BA9 LHR-BKK, It Is What It Is
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: SGN
Programs: AA EXP, AS MVP 75k, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 149
BA9 LHR-BKK, It Is What It Is
I'm on Emerald with elite status on AA with 998,000 miles and ticking. Flown a lot, seen a lot until last week. I took BA9 LHR-BKK on full Y. Got seat 16k , aisle bulkhead in economy. I checked into the BA Lounge in Terminal 5, quite nice with all the trimmings. On par with SYD Qantas lounge IMO. I asked the agents for a cash upgrade to Club right up until to departure. No dice. Flight took off with 1 empty Club seat.
Right before take off, FA comes by to check my IFE. Totally busted. Tells me engineering cannot fix it. She offers me a middle seat with IFE as no other seat in the house was available. Enquired about inflight WiFi for entertainment instead and I was told to "pay" if I wanted that. I was completely exhausted and I didn't want to be rude, or even insist, so I let it go. Then I realized my economy seat had no power outlet. I paid ~20 British pounds for WiFi and my iPad died 6 hrs into the 12 hr flight. I politely enquired twice about charging my device for 30 mins anywhere. FA told me there were NO power outlets and EVEN FAs cannot charge their devices. Bummed, I went back to my seat and just wanted to rest and get on with my flight. Turned out my neighbor in 16k snuck up to PE to be with her companion. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful that I got extra space all to myself--but no IFE or power to charge my devices? Then, of course, WiFi goes out with 4 hrs left into the flight! What an ending. I'm on full Y, tried to buy up to Club, but got denied. Club seat flew empty. I get no IFE, no comparable compensation (a middle seat). I pay for WiFi, and get jipped for 1/3 of the flight. No power to recharge, and then totally dismissed about helping me recharge my device. My own seatmate decided to stowaway in PE and gets away with it. But it doesn't end there, the bathrooms in economy we're unhygienic, if not disgusting! See pic. I write to customer service on BA.com, and you know what? I was offered a $50 coupon for a future flight on BA. Tragic. Never again. Seriously. What do others think?
Right before take off, FA comes by to check my IFE. Totally busted. Tells me engineering cannot fix it. She offers me a middle seat with IFE as no other seat in the house was available. Enquired about inflight WiFi for entertainment instead and I was told to "pay" if I wanted that. I was completely exhausted and I didn't want to be rude, or even insist, so I let it go. Then I realized my economy seat had no power outlet. I paid ~20 British pounds for WiFi and my iPad died 6 hrs into the 12 hr flight. I politely enquired twice about charging my device for 30 mins anywhere. FA told me there were NO power outlets and EVEN FAs cannot charge their devices. Bummed, I went back to my seat and just wanted to rest and get on with my flight. Turned out my neighbor in 16k snuck up to PE to be with her companion. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful that I got extra space all to myself--but no IFE or power to charge my devices? Then, of course, WiFi goes out with 4 hrs left into the flight! What an ending. I'm on full Y, tried to buy up to Club, but got denied. Club seat flew empty. I get no IFE, no comparable compensation (a middle seat). I pay for WiFi, and get jipped for 1/3 of the flight. No power to recharge, and then totally dismissed about helping me recharge my device. My own seatmate decided to stowaway in PE and gets away with it. But it doesn't end there, the bathrooms in economy we're unhygienic, if not disgusting! See pic. I write to customer service on BA.com, and you know what? I was offered a $50 coupon for a future flight on BA. Tragic. Never again. Seriously. What do others think?
Last edited by muoitrieu; Feb 20, 2020 at 7:28 pm
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
#8
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: North Yorkshire, UK / Pasadena CA
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,311
What do i think about it? That it's a dismal catalogue of failures, that you sound a lot more philosophical about it than most would be, and that a $50 coupon is an empty gesture not a real effort at service recovery. I'm not sure what would be appropriate redress. You don't need more Avios. i think maybe a space-available upgrade coupon plus an apology that sounded genuine.
#9
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
I'm sorry for you experience and that bathroom/restroom was disgusting. Having done that particular flight in Y I vowed never again (Club World not that much better). BA use the oldest BA 772's on the flight, plus other routes. I now have travelled with Qatar, Ehitad, Swiss. all offering a better experience. As said vote with your feet and give your cash to other Oneworld airlines to use your status of be like myself travel with what timings and airlines you like or want to try, you won't be missed by BA I know that first hand.
John
John
#11
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,210
If ever there was a justified BAshing thread this would be it.
There’s no excuse for airplanes flying in this state at an airline that makes Ł1.5bn of profit yearly. I’ve seen better toilets on Kazakh trains at the end of a multi-day Almaty-Aqtobe journey.
Alex, Carolina and James ought to have a hard look at how Lufthansa or Delta can fly a 30-year-old plane and keep it utterly spotless whilst BA fails to do so on a newer bird. Shameful.
There’s no excuse for airplanes flying in this state at an airline that makes Ł1.5bn of profit yearly. I’ve seen better toilets on Kazakh trains at the end of a multi-day Almaty-Aqtobe journey.
Alex, Carolina and James ought to have a hard look at how Lufthansa or Delta can fly a 30-year-old plane and keep it utterly spotless whilst BA fails to do so on a newer bird. Shameful.
#12
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: BA executive club
Posts: 107
BA flies some old birds and some inconveniences come with that as reported by the OP. BA does not guarantee availability of AUP's. BA does not clean the toilets in flight (other airlines do!). Other important points: has the OP as AA emerald been greeted by the CSD/CSM? Was the food and drink service OK? Were the FA's friendly? Did the OP receive his AA miles? The OP seems to be satisfied with the lounge experience. Only when we have the complete picture, a correct assessment is possible.