Gold during COVID is better than before ?
Sep 14, 2020, 2:32 am
#31
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK
Programs: Tufty Club (Gold), BAGA Gymnastics level 4, 440yds swimming certificate
Posts: 2,533
Coincidentally, I was chatting with Diego Masciaga* last week who I discovered has been doing some consultancy on the lounges for BA/Baxter Storey during the COVID thing.
He was saying it's difficult to achieve true restaurant level service because people are coming and going all the time on a whim, and there's not much you can do to change that behaviour, not that he was suggesting that you should.
He was saying it's difficult to achieve true restaurant level service because people are coming and going all the time on a whim, and there's not much you can do to change that behaviour, not that he was suggesting that you should.
Sep 14, 2020, 3:13 am
#32
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Programs: BA Gold (Emerald); Hilton Gold; IHG Platinum; Marriott Gold; Radisson Gold
Posts: 388
We've just returned from our only flights since 1 March, LHR-BJV (Bodrum, Turkey) and back. Row 1 of 12 Club Europe rows in both directions, and totally contrasting experiences. Outbound was superb, iPad Gold greetings to us both by name and then the crew were busy the whole time, offering more drinks, asking toilet-queuers to return to their seats taking a note of their seat number for them to be invited back when it was vacant.
On the way home, the crew seemed uninterested and completely disengaged. I had to prompt for the at-seat power and wifi to be activated quite a while after seatbelt signs went off. The handing out of the meal boxes took a while to start and the first sign of a beverage service came about 15 minutes after that - it appeared they waited until a crew member from economy was free to help, so that the SCCM could remain in the galley and just do hot drinks from there. We were never offered a second beverage.
They told people to wait on the other side of the curtain when the toilet was occupied - right by row 1 passengers - rather than to return to their seats to wait for the green 'vacant' lights.
It seemed they thought the curtain offered soundproofing, and that those of us in the first couple of rows would be unable to hear their incessant chatting.
When the first officer announced "15 minutes to landing" that was their prompt to finally come around and clear away the drinks cups, bottles and litter.
Also, the contract lounge at BJV was open but not to BA Club or status passengers; several were turned away. Thankfully, Priority Pass was accepted. It's not a luxurious lounge, but good enough for about 60 passengers heading to Rostov-on-Don with Azur Air on a B752, and a handful of PP-endowed BA passengers.
On the way home, the crew seemed uninterested and completely disengaged. I had to prompt for the at-seat power and wifi to be activated quite a while after seatbelt signs went off. The handing out of the meal boxes took a while to start and the first sign of a beverage service came about 15 minutes after that - it appeared they waited until a crew member from economy was free to help, so that the SCCM could remain in the galley and just do hot drinks from there. We were never offered a second beverage.
They told people to wait on the other side of the curtain when the toilet was occupied - right by row 1 passengers - rather than to return to their seats to wait for the green 'vacant' lights.
It seemed they thought the curtain offered soundproofing, and that those of us in the first couple of rows would be unable to hear their incessant chatting.
When the first officer announced "15 minutes to landing" that was their prompt to finally come around and clear away the drinks cups, bottles and litter.
Also, the contract lounge at BJV was open but not to BA Club or status passengers; several were turned away. Thankfully, Priority Pass was accepted. It's not a luxurious lounge, but good enough for about 60 passengers heading to Rostov-on-Don with Azur Air on a B752, and a handful of PP-endowed BA passengers.
Last edited by paulieuk; Sep 14, 2020 at 3:28 am
Sep 14, 2020, 6:16 am
#34
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
Programs: BA Gold , Mucci recipient. Coffee Drinker, Blue Sky Thinker
Posts: 2,112
They told people to wait on the other side of the curtain when the toilet was occupied - right by row 1 passengers - rather than to return to their seats to wait for the green 'vacant' lights.
It seemed they thought the curtain offered soundproofing, and that those of us in the first couple of rows would be unable to hear their incessant chatting.
It seemed they thought the curtain offered soundproofing, and that those of us in the first couple of rows would be unable to hear their incessant chatting.
The curtain is too long and should have another 50 cm off the bottom and then it would still offer their privacy but keep it off the legs of paxs in 1C and 1D. I am sure someone could work out the total fuel save for whats probably 1kg of fabric per plane across the whole fleet.
Sep 20, 2020, 10:46 am
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: London
Programs: EY Gold, BA Gold, EK Gold, CX Gold
Posts: 125
Had the return flight back which was even better. The CSM kept saying my champagne bottle was leaking so he brought me another. He then said I deserved a second box of food (which I declined ).
I spoke with him in the galley on the way back to my seat and he told me because Split did the check-in he didn't know who was who. I thought he used my name because I was Good but he apparently just did it with everyone.
It was a great flight again and I honestly couldn't fault the crew. He got a Golden Ticket anyway as I came off the flight feeling so happy .
I spoke with him in the galley on the way back to my seat and he told me because Split did the check-in he didn't know who was who. I thought he used my name because I was Good but he apparently just did it with everyone.
It was a great flight again and I honestly couldn't fault the crew. He got a Golden Ticket anyway as I came off the flight feeling so happy .