking option B. She didn't seem to mind as it happens and made no counter moves. I did also have to growl apologetically at the woman behind me to explain that the sticking of knees in my back was a little excruciating (sorry).
Otherwise it was all mercifully short and sweet. Good wifi onboard, a very pleasant set of young MF cabin crew who were basically attentive and helpful. No gold greeting at all, though as the cabin was status heavy I can see why that was. There's a line I love in Raymond Queneau's "Zazie dans le Metro", which is to the effect of "les hommes d'affaires, qui semblent savoir voyager mieux que tout le monde", (which freely translates to something like "the businessmen who exude an air of knowing how to travel better than anyone else") and it was a lot like that. Significant pockets of aloof status travellers who were giving the clear impression that they would normally be a little further forward had they not fallen on hard times and unsympathetic travel policies.
Including myself of course. It probably wouldn't have been so bad had I been earning TPs and Avios, but thanks to On Business, I wasn't. But WT does at least keep you honest and grounded. It's a lot less service and a lot more crowd control. Of course I knew that as I've done a lot of WT, but having been in premium cabins a lot this year, you really do feel the difference.
Anyway we're now counting down the final 100 TPs to GGL, and a little day return to Madrid tomorrow, also in Y (I didn't take the POUG offered of £43) for another 10TPs towards the goal. This is part of the 90K avios promotion, I am taking a few of the flights I booked.
Having been booked in WT without a great exit row seat available, I had managed to grab a bassinet seat on the bulkhead the previous evening via the GL (for some reason you can't select these with MMB even when they're showing as open), and was pleased to see the middle seat immediately blocked - WT is OK if you have a bit of space in front and at the side. Actually a lot of the cabin was blocked, I think it is a business heavy flight, it's quite a convenient timing if you want to get home for the weekend.
I was offered an AUG on check in - WT->J for $900 which I declined. Quite often that sort of offer ends up being transformed into an OpUp, though that didn't happen this time however often I refreshed the app. What did happen though is that some bugger took the middle bulkhead seat next to me: I was destined to share an armrest with a stranger for the first time this year.
As an aside, the lounge was chokka. I'm a big fan of the Boston lounge, it's pleasant and relaxing, the food choices aren't bad, and the staff are lovely. I guess that as the Boston to Heathrow flight is short - 5h40 today - those who normally fly in J or W fall foul of 6 or 7 corporate policy limits so there are a lot of status passengers in Y. But the bugger who had taken my blocked seat - a thankfully diminutive woman, I was terrified it would be an overhanging Jabba the Hut style US businessman - wasn't status at all. I know, because I was able to see her boarding pass. I guess she was assigned the seat on check in, overriding the block.
Anyway, I took the view that I would squeeze myself into the seat without using the armrest to my left, and this is what I did. It's extremely uncomfortable. You're really left only with two options - squeeze yourself in and writhe yourself into the least awkward shape, or take the armrest as if you own the whole thing. I'm sad to say that over the course of the flight, I ended up by taking option B. She didn't seem to mind as it happens and made no counter moves. I did also have to growl apologetically at the woman behind me to explain that the sticking of knees in my back was a little excruciating (sorry).
Otherwise it was all mercifully short and sweet. Good wifi onboard, a very pleasant set of young MF cabin crew who were basically attentive and helpful. No gold greeting at all, though as the cabin was status heavy I can see why that was. There's a line I love in Raymond Queneau's "Zazie dans le Metro", which is to the effect of "les hommes d'affaires, qui semblent savoir voyager mieux que tout le monde", (which freely translates to something like "the businessmen who exude an air of knowing how to travel better than anyone else") and it was a lot like that. Significant pockets of aloof status travellers who were giving the clear impression that they would normally be a little further forward had they not fallen on hard times and unsympathetic travel policies.
Including myself of course. It probably wouldn't have been so bad had I been earning TPs and Avios, but thanks to On Business, I wasn't. But WT does at least keep you honest and grounded. It's a lot less service and a lot more crowd control. Of course I knew that as I've done a lot of WT, but having been in premium cabins a lot this year, you really do feel the difference.
Anyway we're now counting down the final 100 TPs to GGL, and a little day return to Madrid tomorrow, also in Y (I didn't take the POUG offered of £43) for another 10TPs towards the goal. This is part of the 90K avios promotion, I am taking a few of the flights I booked.
Sep 29, 2018, 3:57 pm
#345
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,609
OK, so we need to talk about Iberia customer service.
At some point during the slightly jetlagged fuzz yesterday, I decided to consider a POUG (49 euros on IB) on the return leg from Madrid today. You don't get TPs for the upgrade so it's all a bit pointless unless you want an expensive meal and a swift exit, but I selected the option during checking in anyway and went to the next page, before seeing sense and reloading the screen to confirm economy.
Except that that doesn't work. Having selected the upgrade, your previous ticket gets junked, and if you haven't paid for it, you don't even have an upgraded ticket. Any attempt to access the booking - even via Finnair - results in error messages.
So I called them. After some headscratching ("is it an Avios booking sir?") the agent admitted defeat. He told me to see someone at the airport the next day, and I made him write "I guarantee the airport will issue a BP" in the notes. As I was constructing this trip out of one way tickets, the last thing I wanted was to arrive in Madrid and have no return booking. And then after a little clicking around on the original confirmation, I managed to get a boarding pass, albeit for the wrong seat but I was allowed to adjust that to my favourite 14C. So I felt that probably all would be well...
Then the next morning as I was sitting in 14C on the outbound, I looked at "checkmytrip", and the return booking had just vanished. Not there at all. I couldn't access it by any means at all, I had what appeared to be a boarding pass, but the chances were that it would red beep and I'd be stranded. So, abandoning my fond hope of finding a paella somewhere, on arrival I headed for Iberia customer services.
Of which there are several. In fairly far flung locations. You take a ticket, queue up, and wait. There is one agent (wherever you are). They are not exactly infused with a sense of urgency. The first one took 20 minutes to get to my number, then explained that this booth didn't do anything to do with ticketing, and I should try the one landside, next to check in.
So I went there. This one had an even more leisurely agent, dealing patiently (in the manner of someone who is paid by the hour) with a grinning gent who seemed to be enjoying the chat. Every now and again the agent would go and make a call, then come back to him, share a joke, type a bit, and go back to the phone.
This went on for forty bloody minutes. Same guy, same agent. One agent for the entire airport, and quite a queue of irritated would-be passengers tutting at their raffle tickets. At one point I grabbed the woman who was supervising the check in machines and asked if there was anyone else that could help. She shrugged and gestured at the machine that produced the raffle tickets. And walked off.
Eventually, the grinning guy ambled off and another passenger got a go - this was a mobility query I think as there was a lady in a wheelchair. She was eventually sent packing without ceremony or resolution. A few more passengers and at last I got a go. 90 minutes from starting the process, and eating into the generous margin I'd built into the ticket to an alarming degree.
I explained the problem.
"But this is a boarding pass. What do you want?"
I explained that the e-ticket appeared to be broken, and asked her to check it.
"No, you have a boarding pass. Why are you coming to me?"
"I called Iberia last night, and they told me to come to you to get a boarding pass".
"Ah... they told you to come to me? To me personally...?"
"No, they told me to come to customer services for Iberia at the airport... You are Iberia?"
It was all becoming a bit Fawlty Towers now. I have genuinely never ever encountered a less helpful, less customer orientated customer services agent. After quite a lot of similar dialogue, she eventually checked the ticket, frowned a bit, clitter clattered on the keys, and I got a boarding pass (there is that wonderful printer sound when you know the pass is coming). Given the whole trip will yield (assuming it tracks, and I have this feeling it won't) only 10 TPs, it was by far the biggest stress per point quotient of anything this year.
Iberia do make BA look like the soul of empathy and good service.
Anyway, what else? IB Express ramp up the heat on their flights, it was almost intolerable on the way out and the ventilator thingies didn't work (much better on the return with proper aircon, but on takeoff the heaters came on full blast again). The lounge at Madrid T4 is closed - they give you a café voucher for 8 euros or so, which I took to McDonalds and got a Big Mac Meal and, randomly, two promotional beach towels. I did consider going to T4s, but I was running a little short of time so just sat and attempted to calm down after the stress of the CS interactions. Good flight back. The alternative female FA uniform is spray-on trousers and satin blouse, and I am ashamed to say I rather enjoyed that - actually the IBE staff are pretty efficient and there is a great hot bacon and cheese baguette on the BoB. Iberia do the priority boarding very well.
Three weeks off now, and then if all goes to plan I do a Jersey B2B on October 22nd which will take me over the line. Currently got 6400 TPs booked before the end of the TP year, which is essentially because of doing the PHX do
At some point during the slightly jetlagged fuzz yesterday, I decided to consider a POUG (49 euros on IB) on the return leg from Madrid today. You don't get TPs for the upgrade so it's all a bit pointless unless you want an expensive meal and a swift exit, but I selected the option during checking in anyway and went to the next page, before seeing sense and reloading the screen to confirm economy.
Except that that doesn't work. Having selected the upgrade, your previous ticket gets junked, and if you haven't paid for it, you don't even have an upgraded ticket. Any attempt to access the booking - even via Finnair - results in error messages.
So I called them. After some headscratching ("is it an Avios booking sir?") the agent admitted defeat. He told me to see someone at the airport the next day, and I made him write "I guarantee the airport will issue a BP" in the notes. As I was constructing this trip out of one way tickets, the last thing I wanted was to arrive in Madrid and have no return booking. And then after a little clicking around on the original confirmation, I managed to get a boarding pass, albeit for the wrong seat but I was allowed to adjust that to my favourite 14C. So I felt that probably all would be well...
Then the next morning as I was sitting in 14C on the outbound, I looked at "checkmytrip", and the return booking had just vanished. Not there at all. I couldn't access it by any means at all, I had what appeared to be a boarding pass, but the chances were that it would red beep and I'd be stranded. So, abandoning my fond hope of finding a paella somewhere, on arrival I headed for Iberia customer services.
Of which there are several. In fairly far flung locations. You take a ticket, queue up, and wait. There is one agent (wherever you are). They are not exactly infused with a sense of urgency. The first one took 20 minutes to get to my number, then explained that this booth didn't do anything to do with ticketing, and I should try the one landside, next to check in.
So I went there. This one had an even more leisurely agent, dealing patiently (in the manner of someone who is paid by the hour) with a grinning gent who seemed to be enjoying the chat. Every now and again the agent would go and make a call, then come back to him, share a joke, type a bit, and go back to the phone.
This went on for forty bloody minutes. Same guy, same agent. One agent for the entire airport, and quite a queue of irritated would-be passengers tutting at their raffle tickets. At one point I grabbed the woman who was supervising the check in machines and asked if there was anyone else that could help. She shrugged and gestured at the machine that produced the raffle tickets. And walked off.
Eventually, the grinning guy ambled off and another passenger got a go - this was a mobility query I think as there was a lady in a wheelchair. She was eventually sent packing without ceremony or resolution. A few more passengers and at last I got a go. 90 minutes from starting the process, and eating into the generous margin I'd built into the ticket to an alarming degree.
I explained the problem.
"But this is a boarding pass. What do you want?"
I explained that the e-ticket appeared to be broken, and asked her to check it.
"No, you have a boarding pass. Why are you coming to me?"
"I called Iberia last night, and they told me to come to you to get a boarding pass".
"Ah... they told you to come to me? To me personally...?"
"No, they told me to come to customer services for Iberia at the airport... You are Iberia?"
It was all becoming a bit Fawlty Towers now. I have genuinely never ever encountered a less helpful, less customer orientated customer services agent. After quite a lot of similar dialogue, she eventually checked the ticket, frowned a bit, clitter clattered on the keys, and I got a boarding pass (there is that wonderful printer sound when you know the pass is coming). Given the whole trip will yield (assuming it tracks, and I have this feeling it won't) only 10 TPs, it was by far the biggest stress per point quotient of anything this year.
Iberia do make BA look like the soul of empathy and good service.
Anyway, what else? IB Express ramp up the heat on their flights, it was almost intolerable on the way out and the ventilator thingies didn't work (much better on the return with proper aircon, but on takeoff the heaters came on full blast again). The lounge at Madrid T4 is closed - they give you a café voucher for 8 euros or so, which I took to McDonalds and got a Big Mac Meal and, randomly, two promotional beach towels. I did consider going to T4s, but I was running a little short of time so just sat and attempted to calm down after the stress of the CS interactions. Good flight back. The alternative female FA uniform is spray-on trousers and satin blouse, and I am ashamed to say I rather enjoyed that - actually the IBE staff are pretty efficient and there is a great hot bacon and cheese baguette on the BoB. Iberia do the priority boarding very well.
Three weeks off now, and then if all goes to plan I do a Jersey B2B on October 22nd which will take me over the line. Currently got 6400 TPs booked before the end of the TP year, which is essentially because of doing the PHX do