BA - What is happening?
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BA - What is happening?
Over the last couple of months I have flown with BA from Heathrow on a number of occasions. Every single flight was delayed!
Now, normally you might expect the flights later in the day to be affected by knock on delays, but these were flights at 6-7am when the aircraft had been in LHR overnight.
Why are there so many delays with BA and why do they insist on putting most European flights through LHR when LGW is relatively less congested?
Also, before Christmas when the Gate Gormet dispute was on-going, outbound you got a voucher to spend on food before you flew and on the return legs you got a goody bag at the gate with sanwiches etc in. Not anymore. Now you get a small packet of crisps to eat once on-board. I kid you not. What the hell are they playing at?
Now, normally you might expect the flights later in the day to be affected by knock on delays, but these were flights at 6-7am when the aircraft had been in LHR overnight.
Why are there so many delays with BA and why do they insist on putting most European flights through LHR when LGW is relatively less congested?
Also, before Christmas when the Gate Gormet dispute was on-going, outbound you got a voucher to spend on food before you flew and on the return legs you got a goody bag at the gate with sanwiches etc in. Not anymore. Now you get a small packet of crisps to eat once on-board. I kid you not. What the hell are they playing at?
Too mean to buy a long personal title
Originally Posted by bbrown1664
Also, before Christmas when the Gate Gormet dispute was on-going, outbound you got a voucher to spend on food before you flew and on the return legs you got a goody bag at the gate with sanwiches etc in. Not anymore. Now you get a small packet of crisps to eat once on-board. I kid you not. What the hell are they playing at?
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.
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The missus used that form when she didn't get any breakfast on the way back from SFO on a recent club world trip. £6000 for a ticket and they ran out of bacon butties before they got to her. How much is a bacon sandwich? No reply from them as yet... She tells me the food in club world has gone downhill big time since the gate gourmet fiasco and the flat bed is their only competitive advantage, though I am sure others have it now.......
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As for the delays (I wont touch the catering issue with a barge pole, its embarassing)... BA have just initiated their punctuality drive which emphasises on getting the first wave of flights out on time!!!! Checkin no closes with no ifs, ands or butts at -30, no "have a go" passengers will be accepted regardless of who you think you are, if you are not at the gate 10mins before departure your bags WILL be removed and you WILL be offloaded, doors must be closed at -2mins and the plane is to be pushing back at SDT.
Of course this is what should be happening as to whether it is or not thats another question.
Of course this is what should be happening as to whether it is or not thats another question.
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doors must be closed at -2mins and the plane is to be pushing back at SDT
thing over ready for the first flight of the day.When I was in the airline industry (a few years ago now) I worked for an airline that would happily accept a 10-15 minute departure delay from the main base to ensure the aircraft was 100%. this avoided embarrasing delays down route when something else went wrong. i.e It was (not sure about now) acceptable for an a/c to leave with 2 out of 3 INS systems operational. If a second failed down route, we had problems.
When I worked for BA, the priority was to depart on time regardless so we ended up with these issues down route.
On another issue, my flight back from Cologne last night was delayed due to previous delays during the day caused by high winds at LHR. Not disputing this as I have no idea. What I did not like though was then being taken to a domestic stand on arrival and being bussed back to the correct area adding further delays to a jorney that was already delayed.
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Bbrown, as someone who has worked for the airline industry you should know better then most as to why things like that could happen. As for the aircraft being dumped on a dom stand, perhaps this had more to do with the BAA then BA because the origional stand would have had to be given elsewhere due to the delay??? I dont know how they allocate but that would be my presumption.
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I understand why these things happen and for it to happen once every now and then is accepted. What is happening now is a joke. Every flight delayed, inflight service that is a joke, mis-management of aircraft and, if you believe what you read, the crews (I have not got experience of this).
BA do make a profit, something that BCal struggled with but at the end of the day, they could make more money, get better publicity and become the worlds favourite again if they listened to their customer requirements rather than force products and poor services onto us.
At the end of the day, I only used BA because they got me somewhere when I needed to be there. I could have travelled a day earlier/later and saved a fortune (this is how BA make money).
BA again, not if there is an alternative.
BA do make a profit, something that BCal struggled with but at the end of the day, they could make more money, get better publicity and become the worlds favourite again if they listened to their customer requirements rather than force products and
poor services onto us.At the end of the day, I only used BA because they got me somewhere when I needed to be there. I could have travelled a day earlier/later and saved a fortune (this is how BA make money).
BA again, not if there is an alternative.
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Originally Posted by slim_slag
£6000 for a ticket and they ran out of bacon butties before they got to her. How much is a bacon sandwich? No reply from them as yet... She tells me the food in club world has gone downhill big time since the gate gourmet fiasco and the flat bed is their only competitive advantage, though I am sure others have it now.......
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Well im not going to go on the defensive for BA despite being crew for them. But the company are investing a huge amount in T5 so hopefully a lot of the allocation problems will be wiped clear with this...although I lack enthusiasm about this.
As for the product. I know most FFP's are sick of those GPM's but if only they were completed acuratly! For example, write in the suggestion boxes what you really think of the catering and what you EXPECT! Dont just say "food was awful, small portions, not edible etc etc". Say things like, "I expect more from BA, I expect a nice sandwich on a 45 min flight, I expect enough bacon rolls for ALL pax in Club World"!!!! The GPMs actually ARE used, why do you think the company are investing in new Club World seats after only 5 years and why have they finally copped on to how rubbish the IFE is?
Some passengers are their own worst enemies. Dont be afraid to ask for comment cards from the crew and construct an adequate arguement for why you feel you should be provided with a quality product for the price of your ticket. The problem is that some waister sitting up in the Product department has been brainwashed that BA are now a cheap company to buy a ticket with so therefore as long as we provide something free no matter how small it is then we are still a cut above the rest when the rest of us know this is not true!!!
As for the product. I know most FFP's are sick of those GPM's but if only they were completed acuratly! For example, write in the suggestion boxes what you really think of the catering and what you EXPECT! Dont just say "food was awful, small portions, not edible etc etc". Say things like, "I expect more from BA, I expect a nice sandwich on a 45 min flight, I expect enough bacon rolls for ALL pax in Club World"!!!! The GPMs actually ARE used, why do you think the company are investing in new Club World seats after only 5 years and why have they finally copped on to how rubbish the IFE is?
Some passengers are their own worst enemies. Dont be afraid to ask for comment cards from the crew and construct an adequate arguement for why you feel you should be provided with a quality product for the price of your ticket. The problem is that some waister sitting up in the Product department has been brainwashed that BA are now a cheap company to buy a ticket with so therefore as long as we provide something free no matter how small it is then we are still a cut above the rest when the rest of us know this is not true!!!
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Stand allocation in T1 and T4 is done by BA, so no excuse there.
However, the constraint with LHR is simply the small size of the real estate and the various other constraints on the stands available. LHR may look large, but compared to say LAX or DFW, it's tiny.
It's a tough job and having an insight into the details of it, I would accept a dom stand and bussing, although it would irritate me if it happened at the end of a delayed flight.
Stand allocation in T1 and T4 is done by BA, so no excuse there.
However, the constraint with LHR is simply the small size of the real estate and the various other constraints on the stands available. LHR may look large, but compared to say LAX or DFW, it's tiny.
It's a tough job and having an insight into the details of it, I would accept a dom stand and bussing, although it would irritate me if it happened at the end of a delayed flight.
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Having written to Customer services I have got this reply
Dear Mr Brown
I am sorry you were disappointed with the service we provided on your recent flight.
We have taken the decision to introduce a new catering service for our Domestic and Euro Traveller customers. The changes are in response to the customer feedback and the continuing need for the airline to focus on reducing cost and ultimately keep down fares.
Research suggests that the majority of customers travelling on shorter European and UK domestic flights are satisfied with a complimentary snack and drinks service. The changes we have made reflect this.
Thank you for your comments about your flight. We will use this information to improve our catering in future.
Best regards
Fay Coutinho
I am sorry you were disappointed with the service we provided on your recent flight.
We have taken the decision to introduce a new catering service for our Domestic and Euro Traveller customers. The changes are in response to the customer feedback and the continuing need for the airline to focus on reducing cost and ultimately keep down fares.
Research suggests that the majority of customers travelling on shorter European and UK domestic flights are satisfied with a complimentary snack and drinks service. The changes we have made reflect this.
Thank you for your comments about your flight. We will use this information to improve our catering in future.
Best regards
Fay Coutinho
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Why does it always appear to be the passengers fault on this forum? If the food is rubbish it's not because the passenger doesn't "construct an adequate arguement for why you feel you should be provided with a quality product for the price of your ticket." WTF. There should be NO DOUBT AT ALL that somebody who pays £6k for a ticket should be given breakfast. They should even load extra bacon butties in case somebody who has paid £6k for a ticket is feeling hungry and wants a second bacon buttie.
I've just asked the missis if she knows there are customer comment cards on the flight. I now have to explain why I am surfing on pprune instead of painting a bedroown, but she didn't have the foggiest idea they existed. Is that her fault? She said she would have liked to have spoken to the cabin crew but apparently they disappeared pretty quick once they had run out and didn't reappear until it was time to clean up. She suspects they were totally embarassed themselves (unless they had the butties themselves, which she thinks might be a possibility
)
I've just asked the missis if she knows there are customer comment cards on the flight. I now have to explain why I am surfing on pprune instead of painting a bedroown, but she didn't have the foggiest idea they existed. Is that her fault? She said she would have liked to have spoken to the cabin crew but apparently they disappeared pretty quick once they had run out and didn't reappear until it was time to clean up. She suspects they were totally embarassed themselves (unless they had the butties themselves, which she thinks might be a possibility
)
Too mean to buy a long personal title
Originally Posted by slim_slag
Why does it always appear to be the passengers fault on this forum? If the food is rubbish it's not because the passenger doesn't "construct an adequate arguement for why you feel you should be provided with a quality product for the price of your ticket." WTF. There should be NO DOUBT AT ALL that somebody who pays £6k for a ticket should be given breakfast.
Did your missus come on the early flight or the late flight? If the early flight, the breakfast in the Arrivals Lounge is much better than anything served on board the aircraft, anyway, and you can get extra sleep by ignoring the food service.
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Its interesting to see how the airlines quality alters over the years. I’ve been flying long and often enough to see major carriers go round the full circle. Air Canada when it first put out its exec first class was on a different level to any other airline. Now its one of the worst. Ten years ago I avoided BA at all costs (how many times did it announce via its friends at the Daily Mail that it was about to roll out personal IFE in all classes to compete with Virgin? – then didn’t). Once it rolled out the then revolutionary flat bed, no-one else could compete on comfort and it had the service to match. Now I have to wonder if the powers that be actually fly on competitors to check them out?. I find it very difficult to believe they do.
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Well globaliser, maybe the arrival's lounge would be perfect for somebody straight off the flight from NY who has to spruce himself up for a City business meeting, but after a week away the missus didn't want to hang around in another airport. All she wanted to do was get home to see my smiling face
I like your argument that travellers shouldn't expect to get food on board, they should get it when they arrive at the airport. How about we set up an airline that gives cheap flights and no food and call it, er, Ryanair !! Or the new improved BA Economy class, except the fares aren't quite as cheap
Maybe if BA wanted to know what she thought they could pay her for her input at market rates. Why should she be expected to take the time to construct an adequate arguement for why you feel you should be provided with a quality product for the price of your ticket when it should be up to the airline to find out proactively what their premium passenger's want? Don't you think it obvious that they should load sufficient food to feed everybody who has bought a ticket?
I like your argument that travellers shouldn't expect to get food on board, they should get it when they arrive at the airport. How about we set up an airline that gives cheap flights and no food and call it, er, Ryanair !! Or the new improved BA Economy class, except the fares aren't quite as cheap
Maybe if BA wanted to know what she thought they could pay her for her input at market rates. Why should she be expected to take the time to construct an adequate arguement for why you feel you should be provided with a quality product for the price of your ticket when it should be up to the airline to find out proactively what their premium passenger's want? Don't you think it obvious that they should load sufficient food to feed everybody who has bought a ticket?
Too mean to buy a long personal title
Originally Posted by slim_slag
Don't you think it obvious that they should load sufficient food to feed everybody who has bought a ticket?
The Arrivals Lounge is an option; it has pros and cons. You don't get options with Ryanair, neither will you get anywhere complaining about the lack of options.
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Thought it's time to lighten up this topic. Here is an actual letter received by our Customer Relations department:
Dear British Airways customer service
I am writing to complain that your service this morning was so crappy that I had no choice but to abuse my good-natured girlfriend who had volunteered to take me to the aiport. I was so angry I decided to let her have it, after all your check-in ladies are only doing their job, so it wouldn't have been reasonable to give it to any of them with both barrels, whereas she didn't actually have to be there, so fair play. When she walked off upset by my irritated dealings with her I had been standing in a check-in queue that hadn't moved for nearly an hour. You were supposed to open at 4:30 a.m., not 5.15! What is a man supposed to do?
When she came back I did buy her a coffee and she seemed to have got over it. At this point we did manage to have a conversation, but I suspect that she might still be upset (I'll know because she will probably go home and send me an email about it).
So, bottom line here's what I want you to do, send me a couple of thousand airmiles and a new luggage tag (also your fault as you made me rush and I broke my tag, having not been able to check-in online) and we'll say no more about it.
I'm not sure how I'm going to make it up to her. Do you think something like one of those rather nice refresher towelettes your airline gives you on flights would do it? Or something a bit more interesting like a copy of 'High Life' in-flight magazine? It mustn't be anything too soppy mind, I don't do that sort of thing, needing to keep her on her toes and all that.
Yours faithfully
Mr XXXXXX (Elite on KLM, but economy to you and ongoing if you don't buck your ideas up!)
Note from girlfriend: do airlines and men have to be this way?
Dear British Airways customer service
I am writing to complain that your service this morning was so crappy that I had no choice but to abuse my good-natured girlfriend who had volunteered to take me to the aiport. I was so angry I decided to let her have it, after all your check-in ladies are only doing their job, so it wouldn't have been reasonable to give it to any of them with both barrels, whereas she didn't actually have to be there, so fair play. When she walked off upset by my irritated dealings with her I had been standing in a check-in queue that hadn't moved for nearly an hour. You were supposed to open at 4:30 a.m., not 5.15! What is a man supposed to do?
When she came back I did buy her a coffee and she seemed to have got over it. At this point we did manage to have a conversation, but I suspect that she might still be upset (I'll know because she will probably go home and send me an email about it).
So, bottom line here's what I want you to do, send me a couple of thousand airmiles and a new luggage tag (also your fault as you made me rush and I broke my tag, having not been able to check-in online) and we'll say no more about it.
I'm not sure how I'm going to make it up to her. Do you think something like one of those rather nice refresher towelettes your airline gives you on flights would do it? Or something a bit more interesting like a copy of 'High Life' in-flight magazine? It mustn't be anything too soppy mind, I don't do that sort of thing, needing to keep her on her toes and all that.
Yours faithfully
Mr XXXXXX (Elite on KLM, but economy to you and ongoing if you don't buck your ideas up!)
Note from girlfriend: do airlines and men have to be this way?
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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!!!
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!!!