Mike P

Thanks for the clarification. Virgin offer a rather limited network in comparison with BA so it's not really comparing like with like. It certainly wouldn't work for me.

cupsandsaucers

Doesnt work for me either as I fly from Glasgow. Not suggesting jump to Virgin. Just suggesting he put that point to BA in search of a more reasonable compensation than a few fivers for no IFE on a 13 hour flight.

Mike P

I don't disagree with you at all; I would be unhappy if I were in the OP's shoes. As posted above however, I don't suspect BA will care if he suggests moving to VS as a result. IAG's share price is buoyant and it seems that's all that matters.

IanFromHKG

Thank you all for your input and support. Sadly, although I do think it seems bloody mean, it also sounds as though twenty miserable quid is par for the course, so I think we will shrug our shoulders and accept what is on offer. Junior Offspring, being a minor, will be a lot more pleased with twenty quid than I would be!!

FWIW I will add that half the problem with getting a response out of them was their refusal to deal with Junior Offspring because she is a minor, coupled with a refusal to deal with me unless I had Junior Offspring's written consent, which seem extraordinary to me. Either a minor is competent to complain, or not - and if they're not, they're probably not competent to authorise someone else to do it for them. I am not quite sure which jobsworth came up with that particular obstacle to customer relations, but I would dearly love to meet them and shake them warmly by the throat.

Since Junior Offspring is in boarding school, getting the written consent took a while, and getting BA to acknowledge that I had sent it took weeks and multiple chasers. If the crew on board had simply apologised and coughed up the twenty quid voucher all of this could have been avoided, as could my ire and frustration at their attitude. I am getting increasingly fed up with the way that airlines try so hard to avoid compensating passengers for absolutely anything.

I would add that I am perfectly prepared to fight for my rights and have done so on many occasions (I recently had MH on the verge of winding-up proceedings, which appeared to concentrate their minds, and loosen their purse-strings, wonderfully) but where the compensation, though woeful, represents the standard measure then the brainache and stress of trying to get more (particularly when it has taken too much even to get this far) just isn't worth it, even to make a point.

Again, thanks to all for your time and input - what a great community this is!

Can I help you

cupsandsaucers

That is ridiculous. Of course a company cares if it looses a customer to a competitor , no matter how profitable they are. 1 customer can quickly become 1 million customers.
They might not "bend over backwards, quick call a board meeting" care. But they will care and it would be worth their while upping a £20 offer to keep said customer.

rossmacd

I fear you may be a little misguided in this particular area.

subject2load

@ IanFromHKG

IanFromHKG

And as is so often the case, c-w-s, I think you have hit the nail on the head. Twenty quid might work on a shorter flight, but 13 hours? And the flight in question cost about £1,500, so we are talking about £1.53 per hour and in percentage terms less than 1.5% of the fare...

I was - by proxy (since it was my daughter not me). And to be honest that was a large part of my taking up the complaint, the fact that the crew seemed to assume that she would suck it up. I certainly wasn't doing it for personal gain, since whatever we get (which appears to be those four fivers) is going to her, not me... After all, she is the one who suffered.

I'm a lawyer and my charge out rates are... well, let's say BA are getting away with a bargain!! Sadly, BA tend to be the best value on the route so taking the principled route, emotionally tempting though it may be, wouldn't make very good financial sense!

She's a minor. No status for her....

But they DO fly LHR-HKG....!

Mike P

Glad you are feeling better about it all, I'd be peeved in your situation too. As I mentioned above, BA are unlikely to care if you move your business elsewhere but if VS works for you, I'd be tempted to give it a try.

Mike P

[QUOTE=Can I help you;29801304] @cihY: Thanks, helpful info. Seems that taking the Avios option is definitely better value here.

HIDDY

Whether it's a fair amount is subjective. I certainly wouldn't pay £20 for IFE if they charged extra for it....apart from the moving map I rarely look at it anyway. On one BJS-LHR flight on Air China the large screen wasn't working which was a blessing as I was spared a repeat of the party line content I had to endure on the way out.

LondonCapeTownAnyday

£20 is the cost of five iTunes movie rentals. I don’t think BA are that far off reasonable for a compensation offer for no IFE in economy.

UKtravelbear

BA don't' care tuppence ha'penny about individual travellers who either threaten to do it or actually do it - you won't get a 'we missed you please come back have a discount voucher' from BA like some US airlines send.

Yes but with conditions - like most status matches they want to see a pattern of flying with the existing carrier and bookings with the new carrier to assure themselves that you are (on the face of it) going to give them some business that makes it worth their while.

Correct. BA won't be bothered in the slightest. I can imagine at a BA call centre staff meeting them being asked 'how many never flying with you again' comments they heard or read that week and there being some sort of scorecard and much hilarity!


BTW the VS compensation / service gesture for no IFE is £20 cash in economy (and I think £30 if you accept duty free vouchers).

cupsandsaucers

That makes no sense.
Thats like saying the OP is upset about what they missed during the flight and is desperate to watch it later.
The IFE is there to take the misery out of a 13 hour flight in Y.
I would certainly pay more than £20 to have some entertainment for 13 hours.