BA can be just so lame...
Apr 17, 2019, 12:08 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: BAEC silver
Posts: 464
I flew DFW-LHR this week, although a WW route the crew were mixed fleet. The CSM was engaging and the F crew attentive and keen for me to try more food and drink. As I wasn't expecting to fly F I’d had plenty to eat and drink after meeting a friend so missed part of the experience. This was clearly a keen, capable and motivated team.
Apr 17, 2019, 12:48 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
I've just stepped of a A380 WW route which was very lightly loaded in J and F, but quite busy in the non-premium cabins I understand. I was on the upper deck forward cabin - the crew went through the motions but spent more time in the gallery making duck noises - "quack quack" - I kid you not.
Apr 17, 2019, 12:53 pm
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
I've just stepped of a A380 WW route which was very lightly loaded in J and F, but quite busy in the non-premium cabins I understand. I was on the upper deck forward cabin - the crew went through the motions but spent more time in the gallery making duck noises - "quack quack" - I kid you not.
Apr 17, 2019, 1:07 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: BAEC Gold, Delta Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, AMEX Platinum (US)
Posts: 18,486
Compare with other airlines, the most glaring opposite of this was flying CX in F on a BKK-SIN flight when my then wife and I were the only passengers in the cabin. Yes, this was about 10yrs ago but we were treated like royalty and more. The crew basically took turns for most of the flight to come and meet us and whilst the others ran service. Writing this it sounds very intrusive and we didn't get much time to ourselves but it was wonderfully relaxing (for a 2.5hr flight) and special and we got some pricey wine to take off the flight. One of the most memorable flights I can recall. I couldn't ever see something like that happening on BA.
Apr 17, 2019, 5:18 pm
#21
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 88
I feel you and am sorry you had this experience. I’m still surprised by how much impact a crew can make, particularly when the hard product is less competitive. And I’m still surprised by how inconsistent BA crews are.
LHR-ARN yesterday - an incredible flight attendant manages to take care of 8 rows of CE in an elegant, personable manner. Top-ups well into the approach (with plastic cups).
ARN-LHR today - 2 loud, vulgar attendants struggle with 3 rows of CE. They try but mess everything up.
Same flight last week - 2 flight attendants spend most of the flight reading in the galley and never fail to roll their eyes when they have to pull the galley curtain every time a passenger enters to use the toilet.
LHR-ARN yesterday - an incredible flight attendant manages to take care of 8 rows of CE in an elegant, personable manner. Top-ups well into the approach (with plastic cups).
ARN-LHR today - 2 loud, vulgar attendants struggle with 3 rows of CE. They try but mess everything up.
Same flight last week - 2 flight attendants spend most of the flight reading in the galley and never fail to roll their eyes when they have to pull the galley curtain every time a passenger enters to use the toilet.
Apr 17, 2019, 5:26 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL/GFl, HH Diamond, BW Diamond, Virgin Voyages Deep Blue Extra, Blue Peter Badge Holder
Posts: 3,937
I find it amazing the experiences that I read on here, it really is at odds to my own experience.
in any case, sorry you had a bad experience OP, I think I would have raised it with the CSD earlier in the flight, perhaps at the point of having to use the call bell to remove the meal plate, in the hope that something would be then done about it at the time, not that you should have to point this out.
hopefully you’ll enjoy a better experience in future.
in any case, sorry you had a bad experience OP, I think I would have raised it with the CSD earlier in the flight, perhaps at the point of having to use the call bell to remove the meal plate, in the hope that something would be then done about it at the time, not that you should have to point this out.
hopefully you’ll enjoy a better experience in future.
Apr 17, 2019, 5:28 pm
#23
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 1,674
On your point here. I suspect one of many reasons that QR is superior to BA is because QR (and other ME airlines) recruits a lot of staff from Asian airlines which have pretty high service standards (SQ, MH etc), so even if they are "slacking off" on QR, it's still above BA.
Apr 17, 2019, 7:11 pm
#24
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Stockholm, Sweden.
Programs: BA, JAL
Posts: 689
I rarely read or post here anymore, just too much on, but after LHR-MEX on Monday I just feel I have to.
The flight was very, very lightly-loaded. Two of us in the back 787 J cabin and perhaps four in the front cabin.
I saw two or three people in first. WT+ was basically empty and half the seats were open in Y.
You would have thought this would have resulted in excellent service. On many similar BA flights it has, but
not this week. The two working our side - the only side - of the CW cabin were totally disengaged. I have
never had to ring the call bell so often on any flight I can remember. Not only to get drinks top-ups
but also to get my plates cleared away etc.
Just pathetic.
The CSD was pleasant enough and even brought me the new headphones from F, which was a nice touch. I
had already tried them in F to LAX the week before but as I had lost the adaptor cable for my Bose Bluetooth
headset I appreciated this over the shockingly bad CW headsets.
Before we landed I expressed my honest assessment of the flight to the CSD and she was mortified.
Sorry, but the comparison with airlines such as QR on flights such as these was just shocking.
This, by the way, is fairly typical. When the cabin is very busy I feel for the crew, or if I just want to sleep I don't really
care that much about the service. But on this long day flight the sheer laziness was so obvious that I felt compelled to post
about it here.
The flight was very, very lightly-loaded. Two of us in the back 787 J cabin and perhaps four in the front cabin.
I saw two or three people in first. WT+ was basically empty and half the seats were open in Y.
You would have thought this would have resulted in excellent service. On many similar BA flights it has, but
not this week. The two working our side - the only side - of the CW cabin were totally disengaged. I have
never had to ring the call bell so often on any flight I can remember. Not only to get drinks top-ups
but also to get my plates cleared away etc.
Just pathetic.
The CSD was pleasant enough and even brought me the new headphones from F, which was a nice touch. I
had already tried them in F to LAX the week before but as I had lost the adaptor cable for my Bose Bluetooth
headset I appreciated this over the shockingly bad CW headsets.
Before we landed I expressed my honest assessment of the flight to the CSD and she was mortified.
Sorry, but the comparison with airlines such as QR on flights such as these was just shocking.
This, by the way, is fairly typical. When the cabin is very busy I feel for the crew, or if I just want to sleep I don't really
care that much about the service. But on this long day flight the sheer laziness was so obvious that I felt compelled to post
about it here.
Unfortunately this is how the cookie crumbles sometimes. Sometimes staff are just not motivated, proud or capable.
Apr 17, 2019, 11:54 pm
#25
Join Date: May 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, AF/KL Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 830
It has become a bit of a roulette unfortunately. Sometimes the crew is amazing, attentive, joking, interacting but other times it feels like I am disturbing them and they give a vibe of "don't bother asking". Shame really but at least now when the crew is good you can really appreciate it and sit back and enjoy the service.
Having said the above, I had a recent experience in WT from CTA, Sleeping with headphones in, the CC tapped / punched me on the shoulder and shouted if I wanted something to eat, hows that for care and attention (when pushing over priced food).
Having said the above, I had a recent experience in WT from CTA, Sleeping with headphones in, the CC tapped / punched me on the shoulder and shouted if I wanted something to eat, hows that for care and attention (when pushing over priced food).
Apr 18, 2019, 12:24 am
#26
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Bonvoy LT Titanium ANA Diamond
Posts: 763
Sorry for your experience, but I am always amazed that some people do not attempt to deal with the issue proactively.
I think we can all almost "smell" bad service after the fist problem, that is the time to have a quiet, calm word with the CSD and give them the chance to up the game.
It is in everyone's interest to do so, and my experience with BA CSD's especially is that they take action !
I think we can all almost "smell" bad service after the fist problem, that is the time to have a quiet, calm word with the CSD and give them the chance to up the game.
It is in everyone's interest to do so, and my experience with BA CSD's especially is that they take action !
Apr 18, 2019, 6:22 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,981
This is very disappointing to read. My experience of lightly loaded cabins (although I rarely seem to get them these days) is that the service is better than when it's very busy, but I guess it does depend on the crew. The things complained of by the OP (rightly) seem like very basic things that BA should get right. This thread, and dozens of others, prove just how important the crew are. Historically I would have said BA's were the best around, but I've noticed some more indifferent ones recently (although never truly awful, unlike Iberia and AA, were the worst examples are stunningly bad).
Apr 18, 2019, 7:54 am
#28
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Mexico
Programs: BAEC Gold / Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,541
One of them accidentally dropped 4 special meals on top of a guy. The Cc had the 4 plates stacked and tripped over. Handled it like a champ and the controlled the situation brilliantly.
Shame to hear this time it wasn't as great.
