BA 540 (LHR-BLQ) aborts trip and return to LHR
Sep 12, 23, 3:38 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,604
BA 540 (LHR-BLQ) aborts trip and return to LHR
So we have just touched down at LHR after an apparent hydraulic leak has forced us to turn around when we were about an hour into the flight.
Captain stated that there are limited maintenance options at BLQ and so returning home is the best option. Sitting on the tarmac now and awaiting a return to stand. The usual safety checks being done.
I assume they will book us onto something soon but no idea how long this could take. Not sure if I should try and do something myself.
Captain stated that there are limited maintenance options at BLQ and so returning home is the best option. Sitting on the tarmac now and awaiting a return to stand. The usual safety checks being done.
I assume they will book us onto something soon but no idea how long this could take. Not sure if I should try and do something myself.
Sep 12, 23, 3:44 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,604
Capt has said he is awaiting news on how we are going to get to where we want to be. Hopefully this wont be a long wait but I fear the worst.
At least we are all down and perfectly fine. Normal landing and just frustration remains.
At least we are all down and perfectly fine. Normal landing and just frustration remains.
Sep 12, 23, 4:04 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BAEC Bronze, Mucci recipient
Posts: 1,685
As annoying as it is to have to return to LHR the Captain did the right thing. The last thing you want is an aircraft with hydraulics issues, or indeed any mechanical issue. And the last thing BA wants or needs is an aircraft stuck at an outstation with limited repair facilities.
I hope you get to BLQ ASAP.
I hope you get to BLQ ASAP.
Sep 12, 23, 5:31 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK - Hampshire & London
Programs: Mucci de Guardian des Celliers des Grands Crus 1e Class, plus BAEC.
Posts: 2,606
If no availability to BLQ, I would look at Milan or Pisa, even Venice, then train.
Last edited by krispy84; Sep 12, 23 at 7:44 am
Sep 12, 23, 7:35 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,604
Finally got rebooked on ITA to FCO and then on to BLQ for this evening. But what an absolute faff trying to get this done, and again highlighting the complete lack of experience at the call centres. So here’s a great example of everything that is wrong with BA’s CS dept (plus someone who is good):
We got back to the terminal to be met by BA staff who passed out hotel vouchers and told us to wait for the usual rebooking message. I asked about rebooking on other airlines and was told that it was not possible. So that was problem number one, and they should know the rights of passengers.
I was then pleasantly surprised to receive a very quick text saying I had been rebooked onto tomorrow's BA540. I decided to accept that, not expecting to be able to do much more and there is now way we were going to arrive any earlier than this evening in any case. My work colleague then got a text booking him on the LHR-FCO-BLQ option with ITA. As it made sense to try and arrive this evening ready to work tomorrow, I made the mistake of calling the Silver Line. The lady (who was clearly at the Indian(?) call centre) initially seemed to be able to help. But then she wasted half an hour totally screwing up the entire process.
At first she tried to get me on an earlier flight via MUC which I was happy to take, then she couldn't seem to make the booking stick, lost that one and offered me the FCO option. Then she told me she could not make the changes because I had the app open. Seriously?? So I closed the app and she still could not do it. Then she got all flustered and started accusing me of opening the booking and ruining her changes! Kept telling me to 'close the booking'! What the hell? Then she seems to try to push all the buttons at once…
In the end I walked over to the customer desk in the T5 baggage hall. The lady there started to see what was happening, opened my booking and saw a list of about 6 flight options that this Call Centre person was madly opening then cancelling. It was crazy. She then spoke to this customer service person and could not work out what the heck she was doing. In the end we cancelled the call, and the lady behind the desk called ticketing for me. Between them, they managed to sort it, however they couldn't get anything confirmed because the lady in India was STILL in the booking and making changes to it. They managed to finally get hold of someone there and get her off the booking. We were also afraid that she would destroy the return leg!
Ticketing eventually got me tonight’s flights and we are waiting for that.
But seriously, is this the way it should be? My knowledge from this forum helped a lot, even if I made the mistake of accepting the first automatic option before then going to make a further change. But for any regular passenger, trying to deal with a CS person who is not only clueless, but panics, accuses the pax of not closing the booking (I did, for the record, close the app when she asked), and then almost ruins the booking? That is simply wrong and these staff have no place doing the jobs they are being paid to do.
The desk people at T5 were fantastic, she was laughing and shaking her head at the same time, spent ages with ticketing and made sure it was all taken care of. I thanked her profusely! And she also could not understand what the Call Centre person was doing.
This is not a rant, it is simply to illustrate one main area where the company is going wrong. On the other hand, the flight crew this morning were fantastic in keeping us updated, and the return was handled with the professionalism you come to expect.
We got back to the terminal to be met by BA staff who passed out hotel vouchers and told us to wait for the usual rebooking message. I asked about rebooking on other airlines and was told that it was not possible. So that was problem number one, and they should know the rights of passengers.
I was then pleasantly surprised to receive a very quick text saying I had been rebooked onto tomorrow's BA540. I decided to accept that, not expecting to be able to do much more and there is now way we were going to arrive any earlier than this evening in any case. My work colleague then got a text booking him on the LHR-FCO-BLQ option with ITA. As it made sense to try and arrive this evening ready to work tomorrow, I made the mistake of calling the Silver Line. The lady (who was clearly at the Indian(?) call centre) initially seemed to be able to help. But then she wasted half an hour totally screwing up the entire process.
At first she tried to get me on an earlier flight via MUC which I was happy to take, then she couldn't seem to make the booking stick, lost that one and offered me the FCO option. Then she told me she could not make the changes because I had the app open. Seriously?? So I closed the app and she still could not do it. Then she got all flustered and started accusing me of opening the booking and ruining her changes! Kept telling me to 'close the booking'! What the hell? Then she seems to try to push all the buttons at once…
In the end I walked over to the customer desk in the T5 baggage hall. The lady there started to see what was happening, opened my booking and saw a list of about 6 flight options that this Call Centre person was madly opening then cancelling. It was crazy. She then spoke to this customer service person and could not work out what the heck she was doing. In the end we cancelled the call, and the lady behind the desk called ticketing for me. Between them, they managed to sort it, however they couldn't get anything confirmed because the lady in India was STILL in the booking and making changes to it. They managed to finally get hold of someone there and get her off the booking. We were also afraid that she would destroy the return leg!
Ticketing eventually got me tonight’s flights and we are waiting for that.
But seriously, is this the way it should be? My knowledge from this forum helped a lot, even if I made the mistake of accepting the first automatic option before then going to make a further change. But for any regular passenger, trying to deal with a CS person who is not only clueless, but panics, accuses the pax of not closing the booking (I did, for the record, close the app when she asked), and then almost ruins the booking? That is simply wrong and these staff have no place doing the jobs they are being paid to do.
The desk people at T5 were fantastic, she was laughing and shaking her head at the same time, spent ages with ticketing and made sure it was all taken care of. I thanked her profusely! And she also could not understand what the Call Centre person was doing.
This is not a rant, it is simply to illustrate one main area where the company is going wrong. On the other hand, the flight crew this morning were fantastic in keeping us updated, and the return was handled with the professionalism you come to expect.
Sep 12, 23, 7:48 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,843
As annoying as it is to have to return to LHR the Captain did the right thing. The last thing you want is an aircraft with hydraulics issues, or indeed any mechanical issue. And the last thing BA wants or needs is an aircraft stuck at an outstation with limited repair facilities.
The question now is how well BA as an organisation recovers from this unexpected incident, and how they treat the passengers who were inconvenienced by it. By the sound of it, they have not handled it particularly well.
Sep 12, 23, 7:51 am
#13
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,843
But for any regular passenger, trying to deal with a CS person who is not only clueless, but panics, accuses the pax of not closing the booking (I did, for the record, close the app when she asked), and then almost ruins the booking? That is simply wrong and these staff have no place doing the jobs they are being paid to do.
Sep 12, 23, 8:31 am
#14
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA PLT PRO, AGR, Strawberry (Nordic Choice), Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 3,822
This is why text based chat for elite members with real people who are trained customer service agents would be so much better.
That way, passengers could just send specific detailed instructions about exactly what rebooking they wanted routes, airlines etc and it would be done with a minimum of fuss.
That way, passengers could just send specific detailed instructions about exactly what rebooking they wanted routes, airlines etc and it would be done with a minimum of fuss.
