Question for BA peeps re:World traveller plus

[atco-matic]

Hi guys'n'gals... booked in world trauma plus firm seat to toronto next month. Just found out from a friend that not all the B747 400s have world traveller plus on them... is this true? If so, what happens at check in if there are no world trauma plus seats? Have I got to sulk down the back in 4th class?

[Hand Solo]

Well if they're selling WT+ then its on the aircraft. I think almost all the 744s at LHR are now fitted out in the 4 class config, the remaining aircraft are mostly at LGW. If WT+ isn't on board then it means the aircraft has the old style club seats, and lots of them, so perhaps you'd find yourself in one of those.

[atco-matic]

ok hands I'm sure you're right, but a crew friend tells me he has a trip where the return leg from toronto is on an old config 400... anyway I'd like to think as ATC i'll be in club anyway... ho hum we can but dream lol!!

[Pandora]

Atco-matic,

with the greatest of respect, how do you think being ATC is going to guarantee you a club seat. If being welcomed on board an aircraft by a CSD I have worked with many times (and always got on well with), being introduced to the CC by a positioning captain I happened to bump into (who I also knew well), and Club being over half empty isn't going to get me a Club seat when I work for BA as flight crew, I'm not sure how you are going to manage it. If you do, let me know your secret.

[flapsforty]

Pandora, what a gloomy scenario! :eek:
Is there a very strict no-upgrading policy? Would the CSD take a tumble if reported? Or just being ornery?
With us it's about 50-50 if you get upgraded or not, and the company is pretty strict if you as a Purser get found out for having done an unlawful upgrade.

I traveled full paying on my own airline from LAX last year (had to be back on time) and the same thing happened.
The Purser (as we call the SCD) knew me, so did most of the FA's.
The FA's told me later they had tried to get me an upgrade, but the Purser saw "no reason" for it. :D
If I had traveled on a staff ticket I would have been in business class automatically due my rank and number of years with the comp, and the Purser in question knew this. :(
Some people just like to be rotten to others; your English saying "what goes 'round comes 'round" always comforts me in these situations. ;)

atco-matic you better hope that the CC in question hasn't read you "call bell" thread here! :p

[Tiger]

Ditto Pandora. Got as far a World Traveller Plus once!

Also a lot of Gold and Silver card holders have been down graded by their companies from First to Club, Club to World Traveller plus and so on. They are on the look out for crews and other airline staff getting the upgrades, and then complain. They forget that they get their company perks??? one of them free air miles and other frequent flyer schemes, company car etc but some cannot handle the fact they are no longer at the front anymore.

I did read the call bell posting to...and World "Trauma" Plus?
:confused:

[Tight Slot]

Pandora - I think atc-omatic was tyring to be tongue in the proverbial cheek. Watch the two ronnies, you'll soon get it....

[Shadowpurser]

oooo!!! Are we going to start the upgrade policy thread again!!!
You'll remember that one Flaps! he he he:eek:

[atco-matic]

Well I'm glad to see that somebody knows what ''tongue in cheek'' is!! I'm not going to get involved in an upgrade or not argument as it is not what my original post was about...

however, all I can say is that us air traffic controllers DO tell each other when we have had a bad flight or when we have been treated nicely by the crew (even if it's just the odd bottle of champers!)... it seems a shame that a few individuals are prepared to tarnish the reputation of their airline just for being a jobsworth at the end of the day. I KNOW what it says in your rules, but WE have rules too...

I'm not sure how one of your pilots would react if he asked me for a direct routeing/ higher cruising altitude/ lower cruising altitude (which may reduce YOUR working hours or save YOUR company money) and I said no because it was more than my jobsworth (or the classic ''we don't do that sort of thing at the aircraft''= ''I can't be bothered'')... Or when the guy from flow control comes up to me and says ''speedbird 123 is sitting on the ground at Gatwick with a 90 minute delay cos of a flow restriction/ he's just missed his slot... would you mind taking an extra one over and above the flow regulation?''. What should I say then? ''No cos the crew were awful on my last flight?'' Of course not... but the decision is being put in my hands so I could if i wanted to.

Lets not forget BA peeps that at the end of the day we pay twice as much for a BA standby (ID80) as you do (ID90) and the only people lower than us on the priority list are travel agents!! How can this be fair when we are all working for the same company (BA part owns ATC now remember)... we can't even buy our own hotline tickets!

Anyway, thanks to all of you who have treated me well on my travels over the years... and to those of you who didn't think I was worth making the effort for...just remember we're all in this together at the end of the day!



:)

[Hand Solo]

So are you NATS then, and have you always been able to buy ID80s? I'm sure our cabin crew would be delighted to upgrade you every time, but now TAG have a large stake they fear you might be a spy for one of the other member airlines!:D