Appalling check-in service at FAO
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: North Wales
Programs: BAEC, M&M
Posts: 88
Appalling check-in service at FAO
The morning of our departure from FAO to LHR, we received emails from BA inviting us to upgrade to CE at check-in.
When we asked at the check-in the grim faced assistant snarled "no upgrades",.
We showed the BA email, she called over a colleague whom she started to berate in Portuguese, jabbing a finger at the computer, the colleague shrugged her shoulders and our charming assistant once again snarled what seemed to be the extent of her English, "no upgrades"
After having our boarding cards thrust at us, I mentioned that we had booked Special Assistance wheelchair. We had to show her the WCHS endorsement on the boarding pass she had just given us.
With bad grace she pointed to a seating area behind the check in muttered "wait there" and left us to negotiate and remove the retractable barriers.
On boarding the aircraft, it was quite a surprise to find that of the 28 CE seats only 6 were taken.
I appreciate that the ground staff at FAO are not BA employees, they are acting for and on behalf of BA and would seem in dire need of some retraining in customer service.
When we asked at the check-in the grim faced assistant snarled "no upgrades",.
We showed the BA email, she called over a colleague whom she started to berate in Portuguese, jabbing a finger at the computer, the colleague shrugged her shoulders and our charming assistant once again snarled what seemed to be the extent of her English, "no upgrades"
After having our boarding cards thrust at us, I mentioned that we had booked Special Assistance wheelchair. We had to show her the WCHS endorsement on the boarding pass she had just given us.
With bad grace she pointed to a seating area behind the check in muttered "wait there" and left us to negotiate and remove the retractable barriers.
On boarding the aircraft, it was quite a surprise to find that of the 28 CE seats only 6 were taken.
I appreciate that the ground staff at FAO are not BA employees, they are acting for and on behalf of BA and would seem in dire need of some retraining in customer service.
#2
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London
Programs: Ba Silver ( for now!)
Posts: 775
Mallorca is pretty dire as well. EasyJet however are charming.
I complained to BA given it took over an hour to check in for a Club Europe flight. Got me precisely nowhere!
I complained to BA given it took over an hour to check in for a Club Europe flight. Got me precisely nowhere!
#3
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Peterborough, UK
Programs: BA Silver; IHG Spire; Avis P+; Global Entry
Posts: 1,505
you were offered a POUG, this is online only. Airport upgrades AUPs are different and have a different criteria
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
It's true that the BA employees in FAO are outsourced and not BA employees. EasyJet does not only fly to London from PMI; they have flights to various destinations in the UK, plus many European destinations so PMI is a focus city for them so it makes sense to hire their own employees and take care of the airport experience for their own flights. For BA PMI is a simple outstation.
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: North Wales
Programs: BAEC, M&M
Posts: 88
"Thank you for flying with British Airways. We may have space on your flight to purchase a cabin upgrade today. If interested, please contact us a check-in."
How does that fit into your alphabetical system? Perhaps it is WADFM (We are desperate for money)
Last edited by macdrew; Oct 16, 2020 at 11:52 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London UK
Programs: BA Gold Guest List & GfL, Accor Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 186
I fly BA to Faro (and back) roughly once a month and, but for a slight interruption earlier this year when all flights were cancelled, have done so for about 15 years. I have never had any problems with the ground staff there.
#7
Join Date: Mar 2020
Programs: British Airways GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond & Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,612
#8
Join Date: May 2014
Programs: BAEC Gold, SAA Voyager
Posts: 214
The message online says “may”, it does not say for sure whether there is space or not.
I would be disappointed, but not appalled.
#9
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,571
Believe OP was appalled at her behaviour, especially when he passed through the CE cabin, only 6 out of 28 seats were occupied. So surely upgrade must have been available - perhaps this dovetails into OP’s claim that she needed training on how to process them at checkin.
#10
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: WAW ✈ LHR ✈ GLA
Programs: BA GfL/GGL/CCR, HH Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 2,498
From my experience at outstations upgrades are handled by the ticketing desk, not the check-in agents. Check-in agents often have no idea as they're coming from a large pool of employees trained to check pax in, not necessarily aware of BA's edge cases.
Or maybe FAO agent understood you were asking for a free upgrade?
Or maybe FAO agent understood you were asking for a free upgrade?
#13
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London
Programs: Ba Silver ( for now!)
Posts: 775
It's true that the BA employees in FAO are outsourced and not BA employees.
EasyJet does not only fly to London from PMI; they have flights to various destinations in the UK, plus many European destinations so PMI is a focus city for them so it makes sense to hire their own employees and take care of the airport experience for their own flights. For BA PMI is a simple outstation.
EasyJet does not only fly to London from PMI; they have flights to various destinations in the UK, plus many European destinations so PMI is a focus city for them so it makes sense to hire their own employees and take care of the airport experience for their own flights. For BA PMI is a simple outstation.
It always makes me smile when Ba is defended only this way. If you outsource you still set and manage the service level.
#14
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,589
Believe OP was appalled at her behaviour, especially when he passed through the CE cabin, only 6 out of 28 seats were occupied. So surely upgrade must have been available - perhaps this dovetails into OP’s claim that she needed training on how to process them at checkin.
#15
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London UK
Programs: BA Gold Guest List & GfL, Accor Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 186
FAO staff have been following boarding procedures when I have flown recently. Though they board special assistance passengers first, which I understood OP’s group to have received so should have boarded before others. Maybe that’s why the CE cabin was still fairly empty?