BA Club Europe - AWFUL
Jan 24, 2018, 9:45 am
#31
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,676
I think you have a perfectly fair point about the quality of CE. It's not a fantastic product. But I personally don't believe there's compensation due for CE overall - it is what it is.
And I'd agree - they should have loaded your special meal - I think you should be getting a token for this.
To ensure we're comparing apples with apples - this is the swiss business class you're comparing to right? https://traveluxblog.com/2015/04/15/...al-business-2/
And I'd agree - they should have loaded your special meal - I think you should be getting a token for this.
To ensure we're comparing apples with apples - this is the swiss business class you're comparing to right? https://traveluxblog.com/2015/04/15/...al-business-2/
Jan 24, 2018, 9:48 am
#32
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
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This was our first experience of BA Club World. The transatlantic was OK in the 744 but not wonderful when compared to other OW carriers like QR & QF. BA did not offer a mixed class of service fare on the route so did not have the option of faring that way. BA CW is definitely not business class worthy hence my complaint to their management team.
You'll find many discussions here about the relative benefits of BA & QR, less so QF. BA is generally recognised as being consistent in terms of product but not world class. Again, this sounds like a case of research reaping rewards.
If you complained about the amenities on the CW leg, then honestly - I fully understand why BA's response was framed in the terms it was.
Jan 24, 2018, 9:50 am
#33
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
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For fare reasons I won/t trouble folks with, I recently flew LHR-MAN in Club Europe, connecting to Brussels Air economy class from MAN-BRU. Yeah, the CE flight had the middle seat blocked, but that is far less important than legroom. And the Brussels Air flight in economy, for all customers, had 2-3" more legroom than BA CE did. It's a huge difference. That service level by BA in CE is a farce.
Jan 24, 2018, 10:03 am
#35
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,330
Yes, the CE product is a poor show; BUT that's not a BA thing, it's a European airline thing.
I've had TATL flights on AA in the past five years with a seat not that much better than that BA 763 seat, so let's not get too ahead of ourselves.
Your meal is a legitimate issue, and you should probably be due some Avios compensation. However without a BAEC account I don't think this is feasible. I'm not sure exactly what the dietary issue is for your special meal requirement, but was there nothing for purchase on the ET trolley you could eat? £1200 buys a lot of Percy Pigs.
Jan 24, 2018, 10:09 am
#36
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Silver/ows, CX AsiaMiles (not even GR anymore!) missing my GO days
Posts: 1,581
Without getting to the more hyperbolic aspects of OP's complaint, I have to say I agree that the failure to load the special meal at a hub under these circumstances is inexcusable. It doesn't make things any better that this pathetic service is the normal book-more-than-24-hours-ahead service standard. In the case of a misconnect like this, especially when it sounds like BA was at fault for the first flight's delay, BA's policy is effectively saying "If we fail to deliver you to your connection point on time, we'll take that as carte blanche to not deliver another element of the service you've paid for."
Jan 24, 2018, 10:15 am
#37
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: London
Programs: Mucci Grandee (Upgraded), BA Silver, AZ MilleMiglia
Posts: 3,107
I can see, though, that if you're coming from the US you'd be surprised. You can't compare Domestic First with European short-haul business class - the US seats are better in all respects (wider, more legroom, more comfortable). You need to think of it as like flying coach without anyone sitting next to you, and some free food and drink.
Jan 24, 2018, 10:20 am
#39
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
The 763s might be getting ready to be retired but they are IMHO nasty. They are not even in the fleets of what I would consider other competing carriers like AY, QF, QR etc. Special meals were ordered 30 days out due to medical condition. When they rebooked us they knew there was a special meal need. Indeed as we boarded the in flight supervisor came and told us that they were not going to be able to load it. There was a 5 hour gap between original and rebooked flight in terms of time of departure AND they made the decision to rebook during our transatlantic flight; BA294 so they had an additional 6-7 hours notice on top of that. When we went to the PAX service area they said our special meals would be loaded - we specifically asked because of my daughter's needs. As far as quality of service in Business see my reply on SWISS that we used previously. Had we been able to fare that and be competitive I would have done that. I hardly think that is my lack of research.
600 Euro was for the misconnection NOT the problem with the LHR/ATH flights. Those are the rules that they put into play in Europe. We did not come up with them. Even if the LHR/ATH flights had been wonderful we would still be entitled to the compensation under Regulation 261/2004.
This was our first experience of BA Club World. The transatlantic was OK in the 744 but not wonderful when compared to other OW carriers like QR & QF. BA did not offer a mixed class of service fare on the route so did not have the option of faring that way. BA CW is definitely not business class worthy hence my complaint to their management team..
Best solution. It is a free world and we all have a choice.
Jan 24, 2018, 10:42 am
#40
Join Date: Sep 2013
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Posts: 6,399
But of course, in all fairness to BA, and as so many have pointed out, that is rarely to be found on intra-europe flights on any carrier. Perhaps the thread should be re-named : “Business class in Europe - mostly awful”
I always look forward to intra-asia biz class travel where a proper seat is still available. And - contrary to some opinion - very often at no higher fare levels, or even less, than an equivalent length european sector.
Jan 24, 2018, 10:44 am
#41
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Jan 24, 2018, 10:56 am
#42
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Also, i've seen posts where meals weren't loaded for CE and the poster received some Avios as a compensation. Should OP be calling back and trying again?
Jan 24, 2018, 11:12 am
#43
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Join Date: Jul 2002
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Maybe a business class size seat ?
But of course, in all fairness to BA, and as so many have pointed out, that is rarely to be found on intra-europe flights on any carrier. Perhaps the thread should be re-named : “Business class in Europe - mostly awful”
I always look forward to intra-asia biz class travel where a proper seat is still available. And - contrary to some opinion - very often at no higher fare levels, or even less, than an equivalent length european sector.
Jan 24, 2018, 11:13 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: London. Edinburgh, Cornwall
Programs: BA GGL, British Midland Lifetime* Loser
Posts: 7,950
Jan 24, 2018, 11:29 am
#45
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: BA Silver, Mucci
Posts: 5,289
For some people, this is a serious issue. Strict dietary requirements, the need to eat on a regular schedule, the timing of medication with / without food. For some people, ordering a special meal is a requirement, not a fad or a "I'll order the Asian Vegetarian meal this week and see if it's any better than the regular meal" thing.
I think the OP is getting some unecessary snark here.