Unacceptable Experience with British Airways in WTP
Jun 20, 2019, 10:42 am
#31
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Provincie Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, België
Programs: MUCCI Gold
Posts: 2,512
Best not to have any significant expectations when it comes to BA WTP - it's very much still an economy product with a few additional premium-ish things added on top. A true premium product, it is not.
What's just as bad is that they intend foisting these very old and outdated seats onto unsuspecting passengers for a few more years yet. Shameless, really.
What's just as bad is that they intend foisting these very old and outdated seats onto unsuspecting passengers for a few more years yet. Shameless, really.
Jun 20, 2019, 10:44 am
#32
Join Date: Nov 2015
Programs: BA Exec
Posts: 38
I have to say the old WTP+ cabins are incredibly disappointing versus the experience on the A380 or even the 787. Last year, we did a large family trip (12pp) to Las Vegas via BA holidays and the majority of us did WTP+. It was old and completely cramped and I actually felt it wasn't worth the money at all. Luckily, with BA holidays we did save a bit and staying at the Wynn helped cushion the blow. Return flight was truly abysmal. This isn't BA's fault, obvs, but there was a baby allowed to crawl all over the cabin floor who was picking up and eating crumbs. I nearly threw up.
Jun 20, 2019, 10:50 am
#33
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond
Posts: 6,086
I have to say the old WTP+ cabins are incredibly disappointing versus the experience on the A380 or even the 787. Last year, we did a large family trip (12pp) to Las Vegas via BA holidays and the majority of us did WTP+. It was old and completely cramped and I actually felt it wasn't worth the money at all. Luckily, with BA holidays we did save a bit and staying at the Wynn helped cushion the blow. Return flight was truly abysmal. This isn't BA's fault, obvs, but there was a baby allowed to crawl all over the cabin floor who was picking up and eating crumbs. I nearly threw up.
Jun 20, 2019, 11:13 am
#34
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: BAEC OW Gold/Emerald
Posts: 538
To avoid the lottery of sitting in old WTP seats, I have ensured that my next 3 BA flights to the USA are operated by AA and IB. It's a shame one has to do this to ensure a certain seat quality in OW operators.
Jun 20, 2019, 11:14 am
#35
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Bath, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,002
I have been fortunately on the only 2 occasions I have flown WTP to be on the A380 so that cabin was decent. Earlier this year I flew VS for the very first time, and it was in PE to JNB. Given the choice of any WTP/PE direct option between BA and VS I will from now on always take VS. The thing that I find amazing is how often the BA WTP price is so close the price they offer in CW, and often more than taking an alternative carrier in business. I don't know, but I assume that WTP must be a real cash cow for BA.
Jun 20, 2019, 12:20 pm
#36
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
Jun 20, 2019, 12:50 pm
#39
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 218
I would be annoyed and this happened to me in J albeit a number of years ago with SQ going from SIN to Shanghai.
I managed to get most of the points I used back as I upgraded from Y to J but still it was a very unpleasant flight.
However I think as with most enthusiasts forums outside of sites like this, it's easy to forget 99.99% of people wouldn't even think to check on what aircraft is being used or know how to.
For larger purchases such as flights, cars etc I always check on related forums for the inside track but again most people don't have the inclination to do so.
BA has certainly lost its premium airline billing but with the new business and wt+ it is (very) slowly at least getting to be in the mix again from my non frequent flyer point of view.
However I will admit it's a carrier of last resort if I have the option of someone else long haul such as Qatar.
I managed to get most of the points I used back as I upgraded from Y to J but still it was a very unpleasant flight.
However I think as with most enthusiasts forums outside of sites like this, it's easy to forget 99.99% of people wouldn't even think to check on what aircraft is being used or know how to.
For larger purchases such as flights, cars etc I always check on related forums for the inside track but again most people don't have the inclination to do so.
BA has certainly lost its premium airline billing but with the new business and wt+ it is (very) slowly at least getting to be in the mix again from my non frequent flyer point of view.
However I will admit it's a carrier of last resort if I have the option of someone else long haul such as Qatar.
Jun 20, 2019, 2:18 pm
#41
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Yorkshire, UK
Posts: 234
This is similar to my flight from Lima last week. First ever BA flight. I knew it’d be the old WTP cabin so my expectations were low. And rightly so.
The attempt at a “premium” cabin is pathetic. The fabrics couldn’t be any more 90s, the carpets were torn and filthy, the TV screen was so tiny and .... quality as to be totally unwatchable; not what you need on a 12 hour flight. I watched about 45 minutes of film before turning it off. That was after the thing had been reset because the menu options stuck on the screen.
Aside from that, there’s none of the nice little touches you get in PE with other airlines like dedicated check-in, a welcome drink (water and concentrate orange juice, really?), no hot towels etc.
The food was actually alright, the crew were fine (except being an hour late) and the seat, although old and rubbish quality, was comfortable.
This is extra extra legroom and nothing else.
I agree with the op that there’s no justification for the cost on these old aircraft.
The attempt at a “premium” cabin is pathetic. The fabrics couldn’t be any more 90s, the carpets were torn and filthy, the TV screen was so tiny and .... quality as to be totally unwatchable; not what you need on a 12 hour flight. I watched about 45 minutes of film before turning it off. That was after the thing had been reset because the menu options stuck on the screen.
Aside from that, there’s none of the nice little touches you get in PE with other airlines like dedicated check-in, a welcome drink (water and concentrate orange juice, really?), no hot towels etc.
The food was actually alright, the crew were fine (except being an hour late) and the seat, although old and rubbish quality, was comfortable.
This is extra extra legroom and nothing else.
I agree with the op that there’s no justification for the cost on these old aircraft.
Jun 20, 2019, 4:04 pm
#42
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 71
Well at least it’s 90s and not 70s. We were in stitches in the office the other day when a young graduate trainee was explaining they were recently offered a “ploughman’s sandwich” on a flight. I mean granted they haven’t ever really lived outside of Zone 1-2 in London... but still.... kind of sums up where BA are at. Does anyone in their 20-30s know what a “ploughmans” is?
Jun 20, 2019, 4:31 pm
#44
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 71
There are airlines where in PE they see you as a future Business Class passenger, and thus treat you as such. Then there is BA where they see you as a pleb that isn’t in business class and are treated as such. I personally find Virgin treat PE passengers the best (just from my experience).
Jun 20, 2019, 4:50 pm
#45
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: BA Gold A3 Gold PC Platinum
Posts: 154
[QUOTE=Young82;31223756]
There are airlines where in PE they see you as a future Business Class passenger, and thus treat you as such. Then there is BA where they see you as a pleb that isn’t in business class and are treated as such. I personally find Virgin treat PE passengers the best (just from my experience).[/QUOTE
BA is a second rate airline these days sadly, regardless of which cabin you sit in
There are airlines where in PE they see you as a future Business Class passenger, and thus treat you as such. Then there is BA where they see you as a pleb that isn’t in business class and are treated as such. I personally find Virgin treat PE passengers the best (just from my experience).
BA is a second rate airline these days sadly, regardless of which cabin you sit in