eefor jfp

IIRC, Swiss has First on every plane in their long haul fleet, so lots of capacity to all their intercontinental destinations. The result is often decent sale fares to leisure destinations. We were also looking at Swiss First to Thailand (if it opens up).

aristoph

Yes, and this was also another factor in our decision. We live 20 mins from LCY but 1 hr from LHR.

Ancient Observer

subject2load has it right.

What improvements has Doyle actually delivered?

None so far.

Words are easy - but changing the food and wine is easy too.
Words are easy - fixing the IT would not be too difficult, with the right people and the right money.
As for the recent problems - he needs to get out and hire some staff that want to work for BA.

So we have received good words, and a series of further deteriorations in service.

ScruttonStreet

We're looking at Swiss for South Africa again next year. I know it isn't direct, but I can currently buy a fully flexible, fully refundable return in Business on Swiss/Lufthansa for £150 or so less per person than an unrefundable/non-flexible fare in Club on BA. Unless and until BWC is extended, I think anyone would be mad to book BA this far out.

MrSimonR

Don't expect anything to change as a GGLFL when BA has a bad day.

We saw a 4 hour delay to our BA288 yesterday and yet it is impossible to reach BA in any way (GGL phone lines went 30+ mins unanswered, or simply cut off with a message "too busy to take calls" + GGL team emails unanswered for 4+ days + Concorde Team overwhelmed and failed to reply to emails + JFK Special Services failed to call back after leaving VMs). Impossible to try to rebook/change the booking (online of course doesn't work), and complete information black-out about when we needed to check-in, so I had to go to the airport 5 hours before the flight. To top it all, PHX Swissport staff refused to give Flub seats, despite the F cabin being used as "there is no note in your booking" and "all seats are already taken". After some pushing, we did get seats in the front, only to find half the seats in the F cabin were empty and the remainder seemed to have friends & family of the crew.

It's a complete meltdown and impacts everyone no matter what status you have.

aristoph

Oh that's standard operations

USA_flyer

I've only ever flown an airline to any destination based on airfare, schedule and directness. While I like BA, I prefer to hang onto my cash so I have more to spend when I get where I'm going to.

Tdgraves

We flew QR to JNB just before covid hit. Yes their lounges, hard and soft product are superior, but the additional travel time and connection still means I will choose BA in preference when going to SA. Despite travelling in business, we were more tired, as we had to wake up and change planes in the middle of the night. And to add insult to injury, one of our bags misconnected (a cooler box - vital for self-catering) on the outbound short connection, as both flights were at bus gates (they delivered it the following day to the Northern Cape after a lot of waiting and stressful phone calls). Arriving home at mid-afternoon rather than mid-morning also meant that we would have to lose a night on safari if we were to repeat the experience.

aristoph

I wouldn't dream of going via the ME, not just to SA but for any flight, and not just for logistical reasons but I'd rather not support businesses in countries where my sexuality is illegal. (I know, Qatar owns 25% of BA as well as half the businesses in London etc etc, but I draw the line at touching down on their soil/sand.)

I am already relaxing at the thought of turning up at LCY 45 mins before the flight, having an appetiser and few glasses of champagne on the flight to ZRH, then dinner and a nice sleep down to JNB. We will be due to land 5 mins before the BA flight (which is regularly 2 hours late at the moment) and we will have left home maybe an hour before we would have had to schlep to LHR on a Friday night?

u01sss3

Airlines aren't like (most ​​​​​​) marriages. You're free to check out what the others are offering and even invite your other half.

IAMORGAN

I reached that point in 2018 after flying Emirates in J on an A380. It was the equivalent of a POUG and whilst I still prefer (generally) a good BA crew from a service point of view, the “BA difference” to justify going to Heathrow when I live a 10 minute train ride from BHX was too eroded. The final straw from me was their new boarding policy which seemed to be to herd you onto the jetbridge before the cabin was ready which just led to a huge siege when the crew were ready to start boarding.

Ironically when I tried Lufthansa J from BHX to fly to Berlin (via FRA) I ended up on a BA flight for FRA to LHR (not BHX) due to a combination of bad weather in Frankfurt and a security breach in MUC turning LH into a complete shitshow. They wouldn’t / couldn’t rebook me onto BA either (after cancelling my flight and being full to everywhere in the UK) so I pulled out my App and booked a RFS FRA-LHR right there at the LH service desk in the J lounge. The agent WAS able to get my baggage which was in transit (as I was mid way through a TXL-FRA-BHX itinerary) moved over onto my BA flight - and was very very polite (as was I!)

Of course I then had a flawless MF service including cold or hot towels and PDB of juice / water due to a 30 minute atc slot restriction. I even got a meal despite booking c 1 hour before….

So yes it’s rational to try elsewhere but all airlines have their off days. I’ve had some nice LH flights even in Y and a pretty mediocre one in longhaul J. But in my view you have to pick whichever flight on whichever airline is right for your circumstances!

And how nice is it to have these threads again - the world must be getting back to normal!

Misco60

I have too much invested in BAEC to abandon British Airways completely, but I have no plans to fly with them this year beyond my 4 qualifying flights. The tales I'm reading here on a daily basis are genuinely shocking.

It's just a pity that, thanks to the JV, they will nevertheless be getting some of my money.

aristoph

Me too sadly

IAN-UK

I hope you can keep them all !! The problem with status matches must comes with renewals and keeping all those balls in the air.

Midships

Your sexuality is not my business but you may want to check the laws in Zambia where you are planning to go.