On the job training...?
Mar 8, 2018, 9:41 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 191
On the job training...?
I recently flew First Class from London to San Diego with BA.
LHR airport - Concorde lounge was crowded, but good service and food
FYI - I've flown this route both directions several times in First and CW.
Things started to go downhill when I entered the plane....
Approached by a FA: "I'm sure you don't want a sleeper suit, but I can get one if you want, since it's a day flight"
PDB of Champagne (who knows) and water
Plane departed with my water glass still at my side (oops), I held on to it for takeoff.
FA came to take orders
She didn't know menu. As in, which were appetizers, mains, etc. I ordered soup, salad, and fish.
Soup came and then fish. I had to ask for salad.
Fish was extremely dry. I think it was supposed to be heated with sauce as opposed to sauce on side.
Bread was offered once and once only. Which is fine...who needs more bread?
She cleared my entire tray.
Then I had to ask for dessert and cheese when I had no placemat and silverware.
No offer of coffee or tea.
Water glass remained at my seat unfilled for the next 5 hours.
No offer of duvet or turndown. Had to search out another FA. Galley was a disaster. Even worse than my house after Thanksgiving.
I could go on. But you get the point.
Clearly this FA had NEVER worked in a premium cabin and was tossed to the wolves with no direction. Is this typical? I've not seen this on other BA flights....
LHR airport - Concorde lounge was crowded, but good service and food
FYI - I've flown this route both directions several times in First and CW.
Things started to go downhill when I entered the plane....
Approached by a FA: "I'm sure you don't want a sleeper suit, but I can get one if you want, since it's a day flight"
PDB of Champagne (who knows) and water
Plane departed with my water glass still at my side (oops), I held on to it for takeoff.
FA came to take orders
She didn't know menu. As in, which were appetizers, mains, etc. I ordered soup, salad, and fish.
Soup came and then fish. I had to ask for salad.
Fish was extremely dry. I think it was supposed to be heated with sauce as opposed to sauce on side.
Bread was offered once and once only. Which is fine...who needs more bread?
She cleared my entire tray.
Then I had to ask for dessert and cheese when I had no placemat and silverware.
No offer of coffee or tea.
Water glass remained at my seat unfilled for the next 5 hours.
No offer of duvet or turndown. Had to search out another FA. Galley was a disaster. Even worse than my house after Thanksgiving.
I could go on. But you get the point.
Clearly this FA had NEVER worked in a premium cabin and was tossed to the wolves with no direction. Is this typical? I've not seen this on other BA flights....
Mar 8, 2018, 10:34 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bridport, Dorset
Programs: Mucci, BA Bronze, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,129
Sounds like the attendant I had flying to JFK last year. Absolutely bizarre service provided, including handing me my drink on a tray covered in reams of BA paperwork.
Last edited by Sealink; Mar 9, 2018 at 6:40 am
Mar 9, 2018, 4:43 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cape Town
Programs: BA Exec Gold , Qatar Priviledge Club Plat
Posts: 1,584
As far as I know when BA cabin crew complete their training, first class service is included in that. I hope a refreshment course is done thou once you move up as by the time you move up to first it could of been years since your last training session thus forgetting things. However it could be a case of "can I give first class a go today?"
Mar 9, 2018, 5:36 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Edi
Posts: 2,203
I've flown F to SAN twice, first time was great, second time was average/good. That said, it's a MF route so that generally lowers my expectations although some of my best First trips have been MF.
Long story short, even in BA first it can range from amazing (good enough to leave a /welldone) to awful.
Long story short, even in BA first it can range from amazing (good enough to leave a /welldone) to awful.
Last edited by NWIFlyer; Mar 9, 2018 at 5:57 am Reason: Remove hidden expletive - rule 16
Mar 9, 2018, 6:38 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,644
As far as I know when BA cabin crew complete their training, first class service is included in that. I hope a refreshment course is done thou once you move up as by the time you move up to first it could of been years since your last training session thus forgetting things. However it could be a case of "can I give first class a go today?"
Flights should rostered with adequately trained crew, but I guess sometimes this isn't possible (especially during disruption like the recent snow) and crew have to work where they're needed. Or the flight gets cancelled.
Mar 9, 2018, 10:09 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 587
Crew are initially trained in Club Europe + ET/WT/WTP. After 6 months they get Club World training. After another +6 months its First training. New CW training is separate and slowly being rostered in. You can tell who's NCW trained as they have a blue crown badge on their gilet.
Flights should rostered with adequately trained crew, but I guess sometimes this isn't possible (especially during disruption like the recent snow) and crew have to work where they're needed. Or the flight gets cancelled.
Flights should rostered with adequately trained crew, but I guess sometimes this isn't possible (especially during disruption like the recent snow) and crew have to work where they're needed. Or the flight gets cancelled.
There’s also a significant lack of F trained cabin crew on MF at the moment, so flights are being sent with say 2 trained crew instead of the required 3, meaning someone not F trained will have to work in that cabin. This is especially an issue during disruption.
Mar 9, 2018, 10:15 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,091
Interesting, thanks. Is there a reason it's done as a straight swap rather than moving crew members between cabins? Thanks in advance.
Mar 9, 2018, 10:37 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Mucci: Classe de la Luxe Eternelle
Posts: 816
I was under the impression from other threads that roles were allocated by the CSD at the briefing? Which I assumed the SBY crew would be at and so could be allocated appropriately. Is this not correct?
Mar 9, 2018, 10:52 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 19,093
To add to this, if a crew member is called off standby, they will simply ‘plug the gap’ the other crew member left. So, if someone who has been flying a month is called off SBY to cover someone been online 2 years, they will simply have to suck it up and work where the gap is, even if it is in F/CW and they’re not trained.
There’s also a significant lack of F trained cabin crew on MF at the moment, so flights are being sent with say 2 trained crew instead of the required 3, meaning someone not F trained will have to work in that cabin. This is especially an issue during disruption.
I am shocked that MFCC that a standby crewmember would just “plug the gap” ?
Mar 9, 2018, 11:55 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 804
I have travelled on CW and CX J and F cabins, never travelled in BA F. One thing I do note is the extremely inconsistent level of service that you get from BA. CX on the other hand is very attentive and consistent with their level of service. I sometimes get the impression that the BA staff just don't want to be there. Its been a while since I have been on WTP but I feel that the level of service from CW is not much better than WTP lol.
Another thing I do note is the lounge food at BA is terrible. I pretty much never have any food there. I go out to either wagamama or gordon's airplane food then go back to the lounge lol
However, I am not massively bothered because ultimately, I am after the "sofabed" haha
Another thing I do note is the lounge food at BA is terrible. I pretty much never have any food there. I go out to either wagamama or gordon's airplane food then go back to the lounge lol
However, I am not massively bothered because ultimately, I am after the "sofabed" haha
Mar 9, 2018, 12:00 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 587
We would never allow this on the WW fleet, the CSD has totally freedom to allocate positions and would move people around to ensure only experienced crew worked in the premium cabin position, we do however let crew choose in seniority otherwise.
I am shocked that MFCC that a standby crewmember would just “plug the gap” ?
Obviously, if the crewmember called off SBY is F trained there’s no issue, but the Ops Desk will not look for this as a criteria and will call the crewmember who’s rostered standby block fits with the trip, whether F trained or not.
It’s obviously not ideal, but there’s a general consensus on MF that things like this happen, and you just have to make it work. For the most part, I like to think we all have each others’ backs and service doesn’t suffer too much, but obviously in some cases it’s unavoidable.
Mar 9, 2018, 12:07 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 19,093
I understand your predicament we are lucky to have a lot more experience but you should hear the moaning if I have to put a non First trained crew into the cabin position which is affectionally known as the “A bird”, you will hear excuses like I have only flown 20 years and wouldn’t have a clue what to do!