British Airways Advantages
Jun 28, 2019, 5:56 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Orlando
Programs: Delta-Million miler
Posts: 1,312
British Airways Advantages
After reading Airline news and many postings in FlyerTalk, one can't help feeling that BA is a third rate airlines! Is it that bad?
To me what matters are,
1. Good seating area at the gate.
2. Relaxed gate agent who is cheerful and politely answers questions. Posts updated info.
3. Easy structured boarding
4. Convenient seating. I am neither tall or obese. Most seats are OK as long as they are supportive of my back and butt
5. Decent room for storing one piece of allowed luggage
6. I do get hungry-a light snack on domestic flights and a meal on International. I don't care for dessert etc.
7. Prompt departure and arrival.
8. Doors of the plane closing/opening for easy boarding and getting off.
9. I bring my own entertainment. However, good movie selections on long distance flights.
10. Important-I do like a pillow. It serves me to buffer intruding neighbor's hands. In this, all airlines have failed in economy, at least in domestic flights.
Has BA failed in these? Which airlines excel in these at a reasonable cost. I have had bad experience in Singapore Airlines-In my opinion they treat Asian Indians like dirt (even in fully paid business class). I like Delta, Malaysian, Air France.
To me what matters are,
1. Good seating area at the gate.
2. Relaxed gate agent who is cheerful and politely answers questions. Posts updated info.
3. Easy structured boarding
4. Convenient seating. I am neither tall or obese. Most seats are OK as long as they are supportive of my back and butt
5. Decent room for storing one piece of allowed luggage
6. I do get hungry-a light snack on domestic flights and a meal on International. I don't care for dessert etc.
7. Prompt departure and arrival.
8. Doors of the plane closing/opening for easy boarding and getting off.
9. I bring my own entertainment. However, good movie selections on long distance flights.
10. Important-I do like a pillow. It serves me to buffer intruding neighbor's hands. In this, all airlines have failed in economy, at least in domestic flights.
Has BA failed in these? Which airlines excel in these at a reasonable cost. I have had bad experience in Singapore Airlines-In my opinion they treat Asian Indians like dirt (even in fully paid business class). I like Delta, Malaysian, Air France.
Jun 28, 2019, 6:28 am
#3
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
As far as I see it BA is a semi-solid operation that prints money. They're not aiming to be a top quality travel provider in any class, despite what they might be marketing, but they get the numbers, and they have a captive traveller base that knows and trusts their brand or is too loyalty-bound to jump the fence
Jun 28, 2019, 6:29 am
#4
Ambassador: Emirates
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: UK/AU
Programs: QF P1 + LTS, EK Gold, BAEC Gold, QR Gold, IHG Ambassador
Posts: 1,150
There are few on the Oneworld list that are worse than BA. They were the trendsetting EU airline in cost cutting. And Sri Lankan does a better Gin and Tonic service.
Jun 28, 2019, 6:33 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,348
If I was you I would stick to the ones you like. I only take BA if nothing else works. It is not an airline I look at except out of curiousity.
Jun 28, 2019, 10:21 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,992
After reading Airline news and many postings in FlyerTalk, one can't help feeling that BA is a third rate airlines! Is it that bad?
To me what matters are,
1. Good seating area at the gate.
2. Relaxed gate agent who is cheerful and politely answers questions. Posts updated info.
3. Easy structured boarding
4. Convenient seating. I am neither tall or obese. Most seats are OK as long as they are supportive of my back and butt
5. Decent room for storing one piece of allowed luggage
6. I do get hungry-a light snack on domestic flights and a meal on International. I don't care for dessert etc.
7. Prompt departure and arrival.
8. Doors of the plane closing/opening for easy boarding and getting off.
9. I bring my own entertainment. However, good movie selections on long distance flights.
10. Important-I do like a pillow. It serves me to buffer intruding neighbor's hands. In this, all airlines have failed in economy, at least in domestic flights.
Has BA failed in these? Which airlines excel in these at a reasonable cost. I have had bad experience in Singapore Airlines-In my opinion they treat Asian Indians like dirt (even in fully paid business class). I like Delta, Malaysian, Air France.
To me what matters are,
1. Good seating area at the gate.
2. Relaxed gate agent who is cheerful and politely answers questions. Posts updated info.
3. Easy structured boarding
4. Convenient seating. I am neither tall or obese. Most seats are OK as long as they are supportive of my back and butt
5. Decent room for storing one piece of allowed luggage
6. I do get hungry-a light snack on domestic flights and a meal on International. I don't care for dessert etc.
7. Prompt departure and arrival.
8. Doors of the plane closing/opening for easy boarding and getting off.
9. I bring my own entertainment. However, good movie selections on long distance flights.
10. Important-I do like a pillow. It serves me to buffer intruding neighbor's hands. In this, all airlines have failed in economy, at least in domestic flights.
Has BA failed in these? Which airlines excel in these at a reasonable cost. I have had bad experience in Singapore Airlines-In my opinion they treat Asian Indians like dirt (even in fully paid business class). I like Delta, Malaysian, Air France.
6. If you get hungry you can certainly get a light snack on BA, as long as you're willing to pay for it.
8. I'm pretty sure that the doors on BA's aircraft do open and close, although I'm sure one of our resident experts will be along soon to confirm.
10. You really can't expect a pillow in short-haul economy class.
Jun 28, 2019, 10:32 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK - Hampshire & London
Programs: Mucci de Guardian des Celliers des Grands Crus 1e Classé, plus BAEC.
Posts: 2,737
Hello OP, welcome to the BAEC board. I’m sure one of the Ambassadors will be along soon to give you the formal welcome.
In order to give a more specific answer to your question, it would be useful to have any routes or cabins that you are looking at.
To be non-specific, I don’t think BA is a 3rd rate airline. It is a solid option generally on par with AF/KLM and LH. IMHO it is 3 or 4 stars out of 5, gusting 5 when great, slumping to 1 or 2 when bad.
In order to give a more specific answer to your question, it would be useful to have any routes or cabins that you are looking at.
To be non-specific, I don’t think BA is a 3rd rate airline. It is a solid option generally on par with AF/KLM and LH. IMHO it is 3 or 4 stars out of 5, gusting 5 when great, slumping to 1 or 2 when bad.
Jun 28, 2019, 10:36 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK - Hampshire & London
Programs: Mucci de Guardian des Celliers des Grands Crus 1e Classé, plus BAEC.
Posts: 2,737
Jun 28, 2019, 11:14 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK - Hampshire & London
Programs: Mucci de Guardian des Celliers des Grands Crus 1e Classé, plus BAEC.
Posts: 2,737
Jun 28, 2019, 11:22 am
#12
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,213
Jun 28, 2019, 11:31 am
#13
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Englandshire
Programs: SPG LT Plat, BA G, BD*LG, MG Blue+ ...
Posts: 16,034
Well now, this is one is a bit unusual for the BA forum.
Now that the OP finds their thread has landed here, I for one would welcome them returning to expand on and explain some of the more unusual/leftfield observations in the list (point 8, for example). Especially in the context where 'international' and 'domestic' mean something rather different for BA than in the OPs homeland.
Much more interesting than having (the usual group of) BA forum posters weighing in with (the same) unqualified, generic BA-bashing and BA-lauding posts we see so often around here.
Now that the OP finds their thread has landed here, I for one would welcome them returning to expand on and explain some of the more unusual/leftfield observations in the list (point 8, for example). Especially in the context where 'international' and 'domestic' mean something rather different for BA than in the OPs homeland.
Much more interesting than having (the usual group of) BA forum posters weighing in with (the same) unqualified, generic BA-bashing and BA-lauding posts we see so often around here.
Jun 28, 2019, 12:25 pm
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
So in month 29 BA will have aircraft with CW seating that isn’t as good as QR Q suite on aircraft wide enough for Q suite.