Filthy Cabin [787-9 from Mexico City]
Jan 3, 2019, 5:21 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: London
Programs: Hilton Diamond, NZ Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 134
Filthy Cabin [787-9 from Mexico City]
Hi All,
I recently returned from a BA flight from Mexico in 1A and the state of the cabin was beyond a joke. The locker by my head was broken, the leather around the table was completely shredded, the remote control looked like it had been bashed against a wall by a 3 year old for the last 5 years. Is this now the new normal standard people can expect from BA? Has anyone complained about this in the past?
The flight was on the ground for 2 hours in Mexico before we departed and there was no way this was cleaned. The plastic wrappers from the headphones and blanket were stuffed in my locker from the previous flight and the seat was covered in crumbs. Disappointing is an under statement.
Should I email BA? Will anyone even bother to reply? On a positive note, the crew were fantastic and they were mortified when I pointed all this out. Sadly the cabin was fully booked so no spare seat was available.
I recently returned from a BA flight from Mexico in 1A and the state of the cabin was beyond a joke. The locker by my head was broken, the leather around the table was completely shredded, the remote control looked like it had been bashed against a wall by a 3 year old for the last 5 years. Is this now the new normal standard people can expect from BA? Has anyone complained about this in the past?
The flight was on the ground for 2 hours in Mexico before we departed and there was no way this was cleaned. The plastic wrappers from the headphones and blanket were stuffed in my locker from the previous flight and the seat was covered in crumbs. Disappointing is an under statement.
Should I email BA? Will anyone even bother to reply? On a positive note, the crew were fantastic and they were mortified when I pointed all this out. Sadly the cabin was fully booked so no spare seat was available.
Jan 3, 2019, 5:40 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 373
Cleaning its aircraft properly is not a priority for BA and many airlines - managing delays, getting the aircraft in the air and cutting costs is what counts. You could argue it's down to the quality and behaviour of passengers, though. The cleanest aircraft I have travelled on are Japan Airlines and ANA but Japanese passengers don't really do mess! If you have ever taken a 12 hr BA flight to Tokyo which is mostly Japanese customers, you will probably notice a spotless plane with blankets folded on the seats by customers.
Jan 3, 2019, 5:53 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
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Jan 3, 2019, 6:17 am
#6
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 6,349
Jan 3, 2019, 6:20 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: London
Programs: Hilton Diamond, NZ Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 134
A decent vacuum should be included in the fare price surely!? It's not like F travel is cheap, especially over the winter period. Lesson learnt for future travel I guess. Pick another airline next time
Jan 3, 2019, 6:20 am
#8
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Location: Ontario, Canada
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If you are troubled enough to post it here you definitely should bring the matter to the airline's attention. Companies monitor complaints and while you may get a canned response it may spur some action. FWIW, when I've had a problem with an airline Twitter seems to get their attention more other means.
Jan 3, 2019, 6:42 am
#10
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: SAS Gold, Hilton Diamond, OWS
Posts: 243
I took this flight a few months ago, and the seat controls were completely unreadable. Looked like somebody scratched the pictures off the buttons. Being my first time on the 787, I had to have the crew describe(/guessing and trying) which buttons were doing what . Obviously never complained about such a small thing, but I was disappointed by the state the aircraft was in after such a short period in service. The leather was very scuffed as well.
Not as bad as the outbound 747 I was on though. The IFE for 1K was loose on the top, and it got to the state where I feared it might fall out of the wall and onto my legs. Crew offered another seat though, but I ended up just stowing the IFE instead.
Not as bad as the outbound 747 I was on though. The IFE for 1K was loose on the top, and it got to the state where I feared it might fall out of the wall and onto my legs. Crew offered another seat though, but I ended up just stowing the IFE instead.
Jan 3, 2019, 6:44 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,394
As already mentioned above, cleaning to a consistently high standard ahead of every departure costs serious money, and is unfortunately just not as much of a priority for BA as passengers would wish it to be.
You will get a response should you decide to report what you found.
It would, however, be a major surprise if you received anything other than a ready-made, here’s-one-I-made-earlier, pre-formulated response (sort of letter number ‘CR23/dirty cabin’) from the template manual.
You will get a response should you decide to report what you found.
It would, however, be a major surprise if you received anything other than a ready-made, here’s-one-I-made-earlier, pre-formulated response (sort of letter number ‘CR23/dirty cabin’) from the template manual.
Jan 3, 2019, 6:57 am
#13
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the flight might have been on the ground for two hours but that does not mean there is two hours for cleaning given the time for pax to disembark and then boarding before departure. They probably have an hour at most.
That said I too would be unhappy with a lack of basic cleanliness. I wouldn't have been too bothered by a small plastic bag from headphones but the used blanket and crumbs would.
That said I too would be unhappy with a lack of basic cleanliness. I wouldn't have been too bothered by a small plastic bag from headphones but the used blanket and crumbs would.
Jan 3, 2019, 7:05 am
#14
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The ledge between seat and fuselage had not been vacuumed for a long while, covered in dust and debris. The controller and surrounding areas were covered in sticky drink splashes. Plenty of hair and fluff on main seat / foot rest.
Crew and food were spot on and it didn't impact my journey, it's just disappointing
Jan 3, 2019, 7:12 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: London
Programs: Hilton Diamond, NZ Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 134
As someone mentioned above though, the fact that the basic controls were not even legible is poor show. I too struggled with the controls as this was only my second flight in F. I guess though these seats are only reserved for BA's best (Gold Members). Perhaps I should have opted for 2A.
I have decided to send in a complaint via Twitter and we shall see what generic reply I receive.
I have decided to send in a complaint via Twitter and we shall see what generic reply I receive.
