Given the experiences I have been going through so far, this applies to almost all European "legacy" carriers...and to Aeroflot too :E

Ciao,
Ulxima

So nice to hear something positive about BA. People love to knock it, but it still beats the majority of carriers for service.

In the dim and distant past I have worked in what is now called Flight Connections. Passengers have little awareness of how much work and preplanning goes into looking after people with tight or missed connections.

I judge companies on how they deal with situations when they go wrong and I know that BA, in most cases, is very good at that.

Couldn't agree more WHBM, that tailfin is quite fantastic

Don't ask me why but I have flown many airlines and BA is still the only one that makes me feel 'at home' as soon as I board the inbound flight. See you again in October BA ( waiting for the summer sale!) then its LHR/YVR/LHR.

If you were flying FR, you probably wouldn't have arrived late! ;)

(Before anyone goes off on one, I'm teasing)

GROUNDHOG

Maybe you like BA as it is your own kultur?

Me, I like Lufthansa, but not so much Air Berlin.

As Jeremy Clarkson so memorably set out:

www.ba.com/welldone

Not concerned about cost of baby's ticket, or that she'll need her own seat.
Would love to know if there is even a car seat in exsistence that is 45cm by 45cm at the base.

I agree BA isn't the best, but being that route is BOS-LHR-EDI-LSI and back risking missing a connector in that 24hour period isn't worth the extra hours in airports or planes for the savings.

I could go KLM to AMS then EDI or AirFrance Via CDG, then spend a night in EDI or get on a boat from ABZ.
I know all the possible common routes.

I do miss the days of free flights, but price isn't the issue, the car seat quest is.

I think Jeremy is a Virgin boy now, (no pun intended) after flying with them a few years back when he can use their service. Enjoyed being picked up by driver at start and end of trips and the stile of Heathrow lounge were amongst the things he liked which BA either did not supply, or were not to his taste.

Sorry to disagree Mr.Mac but I have carried him on two BA flights quite recently. He always kisses the outside of the airplane as he gets on and says something like 'nice to be back home' plus a few disparaging remarks about foreigners!! As you might expect!!

He is just as outspoken in real life as he is on the telly.

Maybe he flies with both airlines as I expect he travels rather a lot!

I've just had four flights with BA - none of them bad and one was totally, totally outstanding - from groundcrew at LHR to the end of the flight. Sent a well done off to BA for that one.

Betty Girl I agree with your comments about how much Mr Clarkson flys, and that he may well use both airlines, but he did write an artical in the Sunday Times 2/10/05 titled "I have been seduced by BA" .This was then printed in his book World According to Clarkson Vol 2. The artical does claim that he was a BA fan but he had recently flown Virgin, and was now going to try and use them where he could. However as we both agree given BA,s larger route coverage he probably uses both. As for kissing the plane I must say that I have always patted the outside before going through the door, and have done so since being a child, probably because my Father did the same when he flew Halifax Bombers in WW2.

Happy Cone trails.

BA - Questions, Comments, Bouquets & Brickbats (Merged) I
 

Hello...
Does anyone have a good email and postal address for someone fairly senior in British Airways Customer Service or Frequent Flyer programme?

I have had a booking made 11 months ago for my honeymoon downgraded due to a commercial decision from BA, and I am getting zero satisfaction from the person who has address the complaint I entered via their website. I therefore want to send a letter to a real person with a decent level of seniority to express my disappointment with the way this has been handled.

thank you!

I got this email address from the site CEO e-mail addresses - CEO email address - chief executive officer - managing director - UK - USA - US - America - EU - Asia, it gives the email address of Keith Williams, CEO, British Airways, as [email protected].
Hope this helps.

I no longer fly BA, because of the very poor way they dealt with me. Even as one of their 'Gold' members they couldn't give a 'monkeys'.

Don't forget that EC Regulation 261/2004 entitles you to 'compensation' of up to 75% of the fare, in case of a downgrade. Now this won't help you get back to where you should be - but perhaps you can use the money in the future flying on their competition. Which I highly recommend.

Now I do the same when flying say a crosswind landing in the Piper, "Come on now Charlie India, don't waggle your wings" and similar, it amuses who is with me and somewhat takes their mind off the approaching runway being at 45 degrees to the way we are pointing.

I know a few airline pilots in Europe and the Mid East (not all English), and I have been lucky enough to fly in the cockpit on a number of occasions with them. The patting and talking to the plane has gone on a number of times, in perticuler on approach to Kai Tak in Monsoon weather !. My patting of the plane is just for luck but I always do it. It will be intresting to see if any other Pilots / Aircrew/ SLF own up to doing this, or somthing like it, perhaps we should start another thread on this issue ?. Intrestingly Mrs Mac who also flys the world on her own account thinks I am mad doing this, but after a bad flight with Air France last month I did notice a little caress of the air frame on an EK 777 when boarding at Manchester a week ago, but she would not admit it even if wild horses were involved !.

:)

BA - why can't I downgrade?
 

Seems like an odd thing to want to do, but bear with me....

I am travelling on a full flexible Prem Economy fare, and want to change my return date. The problem is that the flight I want is pretty full, with availability only in Economy.

My travel agent tells me that BA won't allow a 'downgrade' of my Prem Economy flexible ticket to purchase an Economy seat on my flight of choice. Apparently my only choice is to seek a partial refund of my ticket (unlikely to get much back) and buy a single Economy at inflated cost because the flight is almost full. Paticularly galling since the reason I forked out for a flex fare was because I couldn't guarantee my date of return.

Anybody have any experience of this? Seems an extremely harsh 'gouging' policy to me.....