Enough is enough - Bye bye BA - I'm out
Oct 8, 2018, 10:03 am
#196
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
Oct 8, 2018, 10:17 am
#198
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,144
Oct 8, 2018, 10:29 am
#199
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,398
A good illustration of FlyerTalk living up to its name !
Very, very, few threads generate around 200 posts within the space of just 3 or 4 days, as this one has.
Oct 8, 2018, 10:30 am
#200
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,039
Oct 8, 2018, 10:46 am
#201
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,422
PHX is a 52J route so until those are refurbished this is expected, and I hope they do some work on the F cabin while it's in for the refurb. G-CIVA operated this flight.
Oct 8, 2018, 10:46 am
#202
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
Posts: 4,078
Oct 8, 2018, 11:24 am
#205
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Europe & Indonesia
Programs: BAEC Gold, LH SEN, EK ex-Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 11,571
I'm not a mileage runner myself, but isn't that what they do? Go to places they don't really want to go to earn miles/TPs? Granted, only if the price is right, which it clearly isn't in the LHR-DOH-IAD example.
Oct 8, 2018, 11:36 am
#206
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,398
Having just flown back from PHX in BA First, I have to say the experience was the poorest I have ever had in BA First.
.............................
..........................
......................
The crew wrote up the faults and were clearly inconvenienced by queuing passengers for the toilet when trying to serve breakfast.
It really gave you the impression the BA couldn't care less about their First passengers.
My partner was travelling in First for the first time and commented that she thought AA Business was just as good, not an opinion I agree with but with that being her first experience of First she was totally underwhelmed with the notable exception of the crew who she said were lovely.
I really feel for the crew having to put up with the shoddy equipment and it is them alone that draw me back to BA.
.............................
..........................
......................
The crew wrote up the faults and were clearly inconvenienced by queuing passengers for the toilet when trying to serve breakfast.
It really gave you the impression the BA couldn't care less about their First passengers.
My partner was travelling in First for the first time and commented that she thought AA Business was just as good, not an opinion I agree with but with that being her first experience of First she was totally underwhelmed with the notable exception of the crew who she said were lovely.
I really feel for the crew having to put up with the shoddy equipment and it is them alone that draw me back to BA.
Considering that this all happened on a very high-priced First class journey, I’m wondering whether the CSD gave you to understand (and perhaps you sought an assurance on this ?) that you would subsequently be hearing from BA HQ .... ?
Do come back if possible and let us know of any further developments of note.
Oct 8, 2018, 11:52 am
#207
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,144
Oct 8, 2018, 11:55 am
#208
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
Haven’t requoted your full post, which of course describes a rather long litany of failures, beginning with the boarding shambles and then the various onboard facilities that were unserviceable / absent.
Considering that this all happened on a very high-priced First class journey, I’m wondering whether the CSD gave you to understand (and perhaps you sought an assurance on this ?) that you would subsequently be hearing from BA HQ .... ?
Do come back if possible and let us know of any further developments of note.
I felt for the crew from the moment I reached the door of the aircraft and there was nobody to escort me to my seat due to the crowds of people boarding at the same time. The lady was very apologetic and I told her not to worry as I was quite happy to find my own way to 2A.
Im not one to make a fuss so just made the best of it. There is no point in taking it out on the crew, its not their fault and it makes their job more difficult.
Now that AA have taken over the early flight next year, my partner has said she would rather travel on that service in future, not that BA will care with the shared revenue.
Oct 8, 2018, 12:16 pm
#209
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,398
Many thanks for reverting so swiftly with additional perspective Gatwick Alan. You’re clearly a pragmatic and experienced flyer.
As you say, it really is a shame that your hardworking & courteous crew are left to apologise for such poor facilities. All credit to them for their efforts ^
Wouldn’t be nice if a little more of the revenue generated by F class ticket sales were devoted to a better standard of maintenance ....... in sync with what is promised on the website. But I guess BA much prefer to see that cash being allocated instead to bottom line-profits & shareholder returns.
As you say, it really is a shame that your hardworking & courteous crew are left to apologise for such poor facilities. All credit to them for their efforts ^
Wouldn’t be nice if a little more of the revenue generated by F class ticket sales were devoted to a better standard of maintenance ....... in sync with what is promised on the website. But I guess BA much prefer to see that cash being allocated instead to bottom line-profits & shareholder returns.
Oct 8, 2018, 1:45 pm
#210
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
Really bad luck with the out of service toilet Gatwick Alan, I can guess how unpleasant that was, especially if you had a full cabin. I think the difficulty here is what action BA could do to sort this, as presumably it couldn't be repaired quickly. I doubt they had a spare 52J 747 as a back up, so any aircraft replacement (if available) would have meant considerable seat shuffling, even offloading and downgrading, and you can imagine how that would go down. Or they could have delayed the aircraft until the toilet was fixed, but again you can imagine the outcry, especially for missed connections etc. So in the circumstances it looks like BA just made the most pragmatic decision they could, even if it detracted from your experience. I do hope BA compensate you and recover some goodwill.
Regarding escorting to your seat (notwithstanding your poor boarding experience), the service standard is only to escort you to your seat if thete are enough crew at the door. So even in normal boarding you may not be escorted (for instance if a crew member is escorting another passenger to their F seat). I have been escorted about 75% of the time, for instance.
Regarding escorting to your seat (notwithstanding your poor boarding experience), the service standard is only to escort you to your seat if thete are enough crew at the door. So even in normal boarding you may not be escorted (for instance if a crew member is escorting another passenger to their F seat). I have been escorted about 75% of the time, for instance.