OPebble

I think that is down to PAX complaining "you drowned my spirits with the mixer" or vice-versa! By letting PAX DIY they can be sure they are allowing people to get the proportions of drink they like.
I have also noticed that a request for a second spirit mini-bottle with the excuse "don't want to have to bother you later!" always produces results!

Can I help you

A miniature is already a double.
CIHY

Globaliser

You have to ask? We often have to return that second bottle, proffered without request!

jaguarpig

A standard miniature is 50ml ie a small double what I got wasn't even a single it was one sip. From the taste I suspect it was the Camus XO from F probably no CW brandy miniatures loaded.

Shuttle-Bored

The glass does seem to be half empty

Boo Boo

Unless you are drinking Port - then the glass is always completely full...

Boo

KECKIMAUSDRUCK

We flew CW to Mauritius for our honeymoon in April this year. Total disaster on the way out: they had us on the flight manifest as 'BA Crew' so because there was a cock-up on the catering front, we had no choice of main course for dinner: 'Sorry, there's only pasta left.' Their solution was to ask us if we were prepared to downgrade to an economy meal, rather than upgrading to a First one! We were also told - incorrectly, as it turned out - by one of the two perfunctory stewards allocated to the 'bubble' that they had to serve Gold and Silver cardholders first.

Drinks were certainly not flowing - nor helped by those ridiculous glasses they use. One glass of champagne on the ground; steward had never heard of a Black Russian; they were unfamiliar with the specially selected wines; no port or brandy offered.

The flight back was better, but we had had to contact our travel agent (Trailfinders) while in Mauritius and also explain the outbound problems to the Purser on boarding.

Some very interesting posts highlighting some of the factors which can lead to problems. Fundamentally, though, it seems that many BA staff have difficulty with the concept of waiting on people; many - despite all the talk about training/taking good care etc - simply do not know what it means to be customer-focused. This is where the Asian airlines score heavily.

Both my wife and I think they have made a huge mistake with the seating layout: who wants to have to clamber over a stranger's feet to get to the aisle? And who wants to sit facing a complete stranger - or, instead, perform the anti-social action of raising the screen?

I have had some excellent flights with BA down the years, but, generally, standards seem to have been eroded. Above all, it's the utter inconsistency that rules out booking for an important occasion ever again.

PS: Have just booked a return on BA using Air Miles. I had called BA's Customer Support to ask if I could then use BA Miles to upgrade and was told 'yes' This subsequently turned out to be duff information. I am currently in correspondence with them on the subject! Basically, the rules seem to stipulate that, in order to upgrade using BA Miles, you have to book a premium fare directly with BA. These strictures reduce the value of BA Miles to a point where one wonders if it's worth it at all.

LeisureFirst

I believe it is correct that meal choices are prioritized on the basis of BAEC status, although that is not the same thing as service order.

I'm not sure if it applies to those items which are not pre-ordered but simply selected as the trolley comes along. Yesterday I didn't get my cereal/fruit plate choice for breakfast starter, for example, and I'm confident I would have done so had it been status-prioritized.

A good flight attendant will do that for you. On a flight last week, a superb FA on the UD raised my screen immediately after the safety briefing. His less well-trained colleague then came along and lowered it, requesting it be down for take-off; I told him I believed this to be unnecessary, and sent him to the former FA for confirmation, pointing out that it was he that had lowered it.

KECKIMAUSDRUCK

I don't think it goes by BAEC status - they certainly denied this in a written reply to me, but then...

G-BOAC

I disagree. CW is by far and away the best and my favourite business cabin of any carrier I've flown, thanks to its clever layout.

The rules are very well documented on ba.com/in the EC pages/T&Cs. It would be interesting to see a transcript of the convo with the agent and exactly what they said/advised though. How did the convo go exactly?

I find the value of my BA Miles quite decent, especially for MFUs. Though I accept I am lucky that I book my own flights...when I had to book through a TA this was an annoyance, but not one I was under any illusions about.

Have a search for some past threads. Good crews will sort things out this way if there's a problem with numbers once orders have been taken and totted up in the galley. And rightly so.

DYKWIA

It's just been bettered by the Emirates J class on the A380 IMO. It's a very similar layout, but all the seats face forward. You also don't have to climb over anyone if you're in a window or middle seat.

Cheers,
Rick

DYKWIA

I suspect that there was a misunderstanding about Air Miles/BA Miles by the CS agent.

Cheers,
Rick

FrancisA

Sorry to hear about your problems, KECKIMAUSDRUCK, but I think you raise a whole lot of issues that others are better qualified to discuss. My observation would be with a good crew service can be very, very good, but when they're bad they're awful.

On being asked whether you would like a port, brandy, liqueur etc, after dinner in CW, I find that varies by crew. My view is that as long as it is available on request and it is not too difficult to request, then what's the problem? By which I mean, if I am offered a coffee after dinner, I will say "and a brandy, please" and it turns up without problem. This afternoon on MXP-LHR I was asked if I wanted anything (i.e. a brandy etc) with my coffee after lunch and that's only CE. In CW I do normally get offered an after dinner drink, but is that a good thing or am I down as an after dinner (any day with a "y" in it) drinker? Sometimes not being asked can be such a compliment!

One final point, when is BA ever going to be consistent with port!!! At the moment port is available on LH (CW/FIRST - I don't know about Y or WTP), LGW CE bands 3 and 4, but only band 4 for CE from LHR. Is there something obvious I am missing? Do LHR SH CE passengers really not drink port, particularly with a cheese course?

HIDDY

Yes I saw your report and must say they do look fantastic. OTOH apart from the A380 their J cabin config is average.

KECKIMAUSDRUCK

G-BOAC: Conversation brief, but agent sounded certain he knew what he was talking about!

FrancisA: I can only go by my experience! Glad you agree with the inconsistency point at least! Which is enough in my view to give it the thumbs down. I think fundamentally very few airlines have got the seamless experience right.