BA - the best and worst
 

When BA are good, they are very, very good.

However, on the LHR - ABZ flight they are consistently very, very bad.

Today the 16.30ish was cancelled, and an up himself youth on the sales desk decided to show his superior knowledge by telling someone that they had to call it an operational problem, even though he knew it was due to a problem on the runway. He then started shouting (well, talking loudly and refusing to be interrupted) at a passenger who had the temerity to mention that the number if times that flight is cancelled, it was just as likely to be to save the costs of an empty flight.

He then proceeded to tell me that even though I had a fully flexible ticket, he could refuse to book me on the flight (even the 8.30pm ish) until I told him the fare (£318.40), but he refused to explain what else he meant, because he had my booking in front of him.

Oh well, a quick change to Flybe to Gatwick on the 17.10 (thank you - travel company), and back home slightly earlier than I would have been on the 18.00, (and I've just checked and the late flight is getting in to LHR almost an hour late.

So, why are about 50% of the LHR-ABZ-LHR flights over 30 minutes late. Boes BA really hate people who have to go to Aberdeen. Are any other BA routes so Bl00dy Aweful?

OK, rant over, and if only sleazy jet had a flight to Luton at about 5pm life would be much better.

Luckily haven't had a bad flight yet. Gatwick to Port Celine everything was great. Although I won't speak too soon...:)

My guess is that only certain flights are late, usually the later ones in the day due to the inbound aeroplane being delayed.

I used to do Aberdeen - London alot, and I recall the Early morning flight times were scheduled over 30 mins longer down to London than those returning in the evening - I put it down to the 20 minutes holding over the south downs before landing....:hmm:

As for certain flights regularly being cancelled, I have also wondered if it was due to poor loads combined with a delay with the inbound aircraft meaning its easier to cancel than fly late and screw up even more flights further down the line for that aircraft.

It isnt just BA though, all the airlines seem to have this problem. the current "regular delay" for me is the last KLM AMS-BOD flight, usually due to the cumulative delays throughout the day of the inbound aeroplane.

BA's either got very dodgy schedule management tools (or fools working the tools) or they've got dedicated tail numbers (and no reserve equipment) operating the route with limited potential for playing catch up on the knock-on delays that'll occur during the day.

Either way - if it's a constantly recurring problem - it's poor management

the red eye is usually late taking off, but they build so much extra time into it that they say it arrives on time, even though arrival can vary by 40 minutes and still be on time. That's usually due to Heathrow though.

I know they use the same planes on the route all the time, because you get to recognise the odd paint flecks round the door, and nicks in the seats, tables etc.

Once I flew up on the red eye, and back on the 14.15, which of course was late. It wasn't so much it being late that annoyed me, but the fact that they said that it had had delays coming in from Europe as the reason, when I was in the exact same seat and knew it had only had time to get from ABZ back to LHR and back up again since the morning (with the BA hour + turn arounds). As the red eye had been late, it was just the knock on effect, but the invented excuse was just not necessary (unless they rellay think of Scotland as being Europe?)

LHR-BCN-LHR is very similar... My flight was delayed by the better part of an hour, mostly due to lack of slots exiting LHR. Of course, the return flight was also delayed by an hour because the last LHR-BCN flight was delayed on the outbound leg and because of legal reasons, the f/c was 'delayed'.

Oh joy of joys. Thank God I had some slack built into my schedule. Nonetheless the service tends to be reasonably good on that sector.

S.

It seems Ladbrookes have come to the same conclusion - banning staff from using BA on business trips

I switched from ABZ-LHR to the ABZ-LGW because the LHR was late almost every Sunday.
I rarely have a problem out of, or to LGW.

- exactly. I've often said you have no business going into Heathrow, unless you are going onwards to somewhere else and absoloutely have to. The short haul flights are the ones that get stuffed if there are any delays or ATC restrictions. Air travel these days can be painful enough without being a complete masochist and using LHR for one short flight.

I operated 2 flts to ABZ from LHR for BA on 15 May and we were early both times - surprisingly! It is incorrect to assume that the same airframes are flown on the same route all the time although on that particular day we kept the aircraft for 3 sectors before leaving it at ABZ for another crew to take back to LHR and onwards somewhere else.

I have to say that the only time I've experienced a significant delay out of LGW was because of a technical fault on a BA 73x. All other times I was out of there quickly.

Arriving at LGW is another matter... often BAA staff simply mess up baggage retrieval, costing me an extra hour. I was not too impressed. But BA staff at LGW get my thumbs up.

:-)

S.

Must agree with the comments about flying BA through LGW - delays are rare and service is pretty good.

However my flight yesterday was a pretty good example of the BA experience: the good the bad and the ugly.

Flight (LGW-EDI) left on time, arrived 5 mins early. Friendly, cheerful cabin crew. Good communication from the flightdeck. Flawless service :D. OK a hot meal as per LCY-EDI would be nice, but you can't have everything.

However before leaving I had had to make a change to the times of my booking. Doing so involved an additional fare payment which I made online - but after I paid no receipt arrived by email.

Since I need the receipt to claim the expenses I phoned up BA's Sliver executive club helpline at 4:20 one afternoon to ask them to re-send it. After navigating several menus and spending several minutes on hold listening to BA adverts and music :zzz: I speak to a customer service advisor. "No problem, sir, I'll put you through to the Receipts Dept". More on hold music. Then a recorded announcement: "Sorry, the Receipts Dept is now closed. Our office hours are... 0900 to whatever and whatever to 1600".

I hang up and call back the next day in "office hours". Same routine. This time the CSA who answers doesn't put me through to the "Receipts Dept" (perhaps it's cappucino time in Receipts Towers ;)) but says: "No problem sir - we'll have that receipt re-sent immediately".

24 hours later: still no receipt.

Now a missing receipt is a minor issue in the scheme of things, but having flown with BA a lot over the last 3 years (184 sectors, > £50 000 spent) the way it was dealt with is all too typical of BA's "customer service"

Why do I care about whether you've got a "Receipts Dept"? - can't the CSA who answers the call sort my problem !!! :ugh: And a customer-facing dept that closes at 1600 on a Thursday ? Please. :rolleyes:

Sort it out BA !

13Alpha

Always up and down with BA
 

One thing I would say, is it's almost never the Cabin Crew who represent the "down".

LHR-ARN the other day, at the gate, the staff are muttering to each other, "where is the cabin crew?" We've all seen this before. Eventually, the inevitable "technical delay" announcement. One has to be cynical.

Once away, as usual the crew were a total credit to BA. Back "up" we go. They all seem to have that winning realistic, chatty quality. No poncing around. Addressed by name :ok:.

Then they ran out of meal choices in CE, with 5 (count em) pax up the front. So I ate a salad (no dressing) for my dinner. Back "down" we go. If BA managers will only load 5 CE meals, then they deserve everything they get.

My only other comment, is please, BA, after what seems like 20 years on hold subjected to the F***er Duet, can we PLEASE change the tune :ugh:

I did the LHR-ABZ trip the other day. The ticket my travel agent bought was a business UK ticket which gave me access to the Club Lounge at Terminal 5. A few glasses of wine and a curry later, the 20 minute delay was bearable.

In true BA style the cabin crew were there usual cheery and polite self and although the inflight meal was nothing to write home about, it was better than others I have had in the past.

There seems to be a lot of people who are "attacking" BA lately. While I agree they do have their flaws, I think the benefits far outweigh them and will normally try and fly with BA where ever possible.

13Alpha - you are not alone. I'm still on hold at Receipts Towers after 25 minutes trying to get a receipt for a ticket change.

I suspect if I wanted to give them money they'd be answering the phone ever so slightly faster....

and yesterday...Thursday 5/6/08, I did the return up on 1304 and back on 1315. Both flights took off and landed on time, the food was better than usual (although I'd like the scone, jam and clotted cream back) with a palatable crab salad. Thanks also to Bronwyn and Derek for exemplary service at the front of the cabin. Plus from landing to LHR express was under 10 minutes

(I thought I'd post a positive comment, especially as it's the first time in memory that both flights in a day have been on time).