BA cancels all CAI flights for 7 days : ‘security precaution’.
Jul 21, 2019, 6:49 am
#91
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The rebooking policies are:
1) Refund
2) Rebook to BA services after the suspension
3) Rebook to 300 miles (so TLV and AMM)
4) Rebook to alternative services of the same value
5) Rebook via Bahrain, using BA or Gulf to BAH, then Gulf from BAH to Cairo
6) Rebook via Abu Dhabi using BA or Etihad, the Etihad from AUH to Cairo
7) Rebook on direct service on MS (EgyptAir) - no First or WTP cabins though, these get rebooked to business and economy respectively.
8) Rebook on Lufthansa via FRA or MUC
9) Rebook on other airlines that have ticketing agreements with BA.
Option 9 is only for BA directly booked passengers, including redemptions, where the previous options don't provide "suitable flights".I've a feeling that doesn't include MS (but that's a hunch), but it should include Emirates, Turkish, Royal Jordanian, RAM and MEA. The last is unusual in that Contact Centres can do this.
EDITED: Adding MS / Egypt Air
EDITED2: Adding Lufthansa
1) Refund
2) Rebook to BA services after the suspension
3) Rebook to 300 miles (so TLV and AMM)
4) Rebook to alternative services of the same value
5) Rebook via Bahrain, using BA or Gulf to BAH, then Gulf from BAH to Cairo
6) Rebook via Abu Dhabi using BA or Etihad, the Etihad from AUH to Cairo
7) Rebook on direct service on MS (EgyptAir) - no First or WTP cabins though, these get rebooked to business and economy respectively.
8) Rebook on Lufthansa via FRA or MUC
9) Rebook on other airlines that have ticketing agreements with BA.
Option 9 is only for BA directly booked passengers, including redemptions, where the previous options don't provide "suitable flights".
EDITED: Adding MS / Egypt Air
EDITED2: Adding Lufthansa
‘As a precautionary measure, BA has decided that its flights to Cairo will be suspended for 7 days up to and including Friday 26 July.
Your safety is our first priority, and this decision comes following advice from the BA Corporate Safety and Security department which constantly monitors BA operations at all airports we serve.’
Your safety is our first priority, and this decision comes following advice from the BA Corporate Safety and Security department which constantly monitors BA operations at all airports we serve.’
Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; Jul 23, 2019 at 11:21 am
Jul 21, 2019, 6:57 am
#92
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Jul 21, 2019, 7:01 am
#93
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Jul 21, 2019, 7:02 am
#94
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Jul 21, 2019, 10:15 am
#96
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The rebooking policies are:
1) Refund
2) Rebook to BA services after the suspension
3) Rebook to 300 miles (so TLV and AMM)
4) Rebook to alternative services of the same value
5) Rebook via Bahrain, using BA or Gulf to BAH, then Gulf from BAH to Cairo
6) Rebook via Abu Dhabi using BA or Etihad, the Etihad from AUH to Cairo
7) Rebook on direct service on MS (EgyptAir) - no First or WTP cabins though, these get rebooked to business and economy respectively.
8) Rebook on other airlines that have ticketing agreements with BA.
Option 8 is only for BA directly booked passengers, including redemptions, where the previous options don't provide "suitable flights".I've a feeling that doesn't include MS (but that's a hunch), but it should include Emirates, Turkish, Royal Jordanian, RAM and MEA. The last is unusual in that Contact Centres can do this.
1) Refund
2) Rebook to BA services after the suspension
3) Rebook to 300 miles (so TLV and AMM)
4) Rebook to alternative services of the same value
5) Rebook via Bahrain, using BA or Gulf to BAH, then Gulf from BAH to Cairo
6) Rebook via Abu Dhabi using BA or Etihad, the Etihad from AUH to Cairo
7) Rebook on direct service on MS (EgyptAir) - no First or WTP cabins though, these get rebooked to business and economy respectively.
8) Rebook on other airlines that have ticketing agreements with BA.
Option 8 is only for BA directly booked passengers, including redemptions, where the previous options don't provide "suitable flights".
Jul 21, 2019, 11:58 am
#98
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Spoke to ITV (Skype interview) but didn't get aired, I suspect it's because I wasn't sensationalist enough .... I get the feeling if I was scared and angry I would have made the cut, but instead I was relaxed about it because it's travel and stuff happens!
Jul 21, 2019, 12:15 pm
#99
Moderator: Qatar Airways
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Posts: 8,948
M
Jul 21, 2019, 2:55 pm
#100
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: BAEC silver
Posts: 464
I don’t know why people are having a go at those who think it’s partly a commercial decision: I find it more concerning that BA have lied so many times in the past that it’s become normal to think their reasons aren’t always based on truth.
On this occasion, since LH have made a similar decision, I would think there is some genuine security basis (although do think it’s odd that it’s BA advising the FCO and the DoT and not the other way around!) but I understand why people take a lot of things BA say with a pinch of salt. Certainly wouldn’t post abuse at anyone who thought BA were telling porkies.
It is very plausible the FCO were not the instigators.
Jul 21, 2019, 3:09 pm
#101
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Posts: 4,160
Jul 21, 2019, 4:17 pm
#102
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NCL
Programs: UA 1MM/*G. DL Gold for one more year.
Posts: 5,305
If BA internal security had conducted a security audit at Cairo and been disturbed with what they found they could a) advise the company to suspend flights with immediate effect and b) advise the FCO what they were doing.
It is very plausible the FCO were not the instigators.
Jul 22, 2019, 1:19 pm
#103
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: OWA - Silver (ex Gold) IHG Ambassador
Posts: 4
What the heck do I know?
Wow. There's some sneery invective on this thread... "Imagine believing that were actually true" etc etc (Hi Willie - how ya doin'?!)
I Googled this whole issue, because I couldn't believe all the news channels were just regurgitating the BA Press Office releases without any challenge based on what I experienced on actual LHR-CAI-LHR flights last week. And now I've signed up specifically to throw this piece of information on the table because I think there might - just might - be more to this than meets the eye. Despite what some of the more dismissive posters are determined to promote.
I flew out and back to CAI this last week on one of the many affected flights. Prior to that I was informed (as an Exec Club member) of the plane change. No reasons were given at the time, but on the flight out (I'm not saying exactly which one, because I don't want to get triangulated here) we were informed by the Cabin Crew AND the pilot that it was an issue caused by the 787s being in for maintenance "for a couple of weeks" hence the mass downgrade of everyone in "Club World" and "World Traveller Plus." It wasn't a great flight, but we all got over it - albeit the passengers, AND CREW, were all pretty pissed off about the way BA had dealt with the issue.
Travelling back on what I think was the last flight into LHR (Friday) the crew and pilot were again in full-on "all I can do is apologise" mode. EXCEPT - the cabin crew took it upon themselves to give out complaint cards to everyone onboard, which they explained they'd done on their Outbound flight a couple of days earlier. And now I quote directly from one of the cabin crew:
"You won't get anywhere if you complain individually to Customer Relations. We gave out these cards on the way out, and we're doing it on the way home - we are going to enter them (about 400 in total) when we get back to base tonight, AND WE ARE GOING TO ENTER THEM WITH A "SAFETY" FLAG.... That way, BA have to investigate it in full, OR THEY WILL GET FINED BY THE CAA..."
All I know from there is that - the very next day - the flights were all cancelled without a great deal of explanation. With an end date - and I'm sure it's just pure coincidence - of precisely the same day that we were told, on the way out, that the 787 fleet would be back online.
Imagine actually believing what ACTUALLY happened, and what I and a couple of hundred other passengers heard?? Wow, can you IMAGINE that, compared with what some sneery keyboard-warrior thinks MIGHT have happened, in their Unicorn-infested world. How VERY DARE anyone actually question the Great God that is IAG / BA / Willie Walsh etc etc?!
I have no idea if there is a direct connection or not. All I do know is that;
Unlike some other posters here, I don't claim to KNOW what happened - none of us really can. But I don't think it's remotely "childish" or "despicable*" to at least as the question and seek answers. If only because in the circumstances I think there is a reasonable question to be answered - as to whether the BA Press Release is really the whole truth - or whether they are spreading fear and doubt to protect themselves from compensation claims.
*I'm not going to get into a slanging match, but unless you really ARE Willie Walsh or the BA PR department, then you have a worryingly low threshold as far as what the word "despicable" means in practicet!!!
So there you go. Did anyone else experience the same on the flight back to LHR on Friday, or did I just get pissed and make the whole thing up!?
Now looking forward to getting royally slated by said keyboard-warriors. But having not had a clue what I voted for Brexit-wise, I'm pretty used to it by now
Robbie.
I Googled this whole issue, because I couldn't believe all the news channels were just regurgitating the BA Press Office releases without any challenge based on what I experienced on actual LHR-CAI-LHR flights last week. And now I've signed up specifically to throw this piece of information on the table because I think there might - just might - be more to this than meets the eye. Despite what some of the more dismissive posters are determined to promote.
I flew out and back to CAI this last week on one of the many affected flights. Prior to that I was informed (as an Exec Club member) of the plane change. No reasons were given at the time, but on the flight out (I'm not saying exactly which one, because I don't want to get triangulated here) we were informed by the Cabin Crew AND the pilot that it was an issue caused by the 787s being in for maintenance "for a couple of weeks" hence the mass downgrade of everyone in "Club World" and "World Traveller Plus." It wasn't a great flight, but we all got over it - albeit the passengers, AND CREW, were all pretty pissed off about the way BA had dealt with the issue.
Travelling back on what I think was the last flight into LHR (Friday) the crew and pilot were again in full-on "all I can do is apologise" mode. EXCEPT - the cabin crew took it upon themselves to give out complaint cards to everyone onboard, which they explained they'd done on their Outbound flight a couple of days earlier. And now I quote directly from one of the cabin crew:
"You won't get anywhere if you complain individually to Customer Relations. We gave out these cards on the way out, and we're doing it on the way home - we are going to enter them (about 400 in total) when we get back to base tonight, AND WE ARE GOING TO ENTER THEM WITH A "SAFETY" FLAG.... That way, BA have to investigate it in full, OR THEY WILL GET FINED BY THE CAA..."
All I know from there is that - the very next day - the flights were all cancelled without a great deal of explanation. With an end date - and I'm sure it's just pure coincidence - of precisely the same day that we were told, on the way out, that the 787 fleet would be back online.
Imagine actually believing what ACTUALLY happened, and what I and a couple of hundred other passengers heard?? Wow, can you IMAGINE that, compared with what some sneery keyboard-warrior thinks MIGHT have happened, in their Unicorn-infested world. How VERY DARE anyone actually question the Great God that is IAG / BA / Willie Walsh etc etc?!
I have no idea if there is a direct connection or not. All I do know is that;
- We were told all these cards would be entered back at base on Friday
- They would be entered with a "SAFETY" designation, to make it compulsory for BA to investigate, and
- The next day, all the flights were cancelled.
Unlike some other posters here, I don't claim to KNOW what happened - none of us really can. But I don't think it's remotely "childish" or "despicable*" to at least as the question and seek answers. If only because in the circumstances I think there is a reasonable question to be answered - as to whether the BA Press Release is really the whole truth - or whether they are spreading fear and doubt to protect themselves from compensation claims.
*I'm not going to get into a slanging match, but unless you really ARE Willie Walsh or the BA PR department, then you have a worryingly low threshold as far as what the word "despicable" means in practicet!!!
So there you go. Did anyone else experience the same on the flight back to LHR on Friday, or did I just get pissed and make the whole thing up!?
Now looking forward to getting royally slated by said keyboard-warriors. But having not had a clue what I voted for Brexit-wise, I'm pretty used to it by now
Robbie.