Enough is enough - Bye bye BA - I'm out
Oct 6, 2018, 6:58 am
#136
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Oct 6, 2018, 7:11 am
#137
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Originally Posted by navylad
Uncle T, I just happened to use FRA (as that was where I was searching at the time of the comment). Of course you can search from wherever your origin is and BA will display AA flights when appropriate.
Oct 6, 2018, 8:47 am
#138
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: All over the place often South Wales and Lake District
Programs: BA Gold for Life Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,552
Well this is where I really do disagree. The main reason for trying a different airline was very poor lazy service on many recent flights - maybe we just got unlucky but it was enough to make us look elsewhere.
On our 4 QR sectors service was consistent and exemplary - again maybe we got lucky this time with this small sample.
A stark difference is the way dine-on-demand is presented. On every BA F flight (about 25) we have taken, we have never been asked when we would like to eat. The question is "Will you be dining with us this afternoon/evening?". On the one occasion I dared to dine later it was met with a "Well I suppose you can" attitude to make me feel like I was inconveniencing the crew.
On QR J - yes J class, not F - on all sectors when handing out the menus the crew actively point out that it is a dine-on-demand service and ask what time you would like to eat or just to give them 20-30 minutes when you're ready. And when you do eat it is served like BA F laid out restaurant style.
One silly example (of many) of BA annoying me... I asked for a JD & Diet Coke, but was presented will full fat Coke. Said "Er sorry, but I asked for Diet Coke", "No, you said Coke", "Oh sorry, didn't think I did, but can I have Diet Coke please". "Well I'll have to go and change it then" - Diet Coke arrived about 5 minutes later and was almost slammed on the table without a word. Now I don't really care what I asked for or what the crew member heard, I'm the customer and in a service environment I'm always right. I shouldn't have been the one apologizing - simply appalling service.
On our 4 QR sectors service was consistent and exemplary - again maybe we got lucky this time with this small sample.
A stark difference is the way dine-on-demand is presented. On every BA F flight (about 25) we have taken, we have never been asked when we would like to eat. The question is "Will you be dining with us this afternoon/evening?". On the one occasion I dared to dine later it was met with a "Well I suppose you can" attitude to make me feel like I was inconveniencing the crew.
On QR J - yes J class, not F - on all sectors when handing out the menus the crew actively point out that it is a dine-on-demand service and ask what time you would like to eat or just to give them 20-30 minutes when you're ready. And when you do eat it is served like BA F laid out restaurant style.
One silly example (of many) of BA annoying me... I asked for a JD & Diet Coke, but was presented will full fat Coke. Said "Er sorry, but I asked for Diet Coke", "No, you said Coke", "Oh sorry, didn't think I did, but can I have Diet Coke please". "Well I'll have to go and change it then" - Diet Coke arrived about 5 minutes later and was almost slammed on the table without a word. Now I don't really care what I asked for or what the crew member heard, I'm the customer and in a service environment I'm always right. I shouldn't have been the one apologizing - simply appalling service.
I have only been introduced to Dine on Demand on 1 out of 10 QR sectors. So your experience isn't necessarily indicative.
Oct 6, 2018, 9:31 am
#139
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
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The US airlines likely are to have more loyalty among the once or twice a year crowd due to the huge marketing around the co-branded credit cards and how relatively easy it is to qualify for them. Plenty of folks, including my mother, are more than willing to do the 'Put all your groceries and utility expenses on the card and have enough miles at the end of the year for a plane ticket to see the kids!' plan if there aren't good low cost carrier route options from where they live.
Oct 6, 2018, 9:42 am
#140
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: usually somewhere between 30000 and 40000 feet...but actually the English countryside
Programs: BA GGL/Lifetime Gold, EK Gold, Lowly M&M, Marriott tit, Hhonors Diamond, numerous others
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Interesting thread now the initial rant is done.
I fly BA and many other airlines spreading my business around a bit, but always seem to come back to BA and BAEC as a default. Whilst I fly QR a fair bit these days, (I can get some half decent fares ex BHX these days) eg CPT for c. £4K in J vs £7k+ in J on BA and tend to book short notice if you are baulking at these fares!
I quite often book the BA codeshares also on QR for the avios and these can be good value.
Yes BA service / hard product can be spotty at times, but in my own experience, they treat me well. I just pick what suits me without being slavish.
eg last week LHR - DXB - LHR I was upgraded from J to F on both sectors. I dont care what anyone says, this unexpected gesture puts a big smile on my face every time. Dine on demand was available both ways (Im afraid I just raided the club kitchen on the way out), great crew, and a decent snooze home.
On the flip side, I took the ATH 767 the other day ex LHR, I thought those birds were long gone! Im not looking forward particularly to my leisure BKK flight on that old 777 in Feb, but using a Joker, Amex 241, GUF2 and Avios Im prepared to suck it up...
Of the others I use, the best is probably EK. Decent planes, food etc but I just find the whole experience so impersonal and on an industrial scale. (Plus the crew hate the BHX layover but thats another story). TK I seem to land on 737's everywhere I go and whilst their pricing is fairly competitive, those seats are so uncomfortable for a double sector 9 hour hop even in J. Ethiopian I have had several poor experiences with, and LH I cannot abide but that goes back years! MEA can be decent if you get the right plane, their LHR flights are almost like a private members club - everyone knows one another it seems.
I dont travel West these days given my Sudan, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq stamps - I guess one day Ill get around to the interview...
I fly BA and many other airlines spreading my business around a bit, but always seem to come back to BA and BAEC as a default. Whilst I fly QR a fair bit these days, (I can get some half decent fares ex BHX these days) eg CPT for c. £4K in J vs £7k+ in J on BA and tend to book short notice if you are baulking at these fares!
I quite often book the BA codeshares also on QR for the avios and these can be good value.
Yes BA service / hard product can be spotty at times, but in my own experience, they treat me well. I just pick what suits me without being slavish.
eg last week LHR - DXB - LHR I was upgraded from J to F on both sectors. I dont care what anyone says, this unexpected gesture puts a big smile on my face every time. Dine on demand was available both ways (Im afraid I just raided the club kitchen on the way out), great crew, and a decent snooze home.
On the flip side, I took the ATH 767 the other day ex LHR, I thought those birds were long gone! Im not looking forward particularly to my leisure BKK flight on that old 777 in Feb, but using a Joker, Amex 241, GUF2 and Avios Im prepared to suck it up...
Of the others I use, the best is probably EK. Decent planes, food etc but I just find the whole experience so impersonal and on an industrial scale. (Plus the crew hate the BHX layover but thats another story). TK I seem to land on 737's everywhere I go and whilst their pricing is fairly competitive, those seats are so uncomfortable for a double sector 9 hour hop even in J. Ethiopian I have had several poor experiences with, and LH I cannot abide but that goes back years! MEA can be decent if you get the right plane, their LHR flights are almost like a private members club - everyone knows one another it seems.
I dont travel West these days given my Sudan, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq stamps - I guess one day Ill get around to the interview...
Oct 6, 2018, 9:57 am
#141
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: GLA
Programs: BAEC: Silver. Nothing else as TopCashBack trumps all hotel programs
Posts: 801
I NEVER get an upgrade, but I always start in GLA... so perhaps BA know that...well....I don't really have a choice!
Oct 6, 2018, 10:47 am
#142
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
Posts: 4,094
One silly example (of many) of BA annoying me... I asked for a JD & Diet Coke, but was presented will full fat Coke. Said "Er sorry, but I asked for Diet Coke", "No, you said Coke", "Oh sorry, didn't think I did, but can I have Diet Coke please". "Well I'll have to go and change it then" - Diet Coke arrived about 5 minutes later and was almost slammed on the table without a word. Now I don't really care what I asked for or what the crew member heard, I'm the customer and in a service environment I'm always right. I shouldn't have been the one apologizing - simply appalling service.
Oct 6, 2018, 11:48 am
#143
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OK, I see the sainted QR flies to a few places we might want to go. And as leisure pax ‘via DOH’ isn’t necessarily an issue. I need to explore more deeply, as we have 6 months of travel to book for late 2019/2020.
Oct 6, 2018, 12:15 pm
#144
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 319
Oct 6, 2018, 12:45 pm
#145
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 215
Doha Lounge
I get the OP's point, but we shouldn't forget the convenience factor. OP may not mind stopping in Doha, but I guess most people will not be very keen on spending half the night in the Arabian desert.
At the same time, if a connection is required anyway, I'm very happy to go on QR.
At the same time, if a connection is required anyway, I'm very happy to go on QR.
Oct 6, 2018, 1:05 pm
#146
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London, UK
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i certainly wouldn’t. No view, IMHO a clinical atmosphere, cheap ingredients used in the limited buffet food options, orintouts rather than actual newspapers; the nice artwork and water feature (when turned on) are insufficient to stop my boredom for anything more than a couple of hours.
Oct 6, 2018, 1:24 pm
#148
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Oct 6, 2018, 1:48 pm
#149
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Join Date: May 2014
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Oct 6, 2018, 2:08 pm
#150
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,405
i certainly wouldn’t. No view, IMHO a clinical atmosphere, cheap ingredients used in the limited buffet food options, orintouts rather than actual newspapers; the nice artwork and water feature (when turned on) are insufficient to stop my boredom for anything more than a couple of hours.