BA - What is happening?

[bealine]

Originally Posted by DVR4G.DEP

On a recent flight Dubai-LHR, the service was disgusting, not even a single smile of the cabin crew.
They served meals by carrying them in their hands rather than trollys. When it got to my row, they had ran out of food of my choice without apologising
We where waken with the big lights 3 hrs before landing, and all we got for breakfast was a bag with Cold Sandwich in.
The crew only came round once waving the "Shopping on Board Magazine" round once. They didn't even come round with the drinks at night, they all dissapeared.
What has happened to BA, this is not the airline I know, 8 yrs ago, it was the best it deserved its title "The world's favourite" now it's "The world's worst"
On top of that the flight left 2 hours late.
BA will never change, mabye a change in sloppy managment might give the airline a good shake up!!!

What you see at work here is the "market forces" those people besotted with Thatcherism blethered on about!!! The crew, and the ground staff, no longer apologise because they, like you, are fed up to be back teeth with cost-cutting and the disgustingly low standards BA is trail-blazing through the industry!!!

Even our complimentary newspapers on Domestic and Short-Haul flights will soon be stopping (April 2006 according to rumour control) to save 20p per passenger!!!

Unfortunately, the management shake-up you requested is happening under Willie Walsh - and you are witnessing the results!!!

[wiggy]

Yep
We've had a decade of "must cut costs", or as it is currently known, "fit for 5"....and the bean counters are now slashing into the heart and soul of the operation in a manic attempt to make even more savings than last year, and the year before...what is blindingly obvious is the cuts are now threatening the operation.

Morale is at an all time low - not helped by the fact that whilst the front line staff try to fire fight and suffer the pain and abuse on a daily basis the ones who gain ( through bonuses) are the managers who got BA into this mess in the first place.

[Final 3 Greens]

Bealine

Are you sure that BA pats for newspapers?

SOMe newspapers are only too happy to give free copies, since it counts towards their ABC audit figures and thus supports advertising sales.

[apaddyinuk]

Wiggy, very true...But now all those managers are about to get their commupance are they not???

[manintheback]

Originally Posted by Final 3 Greens

Are you sure that BA pats for newspapers?
SOMe newspapers are only too happy to give free copies, since it counts towards their ABC audit figures and thus supports advertising sales.

Only the Daily Express at the mo - lord help us if thats all we get in the future.....

[bealine]

Bealine

Are you sure that BA pats for newspapers?

Yes! Apparently, it's 20p a copy but we get 2p a copy for those unused copies returned at the end of the day. (Although the Daily Mail treats BA abysmally through its vehement gossipy Editorials, we have to accept it if we want to take copies of the "Evening Standard" - sa newspaper that has, hitherto, been highly valued by our UK domestic passengers.)

Under Marshall, Ayling and Eddington, this 2p kickback appeared as "free" money because it went against a different budget!!!

Apparently, Willie Slash is not interested in "budgets" - only bottom line!

[FormerFlyer]

Originally Posted by Globaliser

Please complain about the catering using this form - and use it for every flight.
The only way that BA will get to understand that a bag of crisps is unacceptable is if everyone complains every time they are given one.

Well I read through the whole thread and thought "Why not?" - I'd had what was an OK-ish flight with BA out to DOH & back in December. Then I used QR last weekend. What a world of difference - QR far outshines BA. I'd go so far as to say that I was at least as comfy in QR's economy seat as I was in BA's WTP seat.

So I let BA know using the form - and also highlighted the obvious differences between the 2 products, that QR were a bit dearer but definitely worth it and it prob wasn't worth my while continuing with BA just for the miles & tier points. That was last night, late o'clock. This morning at early o'clock I gets an email acknowledging the points, thanking me for raising them & chucking 10K miles at me too by way of apology!

Will I keep my future BA booking to DOH or will I switch to QR next month? Probably still switch, but last week I was saying definitely switch.

If you have a gripe - let them know. They can't change things if they aren't told.

cheers
FF

[sixmilehighclub]

The crisps/cereal bar/cake were brought in when the amount of wastage and mess was horrendously high from the previous style of sandwiches/pizza/ciabattas.

There would normally be 2 options on offer with the sandwiches, ie a meat and a vegetarian option. However, it is impossible to please everyone who doesn't like mayo, cant eat cheese, doesnt eat meat, cant have gluten/wheat/dairy products, etc, etc.

Consider Wastage, costs, mess, weight, space, and how much someone really needs to eat on a 90 min flight.....

The crisps are going soon.

[bbrown1664]

how much someone really needs to eat on a 90 min flight.....

OK, as I said, for a mid morning or late evening flight this should be OK. A flight around a normal meal time should be properly catered as many travvelers are flying when they should be eating or will not be in a reasonable location to eat on landing. Have you tried finding somewhere to eat between LHR and the sussex coast at 9PM without going too far out of your way or taking up more of your time when all you want to do is get home after getting up at 4am, spending all day in meetings and the pleasure of a packet of crisps for you £300+ Bad Attitude ticket?

[bealine]

Re: The crisps fiasco - can I refer you to this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...79#post5311879

The OP of that thread is writing to Martin George who heads up Customer Services. If you feel strongly, why not write to him as well!!! The more protests he receives, the more likely it will filter up to Willie Walsh!!! Otherwise, we'll probably see the crisps disappear after another couple of months - and what's next??? Only use half a teaspoon of coffee for each passenger and don't give 'em milk or sugar unless they ring the call bell and ask for it!!!

[VHF FLYER]

Doesn't all of this call into question the way that airlines market themselves?
On one hand you have the 'cheap as chips but don't dare to ask for anything other than a seat - not even a smile' Ryanair (and not always cheap either!!)and those who, like BA, call themselves a 'full service airline'.
What is 'full service airline' when all you seem to get these days is the same level of bad attitude service but with the added bonus of a nasty 'cheese or ham?' sandwich chucked at you.
Long haul is still refreshingly old fashioned.

[bealine]

Originally Posted by VHF FLYER

Doesn't all of this call into question the way that airlines market themselves?

Yes - but not just airlines!

How many British and American businesses trade on their "excellent customer service" pedigree, yet when push comes to shove, you find that you have to phone "National Call Rate" phone numbers, put on hold for half an hour and, effectively, you have paid for their awful customer service!!!

Dell Computers yesterday took over 50 minutes to confirm what I already knew - that my son's CD-ROM drive had failed. (50 mins phone at 22p per minute = £11.00. Postage of old CD-ROM unit a further £6.50. Total £16.50) A new drive at www.valuelist.co.uk would have been only £8.59 + VAT but would invalidate Dell's Warranty!!!

I really think you're right - a crackdown on the way businesses conduct themselves is well overdue!

[DVR4G.DEP]

I needed to travel down to LGW from MAN tomorow morning, I looked on the Ba.com and saw the price of £298.90, steep, but I have no choice. I attempted to book it and got the following message.
"The credit card has been declined, contact card issuer" Fine I did that and no problems there. I then contacted BA telephone sales and told them of the problem, I spoke to a senior staff, he took my details and told me that I will incurr and additional £15 charge on the fare quoted. I expalined that I am unable to do it online and that it was unfair to charge me £15 extra.
He was rude and unsympathetic, his Customer Service was dreadful, the response I got was "Well if your card is not going through, its not my problem and that the additional £15 still stands.
I don't think its fair to be treated like dirt when you are a paying customer. British Airways is truly the worst airline to date. I will be suprised if there is any future improvments.
I have made a written complaint about the way I was spoken to.

[VHF FLYER]

Try Jet2 instead of BA - there is a choice - just as poor in customer relations but a lot cheaper

[wub]

I booked two Edinburgh to Bristol return flights with BA for 14 July this year. A week after I booked, at a cost of £130, BA announced the launch of BA Connect. This is being punted as an 'exciting new service' which requires those wanting refreshments to buy them.

The fare is now £99 but I have not been offered any refund and will now have to pay even more if I want food or drink. I'm really excited about this, can't you just tell

[Globaliser]

Originally Posted by sixmilehighclub

Consider Wastage, costs, mess, weight, space, and how much someone really needs to eat on a 90 min flight.....

For many people, the flight is the only time that there is to eat something. In those circumstances, it's nice to be offered some hospitality, rather than having to be made to buy something off the profit-making trolley.

[bbrown1664]

rather than having to be made to buy something off the profit-making trolley.

The option would be nice. Even nicer would be to pay the same low rate that those airlines that do offer you the chance charge.

[manintheback]

Originally Posted by bbrown1664

The option would be nice. Even nicer would be to pay the same low rate that those airlines that do offer you the chance charge.

I assume the 'low rate' was tongue in cheek?. Ezy prices are incredible. Approx 100% mark-ups over supermarket prices. And as for the £7 for the same quarter bottle of champers BA do for £4 - dont get me started.

[goshdarnit]

100% mark up over supermarket prices? That is cheap and if that is all it is the EZY need to try harder!
You can in no way compare supermarket prices to specific outlet prices (like airline trolleys), that is just ridiculous. Try going to a restaurant and telling the waiter that the bottle of wine he is charging £25 for is only £3.99 in Tesco! There is absolutely no comparison in the pricing structure.

More relevant is fare pricing. BA used to fly out of CWL and I used to regularly pay £392 to fly to GLA (yes, £392!!!). Thankfully BA no longer operate out of CWL (couldn't fill their planes - there's a shocker) and I can do a similar trip to PIK for about £50 with a LoCo. And BA sometimes couldn't even offer a cup of cofee!

[AUTOGLIDE]

Thing is, people keep complaining about BA, but they are making rather a lot of money. If they are so bad (No fan myself TBH) then why do people keep flying with them??