Can BA learn anything from QR?
Feb 3, 2019, 9:08 pm
#46
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
QR: would you like a pre departure beverage?
me: give me a second (just sorting out my baggage)
QR: champagne, water, orange juice....(etc)
me: (still sorting out my baggage) um...
QR: sparkling or still water
me:...
what next? Pilot “hi can you brief the passengers for an emergency landing” QR “yes just as soon as we’ve finished taking dinner orders” ??????
Feb 3, 2019, 10:22 pm
#47
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 7
My Twopennyworth
Have read all the comments here on the forum regarding the BA/QR comparison and would like to comment as follows....
Have been a premium member on QR for maybe 10 years and for me sorry all you negative doubters out there they are they best airline in the world (OK I do not fly by SQ or CX so do not include far eastern airlines). Overall and yes now and again there are blips, they are the most consistent for service both on the ground and better still in the air.
I absolutely do appreciate the personal service by the c/c and yes they do welcome me personally as a valued customer onboard.
If one does not like being valued and shown to be valued then I suggest one fly by AZ, as there on board or on the ground nobody cares about you, or anyone else.
Yes the B788 is not so comfortable and this has been detailed in many other forums and blogs. It is merely a common workhorse something akin to the last generation B767, and I don't think even H.E. AAB the CEO even considers the B788 as his prestige product. The A359 and A351 followed by the A380 and perhaps the B773 are his pride and joy.
There is one contributor who asked for the comparison between BA and QR B777s. Well just over last 45 days, I flew to LHR on a QR B773 and back on a BA B772, and because it was a personal visit to Europe for Christmas I flew Economy, especially due to high season tariffs. There is no comparison, the B773 of QR was meticulous, and the B772 of BA tired.That description can also be used with the cabin crew, and BA service. Yes the BA crew can be a little more human or can we say a little more British to British i.e. chatty chatty, one young lass did ask me cheekily why I was very smart and wearing a tie, so I did respond tongue in cheek and asked her how would she prefer I dress, in shorts and flip flops? We did have a pleasant jokey exchange and I believe she was complimenting me. Most of the time attire does reflect one's behaviour I find.
I would summarise, that all flightcrew are only doing their jobs, so try to be nice to them and they respond in kind.
Have been a premium member on QR for maybe 10 years and for me sorry all you negative doubters out there they are they best airline in the world (OK I do not fly by SQ or CX so do not include far eastern airlines). Overall and yes now and again there are blips, they are the most consistent for service both on the ground and better still in the air.
I absolutely do appreciate the personal service by the c/c and yes they do welcome me personally as a valued customer onboard.
If one does not like being valued and shown to be valued then I suggest one fly by AZ, as there on board or on the ground nobody cares about you, or anyone else.
Yes the B788 is not so comfortable and this has been detailed in many other forums and blogs. It is merely a common workhorse something akin to the last generation B767, and I don't think even H.E. AAB the CEO even considers the B788 as his prestige product. The A359 and A351 followed by the A380 and perhaps the B773 are his pride and joy.
There is one contributor who asked for the comparison between BA and QR B777s. Well just over last 45 days, I flew to LHR on a QR B773 and back on a BA B772, and because it was a personal visit to Europe for Christmas I flew Economy, especially due to high season tariffs. There is no comparison, the B773 of QR was meticulous, and the B772 of BA tired.That description can also be used with the cabin crew, and BA service. Yes the BA crew can be a little more human or can we say a little more British to British i.e. chatty chatty, one young lass did ask me cheekily why I was very smart and wearing a tie, so I did respond tongue in cheek and asked her how would she prefer I dress, in shorts and flip flops? We did have a pleasant jokey exchange and I believe she was complimenting me. Most of the time attire does reflect one's behaviour I find.
I would summarise, that all flightcrew are only doing their jobs, so try to be nice to them and they respond in kind.
Last edited by steviebaby; Feb 4, 2019 at 12:12 pm Reason: grammatical errors
Feb 3, 2019, 10:27 pm
#48
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,644
Thank you. I didn’t even realize this was the case. It had not occurred to me that on the same aircraft type and routes crewing levels would differ between carriers. Guess I assumed regulations mandated a minim level and that was that. This makes a lot of sense and also makes some of my “no cost” thoughts expensive!
That being said, BA roughly has 1 crew per 10 passengers in Business (inclusive of CSD/CSM), whereas Qatar is 1 crew to 5 passengers. So you'd be required to roughly double your crewing budget to meet QR standards.
Nice ideas, but unfortunately few are low/no cost.
Feb 3, 2019, 10:31 pm
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,753
Feb 3, 2019, 11:17 pm
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AA EXP/LTP, BA GGL/CCR/GfL, HH D/LTD, SPG/MR Plat/LTP
Posts: 10,076
I’d rather the crew has the tiniest ounce of situational awareness so that the conversation doesn’t go like this (which is how it was)
QR: would you like a pre departure beverage?
me: give me a second (just sorting out my baggage)
QR: champagne, water, orange juice....(etc)
me: (still sorting out my baggage) um...
QR: sparkling or still water
me:...
what next? Pilot “hi can you brief the passengers for an emergency landing” QR “yes just as soon as we’ve finished taking dinner orders” ??????
The comparison of the wish to serve a PDB to any passenger as soon as being installed in the seat, with a deliberate delay of an emergency message, does not require any comment
Feb 3, 2019, 11:51 pm
#52
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,644
Yes, you can almost guarantee that if the crew member was sent away without an order, the passenger would sit down seconds later wanting their drink NOW. You just can't win.
Feb 4, 2019, 12:21 am
#53
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
Certainly this part of the QR service works well for me.
On many /most of my QR flights, the CC member who has escorted me to my seat invariably asks (just as we arrive at the seat itself) what I would like to drink.
Must say, I tend not to see this as an onerous or troublesome question (in the way that some appear to do) and manage to make a decision using the power of memory - based, oddly enough, on my known personal preference - within approximately a nano second.
On many /most of my QR flights, the CC member who has escorted me to my seat invariably asks (just as we arrive at the seat itself) what I would like to drink.
Must say, I tend not to see this as an onerous or troublesome question (in the way that some appear to do) and manage to make a decision using the power of memory - based, oddly enough, on my known personal preference - within approximately a nano second.
Feb 4, 2019, 1:27 am
#54
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
onobond, situational awareness is a key skill for all aircrew. Just because the situation it’s demonstrated to be lacking in is a non-significant one doesn’t make the fact that the skill is clearly not possessed any less worrying in a more significant situation
Last edited by nancypants; Feb 4, 2019 at 2:55 am
Feb 4, 2019, 1:28 am
#55
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
Certainly this part of the QR service works well for me.
On many /most of my QR flights, the CC member who has escorted me to my seat invariably asks (just as we arrive at the seat itself) what I would like to drink.
Must say, I tend not to see this as an onerous or troublesome question (in the way that some appear to do) and manage to make a decision using the power of memory - based, oddly enough, on my known personal preference - within approximately a nano second.
On many /most of my QR flights, the CC member who has escorted me to my seat invariably asks (just as we arrive at the seat itself) what I would like to drink.
Must say, I tend not to see this as an onerous or troublesome question (in the way that some appear to do) and manage to make a decision using the power of memory - based, oddly enough, on my known personal preference - within approximately a nano second.
others evidently disagree and are more than welcome to the excess attention. But it is not unreasonable for a pax to ask for a minute to collect themselves before needing to make even a fairly simple decision, and I would argue it’s not reasonable for someone to acknowledge that request and then continue with the exact behaviour that was just requested to cease...
Last edited by nancypants; Feb 4, 2019 at 2:49 am
Feb 4, 2019, 3:53 am
#56
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Madrid
Programs: BA GfL
Posts: 157
Apologies.
All, apologies for my slightly tongue-in-check post that appears to have diverted this very constructive thread away from its intended direction.
There have been many, very good suggestions that BA could pick up on.
I was simply trying to point out that (very rich) state-owned QR have much more business leeway than privately owned BA.
I also apologise for spelling ream wrong. Unconscionable!
All, apologies for my slightly tongue-in-check post that appears to have diverted this very constructive thread away from its intended direction.
There have been many, very good suggestions that BA could pick up on.
I was simply trying to point out that (very rich) state-owned QR have much more business leeway than privately owned BA.
I also apologise for spelling ream wrong. Unconscionable!
Feb 4, 2019, 4:09 am
#57
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,683
Without going wildly off topic Armstrong’s behaviour to support the deceit was appalling, but the so called unfair advantage is a nonsense, they were all cheating, he was better. But maybe that’s all part of analogy.
Feb 4, 2019, 4:39 am
#58
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: London
Programs: BAEC bouncing from Blue to Gold to Blue VSFC Red CXGreen Club Accor Platinum Hilton Silver.
Posts: 914
Thoughts from the Y perspective
Having done over 8 C QR flights in J here is my Y perspective as a BA gold on both BA & QR firstly this is a holiday Lhr-Doh-Dps with my adult children (ie I’m paying as always) I had my first ever gold greeting not once but twice on BA the first from the Crew working the Y cabin and later from the CSM both were subtle and not at all false or appearing to be forced. Food was surprisingly tasty and good although the second service was a cold sandwich but nether the less an enjoyable flight with an engaging crew. Doha to DPS again in Y at least 5 greetings from different members of the crew which were sincere and well meaning. Also that they came to see what hot meal I wanted before service on both to ensure that I had my first choice but didn’t extend that to my children and again a good flight that was comfortable. Overall I would suggest that it would be a draw as a Y traveller but leaning slightly more towards QR. And in C QR wins hands down (sorry)
John
John
Feb 4, 2019, 5:48 am
#59
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Helsinki
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 143
BA can learn to up their drinks menu with mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, and definitely expand past the tea or coffee option (yes I know there is herbal) because those chai lattes and getting something other than plain coffee on QR is great (to which that Union coffee on BA is no better than the previous they served).
Feb 4, 2019, 5:56 am
#60
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,983
I think QR are excellent, but sometimes they get built up so much that I fear a first time flyer on QR might actually feel a bit disappointed with them! I don't need to be escorted to my seat, and I don't particularly recall this happening on my QR flights. I do find QR crew good, but as I am a bit of a low maintenance flyer I am not likely to have much interaction with them, or indeed BA crew, in either a positive or negative sense. I am however more likely to exchange a bit of chat with BA crew, but that's probably a cultural thing. I think a lot of airlines can learn from QR, but operational and costs/resourcing constraints do need to be borne in mind.
Last edited by South London Bon Viveur; Feb 4, 2019 at 6:10 am