£20 compensation for no IFE on a 13-hour flight - fair?
May 27, 2018, 7:52 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX (elite) and a few others (non-elite)
Posts: 687
£20 compensation for no IFE on a 13-hour flight - fair?
A few months ago (and I am only posting this after such a long delay because that is how long it has taken to get a response from BA) Junior Offspring flew from LHR to HKG in economy. No IFE the entire trip. After several chasers, BA have finally offered an e-voucher for £20. Does that seem like the right amount? Seems a bit low to me but I'm curious to know if this is in line with other passengers.
Junior Offspring does not have an Avios account so Avios points are not an option.
PS Sorry some of this is in italics - try as I might, I can't get it back to normal script!
Junior Offspring does not have an Avios account so Avios points are not an option.
PS Sorry some of this is in italics - try as I might, I can't get it back to normal script!
May 27, 2018, 8:30 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
What you don’t say is if there were any other available seats in the cabin that they could have switched into. And yes, £20 does seem low if there were no other available seats. In F it is around 20k avios. I would expect less in Y. However, BA effectively print their own avios so can set the bar how they like in this regard.
May 27, 2018, 9:13 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX (elite) and a few others (non-elite)
Posts: 687
Thanks for the reply, madfish. So far as I am aware there were no other seats - Junior Offspring said they were pretty full - but then she is a minor and probably didn't think to check/ask! She did report it to cabin crew but apparently they didn't offer any solution other than trying to reset the system, which didn't work.
May 27, 2018, 11:29 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX (elite) and a few others (non-elite)
Posts: 687
We live in Hong Kong. I have my status with CX, the Memsahib has hers with MH, and Senior Offspring has hers with AY. None of us has an Avios account :-)
May 28, 2018, 1:10 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Regardless of what other passengers may or may not have been offered (the figures are, after all, simply dreamt up by people sitting in a BA office looking to minimise payouts, and not something prescribed in law), you have to ask yourself whether you personally are happy with an amount of compensation which would strike many as very paltry - not least given that it relates to a flight lasting 13 hours, where your enjoyment was severely curtailed.
Think of the (implied) conversation between BA colleagues when they finally got round to writing to you : “Just send him a £20 voucher. He may not like it, but most people never bother to follow up, so it’s usually enough to keep them quiet”
It’s especially disappointing to hear that you were kept waiting several months for a response to such a simple complaint. Perhaps this has affected your overall attitude to the offer itself.
May 28, 2018, 1:10 am
#10
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: 63,818
My understanding is also it's
WT 3k Avios / £20 e-voucher / or a duty free voucher
WTP 5k / £30
CW 10k / £60
F 20k / £120
and it's best to go for Avios rather than the alternatives since you could theoretically get 3 times the value out of it compared to the voucher.
This may seem a bit tough on longer, more expensive WT flights since they could be very boring if you had no other entertainment with you, but this has to be set against the lowest WT fare per leg of around £140. Hopefully the traveller concerned had their own gizmo with them.
What is supposed to happen is the CSD or CSM is supposed to action this on board, but we've had mixed information as to whether this is effective or not.
WT 3k Avios / £20 e-voucher / or a duty free voucher
WTP 5k / £30
CW 10k / £60
F 20k / £120
and it's best to go for Avios rather than the alternatives since you could theoretically get 3 times the value out of it compared to the voucher.
This may seem a bit tough on longer, more expensive WT flights since they could be very boring if you had no other entertainment with you, but this has to be set against the lowest WT fare per leg of around £140. Hopefully the traveller concerned had their own gizmo with them.
What is supposed to happen is the CSD or CSM is supposed to action this on board, but we've had mixed information as to whether this is effective or not.
May 28, 2018, 3:14 am
#11
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 10,155
£20 does seem a bit mean for the OP I have to say.
May 28, 2018, 3:23 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL; Lifetime Gold
Posts: 256
I recently received 15k for no IFE from LAX-LHR so I am wondering if there is an increase depending on status? The whole plane was out from start to finish on a 10hr + flight so I wonder CWS/CIHY in your wisdom could the length of the flight also be a factor i.e. east coast/west coast USA? Genuinely curious and any info appreciated!
£20 does seem a bit mean for the OP I have to say.
£20 does seem a bit mean for the OP I have to say.
May 28, 2018, 3:38 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Hope the CSM managed to keep a straight face as s/he made the offer.
Enough to buy a bar of Toblerone from BA duty-free, I believe
