A Very British Airline?

[Iain Wilson]

Yes - absolutely concur!!!!
The hushed tones and tears were unbelievable.......!!!!!!!!

How precious can you get??
Loved the old engineer guy

[Capetonian]

'Put them in first class': What happens when a passenger dies mid-flight?

Despite the provenance, the article is about BA.

[EyesFront]

or did anyone else think the reaction of the trainers and wannabes on
learning that the chap had been 'terminated' was way over the top?

The
hushed tones, the trainees leaving the room in tears.....

not as if he
was literally terminated, just off the course.

As there was no tearful final interview with him, I assumed that he must actually have terminated, solving all his problems at once ...

BA cabin crew don't take prisoners, you know...

[mixture]

If you've spent that amount of money on a First Class flight, then I imagine that you expect utterly superb food and wine. If the excellence is not there from the chosen suppliers, the poor old CC can't wave magic wands to improve it!

I've flown BA First twice (once in 2012, once in 2014... both times paid in Avios, not cash I might hasten to add !)

To be perfectly honest, I would call it "Club Plus"....

- The AVOD is the same.
- The food is not special (BA are still trying too hard, I still feel they need to be realistic about what's possible in the air and design their menu accordingly.... trying to do stuff like the soufflé shown on TV will never work and is only something that a bunch of design by committee corporate idiots would come up with.... simplifying and going back to basics would do BA a lot of good ! )
- The seats are pretty much the Club seats with a little extra padding

Would I pay cash for First (if I could !) .... never.
Would I redeem Avios again for First.... having given them a second chance this year... no.

Would I pay cash (as long as the price is right) or redeem avios for Club ... yes (for longhaul / midhaul.... its pointless on shorthaul). Club (longhaul in particular) is essential ! There's no way I'd do LHR-SYD crammed up in the back. But that's why I'd buy the ticket... for the space and (relative) comfort ... not for the food or some crew member smiling at me becasue that's what the training manual says they should do.

[vulcanised]

Just watched it on iPlayer.

I would have preferred at least 50% less time spent on cabin crew.

[strake]

To be perfectly honest, I would call it "Club Plus"

Completely agree. I think they had it right in the mid-nineties First cabin even though it was side by side seating. At least you felt you were doing something special and the service was exceptional.
As far as food, once again I agree. Best 'Premium' meal I had was when flying with my young daughter in Virgin UC and she didn't want to eat her children's meal. Chicken Goujon's with Honey BBQ sauce, mashed potato's and pea's followed by fruit salad. Yum! Went down well with a crisp Montrachet.

[crewmeal]

The food is not special (BA are still trying too hard, I still feel they need to be realistic about what's possible in the air and design their menu accordingly.... trying to do stuff like the soufflé shown on TV will never work and is only something that a bunch of design by committee corporate idiots would come up with.... simplifying and going back to basics would do BA a lot of good ! )

I couldn't agree more. when I was flying BA used to trial all sorts of menus and none seem to perfect at 35,000 feet. Some time ago I watched Heston Blumenthal try and perform and the only dish that worked was good old cottage pie!

Mission impossible for British Airways and Heston Blumenthal - YouTube

[First.officer]

I caught the tail end of this programme last night, and was amazed at the level to which these guys and girls have to go to, in order to meet BA standards. I know criticism has been levelled by some in earlier posts as to speech and grammar standards, but come on - these cabin crew seemingly earn relatively bugger all for the standards expected. If they get through all of that, then well done to all of them.

F/o

[Evanelpus]

I caught the tail end of this programme last night, and was amazed at the level to which these guys and girls have to go to, in order to meet BA standards. I know criticism has been levelled by some in earlier posts as to speech and grammar standards, but come on - these cabin crew seemingly earn relatively bugger all for the standards expected. If they get through all of that, then well done to all of them.

The recruits were told that they should think themselves very lucky to be there as BA had received thousands of applications. Given a couple of the ones that were chosen, I'd love to get some perspective from those who didn't even get an invite!

[mary meagher]

We advertised a position at the gliding club and had a raft of completely unsuitable applicants, from far away places....apparently you don't get your dole money if you are not actually making applications for work....however unlikely!

[B77L]

"I`ve never, ever got up this early in my life, never. This is torture".

Well done

[chrissw]

And that's one reason why I think I stand a chance of at least getting through the initial selection. I regularly have to work at all hours, sometimes at short notice. It goes with the territory in the job I do.

Sometimes it helps to have been around the block a couple of times.

[Halcyon Days]

John Lythe did my training too. Dont recall any other of the trainers names-but it was very good training and I was over the moon to be on a VC.10/707 course rather than Jumbos. I was probably on one of the last courses on these fleets.

[ExSp33db1rd]

..........i'd marry her tomos (and for her concessions lol)

You don't have to marry her, B.A. staff can now nominate a "travel companion" - who need not be related, and also have no connection whatsoever to B.A. - to take with them at the same "Staff Travel" rates, and ..change that nominee every 6 months, that's a potential 90 strangers over a possible lifetime career ! Make friends with one, NOW !

To achieve this B.A. have terminated Staff Travel concessions to those of us who gave a lifetime of service, and were promised concessions for the rest of our retirement as a result. "Integrity" is not a word known to B.A. management.

Barstewards. Don't worry, you won't meet me on any B.A.aircraft, Emirates, S.I.A. and the like - here we come !!

[bar none]

As I understand it a lifetime of service will provide you with staff travel until the end of your lifetime.
It is only those with a shorter length of service that lose concessions at some time.

[A and C]

It was interesting to see the exacting standards the BA expect from the cabin crew, these standards have no doubt been honed with years of experience but I see a problem on the horizon, BA have introduced the mixed fleet on a low pay grade and I would guess that the type of people who can meet these standards won't hang around too long and gain experience on this sort of money.

So how do they intend to keep the up and coming supervisors and people who can run the first class service when the people on the old contracts retire ?

I wonder if it will be the same surprise to bean counters as the maintenance engineer shortage when they ditched the apprenticeship program. Suddenly they have a big shortage of skilled people and wonder why it takes three years to train new people.

Now I know you can turn new cabin crew out in short order but do you want people who are just out of training looking after customers who have paid £9K for a ticket ?

[cessnapete]

I don't think BA want expensive long service CC anymore. The turnover of Mixed Fleet is much lower than BA had expected and planned for.
Much more flexible ie mixed type/ Long Haul/Short Haul mix, and less double night layovers which the old contract crew refused to do.
The change to Mixed Fleet on the Sydney service 777 route alone for example,has saved BA in excess of £3 mil PA,crew cost, hotel, and Allowances.
In my experience a good MF crew are indistinguishable from the old lot, apart from the hats, and they smile more!!

[ExSp33db1rd]

It is only those with a shorter length of service that lose concessions at some time.

bar none

Correct, but it is a new dictate that has only just been introduced, and retrospectively applied to the long retired - the only ones that are effectively being kicked out - to make room for present staff to take advantage of new "perks" - like taking a different "friend" every 6 months.

I don't begrudge present staff being able to enjoy better benefits, I just want what I signed up for, was promised, and worked for, which incidentally helped forge the airline that the present architects of this decision now have the privilege of "managing".

When QANTAS introduced a similarly restricted scheme, the long retired were left severely alone, couldn't take advantage of any new benefits, but were guaranteed what they had worked for. How enlightened and considerate.

Note that IBERIA staff can keep their benefits for life, as originally promised, and incidentally travel on BA services, as can any retiree from other airlines that BA have an "agreement" with, taking seats now so cruelly denied BA's own retirees. Barstewards.

[GrassRootsFlying]

As I understand it a lifetime of service will provide you with staff travel until the end of your lifetime.

ExSp33db1rd

I think Bar None's comment was slightly tongue in cheek and centered around your claim of a lifetime of service.



regards

[ExSp33db1rd]

GrassRootsFlying

Maybe, point taken, ( tho' I did note that ! ) makes no difference to the action of BA's present management to their "older" retirees tho', but if you'll never grow old, and never retire and so never be subject to BA's lack of ethics in this regard, so why worry ?

Never say never, be careful what you wish for.