Honestly one of the most entitled things I’ve read in my life. Having to ask for the champagne at the bar being portrayed as an unbelievable hardship really is off the charts. Sounds like a thoroughly normal flight with nothing to complain about. Have a look in the news if you want to see what real world problems are.

Ketchup on the bacon butty. Oh, the humanity!

people asked for feedback - and Mr Mac gave it.

And people who are paying (or have their companies pay) for extra special treatment are entitled to it. They EXPECT free champagne - and if they don't get it theywill take note. Its been clear for some time that T5 Business class isn't a world beating experience - so why will people pay for it? They won't - they'll go elsewhere or they'll trim their expenditure

They expect the free champagne and they get the free champagne! You just have to ask for it !

Well let’s start at the top, people asked for honest feedback and I typed what she said and experienced and some feel that she is somehow being over entitled or something 🙄 It’s Business class on a large international airline FFS.

The flights were free courtesy of AMEX and points apart from UK tax.The comment on Bacon roll is a comment on the food not on anything else. The comment on Champagne is the same as every lounge I and she has been in operated by an airline rather than franchise offers this, it’s not a perk it comes with the ticket and to be frank is expected.

I am sorry that some feel that this is some social commentary or what ever but I was asked to give feedback and that is what I did. Overall she was quite positive of the flight and she pointed out quite small stuff that can be fixed, apart from the getting up early for the flight.
She actually worked in aviation and her views on service etc are probably more valid than some keyboard warriors who may not have the same insight.
Anyway I will see what I find going North and will let you know.

PS
I also dislike Ketchup on a Bacon roll and think Champagne should be available in a World class airline Hub which BA says they are.

I will get back to you post flight with my own observations and would hope that I don’t have to put up with some of the above rather unbecoming comment’s as to be frank I would have expected better, but hay ho !

Cheers
Mr Mac

It's called competition - if you competitors are offering a higher standard of service, you can expect to fail.

Nothing “free” when someone/corporation are forking out x2,x5 or x10 base price for a lounge chair, newspaper (these days reasonable wi-if) and bite to eat pre flight maybe a shower and a glass of bubbles and promise of future subsidised travel opportunities - Literally none of that comes close to the cost of provision to be honest but people do value it.

Rivet Joint
There is no bar you help yourself with with Wine , Spirits, Beer etc you are not served as such. Therefore you have to find someone who is clearing tables to go back of house to get said beverage. She only found out about this by asking a table of 4 where they got theirs from 😂😂 There is not a sign saying Champagne this way !

As an observation if your competitors offer it why would you not, as the customer has a choice, and looking at the demise of BA passenger numbers outside the SE, I think they may have made it in the UK anyway.

Cheers
Mr Mac

May I ask which lounge was used at MAN? The old BA one has been closed for a while. Is there another in T3 or one in T1 that domestic pax have access to?
Also, for the record ketchup on a bacon butty is an abomination! HP or nothing. 😁

I'm in total agreement with you, it's definitely HP or nothing 🙂

Along with a nice cuppa tea rather than a bucks fizz 😉

Turin
It is the Escape lounge which is what was the old BA lounge in T3. There is a section facing into the centre of the building given over to BA. I use the same lounge but in T1 with LH.

The best for me in MAN is T1 EK lounge partly as you have a good view of Runway.

As for Bacon butty , good Bacon needs no sauce, but HP would be the one if I had a Bacon butty, but it’s been at least 3,years since I had one, as bread is a Sunday treat

Cheers
Mr Mac

As Senora A points out the goodies aren't "free" - they're "included" so if BA are hiding the Champagne out of sight one could say they're ..... cutting corners? :E

The whole point of top class service is that you don't have to ask - the people providing the service anticipate your every whim eg the Mandarin in HK

Thank you. I am not sure if I want to post my own observations and thoughts after this flaming and I was not on the bloody flight.

Cheers
Mr Mac

Don’t be cowed, Mr.Mac. This is a free country - say what you think ! All decent people will respect it. No slight implied towards anyone.

BA allocation system for ground staff/ramp staff ihas been down all morning. Keep an eye out for cancellations later today.

Thank you for your kind response. Just done 10 landings and take offs in Cessna Caravans today from various bush strips on time. Ryanair would be proud!!

I am not known to be cowed so will see what I/ we found. Mrs Mac was quite favourable over-all in the cabin, but her comments were about airports and ground staff and facilities which she knows a lot about.

I arrive get on an aluminium tube and will judge my journey on that experience. She looks at infrastructure and cleanliness and ease of charging for upgrades, it’s a business not a hobby , when she worked in aviation, and I suspect for many posters re this it has been the later.

Hence my comments will be as SLF as that is what I am, but if something is grubby etc I will say so.


Cheers
Mr Mac

Does anyone know what the plan is around the 320 series?

in the last 18 months, multiple aircraft of all 320 variants have been withdrawn and stored. Now many are returning to service months later.

Was this the plan or are other issues causing their unexpected return?

A few retirements are planned for the A319s and a few more A320s are scheduled to go to Euroflyer but generally, the ones currently stored that were flying during and after covid have simply run out of hours and are waiting for hangar space/engineers.

Some of the A321s that were stored during Covid have had corrosion issues as well as finding suitable buyers. Landing charges at LHR have made them uneconomical so a lot of the ex-bmi ones are going for freighter conversion and onwards to other operators.

How can the Heathrow landing fees make an A321 uneconomical ?

The last BA delivered A321ceo G-EUXI which is not yet withBA Euroflyer is in maintenance/ storage in Budapest. I believe this will go to Euroflyer in a few weeks time probably via Heathrow for a few flights with mainline before transferring over to Gatwick. This will be aircraft 21 for Euroflyer. A320 G-MEDK is also said by sources to be going to Euroflyer in time for the summer season which will be number 22.
I do not know if aircraft 23 and 24 will happen or not. However with 10 A320/A321neo deliveries planned for LHR in 2024 there is scope to send a couple more A320ceo to Euroflyer at Gatwick.

The other G-MEDx series aircraft have all left the fleet, some going for freight conversion.