BA customer service e-mail?
With the US trip coming up, I tried to update the Advance Passenger information: it wouldn't let me because it didn't agree with my passport number, and it wouldn't let me update that. But a very helpful lady at the exec Club Gold line sorted it out very rapidly. So it's not all bad, and I find the CC very good - far better than other airlines I've flown, although Baboo and Qantas have proved very nearly as good.
But there is incompetence in management. It is widely known that the amount of duty free alcohol sold on flights to Switzerland frequently exhausts stocks such that there isn't any left for the return flight. So why do they not increase the stock, as I'm told CC have repeatedly requested?
But there is incompetence in management. It is widely known that the amount of duty free alcohol sold on flights to Switzerland frequently exhausts stocks such that there isn't any left for the return flight. So why do they not increase the stock, as I'm told CC have repeatedly requested?
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Delayed BA refund
I want to thank fellow PPRuner BAAlltheway who firstly took the time to respond to my earlier post about a substantial missing refund and then set about trying to sort my problem out. Successfully too, because within 7 days of making my post the refund hit my credit card account. There was a technical problem with the refund process which frustrated the refund.
Many, many thanks for your help
Many, many thanks for your help
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I have no idea why we still debate BA's lack of customer service, we all know that the airline has zero interest in its customers which is why all its loyal customers have buggered off (me included) and now travel with airlines that at least pretend they care when there is a problem.
I was loyal to BA for over 15 years and spent a fortune on them along with my staff, we haven't spent a penny for over a year now with them and I hope along with thousands of others like me its hurting, BA deserve everything they get.
Some may say this is harsh but that is how they like to treat customers so why shouldn't it be
I was loyal to BA for over 15 years and spent a fortune on them along with my staff, we haven't spent a penny for over a year now with them and I hope along with thousands of others like me its hurting, BA deserve everything they get.
Some may say this is harsh but that is how they like to treat customers so why shouldn't it be
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Originally Posted by profot
I have no idea why we still debate BA's lack of customer service, we all know that the airline has zero interest in its customers which is why all its loyal customers have buggered off (me included) and now travel with airlines that at least pretend they care when there is a problem.
I am not blindly loyal to any airline, but still tend to choose BA over other airlines if they fly where I wish to go and am am rarely disappointed in the level of care and customer service I receive - which is more than I can say for the likes of Air France, SAS and Lufthansa, all of which I actively avoid.
I've had some very good experiences recently on Austrian, Ethiopian, Emirates and Aeroflot, but would still choose BA over any of them if only they served those routes.
My observation is that the BA management appears to have little interest in the customers: I find that ground staff, CC and flight crew are interested in keeping the pax as happy as they can, in spite of the management run 'business prevention department'.
Of course, having just qualified in 9 months (yet again - for the 6th year) for a Gold Card, maybe that has some effect.
Of course, having just qualified in 9 months (yet again - for the 6th year) for a Gold Card, maybe that has some effect.
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Radeng
you are quite right, I do not have any issue with the ground staff or cc they do the best they can with a bad lot.
I should have been clearer that I meant the Management side when I say BA has no interest
I was surprised to learn a while back how important the cc often value GC holders, I used to think they found us irritating
you are quite right, I do not have any issue with the ground staff or cc they do the best they can with a bad lot.
I should have been clearer that I meant the Management side when I say BA has no interest
I was surprised to learn a while back how important the cc often value GC holders, I used to think they found us irritating
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I tried this morning to book a flight to Talinn for an urgent, unforeseen visit next week.
Various options of which the best, for the day I needed, was offered by BA. So I ignore our company policy, pull the CBs on all the alarm bells about booking BA for anything, and process the booking for £277 or so, until, after providing debit card details and hitting the "complete booking" button, I get a screen which says something about "...system error...try again later. ...strongly recommend...contact us..... see if booking made or not".
So I ring the website help number, to listen to a recording recommending using the website because otherwise they'll charge me a heavy fine. Eventually get told that the booking was not made, try again.
Second attempt; same result. Back to website help. Same recorded recommendations on how it's best to use the website to book a flight.
Eventually a person suggests it's because our company card is being rejected. I check that immediately by putting a similar payment through on the card, using our card machine in the office. No problem. Then I go through the booking again, with him on the line. Price has now gone up to £340 or so. He says that's not right, his screen says it's nearly £500.
Now get this; he explains that the price on the website means nothing because the system may not be updated with the correct price, unlike his system. He says that the booking therefore keeps on failing because it's being rejected by the other airline involved, and will go on doing so no matter how often I try.
By this time I've spent an hour of my life on this farce and lose my temper totally. The sanctimonious
admonishes me for using bad language, and suggests I book by telephone paying the huge fare as well as the telephone booking penalty.
I don't do that. I call the people I'm meeting, beg them to change the day, they agree. Now I can use Easyjet, and I book the flights on line for £200 or so in about 5 minutes flat.
Do you know, I couldn't give a toss if BA folds tomorrow. In fact I hope they do. They do not deserve to survive. Their loss will create room for a good new company to develop, which may have a better understanding of what the words "customer service" and "customers have a choice" actually mean.
Various options of which the best, for the day I needed, was offered by BA. So I ignore our company policy, pull the CBs on all the alarm bells about booking BA for anything, and process the booking for £277 or so, until, after providing debit card details and hitting the "complete booking" button, I get a screen which says something about "...system error...try again later. ...strongly recommend...contact us..... see if booking made or not".
So I ring the website help number, to listen to a recording recommending using the website because otherwise they'll charge me a heavy fine. Eventually get told that the booking was not made, try again.
Second attempt; same result. Back to website help. Same recorded recommendations on how it's best to use the website to book a flight.
Eventually a person suggests it's because our company card is being rejected. I check that immediately by putting a similar payment through on the card, using our card machine in the office. No problem. Then I go through the booking again, with him on the line. Price has now gone up to £340 or so. He says that's not right, his screen says it's nearly £500.
Now get this; he explains that the price on the website means nothing because the system may not be updated with the correct price, unlike his system. He says that the booking therefore keeps on failing because it's being rejected by the other airline involved, and will go on doing so no matter how often I try.
By this time I've spent an hour of my life on this farce and lose my temper totally. The sanctimonious
admonishes me for using bad language, and suggests I book by telephone paying the huge fare as well as the telephone booking penalty.I don't do that. I call the people I'm meeting, beg them to change the day, they agree. Now I can use Easyjet, and I book the flights on line for £200 or so in about 5 minutes flat.
Do you know, I couldn't give a toss if BA folds tomorrow. In fact I hope they do. They do not deserve to survive. Their loss will create room for a good new company to develop, which may have a better understanding of what the words "customer service" and "customers have a choice" actually mean.
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Capot as I understand it from similar experiences and conversations with Customer Support people the problem lies with the capability of BA.com. If you want to do something straight forward it works (mostly) every time. If you want to do something less ordinary - in your case it seems you were trying to book a codeshare flight of some sort - you find that all the links aren't really there.
As an example I booked a discounted C class ticket to HKG on the system recently. No problem with that. A few days before the outbound sector I looked at the booking through Manage Your Booking and, in banner headlines across the top of the page, a notice said "Upgrade your outbound flight to First for £ 450, only available on BA.com" The words and the amount may not be precise but you get the idea. The upgrade offer presented by BA.com had radio buttons to select the outbound sector, as quoted, plus a second option offering both outbound and return for £3000 or so. Needless to say I selected outbound only.
So I tried, and got a "Unable to process your request, please try later" type message.
So I tried again, and again, and again.
On the day before I was due to travel I tried selecting both outbound and return, and, surprise, surprise, it worked. Needless to say I didn't proceed.
I phoned customer services suggesting that if the only offer really available was upgrading both sectors, then that was annoying and possibly a tad naughty. A very helpful person sorted it for me, and apologised, blaming the faults on the limitations of BA.com.
Good result for me. Sorry about yours.
As an example I booked a discounted C class ticket to HKG on the system recently. No problem with that. A few days before the outbound sector I looked at the booking through Manage Your Booking and, in banner headlines across the top of the page, a notice said "Upgrade your outbound flight to First for £ 450, only available on BA.com" The words and the amount may not be precise but you get the idea. The upgrade offer presented by BA.com had radio buttons to select the outbound sector, as quoted, plus a second option offering both outbound and return for £3000 or so. Needless to say I selected outbound only.
So I tried, and got a "Unable to process your request, please try later" type message.
So I tried again, and again, and again.
On the day before I was due to travel I tried selecting both outbound and return, and, surprise, surprise, it worked. Needless to say I didn't proceed.
I phoned customer services suggesting that if the only offer really available was upgrading both sectors, then that was annoying and possibly a tad naughty. A very helpful person sorted it for me, and apologised, blaming the faults on the limitations of BA.com.
Good result for me. Sorry about yours.
I.T. is not BA's strongpoint. Neither is Virgin any good at it. Virgin HAVE to promise "it is cheaper on our website - if you find it cheaper elsewhere, we'll refund the difference" - because Virgin long-haul fares on its website are often wrong, not updated, and are normally cheaper at one of the consolidators.
Both need to employ some of the folk that run N American airline IT sites. Even the dreaded Continental's is better than BA's !!!
Both need to employ some of the folk that run N American airline IT sites. Even the dreaded Continental's is better than BA's !!!
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Sounds quite familiar to me. Not so long ago you were put through to a helpful UK call centre or the US office when the UK one closed. As a full service airline, that ought to be an absolute necessity. However having dealt with bmi's Indian call centre, it could be worse believe me.
I know that BA don't fly to Talinn so sounds like a typical IT muck up on the code share. I hope that once the current cabin crew savings are implemented and the merger goes through with Iberia, this may be revisited.
It's comedy cuts that they don't have a 24 hour contact number given that they fly alll across the globe. False savings BA if you're reading.
We know you do.....
I know that BA don't fly to Talinn so sounds like a typical IT muck up on the code share. I hope that once the current cabin crew savings are implemented and the merger goes through with Iberia, this may be revisited.
It's comedy cuts that they don't have a 24 hour contact number given that they fly alll across the globe. False savings BA if you're reading.
We know you do.....
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BA customer service - refund
Hello, I am wondering if you can advise on below issue.
This is regarding refund of the charges related to 6DQ32U.
I checked-in for YGPQRE at home for the return flight - Amman -London, June 9th, and was planing to collect my boarding pass at the airport.
Fare for 6DQ32U (around $1000) was charged to my PC Master card at the check-in counter. I showed the credit card to BA clerk as an extra proof of my identity after he informed me that my boarding pass for the checked-in flight YGPQRE was refused by the system based on the fact that my Visa credit card, the one I used to pay for YGPQRE on May 16th, was cancelled on May 31. The clerk agreed that it was some kind of miscommunication between Visa and BA, but he was not able to override the system and issue my YGPQRE boarding pass and advised me that purchasing different ticket - 6DQ32U- was the only way for me to travel that day and that all charges will be refunded.
I've sent the initial message on 10.6, then follow up msg and left two voice mails on 1-718-425-5550. I haven't receive any response so far.
Should I contact my credit card and try to stop the payment?
Please advise. Thank you.
This is regarding refund of the charges related to 6DQ32U.
I checked-in for YGPQRE at home for the return flight - Amman -London, June 9th, and was planing to collect my boarding pass at the airport.
Fare for 6DQ32U (around $1000) was charged to my PC Master card at the check-in counter. I showed the credit card to BA clerk as an extra proof of my identity after he informed me that my boarding pass for the checked-in flight YGPQRE was refused by the system based on the fact that my Visa credit card, the one I used to pay for YGPQRE on May 16th, was cancelled on May 31. The clerk agreed that it was some kind of miscommunication between Visa and BA, but he was not able to override the system and issue my YGPQRE boarding pass and advised me that purchasing different ticket - 6DQ32U- was the only way for me to travel that day and that all charges will be refunded.
I've sent the initial message on 10.6, then follow up msg and left two voice mails on 1-718-425-5550. I haven't receive any response so far.
Should I contact my credit card and try to stop the payment?
Please advise. Thank you.
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The result of BA going under?
@Capot:
If BA were to disappear, I doubt they would be replaced by a "better" company. I rather think that the loss of BA would just accelerate the race to the bottom which seems to be the general direction of air travel nowadays.
By that I mean that they would be replaced by another self-avowedly cost- and service-cutting outfit, the likes of which are all too familiar to everyone who reads this forum.
But if that's what the market wants, who am I to complain?
My experience of BA recently has been variable. I've paid for early seat selection in economy, then decided to upgrade to business when the price was right. I could only get a refund on my original seat purchase by phoning at least two different numbers; there is clearly no integrated international customer service. On a recent long-haul in World Traveller Plus, in the outbound direction the cabin crew were almost invisible outside meal services, but on the return flight they couldn't have been better; and I've made sure to write about the contrast everywhere I can, and specifically congratulated the returning CC on the BA website. I hope these things make a difference.
If BA were to disappear, I doubt they would be replaced by a "better" company. I rather think that the loss of BA would just accelerate the race to the bottom which seems to be the general direction of air travel nowadays.
By that I mean that they would be replaced by another self-avowedly cost- and service-cutting outfit, the likes of which are all too familiar to everyone who reads this forum.
But if that's what the market wants, who am I to complain?
My experience of BA recently has been variable. I've paid for early seat selection in economy, then decided to upgrade to business when the price was right. I could only get a refund on my original seat purchase by phoning at least two different numbers; there is clearly no integrated international customer service. On a recent long-haul in World Traveller Plus, in the outbound direction the cabin crew were almost invisible outside meal services, but on the return flight they couldn't have been better; and I've made sure to write about the contrast everywhere I can, and specifically congratulated the returning CC on the BA website. I hope these things make a difference.
Last edited by chrissw; 24th Jun 2013 at 07:03.
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I opened this thread three years ago.
I thought I'd mention that I did write to BA with my complaint. I received a response about three weeks later asking me to bear with them, as they were very busy (not) dealing with all the complaints they had at that time. I gave them another month before writing to them not to bother, as I would never fly with them again.
Funny, I never heard from them again - other when they extended my silver for another year, and then a year later when I became blue.
I lied, I did burn my remaining miles - but I haven't spent a centeme on them since.
I thought I'd mention that I did write to BA with my complaint. I received a response about three weeks later asking me to bear with them, as they were very busy (not) dealing with all the complaints they had at that time. I gave them another month before writing to them not to bother, as I would never fly with them again.
Funny, I never heard from them again - other when they extended my silver for another year, and then a year later when I became blue.
I lied, I did burn my remaining miles - but I haven't spent a centeme on them since.
I love this type of thread...
The OP had a flight cancelled (and an alternative offered) because of a strike (which he doesn't say was by BA staff or other people). He wasn't happy with that and complained (the response to which did seem rather slow, I admit).
Three months later he throws his toys out of the pram and tells BA that he'll never fly with them again. He is surprised that they don't respond (what did he expect? A minibus of nubile BA cabin crew on his doorstep?). But proudly, he tell us that he has managed to spend all his BA miles. Well, bully for him...
Another poster gets sniffy when his assertion that "we all know" that BA is not interested in customers is challenged.
The reason why I love these type of threads? It's because they all share this trait of extrapolating from the particular to the general. And because the posters usually sound so pompous about the whole thing...
The OP had a flight cancelled (and an alternative offered) because of a strike (which he doesn't say was by BA staff or other people). He wasn't happy with that and complained (the response to which did seem rather slow, I admit).
Three months later he throws his toys out of the pram and tells BA that he'll never fly with them again. He is surprised that they don't respond (what did he expect? A minibus of nubile BA cabin crew on his doorstep?). But proudly, he tell us that he has managed to spend all his BA miles. Well, bully for him...
Another poster gets sniffy when his assertion that "we all know" that BA is not interested in customers is challenged.
The reason why I love these type of threads? It's because they all share this trait of extrapolating from the particular to the general. And because the posters usually sound so pompous about the whole thing...
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The toys were not thrown out of the Pram. I decided, after waiting months for something other than an acknowledgment, that I had enough of their crappy customer service. This incident was not the first problem I'd had with BA but I wowed it would be the last.
It has been.
I certainly didn't expect them to respond to my 'I'll not fly with you again' comment. And, for once, they didn't disappoint me.
When I opened this thread I was actually hoping that BA would handle my issues, but they didn't have the courtesy to respond. Caveat Emptor.
It has been.
I certainly didn't expect them to respond to my 'I'll not fly with you again' comment. And, for once, they didn't disappoint me.
When I opened this thread I was actually hoping that BA would handle my issues, but they didn't have the courtesy to respond. Caveat Emptor.
When I opened this thread I was actually hoping that BA would handle my issues, but they didn't have the courtesy to respond.
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My experience of BA pretty much mirrors most of the negative posters on this thread.
I like the BA ground staff, the cabin crew and the overall hard product but BA.com can be exceedingly frustrating and customer service is barely above useless during the times I've tried to resolve things with them.
I've regularly flown mostly BA to the USA over the last 10 years but also to other long-haul destinations. I was a Silver card holder for many years. Every 2 or 3 years BA seriously p#ss me off with an inability to resolve a simple problem with either a booking or a subsequent change of travel plans. Customer service/Exec club then make a complete dog's dinner out of something that ought to take 10 minutes to resolve. When you're in a foreign country and need help you haven't got time to play games.
Twice I've changed my allegiance to other airlines and I've subsequently tried BA again, only to get p#ssed off by BA.com and Customer Service again. If BA could sort these problems out they'd have a loyal frequent flyer still on their books.
Currently, I'm not flying BA unless I'm forced to and I'm a Blue card holder. Other airlines are getting my business. After 10 years they still haven't learnt any lessons. Why is it so difficult?
I like the BA ground staff, the cabin crew and the overall hard product but BA.com can be exceedingly frustrating and customer service is barely above useless during the times I've tried to resolve things with them.
I've regularly flown mostly BA to the USA over the last 10 years but also to other long-haul destinations. I was a Silver card holder for many years. Every 2 or 3 years BA seriously p#ss me off with an inability to resolve a simple problem with either a booking or a subsequent change of travel plans. Customer service/Exec club then make a complete dog's dinner out of something that ought to take 10 minutes to resolve. When you're in a foreign country and need help you haven't got time to play games.
Twice I've changed my allegiance to other airlines and I've subsequently tried BA again, only to get p#ssed off by BA.com and Customer Service again. If BA could sort these problems out they'd have a loyal frequent flyer still on their books.
Currently, I'm not flying BA unless I'm forced to and I'm a Blue card holder. Other airlines are getting my business. After 10 years they still haven't learnt any lessons. Why is it so difficult?