brunos

"Alex noted on this flight that passengers’ behaviour is also very different now. When there is interaction, Alex makes sure she is always wearing a mask and gloves, which is equally as uncomfortable for her as it is unnerving for passengers. Nobody wants to talk anymore, she added, and people mostly sleep or just watch films."

Good to know for the IFE.
Blankets, pillow? PJ in F?

I know that Europeans find masks unerving. But we have been wearing masks in the street for many months, and I can assure you that everyone chats without problems
The new normal will be masks, so Europeans might as well get used to it.
QR FAs now wear Hazmat suits. And I'd rather have that and a full meal service (and PJs), than BA's approach.

corporate-wage-slave

The White Company bags and pillows are loaded for long haul and are left on the seat before boarding in the usual way in CW. I haven't travelled First since March (the cabin has been closed on all but one service) but my guess would be that the pajamas are offered since they come the same route as the White bags.

I should point out the obvious, namely that this is an evolving situation, and though you can take the above as the baseline, there will be changes along the way, notably in terms of catering provision. The same will apply to other airlines, who like of all of us really, are having to find their way through to a new way of life.

ISTFlyer

It's nice that they still have the WC bedding product available.
Were the usual Club headphones available on your flight corporate-wage-slave last month?

corporate-wage-slave

Yes and this month too. They have long been wrapped anyway.

The_Bouncer

Are the masks actually compulsory for passengers on BA? If not, they would seem to be a rare (and for some, attractive) outlier.

ISTFlyer

No, for the moment it's not compulsory to wear a mask on BA flights.

paulaf

That does make BA more attractive, but do you think it will change when more "normal" flying starts as its recommended by EASA and this article says it expects the CAA to follow similar guidelines:

https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts...for-air-travel

ISTFlyer

It's up to BA to make it compulsory or not. I have no idea if they would implement it.
Also, some airports ( including some BA outstations ) mandated the use of masks inside the terminal but I'm not sure if this would affect BA's decision.

By the way, BA is not the only carrier where wearing a mask is not compulsory.
Qantas and Qatar Airways are other examples that masks are not mandatory but only recommended.

The_Bouncer

TAP Air Portugal, I believe, is another.

I wonder whether it would be helpful to have a definitive list somewhere on FT, quoting airlines' and maybe destinations' mask policies?

ISTFlyer

It would be helpful for people if there is a thread open related to masks in the Coronavirus board.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coronavirus-travel-773/

subject2load

Well I’ve always been firmly of the opinion that it’s only right that any paying consumer should make their views clear, and to seek appropriate redress, if a supplier - in whatever commercial sector - has failed to provide specific elements of a service / product as described. Basic stuff really. But I also feel it’s worth sounding a (well-meant) note of caution : seems like you’re a fairly regular Flyer-talker ...... but not sure just how familiar you are, and what dealings you might have already had, with the Customer Relations side of BA .... ?

The airline is extremely well-accustomed to hearing passengers “loudly complain” - in the way that you say you fully intend to if you have (potential) cause. If you have the time / interest / patience to take a look through past threads, covering a whole range of grievances (unrelated to Covid-19), you might be surprised by some of the responses received from CR agents, whose approach will of course be shaped by BA senior management policy and mindset.

So in short, I believe that the importance of managing expectations (a maxim which has appeared here on the BAEC forum countless times), holds good, as ever.

On this point, let’s just say that these thoughts by fellow poster Jessica B - writing on a concurrent thread entitled ‘Covid-19 : changes to on-board meal / food / beverage service’ - would seem to sum up things perfectly :

“.......I keep seeing examples of companies using Covid as a very convenient excuse to give customers less and charge them more. And nobody is more expert in the theory of giving less and charging more than Alex Cruz.”

brunos

Qatar Airways has made wearing masks by pax compulsory starting 18 May.. Many airlines were faced by the problem of finding a sufficient quantity of disposable masks for their staff. As the availability is now slowly improving

Many pax might not like it, but an infected pax, even asymptomatic wearing a mask greatly reduce the risk to other pax. And asymptomatic cases seem to be 40% of contagious people.
If I travel in the same cabin, I don't care much if my fellow pax find it unpleasant, or at not accustomed to it. I care about my own safety and the avoidance of virus floating around from them or FAs. I don't like masks either, but I care about my fellow passengers and wear one. Risks can never be eliminated, but wearing a mask during most of the flight greatly reduce risk.

moral_low_ground

Completely agree.....Just had UPS charge me £7 for next day delivery - next day came and went with no delivery and it was delivered the day after. Asked for a refund and told no and they won't offer any refunds due to the virus. I will try for a credit card charge back or some other method. It's only £7 but, as I told UPS, if you can’t guarantee me the service then charge less. Don't charge me for something you can’t deliver – I could have paid Royal Mail 65p for second class.

kanderson1965

And had it delivered three weeks later, if they could be bothered delivering it at all.

subject2load

“Three weeks later“ Really ??

My own experience of Royal Mail delivery times & overall reliability - and it’s an assessment based over several decades now - is very, very, different. So much so, that I would genuinely place it right up there alongside some of the best-performing service businesses within the UK.

(and no ..... neither I, nor any relatives / friends, have any personal connection with it !)