The carpets alone are enough to put one off LHR (or any BAA airport). But if you are London-based, then the desirability or otherwise of LHR does not have much bearing on whether or not you stick with BA. LCY aside, Heathrow is my favourite London airport, but I still tend to avoid BA, for a number of not very good reasons.

Well for me there’s a few reasons……..

Firstly BA fly to so many destinations around the world, that there’s pretty much nowhere I would want to go that’s not served by BA.

Then I find that BA have a good consistent product, my previous airline of choice up to a few years was Virgin. But to quote a line from Forrest Gump, they’re (VS) “like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get” From what I read on this & other forums, it appears that the inconsistent standards are now the norm on VS. Whereas I’ve always found BA to have a good reliable product.

You can have an exceptional crew on BA which really can turn an already good trip into a truly brilliant one. But the “standard” crew are still very professional, sincere & efficient in the way they look after you & make you feel welcome. I’ve yet to experience on BA the “strumpted up, painted bits of totty” smiling so falsely at you, that can found on “other” airlines.

Having all my trips originate in Ireland it’s very convenient to have BA code share feeder flights to LHR with EI on a single booking / ticket & all that brings with it. Such as issuing BA BP’s at my point of origin (ORK or DUB) & the seamless interlining of baggage etc. I only hope that with the changes in EI & their imminent departure from OW, won’t spell the end of this cosy little arrangement. The alternatives would be a major backward step, let alone fraught with huge hassle, but that’s a discussion for another thread.

Then of course there’s price.

In all my recent bookings, BA have consistently outstripped the competition with their fare, in that magical “I” class. In fact on recent trips I’ve being travelling with BA in Club World, for pretty much the price I used to pay for Premium Economy on Virgin

An example would be a trip to Florida that I’m currently planning for June ’07 departing ex Ireland (ORK) to MIA.

Virgin’s cheapest Upper Class fare is “Z” which quoted at Eur 3,086.00 pp . This is only available ex London so I would need to add on return ORK-LHR flights on a separate ticket to that fare. Also you only have 3 days from date of booking until you need to issue the tickets, after which you have no refunds or changes allowed.

Whereas BA’s “I” class fare came in at Eur 2,171.00 pp & that’s ex ORK, so no need for a separate add on ORK-LHR ticket like is needed with the VS fare.

While the restrictions upon issuing the ticket are the same as VS, with no changes or refunds allowed, you are given 30 days from date of booking, until you need to issue the ticket, which give s you much more time to finalise your plans, before issuing the tickets. Versus the measly 3 days allowed by VS.

So all in all BA fares in CW ex Ireland are vastly better in terms of cost & convenience than Virgin’s

I just hope that with EI’s departure out of OW, that my new found “happy travels with BA” aren’t about to be pulled out from under my feet :(

I prefer to stick with BA for a few reasons. Most of my travel is to the US or Caribbean and their schedules are great for me. The alternatives of a US carrier or the bearded one do not sit well. :(

I find crews on US carriers to generally be quite rude and brusque - tolerable on short hops, not so much on a transatlantic trip. (Though as many of you will know, I love the Americans - don't why it is they change when they become crew! :rolleyes: )

As for the bearded one - does anyone remember the old BBC Airport series - the one where they showed VS crew training? There was one girl on there who every minute was "mind my hair", "is my hair OK", etc, etc. If there was ever an emergency, she'd need her hairdryer before evacuating the pax! :eek:
Last time I flew VS was 6 years ago, after that trip I swore Never Again. Half the crew were barely out of short trousers and, I'm sorry to say, acted like they were on their way to a night in an Ibiza nightclub! BA's crew are far superior in their professional, courteous and friendly approach.

As an ex-BCAL lady (who BA took over in 1986) there's also loyalty towards a company who took on a large number of my ex-colleagues - albeit many of them have now retired.

Slightly OT, but is BAA missing a trick or is there some form of customs-related restriction (a bit like in the US not being allowed to use cellphones while waiting for your luggage), that stops the arrivals experience from being enhanced with shops and restaurants etc?

One excellent feature at some airports (ZRH, FCO etc) is a display which suggests how long you might have to wait before your luggage appears at the carousel. I wouldn't mind so much arriving at LHR baggage reclaim and being informed that I have 25 minutes to wait for my bags, if I could go and get a drink or buy a newspaper or something while I waited. Any plans for similar at T5?

I agree, I've flown with 4 US airlines, Delta (back in 94), America West, Southwest, and Jetblue. Delta back in 94 was good service and I was like 8 years old. But Jetblue and Southwest had the friendliest staff. They really tried to make flying fun.

So many trips to top up your golden tan. So it is real then? :p

And there was me, thinking it was the regular trips to your local TansRUs TM in Streatham. :p

Of course my tan's real! That gorgeous cappuchino shade, though with the cold weather it's fading fast. :( And I shall leave you guessing as to whether it's an all over tan! ;)

By the way Smirnoff - do you have anything to do with this - not Kate Moss, the slavery bit? (Tried to get proper article, but could only get headlines!! :eek:
http://standardonline.newspaperdirec...er/viewer.aspx

The cabin staff, my proximity to and the destinations from London are the main reasons why, but the fact that there seems to be an element of mutual respect between myself and the airline (things get sorted with minimal hassle when they go wrong or need to be changed, almost always very good seats on BA metal, oneworld benefits, didn't give me an upgrade to F from C when I tried to blag it on an overnight on my birthday but I didn't really expect it or care anyway, shareholder discount ex-UK, et al). Probably most importantly is that Messrs Eddington and indeed Walsh, the fat-chopper extraordinaire, know that this mutual self-interest exists on various levels and their performance shall be judged by their responsiveness to it.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not because of the Britishness though, as although I hold a close affinity, I also do with Dutch and French cultures as well, and really, the Schengen/non-Schengen thing to deal with ex-AMS not to mention the horror shows of LHR/LGW is a huge minus. But on average, it's worth it because I get longhaul benefit even when on short hops.

This means bugger all if you're wanting to fly from Birmingham or Manchester to other regions or the continent on the "flag carrier", I know.

Maybe BA should merge with Iberia for real, to really compete with AF-KL, which will be kicking for the UK regional market to connect to longhaul in AMS or CDG (or, FRA, *A), so, environmental concerns notwithstanding, why not BA-IB through-checked BHX-MAD-JFK instead of train B'ham New Street-Euston, LDN/HEX hassle, LHR checkin/security, LHR-JFK??

I wish Flybe tons of luck on shorthaul and note with interest that even BA has a 15% stake in its success...

I go out of my way to fly BA (new slogan in the making?) because of the crew.

I love

• the calm "I am in control" welcome from the pilot,

• the friendly, often risque chat from the cabin crew,

• the relaxed efficiency of the service,

• the smile and a wink as I get served yet another drink before landing

and I could go on...

Above all, I feel safe on BA.

Sure there are lots of niggles, but no other airline can make me feel at home as soon as I step on board. As a long-term expat a little bit of home is always welcome.

Thanks to the crew on BA flights :) ^

That is so true ^

Seems as good a thread as many to give more praise to BA!

On a recent flight, the IFE system was not working correctly and had to be replaced before we could board. Initially ground staff kept the pax advised as to what was happening, but after 20 minute delay in boarding the Captain came out and spoke to everybody, giving exact details of the problem, how it would be fixed, how long it takes, etc, before answering questions. He also stood chatting to all the kids at the departure gate - most of whom were staring at him in wide-eyed awe!!

I've never seen this before with any airline, including BA, but I must say I thought it was a very nice gesture. ^ ^

^ What BAgLady said. Also, I like knowing what I'm going to get with BA. I know what to expect on a flight, and it's quite nice - using the word in a good way. Only two flights in the last 15 years have had less than :-: crews - and for that, much thanks.

I flew with US Airways recently, and got what I expected: a seat on an aeroplane (but did get bulkhead both ways, by asking nicely :cool: ), a tin of fizzy drink, and a safe arrival. It was all right for a three hour flight, but for long haul I want more, and am willing to pay for a premium product.

FWIW, I have high hopes for NGCW; MFUs - may they never be enhanced :p out of existence.

i've started doing it in 1977 when I was at boarding school in the uk living in jo'burg.
I defy anybody not to be seduced into a state of relaxation by the greeting from the cockpit, seasoned by the welcome from the purser or csd.
There is something about BA crew that just oozes class and confidence that no other airline has been able to match.
I know many will recognise the sheer joy I feel when I step onto a BA aircraft in the United States, having endured america and americans, and am looked after by a BA crew.
May there be many more crews as good as yours, and may the blessings of god be bestowed upon you.
( I'm standing now, with a glass in my hand)
God save the queen, and tits and pucci and their mates.

- They had a pricing mistake which they honoured. Had a very cheap holiday in Hong Kong courtesy of this and now if find that BA are £10-£30 more expensive on a flight, I am happy to pay that.
- I despise the level of service on American carriers. Think Trailer park trash and go down a couple of levels.
- Always had excellent service onboard. Friendly and efficient who you can share a joke with or just chat to.
- BA staff go out of their way to make sure your flight is enjoyable. I mentioned earlier this year that the Chinese woman next to me was constantly spitting and the stewardess upgraded me and my partner to WT+.
- No sh*tty advertising where they claim flights from £150 to Hong Kong return but failing to mention all the additional taxes which make it only a few quid than BA. Cathay Pacific are notorious at emailing sh*te like this out.

The difference between a British Airways air steward and their American counterpart is that the job in the UK is held in much esteem so better calibre apply and therefore you typically get a better service.

I suppose when you're paying £1000's for a business or first class ticket then you look for certain things that your economy class passenger does not. I doubt I'll ever fly first class (unless a pricing mistake comes up) so I just look for the basics and how well they perform those.

In the air, do a pretty good job but their ground operation does need a kick up the arse. However it's in the air that what counts so I'll stick with BA.

I wonder how profitable that mistake has turned out to be? (One I took advantage of and am immensely grateful for)

Lots of things have been mentioned here that I fully agree with but one that hasn't: I feel immense pride when boarding my flight home. That those foreigners coming to the UK for the first time are getting the BA welcome as their first taste. That there is still a service company that has my attitude. That I can smile at the crew and get a sincere smile back. That they flew Concorde with the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. That I own a miniscule part of the operation, and that I belong to their club.