I’m with OP. BA are terrible in terms of quality, and there’s this unbearable smugness from many of the staff who seem to believe that being the flag-bearer means they can get away with low standards. And unless you’re close enough to fly from LHR or LGW for all your flights their access to Europe on short haul is pretty woeful. I got transferred to BAEC Gold when they bought BMI and very rapidly switched to *A and flights mainly through MUC or FRA. Much happier now.

Who’d want to fly from LHR-CDG? You’re going to one of the world’s largest hub airports for a one hour flight. There’s a ton of London airport with direct services to CDG, or better yet, take the train.

would be good for TP though, for some reason, google flights doesn’t like that route however ;-)

looking at random dates, U2 was cheapest in Y, BA Ł4 more and BA cheapest in J, add in quick access airside via the F wing and a nice dinner in the CCR, TPs and it being easier to get to LHR for me than any of the other airports (with the possible exception of LCY) and there’s your answer.

My last UA and DL flights are probably too long ago to count, but I had 6 AA flights during the last year, and every single experience was absolutely great. I have no reason to complain.

You Tube

I very much support the core sentiments expressed here.

The thread has generated some very constructive, reasoned discussion, with much interesting comment encompassing many different angles and breadth of experience / opinion.

Yes, there was the inevitable cursory (and somewhat pointless) one-liner riposte of ‘Bye Bye’ ; and even one bizarre - but, fortunately, failed - appeal that the thread should be shut down before it actually got into full swing. Unless we want FT to become some sort of propaganda machine with all the trappings of communist-style censorship, it would make little sense to seek to stifle the sort of open debate seen here. It’s good to know that free speech, within published Forum rules, is something the Mods themselves self-evidently appreciate and encourage.

There is of course a dedicated QRPC forum, available to all interested. But the fact remains BAEC is a widely regarded as a more rounded and generally superior FFP - and because of that, many QR users (both occasional and frequent) are committed BAEC members. Moreover, QR just happen to be IAG’s largest individual shareholder, so the financial and operational links between the two businesses are rather unique.

We know that BA has a LOT of loyal fans. Many such fans also enjoy flying with QR (not to mention a myriad of other carriers too, of course) ; and many others have neither need nor wish to do so. But it is, IMO, misplaced judgement to take the view that those who find fault with BA service or product, versus other carriers, and then come on here to air their criticism or grievance, are on some sort of mission. The notion that anyone who might post to tell us us why their experiences with BA are inferior to those with other carriers are on ‘a mission’ would only hold water if you equally believe that those who enthuse unreservedly about BA are also on ‘a mission’.

Any successful, consumer-focussed, organisation would be just as interested to hear negative feedback from their customers (including those who have decided to take their custom elsewhere) as they would the positive. No business learns as much from talking to happy customers as when engaging with unhappy ones. FT is not a business, but it does well to adopt a similar attitude. Much of FT is dedicated to the provision of factual, objective, and carefully-researched information, all of it highly-valued by members. But the more subjective, opinion-oriented threads can be equally attractive and enriching, and long may they continue.

In summary, I would say that this thread has proved a lively illustration of the best of FT as a home for reasoned exchange of different experiences and keenly-held personal views ; and that only those who are bored by air travel (or perhaps have no cause to fly at all) would consider such debate to be tiresome or repetitive.

Opinions about food and seats are subjective, though it does seem odd to prefer the BA CW seat over all over options, rather than just resign onself to putting up with it.

You are a little confused about the QR hotel options. There are currently two.