corporate-wage-slave

I've been told that the South Africa contact cenre may be under some disruption for the next 24 hours or so, perhaps running into Saturday, due to local strikes in Cape Town. If you are travelling over this period and need an urgent change, double check your booking first since it's possible that your booking has been given access to a disruption management screen which will allow changes that normally involve direct staff handling.

Separately: I notice there are a lot of telephone numbers in this thread: agents have noticed that people are ringing random numbers off the internet, including GGL/Prem numbers, regardless of their status. Agents are therefore checking status more carefully than usual, and inviting customers to redial when they have rung the wrong number.

ExpatExp

I haven't rung any of these numbers, and indeed I don't know what any of these numbers are, but your post brings up a related question which might be one of the reasons why these numbers are getting more calls.

During Covid, the "customer pass-through" feature that connected elite members from BA, AA, AY, or JL with the elite phone desks of the other three airlines stopped working. It has since been resurrected, but now connects to non-elite desks where the agents are significantly less experienced or helpful, particularly with my most common needs (open jaw tickets which can't be changed online, or same-day travel). I was recently admonished by whichever BA call centre currently receives these calls for making a same-day change, and told that in the future I should plan any changes a week before travel They also charge for every change, including changes as a result of cancelled flights, which I know I could avoid with push-back but I just pay as it's too much of a bother to argue with them (language barrier, unfamiliarity with the BA network, need to wait on hold to ask a supervisor for permission for everything, etc.).

As used to be the case pre-Covid with the customer pass-through feature, is there currently any way to access an elite desk of BA, AA, AY, or JL if you are, for example Emerald from one of the other three, or has that very useful feature been dropped? Making changes to my BA flights since Covid has become so much more difficult that I sadly stopped booking on 125 stock unless in First with access to You First. Would love to start booking more with BA again

corporate-wage-slave

I hope you don't mind me being frank about this, but while I recognise the issue (and I have had it once on a FCOD issue too), this approach seem over-reach in terms of response. Most agents most of the time know what they are doing, and unless every booking you make is always going to have complex and repeated changes - voluntary or involuntary - then your solution is disproportionate.

In my FCOD case, I too got a Capita agent who was firmly of the view that my ticket didn't have an FCOD facility, I said very aimably "oh don't worry about that, please calculate the change fees, I will pay that and then re-claim later via Customer Relations". This was a NCL-LHR-NCL Club Europe ticket on a public fare, there really isn't scope for getting this wrong. At which point the recalc option on Pegasus stopped for the agent and she said that it would have to go to the back office, and that would take 3 days for a same day change. Again I said "that's fine, maybe they will do this one quickly", knowing what would come next. At which point she put the call on hold and her supervisor then allowed "a one-time only exception". This took 20 minutes in all. Just an anecdote, but it is the only example I can point to in recent years, so unless you are travelling more frequently than me, I don't really think this is a material fact of life.

There is a GGL/YouFirst/Prem desk, but all the other agents are in a pool based on skill set, and being Gold won't get you to a special agent, it will get you a short cut on the waiting times, and you may get a UK based agent who has been doing the job for longer.

LondonAussie

I would also be interested to know the official answer to this. I have previously called the Gold line as a oneworld Emerald (usually after trying the regular number and being disconnected with a message to call back later - not even an option to wait, just hung up on by the system). Only once I was told it's for BA members and doesn't extend to oneworld partners. I called again and got someone more helpful.

ExpatExp

Thank you for the background, corporate-wage-slave , and for the examples of how to work around some of the challenges. I will certainly try this, because I do have to ring them about one of my remaining 125 stock bookings

I am sorry to learn that others have also encountered these types of difficulties with BA telephone agents, which unfortunately for me have occurred every time I have used the "customer pass-through" line since it started working again. It was with reluctance that I felt the best solution was to book via AA in order to have an easier experience when making changes by phone. It sounds like there is not currently any better way for elite flyers from AA, JL or AY to contact BA, unless via YouFirst.

For future reference, is there perhaps a time of day when the customer pass-through line might be more likely to connect to a call centre that is more accustomed to assisting frequent travellers?

corporate-wage-slave

You can only get a UK agent between 08:00 and 20:00 hrs, London time. So if you are always ringing outside this time, you're always going to get Delhi or Cape Town.

ExpatExp

Excellent -- thank you! I will make sure I ring between those hours next time

corporate-wage-slave

The Manchester contact centre is having new generators installed over this weekend (19-20 August), to cope with increased workload - BA has increased some operational roles for BACF and BAEF there. This means the office won't be accessible, but WFH agents will be available, perhaps at reduced capacity. In other words if you were thinking of calling GGL or YouFirst this weekend, maybe get any routine enquiry in early or defer them. Or you can perhaps email in queries, so as to maintain capacity for anyone with a more urgent call.

alextheengineer

Does anyone know if there is an issue with the UK contact centres this week? I'm getting Delhi in the middle of the day (silver line), and although I have had some excellent service in the past from the Delhi call centre, they have rather made a hash of this one. I'd like to get some clarity so really would appreciate someone used to dealing with a complex booking!

Tocsin

There are IT issues reported in the Cancellations thread today - could be UK call centres are also affected?

eh220160

Gold line - getting "please have your executive club card number ready" on repeat for 10 mins. Does it actually connect in due course, or is this a glitch?

AmaaiZeg

It does connect. I agree it is a very annoying message but at least it got answered with a ‘Good morning’ from a very cheery person last Monday.

Pendergast

Another BA number when calling from outside the UK is also +44 207 949 3064. Can this be added to the information page displayed at the start of this thread?