LHR Flounge Customer Service Chaos
Aug 10, 22, 1:18 pm
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 257
I would suggest that the BA staff I encountered today at A1, T5 customer service and Flounge, may be paid Ł20k per year but are certainly not working. Which brings us back to KAFRA's point - they should have been booted out years ago.
Aug 10, 22, 1:22 pm
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 257
Originally Posted by SpeedbirdLHR
Publicly available seats are exactly what airline staff use to rebook, even in invol situations. There is no hidden availability that agents use. If there was no visible availability, then agents are unable to process any rebooking.
With regards to other carriers, there are agents who would assist in doing this, either in advance or to assist front line staff via telephone.
With regards to other carriers, there are agents who would assist in doing this, either in advance or to assist front line staff via telephone.
Aug 10, 22, 1:22 pm
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 257
Originally Posted by SpeedbirdLHR
Publicly available seats are exactly what airline staff use to rebook, even in invol situations. There is no hidden availability that agents use. If there was no visible availability, then agents are unable to process any rebooking.
With regards to other carriers, there are agents who would assist in doing this, either in advance or to assist front line staff via telephone.
With regards to other carriers, there are agents who would assist in doing this, either in advance or to assist front line staff via telephone.
Aug 10, 22, 1:31 pm
#34
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 38,580
Originally Posted by SpeedbirdLHR
Publicly available seats are exactly what airline staff use to rebook, even in invol situations. There is no hidden availability that agents use. If there was no visible availability, then agents are unable to process any rebooking.
Aug 10, 22, 1:32 pm
#35
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 57,643
A sorry tale, much of it avoidable. I hope you will submit your EC261 tonight
ba.com/complaints
and after 2 weeks, LBA then MCOL. With a short note saying BA's staff lacked the competence to do their job.
ba.com/complaints
and after 2 weeks, LBA then MCOL. With a short note saying BA's staff lacked the competence to do their job.
Code:
LHR ESTIMATED TIME OF DEPARTURE 0745 DELAY ZO LEFT THE GATE 0745 TOOK OFF 0758 ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL 0855 BHD BHD AIRCRAFT LANDED 0850 ARRIVED 0856
Aug 10, 22, 1:40 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 17,823
Originally Posted by SpeedbirdLHR
Publicly available seats are exactly what airline staff use to rebook, even in invol situations. There is no hidden availability that agents use. If there was no visible availability, then agents are unable to process any rebooking.
Aug 10, 22, 1:44 pm
#37
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 1,032
Originally Posted by southsquare
With respect, this misses the point completely. There were publicly available seats on EI and Flybe, and there was also availability - specifically for invol changes (if one believes the reason BA gave for ceasing public sale) on two BA BHD/LHR flights.
I don’t know what availability the agents would have seen for EI or Flybe so won’t comment other than to say that the ticketing support agents would have been the ones to assist with this. They are also the ones who should have been proactively rebooking any late connections. The fact that this wasn’t done and the original
comment about how busy connections was, suggests that there was a wider failure in the ticketing support which impacted what the front line colleagues could do.
Aug 10, 22, 1:48 pm
#38
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 1,642
Originally Posted by SpeedbirdLHR
And my point remains, there is no availability specifically for invol changes. It is all the same. If it is showing available to public, then yes, agents can use it for invol. If it’s not, then they can’t. The only option would be a waitlist/standby.
I don’t know what availability the agents would have seen for EI or Flybe so won’t comment other than to say that the ticketing support agents would have been the ones to assist with this. They are also the ones who should have been proactively rebooking any late connections. The fact that this wasn’t done and the original
comment about how busy connections was, suggests that there was a wider failure in the ticketing support which impacted what the front line colleagues could do.
I don’t know what availability the agents would have seen for EI or Flybe so won’t comment other than to say that the ticketing support agents would have been the ones to assist with this. They are also the ones who should have been proactively rebooking any late connections. The fact that this wasn’t done and the original
comment about how busy connections was, suggests that there was a wider failure in the ticketing support which impacted what the front line colleagues could do.
Aug 10, 22, 1:48 pm
#39
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Lisboa
Programs: BAEC Gold, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire, Easyjet Flight Club
Posts: 347
Originally Posted by SpeedbirdLHR
And my point remains, there is no availability specifically for invol changes. It is all the same. If it is showing available to public, then yes, agents can use it for invol. If it’s not, then they can’t. The only option would be a waitlist/standby.
I don’t know what availability the agents would have seen for EI or Flybe so won’t comment other than to say that the ticketing support agents would have been the ones to assist with this. They are also the ones who should have been proactively rebooking any late connections. The fact that this wasn’t done and the original
comment about how busy connections was, suggests that there was a wider failure in the ticketing support which impacted what the front line colleagues could do.
I don’t know what availability the agents would have seen for EI or Flybe so won’t comment other than to say that the ticketing support agents would have been the ones to assist with this. They are also the ones who should have been proactively rebooking any late connections. The fact that this wasn’t done and the original
comment about how busy connections was, suggests that there was a wider failure in the ticketing support which impacted what the front line colleagues could do.
People always complain about BA cost cutting. But one thing we all know is BA / IAG is a pro-profit making company. From a shareholder perspective this makes absolutely no sense also.
BA / IAG are opening themselves up to countless EU261 claims and increasing costs. We can usually count on BA management when it comes to cost control!
Last edited by mmogdan; Aug 10, 22 at 1:54 pm
Aug 10, 22, 1:56 pm
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 257
Originally Posted by SpeedbirdLHR
And my point remains, there is no availability specifically for invol changes. It is all the same. If it is showing available to public, then yes, agents can use it for invol. If it’s not, then they can’t. The only option would be a waitlist/standby.
I don’t know what availability the agents would have seen for EI or Flybe so won’t comment other than to say that the ticketing support agents would have been the ones to assist with this. They are also the ones who should have been proactively rebooking any late connections. The fact that this wasn’t done and the original
comment about how busy connections was, suggests that there was a wider failure in the ticketing support which impacted what the front line colleagues could do.
I don’t know what availability the agents would have seen for EI or Flybe so won’t comment other than to say that the ticketing support agents would have been the ones to assist with this. They are also the ones who should have been proactively rebooking any late connections. The fact that this wasn’t done and the original
comment about how busy connections was, suggests that there was a wider failure in the ticketing support which impacted what the front line colleagues could do.
.
Aug 10, 22, 2:01 pm
#41
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: London, Babylon-on-Thames
Programs: BAEC Blue (back to Earth)
Posts: 1,226
I don't understand what the fuss is all about. You're all missing the important points that Wee Willie and his bag-carrier Accenture Alex slashed and burned and were rewarded accordingly by IAG for services to the shareholders. Let's all remember the size of Willie's bonus(es) and what he was rewarded on. It's for removing almost everything needed to make a BAU operation bearable in 2022......
Aug 10, 22, 2:01 pm
#42
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 1,032
Originally Posted by southsquare
Even if the above is correct - and it is at odds with many of the posts above - I wasn't even offered waitlist/standby, nor would there have been any need to offer either as there was availability. What was lacking was not availability but competent BA staff. I did not comment on "how busy connections was" so I do not know to what OP refers. In fact, when my boarding pass beeped at Fast Track connections, I went straight to the BA agent and there was no one in front of me in a queue to reach her. And after she confirmed that gate A1 was waiting, I was taken straight through security and I sped to A1, arriving at A1 at 0714. There followed 10 hours of chaos, frustration and exhaustion caused largely by incompetent BA staff.
.
.
Aug 10, 22, 2:06 pm
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 257
Originally Posted by SpeedbirdLHR
And my point remains, there is no availability specifically for invol changes. It is all the same. If it is showing available to public, then yes, agents can use it for invol. If it’s not, then they can’t. The only option would be a waitlist/standby.
I don’t know what availability the agents would have seen for EI or Flybe so won’t comment other than to say that the ticketing support agents would have been the ones to assist with this. They are also the ones who should have been proactively rebooking any late connections. The fact that this wasn’t done and the original
comment about how busy connections was, suggests that there was a wider failure in the ticketing support which impacted what the front line colleagues could do.
I don’t know what availability the agents would have seen for EI or Flybe so won’t comment other than to say that the ticketing support agents would have been the ones to assist with this. They are also the ones who should have been proactively rebooking any late connections. The fact that this wasn’t done and the original
comment about how busy connections was, suggests that there was a wider failure in the ticketing support which impacted what the front line colleagues could do.
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
A sorry tale, much of it avoidable. I hope you will submit your EC261 tonight
ba.com/complaints
and after 2 weeks, LBA then MCOL. With a short note saying BA's staff lacked the competence to do their job.
ba.com/complaints
and after 2 weeks, LBA then MCOL. With a short note saying BA's staff lacked the competence to do their job.
Code:
LHR ESTIMATED TIME OF DEPARTURE 0745 DELAY ZO LEFT THE GATE 0745 TOOK OFF 0758 ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL 0855 BHD BHD AIRCRAFT LANDED 0850 ARRIVED 0856
Aug 10, 22, 2:18 pm
#44
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 57,643
Lost earnings won't get very far, it's just EC261 delay compensation and Right to Care expenses. There are 3 things at play here, reimbursement, compensation and damages. The last is out of scope and the airlines act like hawks on that one. The other two are part of EC261. But you can put in for loss of earnings up to Ł95 (for making the MCOL application) and all set costs such as court fee. You can also claim interest at 8%
Aug 10, 22, 2:19 pm
#45
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GfL, Marriott PlatfL/Ambassador, TP Gold, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,588
Originally Posted by southsquare
I was directed from LHR to City Airport by train to take a LCY/BHD flight- with reduced mobility - because no BA LHR staff member could be bothered to rebook or offer any other assistance.
