Another BA one!
Bludger extraordinaire
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radeng hits the nail on the head - experiences vary. I am compelled to fly LHR-SYD-LHR twice annually (and have been for some time), and as I have to pay for it, it's down the back 
BA is my airline of choice, on average being far better than QF in the OW tribe. Sometimes they're great, sometimes indifferent. They provide me with cost-effective and (so far) reliable service, so I don't mind the DIY bar.
The best advice for anyone travelling over such a distance is to break the journey, even if only for 24 hours. You'd be amazed at how much less onerous the second leg is.
BOFH
BA is my airline of choice, on average being far better than QF in the OW tribe. Sometimes they're great, sometimes indifferent. They provide me with cost-effective and (so far) reliable service, so I don't mind the DIY bar.
The best advice for anyone travelling over such a distance is to break the journey, even if only for 24 hours. You'd be amazed at how much less onerous the second leg is.
BOFH
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final 3,
Not when the "resting crew" were already in there.It is not possible to fit an entire crew of 15/16 in there.Sleeping for 8 max only."ON duty" crew never go into rest area until is is time to wake "resting crew" from their slumber.
The fact remains,contrary to the posters' impression,that there would have been half of the crew complement ON DUTY and most likely in the galley areas or walking round cabin or checking toilets etc.But they WOULD have been there.There is nowhere else for them to go!
Not when the "resting crew" were already in there.It is not possible to fit an entire crew of 15/16 in there.Sleeping for 8 max only."ON duty" crew never go into rest area until is is time to wake "resting crew" from their slumber.
The fact remains,contrary to the posters' impression,that there would have been half of the crew complement ON DUTY and most likely in the galley areas or walking round cabin or checking toilets etc.But they WOULD have been there.There is nowhere else for them to go!
Paxing All Over The World
I have no axe to grind here as I tend not to use BA for LH but thought that I would throw a fire-cracker into the thread. 
A friend has just returned from a short leisure trip to Lisbon (out on Monday back today) and she reports this from a regular punter point of view (discount seat in Coach with a full service carrier:
Hi, had a fabulous trip, everything wonderful except, of course, for lovely old BA. Never going to travel with them again. Outward flight delayed, no food.
Return flight delayed, but they did not warn us, and we spent nearly two hours confined in a hot corridor without toilet or refreshment facilities - not allowed back through gate control, not allowed into the gate lounge. They continue to treat their passengers like cattle. They don't get my business again.
At present I know no more but she is not one to exaggerate and is a highly seasoned traveller and well used to things going wrong beyond the fault of the carrier. But it is the being abandoned, almost more than the lack of refreshment, that is the point here and the point behind this thread.
A friend has just returned from a short leisure trip to Lisbon (out on Monday back today) and she reports this from a regular punter point of view (discount seat in Coach with a full service carrier:
Hi, had a fabulous trip, everything wonderful except, of course, for lovely old BA. Never going to travel with them again. Outward flight delayed, no food.
Return flight delayed, but they did not warn us, and we spent nearly two hours confined in a hot corridor without toilet or refreshment facilities - not allowed back through gate control, not allowed into the gate lounge. They continue to treat their passengers like cattle. They don't get my business again.
At present I know no more but she is not one to exaggerate and is a highly seasoned traveller and well used to things going wrong beyond the fault of the carrier. But it is the being abandoned, almost more than the lack of refreshment, that is the point here and the point behind this thread.
Too mean to buy a long personal title
amanoffewwords: Like it never happens with other airlines.
Take, for example, the perfect (but totally hypothetical) s**t-stirring headline: "More British pax stuffed around by BA than by any other airline". Almost certainly true. Equally certainly tells you nothing of any substance. Lies, damned lies and statistics.
The only mystery to me is why I've managed to break my self-imposed rule not to bother with BA-kicking threads like this.
Paxing All Over The World
It is certainly true that BA has taken a kicking in here of late (on many forums) and it may be as simple as being the biggest and transporting more of us and so more opportunities to get it wrong.
I suspect that what happened to my friend is a problem of an agent, rather than the airline itself but, of course, the airline has to take the rap for anything that happens to it's passengers in it's name.
Monitoring out stations and how they treat the pax may not be as rigorous and frequent as it once was. Do BA still have 'secret shoppers' who book and fly and make notes of what the service is actually like? Or do they just monitor other carriers now and reckon that complaints will direct them to the trouble spots fast enough?
I suspect that what happened to my friend is a problem of an agent, rather than the airline itself but, of course, the airline has to take the rap for anything that happens to it's passengers in it's name.
Monitoring out stations and how they treat the pax may not be as rigorous and frequent as it once was. Do BA still have 'secret shoppers' who book and fly and make notes of what the service is actually like? Or do they just monitor other carriers now and reckon that complaints will direct them to the trouble spots fast enough?
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The bottom line with all flights is that the attitude of the cabin crew will make or break the impression left on all passengers.
For me, one of the most memorable flights (in the positive sense) was a recent flight on Emirates (Y-class) from Colombo to Dubai via Male. On the short leg from CMB to MLE, a light meal was served. When I asked for coffee, I was told there was neither tea or coffee on offer (....!?!?).
During the stopover in Male - just as all passengers for this destination had deplaned - the chief purser came to my seat and asked for me to follow her to the galley. There, she explained that upon departure from CMB, the flight deck had advised turbulent conditions en route and for safety reasons they had decided not to serve hot drinks. She apologised for not having communicated this and, pulling the curtain aside, presented a tray with freshly brewed coffee and cookies for me to avail of during the stopover.
This very personal gesture turned made this flight - out of more than 100 I take every year - the one I remember best, and - despite other issues I have had with Emirates - a major reason why I use EK regularly.
For me, one of the most memorable flights (in the positive sense) was a recent flight on Emirates (Y-class) from Colombo to Dubai via Male. On the short leg from CMB to MLE, a light meal was served. When I asked for coffee, I was told there was neither tea or coffee on offer (....!?!?).
During the stopover in Male - just as all passengers for this destination had deplaned - the chief purser came to my seat and asked for me to follow her to the galley. There, she explained that upon departure from CMB, the flight deck had advised turbulent conditions en route and for safety reasons they had decided not to serve hot drinks. She apologised for not having communicated this and, pulling the curtain aside, presented a tray with freshly brewed coffee and cookies for me to avail of during the stopover.
This very personal gesture turned made this flight - out of more than 100 I take every year - the one I remember best, and - despite other issues I have had with Emirates - a major reason why I use EK regularly.
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whining
I'm with you on this one Easyflyer. No, I don't work for BA or any company related to the industry, but yes I do fly often (although not quite the 30 plus long haul flights so far this year claimed by traveller5 on this thread - he / she does work in the industry, is telling fibs of need their head seeing to - they were at pains to point out long haul is not transatlantic, which tells me they are new at the game since no FT would feel it necessary to point something like this out).
My experience of BA in the air AND at check in - as good as you can hope for - often better. My view on life is that things can and do go wrong. Humans and machines. I make mistakes, so does everyone else on this forum.
Flew with my family to Chicago a few weeks back. At LHR, outstanding service from ticketing and check in. At the lounge - mmmm. Could do better. In the air, excellent. Now I know I have flown with them before when a certain member of the crew has annoyed me with allowing their personal problems on the day to show through - but hey, life. As for it being a one off? On the way back from Miami check in were as good as london and the crew just great.
My experience of BA in the air AND at check in - as good as you can hope for - often better. My view on life is that things can and do go wrong. Humans and machines. I make mistakes, so does everyone else on this forum.
Flew with my family to Chicago a few weeks back. At LHR, outstanding service from ticketing and check in. At the lounge - mmmm. Could do better. In the air, excellent. Now I know I have flown with them before when a certain member of the crew has annoyed me with allowing their personal problems on the day to show through - but hey, life. As for it being a one off? On the way back from Miami check in were as good as london and the crew just great.
Pilot of the Airwaves
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About 20 years ago, when Iberia operated the A300's on the AGP-LHR route, it was the custom to serve the meal, drink and wine, as soon into the flight as possible, then retreive the empties.
The front galley was then set up as a duty free shop and the rear one as a bar, complete with small bar top across the servery. It was made clear that you had to get up to shop or aquire more drink. There was even room to stand in the rear galley with your drink and have a chat with other passengers or the cabin crew if you wished.
In those days it was often possible to get a Brazilian Brahma beer on those flights, as the aircraft also operated some MAD- S.America routes
Just an idea that you might like to consider Tightslot and one that would be pleasant if re-invented today by any airline for all classes of passenger, on a wide body.
The front galley was then set up as a duty free shop and the rear one as a bar, complete with small bar top across the servery. It was made clear that you had to get up to shop or aquire more drink. There was even room to stand in the rear galley with your drink and have a chat with other passengers or the cabin crew if you wished.
In those days it was often possible to get a Brazilian Brahma beer on those flights, as the aircraft also operated some MAD- S.America routes
Just an idea that you might like to consider Tightslot and one that would be pleasant if re-invented today by any airline for all classes of passenger, on a wide body.
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quote
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although not quite the 30 plus long haul flights so far this year claimed by traveller5 on this thread - he / she does work in the industry, is telling fibs of need their head seeing to
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Glad someone has finally spotted this anomaly.. Add the maths for days in the air against days on the ground working or r&r and it sure leads for a hectic life!.
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although not quite the 30 plus long haul flights so far this year claimed by traveller5 on this thread - he / she does work in the industry, is telling fibs of need their head seeing to
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Glad someone has finally spotted this anomaly.. Add the maths for days in the air against days on the ground working or r&r and it sure leads for a hectic life!.
Last edited by manintheback; 25th Mar 2005 at 12:41.
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Having once sworn never to fly BA again, these days it's the company paying the tickets and as such I'll have to accept what they give me. I did have a choice between GF and BA, but since both forced by through the mall from hell called Heathrow, I decided to give the BA flatbed a shot. And what a jolly nice experience it was! Those flatbeds are so nice, even if sitting 8 across in a 777 would lend one to belive it would be rather tight. But it wasn't, it was nice. Also had concerns about flying "backwards" but apart from the rather odd sensation on take-off, it's a total non-event.
No, the cabin crew are not as good looking as those on GF - but they were much more charming, funny and attentive. GF hosties are like robots, BA ditto like human beings. I don't think any GF hostie would dare give you a quick come-back to a sneaky remark; "my" BA hostie gave it back raw and undilluted! Made my day, she did.
In short: Service was perfect, professional and delivered in a refreshingly "human" way. The flatbed is a gift to aviation and the 777, whilst being marginally more noisy than a 330 or 340, a very nice aeroplane to traverse continents in. The IFE was top-notch and I'm actually looking forward to my return BAH-LHR flight in the very near future. This is remarkable since I've always held the conviction that any aeroplane capable of holding fuel for more than a 3 hour flight should never have my sorry self onboard.
Have done the last 2 BAH-LHR-SomewhereinEurope and back on GF and the impression was less than stellar. Old seats, dodgy IFE, "robot" hosties, bland food and the same items on the menu every time. I'm probably growing into an over pampered git, but if the seats in C ain't flatbeds, I'm not impressed. Finding oneself bitching about unpleasentness in a C-seat should be a sign of same.
I'll be posting flight details here for my BAH-LHR on BA when I get them, hoping that my prasing the BA service here would grant me an upgrade from J to F
I know, but one can always hope, right?
No, the cabin crew are not as good looking as those on GF - but they were much more charming, funny and attentive. GF hosties are like robots, BA ditto like human beings. I don't think any GF hostie would dare give you a quick come-back to a sneaky remark; "my" BA hostie gave it back raw and undilluted! Made my day, she did.
In short: Service was perfect, professional and delivered in a refreshingly "human" way. The flatbed is a gift to aviation and the 777, whilst being marginally more noisy than a 330 or 340, a very nice aeroplane to traverse continents in. The IFE was top-notch and I'm actually looking forward to my return BAH-LHR flight in the very near future. This is remarkable since I've always held the conviction that any aeroplane capable of holding fuel for more than a 3 hour flight should never have my sorry self onboard.
Have done the last 2 BAH-LHR-SomewhereinEurope and back on GF and the impression was less than stellar. Old seats, dodgy IFE, "robot" hosties, bland food and the same items on the menu every time. I'm probably growing into an over pampered git, but if the seats in C ain't flatbeds, I'm not impressed. Finding oneself bitching about unpleasentness in a C-seat should be a sign of same.
I'll be posting flight details here for my BAH-LHR on BA when I get them, hoping that my prasing the BA service here would grant me an upgrade from J to F
I know, but one can always hope, right?
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wombat and manintheback - IF you take time to read my reply, you would have noticed I wrote 30 or so flights/year. The / = per, as in per year, not since the beginning of the year.
Worrying.
Worrying.
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T5, take it easy old buff. Simple mistake made by me and followed up by MITB. Still feel sorry for you and your 30 lh's per year though.
What it does not change is the theme of my response. I know the subservient attitude of the Asian cabin staff girls is to the liking of many. I like mine with a bit of spunk in them and simply enjoy the BA experience.
What you should do is get out of business class for a while. Either use your miles to upgrade or take a few flights in cattle class. You get a better class of people in both those parts of the aircraft. There is something about a lot of the passengers in business that behave as if the world owes them something, just because their company pays for them to travel business.
What it does not change is the theme of my response. I know the subservient attitude of the Asian cabin staff girls is to the liking of many. I like mine with a bit of spunk in them and simply enjoy the BA experience.
What you should do is get out of business class for a while. Either use your miles to upgrade or take a few flights in cattle class. You get a better class of people in both those parts of the aircraft. There is something about a lot of the passengers in business that behave as if the world owes them something, just because their company pays for them to travel business.
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The problem is, it was never established what class of travel it took place in. And we are now into the third page still waiting to find out. Rather than T5 picking up on one error caused by the ambiguity of the original posting possibly he/she would like to comment on the previous 2 pages of postings regarding the actual subject itself.
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manintheback- "still waiting to find out"?? (!!) Wombat has admitted a mistake was made, but you're still barking. So, as far as you are concerned the class of travel is relevant? There is NO ambiguity in the original posting as the point is the total lack of service! Class of travel is irrelevant. What is it about the posting that you cannot understand?
For the record, I don't work "in the industry" as I have a brain, but I'm worried about you.
For the record, I don't work "in the industry" as I have a brain, but I'm worried about you.
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Business
T5, I beg to differ, but the class of travel is everything in understanding the nature of the whinge. Can it be you are ashamed to admit you travel business.
As far as I am concerned, all credibility was lost when you expected MITB to apologise. Maybe the problem is not BA, but...............
Could you be a SC?
As far as I am concerned, all credibility was lost when you expected MITB to apologise. Maybe the problem is not BA, but...............
Could you be a SC?
