Jimmie76

I stay with BA because they have done things for my family and me that went above and beyond what I expected, and they had to do legally. In one case arranging for those members of the family stuck in Grenada including me, to get home on another carrier, one New Year (so oversold planes + standby) when it wasn't their fault, we had missed the BA flight thanks to LIAT. I have also use the LHR - BOS route as my main route and they offer 3 flights daily as opposed to the 1 on other certain carriers which offers better chances of getting back if you miss your flight/it goes tech.

bernardd

I'm probably different to others in that I've switched to BA from AA this year. The reasons I switched were I'm sick and tired of the falling AA Coach "quality", and the cramped seats. I can't/won't justify $5,000+ for AA's weak Business Class round trips, can't use I fares because of the typically 42 day APEX requirement, and got annoyed by the introduction of the $600 co-pay for upgrading.

After almost 2 million earned miles on AA I've decided to turn my back on the life of a mileage tart and to choose flights that are convenient, but starting from AUS I have very few Premium Economy choices that don't require a 3 hour domestic connection - BA ex-IAH is about the only realistic choice. I'm presently getting the WT+ for $300-400 more than I was paying AA, which is a reasonable deal in my eyes.

Having got into BA, one of the plus points is the cabin crew - I've heard comments about some of the inexperienced members post one fleet, but so far that hasn't been a problem - they're enthusiastic and have done a better job than AA.

Also it's been easier than I expected to earn BA Silver - probably 26,000 BIS miles instead of 50,000 on AA. Plus MFU's without co-pays are a good deal.

One of the things that's really irritated me has been the SHEER VOLUME OF BUGS IN BA.COM Uuurrrrgggghhhhh! As one who works in the industry, it's symptomatic of pi$$ poor quality control and an abysmally poor level of testing.

Also the hold times on their US reservations line - I had two 40 minute holds in successive days recently, which is totally unacceptable.

Overall though it's been a good switch for me. It happens that the move of these flights to LHR will be a pain for me from next Spring, though I'll end up using expensive taxi's instead of public transport. I'd love to see the US carriers offer real Economy+ options, or VS fly from Texas, but until that happens BA seems to be the best TATL option I have.

Aleks

I am AA PLT.

Prospero

I know I complain bitterly about not being able to enjoy a bloody mary onboard LGW domestic flights, the pitiful Band 1/2 CE salads, the wretched overcrowding in the T4 lounges and the regrettable demise of the long standing friendly faces at my home airport but despite all this I still feel cuddly and warm on board a BA flight.

I acknowledge BA has been good to me this year - it the small touches like the friendly banter with the lounge staff and cabin crew, having a middle seat kept free allowing one to spread out the broadsheet, even in CE on a packed flight out to BRU seated in 2A with 2C blocked didn't go unnoticed even if it went unmentioned (until now )

Jimmie76

And touch wood I've never had a very bad flight on BA and when things have gone wrong the FA's have either fixed the problem, or made up for it so that I'm not bothered about the problem anymore.

Above all in my experience they are consistent and I know what to expect when I board and 99 times out of 100 I get it (for the other time see previous paragraph). It is also nice to get onto a British plane after being somewhere foreign and know that you are almost back in Britain.

BLG

We live in LA. My wife's family is in East Sheen, outside of London, and we usually go over a couple of times a year. Since AA is obviously not in the same class as BA or Virgin when it comes to lie flat beds, and BA has a much better route structure for other travel, we stay with BA (having amassed a good war chest of miles). However, since we end up short of Silver most years -- given the fact that we must now fight for seats at the last minute with OLCI -- Virgin is beginning to tempt us slightly. I suppose it's going to come down to how much of a negative the seating policy turns out to be. Time will tell.

Smirnoff

Golds have never had it so good. Best choice of seats, great flights, good flight times, great crew, great lounges, great for redeeming multiple awards in premium cabins, catering in Eur is good, one bag policy on busy European flights is a huge improvement. And those that travel very frequently are taken special care of. I feel loved. And I wouldn´t fly with anyone else unless I had to.

knifeandfork

I'd agree with N19's finest on most points, but it's one thing to have 62K or 2K for a couple of months out in MMB, but another to have the seatshifters nick it off you at OLCI. It's only happened to me once on an LAX-LHR but it's maddening.

BLG

Following up to my previous post.

Positives:

LAX/LHR WT+ to CW MFUs are an outstanding deal -- more than anything else, they keep me coming back.

The Club at LHR is outstanding, as is CW check-in at LHR.

The outstanding lie-flat beds in NCW.

Negatives:

Miserable seating policy -- can't get assigned seats without Silver or better status.

Terrible, glitchy website.

Long hold times for Exec Club service in US.

Lack of a decent club at LAX, my home port.

vla

Because KLM is imploding, day by day.

I might add that I feel tolerated, often welcomed, but not loved by BA. Apparently I spend too much time at home!

PolandExpat

To use up the miles.

Shuttle-Bored

Well, I'm beginning to think that it's time to try someone else, having not flown with anyone else on a route which BA fly for about 4 years. I've just had enough of some of the niggly issues which seem to plague BA at the moment. I've no idea whether life is better on the outside, but hey, let's give it a shot......

So, if my upcoming work trip comes off, Dirty Virgin, here I come

edi-traveller

I'm sort of with you on that. I've stick rigidly to BA for so long - defying company travel policy on occasions, doing mileage runs to keep Gold. I have shed loads of miles - and will use them - but I look at my tier points for the year and it is touch and go looking at what I know I have to travel for the next few months whether I will make a Gold renewal - and for the first time ever - I don't feel too bothered about it - whereas in the past I would be planning mileage runs.........

I guess if you get to feeling like that then the airline has started to lose you........

.....please try to win me back BA!

bernardd

Makes great reading doesn't it? If I understand it correctly they had an MD-11 that developed a fault 3 hours out over the Atlantic, causing the crew to return to AMS. There's no spare so they use a 747-400, fly to YVR where, surprise, surprise, there's no 747 crew ready to fly back. Doh! The poor passengers then have to sit around while the outgoing crew sleeps and get back bascially a day late. It sounds like Fred Karnos Army at present, but is it different to everyone else? Anyone want to horrify us with similar tales from BA?

Shuttle-Bored

Quite. I've just dropped back to Silver, due to a drop off in business travel this year (new job), and ended the year at about 1000TP. There was a time where I'd either have engineered a couple of trips, or done an MR or two, but this year, I just can't be bothered. I'll quite easily make Silver, so where I've got a choice, I think VS might just get a turn.

As they say, familiarity breeds contempt and all that - maybe trying out someone else will change my views a bit.