BA Club Europe - AWFUL
Jan 24, 2018, 11:39 am
#46
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,324
Living in the US, I find intra-EU biz flights better in all ways but the seat - and if you fly LH/LX/A3 etc, the planes are new, middle seat blocked, and perfectly fine for 30 min to 3.5hr flights.
At least you get fed and have some great service experiences - I fly UA domestically in the US and you're lucky to get a snack basket on a 3hr flight these days, and you should see the horrendous service you get on some flights. Give me EU business class anyday! (Note: transcontinental US flights excluded - those can be flat beds and wonderful!)
The OP got a fairly bad plane from BA - I agree the 767's are aging and dirty, but it is what it is. I don't think any further compensation is due.
At least you get fed and have some great service experiences - I fly UA domestically in the US and you're lucky to get a snack basket on a 3hr flight these days, and you should see the horrendous service you get on some flights. Give me EU business class anyday! (Note: transcontinental US flights excluded - those can be flat beds and wonderful!)
The OP got a fairly bad plane from BA - I agree the 767's are aging and dirty, but it is what it is. I don't think any further compensation is due.
Jan 24, 2018, 11:54 am
#47
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
It's bad enough that, even with a 5 - 6 hour delay at their home base, BA could not load the OP's special meals, but he had also asked specificaly if their meals would be loaded on the rebooked flight, and he was assured that they would be.
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.
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.
When BA fail to organise a promised special meal for a delayed passenger, connecting through their own hub using BA flights throughout, it doesn’t say much about their level of service, customer care, and general organisation.
Worth remembering that the translation of corporate speak such as “it is not possible to .....” is - in many cases - “we can’t be bothered to .......”
Jan 24, 2018, 1:19 pm
#48
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,092
Both Swiss and KLM deviate from the concept notably enough to be much better value propositions than the usual template on airlines like BA or LH. Both offer at least better pitch with their short-haul business class seats. That's still not quite what a good American F product offers but it definitely beats a regular economy seat with the middle seat empty.
I don't normally book J for intra-European travel but if I have a long layover at Schiphol (and thus can make use of lounge access) and they make a reasonable offer, I'll take it especially if I check luggage.
Of course, Lufthansa J at least is really cheap now, so at least that makes it a bit interesting - unlike BA who charge outlandish prices for what the product offers. My guess is that there's enough people flying out of London who aren't paying for that with their own money and thus don't care about the value proposition.
I don't normally book J for intra-European travel but if I have a long layover at Schiphol (and thus can make use of lounge access) and they make a reasonable offer, I'll take it especially if I check luggage.
Of course, Lufthansa J at least is really cheap now, so at least that makes it a bit interesting - unlike BA who charge outlandish prices for what the product offers. My guess is that there's enough people flying out of London who aren't paying for that with their own money and thus don't care about the value proposition.
Jan 24, 2018, 1:27 pm
#49
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: JAX
Programs: Ex-BA/AA/CP/LY staff, BA Executive Club Blue, IHG Diamond, Marriott Silver, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 3,588
Corporately, that very well be the decision that was taken. On the frontline though, if a special meal is requested within 24hrs “it is not possible” for any employee to make it happen, even if they desperately wanted to and were willing to move mountains to do so. It just ain't possible, random occurrences aside.
Jan 24, 2018, 1:32 pm
#50
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: A3*G
Posts: 114
I'm surprised that nobody addresses the real issue here: When flying longhaul, avoid connecting flights or keep them as short as possible - in any direction (this may not be good advice if travelling in Y). There is a huge difference in comfort between LHR - JFK - LAX and LHR - SFO - LAX, for example.
Jan 24, 2018, 1:36 pm
#51
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,774
I'm surprised that nobody addresses the real issue here: When flying longhaul, avoid connecting flights or keep them as short as possible - in any direction (this may not be good advice if travelling in Y). There is a huge difference in comfort between LHR - JFK - LAX and LHR - SFO - LAX, for example.
PHL-LAX, BOS-LAX etc., not so much.
Jan 24, 2018, 1:43 pm
#52
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: A3*G
Posts: 114
Point taken, but even if the transcon product is available, your rationale would only apply to the outbound flight. For the inbound, flying from the west coast to LHR would be vastly preferable and provide both enjoyable service and sleep.
Jan 24, 2018, 1:45 pm
#53
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,774
Jan 24, 2018, 2:11 pm
#54
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
I see your lofty ideal .....................
..................................
Corporately, that very well be the decision that was taken. On the frontline though, if a special meal is requested within 24hrs “it is not possible” for any employee to make it happen, even if they desperately wanted to and were willing to move mountains to do so. It just ain't possible, random occurrences aside.
You could well be right to say that it is not something the ‘frontline’ employee can easily organise at shortish notice. But the essential point is : Why is that ? It’s because the system has not been set up to do such things. Because BA management ( and yes, perhaps management of some other carriers too) lack the motivation to make it happen.
When all said & done, the BA staffer is simply left to tell the premium cabin customer : “Ah, sorry ... computer says NO”. Or, to be more accurate, to mislead the OP in this particular incident by confirming that the meal WILL be loaded. Which then didn’t happen.
Jan 24, 2018, 2:12 pm
#55
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,406
The question being for how long? It's no secret that more and more airlines are opting for the spaceflex option on their A320/A321 fleets which has the result that pretty much all Airbus have the same miserable configuration. LX may now increase the seat pitch in the first n rows but those additional inches are the result of reducing pitch of the remaining rows.
Personally I'm such a massive fan of the CE that I would decline an OpUp (provided that my current seat is an exit row seat).
Personally I'm such a massive fan of the CE that I would decline an OpUp (provided that my current seat is an exit row seat).
Jan 24, 2018, 2:19 pm
#56
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC, FLL
Programs: UA PP 1MM, Marriott Bonvoy LTTE, BA Gold
Posts: 6,324
Jan 24, 2018, 2:29 pm
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SQ Gold, KQ Platinum, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Gold, Marriott Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 16,351
Well this seems like a timely opportunity to advertise my latest trip report:
Ancient Athens via Ancient 767s - BA Club Europe and the InterContinental (w/pics)
The Club Europe hard product is not suitable for 4 hours on an aircraft, but the catering was mainly fine - just need to decant those nuts into a dish, provide a bread plate and switch the trays back to full size, perhaps with a table cloth for good measure. The 767s can't be retired soon enough.
Ancient Athens via Ancient 767s - BA Club Europe and the InterContinental (w/pics)
The Club Europe hard product is not suitable for 4 hours on an aircraft, but the catering was mainly fine - just need to decant those nuts into a dish, provide a bread plate and switch the trays back to full size, perhaps with a table cloth for good measure. The 767s can't be retired soon enough.
Jan 24, 2018, 2:32 pm
#58
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bridport, Dorset
Programs: Mucci, BA Bronze, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,130
Jan 24, 2018, 2:32 pm
#59
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: JAX
Programs: Ex-BA/AA/CP/LY staff, BA Executive Club Blue, IHG Diamond, Marriott Silver, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 3,588
Jan 24, 2018, 2:35 pm
#60
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: JAX
Programs: Ex-BA/AA/CP/LY staff, BA Executive Club Blue, IHG Diamond, Marriott Silver, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 3,588
