First class seat disappointment
May 30, 2018, 11:26 am
#16
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,480
To those that say the OP is ridiculous for the suggestion that the seat is taken out of service, I think you’re missing the point. BA sell First as an exceptional experience, with the whole attention to detail thing. The whole downgrading someone thing is a diversion. If you sell it, it’s up to the company to have sufficient planes, and sufficient maintenance to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Expecting a seat without damage is surely a very realistic proposition in first class, how they do that, and how complex doing that might be is BA’s problem.
I dont see see how the passenger is creating the problem by expecting what BA are touting on their website. They not asking for a downgrade, they’re asking for BA to provide what they say they do. Too many of the responses are just starting from the point of this will potentially create an issue for BA in capacity of what they’ve sold.
I dont see see how the passenger is creating the problem by expecting what BA are touting on their website. They not asking for a downgrade, they’re asking for BA to provide what they say they do. Too many of the responses are just starting from the point of this will potentially create an issue for BA in capacity of what they’ve sold.
To repair that seat requires the whole aircraft to be taken out of service for at least a return flight. Not in any sort of commercial world is that going to happen - BA simply doesn’t have lots of widebody planes hanging around, no airline does. This sort of repair would only ever be done during routine maintenance. I’d be willing to bet that interval hadn’t come up before the seat was damaged - for all we know, it might only have happened on the incoming flight.
The next alternative, if everything has to be perfect, is not to sell it. In anything up to CW, you might get away with that because there’s not absolutely 100% occupation (and you could possibly even move upwards) so people can be moved around (although personally I’d rather keep my preferred seat with a very minor fault than be forcibly moved elsewhere in the same cabin). In F that’s not so easy, because frequently the cabin is full - and I very much doubt BA know this is going to be the exact aircraft deployed at the point the last seat is sold. Your choice then is to block the seat and downgrade, possibly into a CW middle seat, or live with it - perhaps with an appropriate Avios gesture as service recovery.
So what’s the most customer focused, customer friendly option then? I’d have thought it was fairly obvious.
May 30, 2018, 11:35 am
#18
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Brisbane
Programs: BAEC Blue/Bronze, Krisflyer, Qantas
Posts: 419
It was something I noticed, didn't bother me, but thought it could be improved and makes it feel a bit 4 star. Perhaps they've learnt lessons and they'll make it easier to switch out these panels in future chairs, else line the edges with something stronger.
I'd admit, my second thought was "what a bunch of clumbsy eejits that fly first" haha
I'd admit, my second thought was "what a bunch of clumbsy eejits that fly first" haha
May 30, 2018, 11:35 am
#19
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
To those that say the OP is ridiculous for the suggestion that the seat is taken out of service, I think you’re missing the point. BA sell First as an exceptional experience, with the whole attention to detail thing. The whole downgrading someone thing is a diversion. If you sell it, it’s up to the company to have sufficient planes, and sufficient maintenance to ensure that this doesn’t happen. Expecting a seat without damage is surely a very realistic proposition in first class, how they do that, and how complex doing that might be is BA’s problem.
As far as the downgrading thing bring a diversion, what would you have done here - asked to be offloaded?
Look we all know BA premium cabins are pretty middle of the range affairs but in the wider scheme of things this is pretty minor.
May 30, 2018, 11:52 am
#21
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Somewhere between SFO and LAX...FYI aka FAT
Programs: BAEC - back to lowly blue. Marriott - Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 466
How many Avios compensation for damaged fascia/trim?
Last edited by JayeJ; May 30, 2018 at 3:06 pm Reason: To make didgeflyer happy. D)
May 30, 2018, 11:55 am
#23
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors, Virgin
Posts: 766
I saw some photos yesterday of the next brand new, undelivered, B787 and you would be amazed at the number and condition of some of the snags-even down to a crack above one of the doors. Amazed they last as long as they do if that's what Boeing are putting in front of their customers.
May 30, 2018, 12:00 pm
#24
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,683
The responses suggest what was BA supposed to do. My point is that’s BA’s problem. I’m not disputing the practicalities of the situation, I just think it’s all BA’s to resolve. Their solution is lump it. I’m saying if you sell the dream you need to have enough resource to back that up. I don’t care about their problems, design a more modular seat which can be switched in and out in more acceptable time frames, parts that are easily replaced, use better more robust materials, figure it out.
May 30, 2018, 12:34 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Discussing whether the aircraft should ever have suffered such damage is a bit like giving the proverbial answer to that question about how to get to Tipperary.
May 30, 2018, 12:45 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
The responses suggest what was BA supposed to do. My point is that’s BA’s problem. I’m not disputing the practicalities of the situation, I just think it’s all BA’s to resolve. Their solution is lump it. I’m saying if you sell the dream you need to have enough resource to back that up. I don’t care about their problems, design a more modular seat which can be switched in and out in more acceptable time frames, parts that are easily replaced, use better more robust materials, figure it out.
Meanwhile back in the real world we know BA is several 787s down due to the unexpected engines issue and the remaining planes are being worked super intensively with no downtime for minor issues and flights like Doha being pulled.
You seem reluctant to say what you would do against that background - cancel some flights to put these issues right? I'm not saying it's right but there is a judgement call to be made for all passengers, not just the one F passenger sat in a seat with minor scuffs on the trim.
And honestly, do any FTers buying F on BA really think they are buying the dream?
May 30, 2018, 2:57 pm
#28
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LHR
Programs: BAEC Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus, Sixt Gold
Posts: 418
I think there is no justification to this, it is simply very poor.
Like the fact that 50% of the time I find Club seats dirty, in some cases filthy. These things simply should not happen and are particularly enraging when they happen in very expensive cabins.
I think nobody expects the dream from BA's F, but one can surely expect a clean and nice seat.
Like the fact that 50% of the time I find Club seats dirty, in some cases filthy. These things simply should not happen and are particularly enraging when they happen in very expensive cabins.
I think nobody expects the dream from BA's F, but one can surely expect a clean and nice seat.
May 30, 2018, 3:26 pm
#29
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 189
I'm really torn on this post.
I've flown BA F a few times, and had great experiences every time with both the hard and soft product.
I agree with those who say that taking a seat out of service for this minor problem is ridiculous.
And I agree that the 787 issue is a problem that is outside BA's control.
However, I agree with others who say that this should not happen in an F cabin, and aircraft issues aren't an excuse to fail to deliver on the advertised experience. This isn't Air Mauritania (if they even have an airline). It's BA, and they should deliver on what they promise. How they make that happen is not the customer's problem. I also acknowledge it may have happened on the last flight, but again, it's their responsibility to deliver on what they promise. If they have to pay overtime to maintenance personnel then so be it. If it's a problem with the design (as another poster showed a photo of the same issue) then they should contemplate that contractually with the interior supplier, and work it out there.
I've flown BA F a few times, and had great experiences every time with both the hard and soft product.
I agree with those who say that taking a seat out of service for this minor problem is ridiculous.
And I agree that the 787 issue is a problem that is outside BA's control.
However, I agree with others who say that this should not happen in an F cabin, and aircraft issues aren't an excuse to fail to deliver on the advertised experience. This isn't Air Mauritania (if they even have an airline). It's BA, and they should deliver on what they promise. How they make that happen is not the customer's problem. I also acknowledge it may have happened on the last flight, but again, it's their responsibility to deliver on what they promise. If they have to pay overtime to maintenance personnel then so be it. If it's a problem with the design (as another poster showed a photo of the same issue) then they should contemplate that contractually with the interior supplier, and work it out there.