BA Going Downhill?
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BA Going Downhill?
I felt the need to air my view on the current situation regarding BA, and infact many passengers are thinking the same. It is applicable to LGW in particular.
On a daily basis Short haul flights are being cancelled, indeed today 5 are cancelled.
Delays up 2+ are a regular occurence to short haul services, again on a daily basis.
Many comments are being made regarding the condition of BA's 737 fleet at LGW, with faulty seats, shabby interiors and appauling toilets, not to mention a few aircraft without a club/economy cabin divider.
It is the 2nd summer BA have had no early departures to LGW from the likes of MAD, BCN, MRS, NAP etc, all large business centres. Are they now loosing business orientated pax to other airlines. These early departures have been sacrificed for very late arrivals into LGW. All part of the high utilisation programme, which could account or a/c not being able to play catch-up!!
Are these problems at LGW solely due to the 737 fleet going tech or is there not enough a/c and crew? Surely BA will have to look at replacing the 737's or they will begin to loose customers in favour of bright, shiny new orange 319's?!!
BA at LGW is a great place, with friendly crews and a great choice of destinations but BA don't seem to be addressing these issues?!!!
On a daily basis Short haul flights are being cancelled, indeed today 5 are cancelled.
Delays up 2+ are a regular occurence to short haul services, again on a daily basis.
Many comments are being made regarding the condition of BA's 737 fleet at LGW, with faulty seats, shabby interiors and appauling toilets, not to mention a few aircraft without a club/economy cabin divider.
It is the 2nd summer BA have had no early departures to LGW from the likes of MAD, BCN, MRS, NAP etc, all large business centres. Are they now loosing business orientated pax to other airlines. These early departures have been sacrificed for very late arrivals into LGW. All part of the high utilisation programme, which could account or a/c not being able to play catch-up!!
Are these problems at LGW solely due to the 737 fleet going tech or is there not enough a/c and crew? Surely BA will have to look at replacing the 737's or they will begin to loose customers in favour of bright, shiny new orange 319's?!!
BA at LGW is a great place, with friendly crews and a great choice of destinations but BA don't seem to be addressing these issues?!!!
Join Date: Dec 1998
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our bright shiney new on time early departing state of the art love passengers smiley crew equipped orange A319s await you in LGW.......
despite stelios being obviously colour blind we're worth a shot.
despite stelios being obviously colour blind we're worth a shot.
Join Date: Feb 1999
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Can,t agree with you at all there.At my employers behest I travel regularly internally with Ba ex LGW ,its a quality product usually punctual.I work for a Uk charter airline overall I think the BA product is excellent.Last weeks experience typical LGW-GLA with BA cost to company £180 single including taxes flight delayed 30 minutes use of lounge ,pleasant staff kept well informed free newspapers ,drink,tasty sandwich an excellent product.Two days later ezyjet NCL-STN cost £120 including taxes 30 minutes late no information kept in holding pens with an assortment of hen/batchelor parties who thought racially abusing some japanese pax good fun.Nothing provided, aircraft dirty, sweet papers on floor and generally shabby though I note it was an NG 73.Cabin crew trying hard but little to offer except humour on safety brief (I can,t approve of that) look as if they,ve just stepped out of the freezer at a supermarket,barely audible pa from flight deck which seemed to imply that they were always running late on this service because of the sector length.So guess which airline in my book offers the better value,it isn,t orange.
I'm Just A Lawnmower
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GLA-LGW-KRK and back last week with the World's Favourite. Very impressed, much more pleasant experience than the locos that I normally fly with. Yes, a couple of the 734s looked as though they could do with a bit of a refurbishment but they were clean and comfortable enough. Staff were polite and friendly, allocated seats are a big plus as I hate that rush whenever a RYR flight is called. Used BAs online check-in on the way out, even printed boarding cards for the GLA-LGW leg. All worked a treat. On the down side, three of the four flights were delayed but I suspect that was a Gatwick problem as much as a BA one.
Yes, I used a shed load of air miles to take me and the family with BA but in this instance it was worth it as the alternate - EZY via LTN, collecting the bags at LTN and re-checking in, non-connecting service etc - was not worth the saved money.
Oh, and got to use the bridge at LGW - it is brilliant
Yes, I used a shed load of air miles to take me and the family with BA but in this instance it was worth it as the alternate - EZY via LTN, collecting the bags at LTN and re-checking in, non-connecting service etc - was not worth the saved money.
Oh, and got to use the bridge at LGW - it is brilliant
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On a daily basis Short haul flights are being cancelled, indeed today 5 are cancelled.
Without timely help from BA today, the delays might have been considerably longer.
I think that BA do have a policy of cancelling flights to enable the swiftest possible recovery of their programme, rather than struggling with huge delays. It's probably the case that this causes pain for fewer pax and they do try to choose routes where alternatives are available.
The Odd One
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If you look at the BAA Gatwick website departure and arrival information it is impossible to believe that BA have anything than several delayed departures every day. The departure info is not specific as to the length of the delays but it does give an impresion of poor punctuality standards.
The last time I used them ex LGW there was only 1 desk open two hours before departure time in the early morning. . There were long queues. They obviously have severe staff shortages there.
In the last two years I have suffered delays of more than 4 hours out of LGW on them for flights that were scheduled as the first flights of the day on those aircraft. My last two inbound flights were also seriously delayed.
On top of all that are those foul all day deli meals. A really naff product. Generally not a good performance. On my preferred carrier the only time I have been delayed was when they waited for the passengers from a cancelled BA flight!
I think BA have got a lot of work to do to restore what was once a very good reputation at LGW.
The last time I used them ex LGW there was only 1 desk open two hours before departure time in the early morning. . There were long queues. They obviously have severe staff shortages there.
In the last two years I have suffered delays of more than 4 hours out of LGW on them for flights that were scheduled as the first flights of the day on those aircraft. My last two inbound flights were also seriously delayed.
On top of all that are those foul all day deli meals. A really naff product. Generally not a good performance. On my preferred carrier the only time I have been delayed was when they waited for the passengers from a cancelled BA flight!
I think BA have got a lot of work to do to restore what was once a very good reputation at LGW.
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Nothing wrong with BA, have had good flights and no problems out of LGW. What is more, I have also been able to pick up some pretty cheap deals.
One question, since BA pulled out of LGW/CDG does anyone know of another carrier doing this route?
aa
One question, since BA pulled out of LGW/CDG does anyone know of another carrier doing this route?
aa
Join Date: Jan 2003
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would there be enough demand for a LGW-CDg though - with all the competition from LHR, easyJet from LTN and all ofthis being eaten up by the train. Is there really a need for a LGW service? If there was would it be better as a low-co (more seats in a congested market or a small airline with fewer seats just offering a business schedule?
Join Date: Nov 2001
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My twopenneth for what its worth....BA at LGW has always been the blacksheep of the BA family. A/C that go tech at LGW get no input / assistance from LHR in terms of backup and are left to stew accordingly. Fortunately, my long-haul ventures with BA out of LGW are always fine but short haul.........
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I had a v good experience with BA Flying MAN/LGW/BCN and back. Outbound flights were both ontime with great service and the food was good too. The return wasn't such a great story, the BCN/LGW flight was 45 mins late, which didn't bother me, but made the connection quite tight. The very friendly and helpful staff at BCN swapped me to LHR which departed 30 mins earlier before I'd even checked in! Great service all round!
