BillyBleach

Unfortunately BA2560 to Crete from LGW was delayed by air traffic control restrictions (this happens and I understand out of BAs control). The delay to takeoff was over 90mins, sat on the tarmac.

Upon take off the service was started and immediately ceased as the POS terminals failed. No service was possible for the whole 4 hour flight, with a huge demand for food and drinks in the cabin. Seems the POS terminals were crashing when attempting to take payment. I noticed the BA Wi-Fi service was also down and I wonder if this was linked (I.e. the POS terminals require Wi-Fi to operate)

However my complaint is of health and safety of the passengers and the fact that from the time the delay was announced and the service halted, it took the cabin crew 2.5 hours to serve water to the passengers on the plane. Once we took off, we were quite thirsty (family of 5, 3 kids aged 16, 12, 4). I thought “it’s ok the service is coming round soon. Then service was cancelled (captains announcement). It was not until over 1 hour into the flight, and almost 30 mins after the service cancellation announcement, that the cabin crew announced and started to supply water to those in economy (obv CE pax had their own independent supply of food and drink).

This cannot be acceptable.

So many complaints appeared from passengers who were thirsty. I am convinced the complaints drove the announcement of water to be delivered, there didn;t seem to be any interest otherwise. My son who is 4 was thirsty before boarding, was dehydrated by the time the small glass of water appeared. He fell asleep he was so thirsty.

I am very angry at this experience. I highlighted my view to the cabin crew mid flight (prior to the water delivery) and they were more interested in trying to solve the problem of the POS terminals not working.

I can accept technical faults occur and a speed bird cafe service was not possible, but to leave your customers in a hot cabin without water for 2.5 hours is totally unacceptable and I have sent a strongly worded complaint to understand how this can happen.

Is this a limited incident in which cabin crew failed to follow procedure? Or is this indicative of a HSE problem within operating procedures.

I’m half tempted to raise a complaint to the HSE executive also.

Can I help you

As there are only around 30 plastic glasses loaded on the whole aircraft I’m guessing they wouldn’t have considered coming through with water and would have given water on request only.

mikeyfly

Not ridding BA of any responsibility, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t take my own water on board in any cabin in a water bottle canister i reuse at the other end, short or long haul, there will always be periods when drinks can’t be served and if you’re particularly “thirsty” you’ve got to take your own to be safe.

Can I help you

Actually I am wrong, at LGW they serve glasses of water where as at LHR they give bottles so I agree they should have served water to everyone if they had enough.

Greenpen

We are savannah apes; no water is not a problem over a few hours!

D1L

Its a poor service from the crew on the day and unfortunately, as with many LGW flights these days, comes from little to no leadership skills from the cabin manager or from following the service guidelines.

It's unfortunate about the slot delay, it cant be helped and many dozens more flights will have also been affected at the same time. So long as the crew kept people informed, and were present in the cabin at various intervals, thats the best they can do in these situations. There's no infinite supply of water on the aircraft, or glasses to serve them from. So offering this out has to be timed carefully

As for the payment devices going down, thats again unfortunate and BA with their supplier really need to look at having an offline mode or other back up plans to offer this service as in the past. However, once the crew knew that wasnt an option, they should have immediately been out in the cabin offering water and even pretzels of which they are still loaded.

Finally, as mentioned by others, there's no way I'd get on an aircraft, particularly with young children, without an ounce of water or juice to supply for them as a parent. Even if you were late for the hundreds of shops towards the gate, theres vending machines and water fountains all over Gatwick.

ACES70

I would be taking drinks on board if I was travelling with children. I always take my reusable bottle and fill it at the airport for the flight as you can't guarantee they will have water etc.

tennessetom

Did you try to get water, I have never ever been told no if I walk to the galley and ask nicely

DeepUnderground

I have learned this lesson the same way, so now I always bring some water onboard.

BillyBleach

Of course lesson learned to ensure you have water with you.

But in all the years I’ve travelled water has always been proactively offered, especially in a delay situation where the cabin is hot.

For me it was the lack of any consideration or awareness of the impact of the hot cabin. Only after numerous complaints did the cart come out with large bottles of water and cups.

The cabin crew were young age it seemed to me a case of inexperience versus anything else.

But my point stands - that cannot be an acceptable standard. Either from a operational perspective or customer service.

Certainly a mistake I won’t make again with BA, but not being able to guarantee water is not a problem I expected to face, or encountered before on a commercial flight.

There were plenty of passengers (with kids) who also boarded the plane thinking access to water would not be an issue.

many people were asking and complaining. Like I said - it wasn’t until 1 hour into the flight (2.5 hrs from the time of boarding) that water was given.

Thanks for your input.

CHCflyer

I have nothing to add to the situation other than to add my dismay at BA. But looking at the threads on this BA forum and there seems to be a systemwide issue with BA delivering their service, Look at the titles and see the failings by BA on the ground, in the air, post and pre-flight, service levels, lost bags, slow compensation, poor handling of delays. The accumulation of dissatisfaction will have to bite BA in the ar*ie at some point. Creaming off super-high yields off the North Atlantic trips is all that is preserving this hollowed out airline.
I apologise if my view has hi-jacked the thread but it feels like yet another service failing from this triumph of marketing over delivery.

nk15

BA is very strict with water in economy on flights to Greece, lol. I had my worst ever water experience with them, for 4 hours in economy they would only give me small cup of water once, and I am Emerald. I asked several times for another cup of water and also to buy bottled water and I was ignored. I was parched the whole way to London.

I have never experienced anything like that before on any airline, such neglect and disdain for economy passengers, lol...

volar

Yes, and isn’t this usually done first, before the speedbird cafe is offered?

lcylocal

I do the same, but I also have a lot of sympathy for the OP.

It can be hard to fill a bottle (away from Heathrow and Gatwick, which both have proper filling points) and in all honesty sometimes I’ve brought one and forgotten to fill it with everything else going on. Roll on 3D scanning and the end of the liquids rule.

Then you just have to make sure that kids sealed bottles/cups don’t spew water everywhere when you open them because of the pressure changes!

As someone else has said, the ET service standard is/should be complimentary water and snack, then Buy on Board pre-orders, then general Buy on Board. So I’m not sure why the crew go involved in the POS issues first. Maybe they were trying to contract the service as reported in other threads, but not clear why given this is a long flight.

nk15

The way to see this is that the OP flew from one island to another, but had to go through a long dry waterless desert to get there....