Our disgraceful National Airline
Discussion
BA are absolute sh*te. I've had the misfortune of having to fly them twice. Once to Australia via HK on a code share and once to New York where they proceeded to lose my luggage.
The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
frye said:
BA are absolute sh*te. I've had the misfortune of having to fly them twice. Once to Australia via HK on a code share and once to New York where they proceeded to lose my luggage.
The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
That's fairly representative then.... The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
I'm a semi-regular BA flyer and been treated pretty well as an Executive Club member. Though admittedly at times, their customer service has been a bit patchy. From reading the other posts, it appears they care less about their non-regular / short-haul customers - probably make very little profit on these flights anyway. But agree they do appear very unnecessarily inflexible about changing bookings.
BA's logic is very simple.
You're either a low-cost traveller in economy, who they really don't care about - or you're in a premium seat. Their frequent flyer programme sets this out quite nicely in the way that you are awarded tier points and the almost impossible nature of achieving even silver status with just European economy flights.
I have accepted that BA don't care about my business, and have therefore spread my business to whoever offers the cheapest flights. I used to try and use them all the time.
You're either a low-cost traveller in economy, who they really don't care about - or you're in a premium seat. Their frequent flyer programme sets this out quite nicely in the way that you are awarded tier points and the almost impossible nature of achieving even silver status with just European economy flights.
I have accepted that BA don't care about my business, and have therefore spread my business to whoever offers the cheapest flights. I used to try and use them all the time.
GT03ROB said:
frye said:
BA are absolute sh*te. I've had the misfortune of having to fly them twice. Once to Australia via HK on a code share and once to New York where they proceeded to lose my luggage.
The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
That's fairly representative then.... The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
Never had a problem with BA, I far prefer them to the budget airlines, the extra cost is worth it in my opinion.
Travelling with an under 2 year old, they are fantastic. The child flies free, and while you don't get a seat for them, they get their own baggage allowance, plus you can take a pushchair, which they will load for you at the plane door.
There was also no problem with our little lad having free food and drink, impressive when you consider they weren't charging for him to fly.
Travelling with an under 2 year old, they are fantastic. The child flies free, and while you don't get a seat for them, they get their own baggage allowance, plus you can take a pushchair, which they will load for you at the plane door.
There was also no problem with our little lad having free food and drink, impressive when you consider they weren't charging for him to fly.
frye said:
GT03ROB said:
frye said:
BA are absolute sh*te. I've had the misfortune of having to fly them twice. Once to Australia via HK on a code share and once to New York where they proceeded to lose my luggage.
The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
That's fairly representative then.... The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
I've piled up hundreds of sectors with BA (30-40/year).... never lost my bags, never had delayed bags.
Done United, KLM, Lufthansa, Etihad, Gulf Air, Singapore, Cathay, Qantas, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkish in the last couple of years. If you are down the back of the bus there really isn't a great deal of difference between any of them, except United who really are crap. The style of service offered in business is the biggest variant.
BAs business model I believe is directed to the business & frequent traveler market. This is where it makes it's money. It doesn't actively chase the leisure market. It tends to look after it's frequent long haul flyers, as somebody else said look at it's frequent flyer reward program, you'll get a clue where it places value. If it's going to have empty seats on a plane sure it will dumb down to the LCC level, but it would rather not be there. If it pisses off a few once a year flyers, it's really not going to lose much sleep over it, as it knows it doesn't make much if any money from them & it knows the competition does the same be it any of the ME3 or Far East carriers.
To all of you professional complainers moaning that Gordon Ramsey doesn't suck you off whilst preparing Eggs Benedict in the aisle five minutes after take off, I would like to present you with last week's Alitalia morning flight to Venice. A stale roll, no butter, with an aging slice of Courgette in the middle.
Bon Apetit
Bon Apetit
This thread has made an interesting read. I stopped using BA 14 years ago after my Wife flew back with them from Australia and they had no food on the plane for the entire duration - IIRC something like 27 hours with a stop over somewhere to refuel (or whatever they do). The only thing they had was some Chinese local brand pot noodle things.
She had flown out with Quantas who she loved - kept her fed, watered and happy. Apparently it was my fault that BA and Qantas code share on that route and she ended up on a BA flight. Never seen anyone looking so miserable when I met her at the airport !
She had flown out with Quantas who she loved - kept her fed, watered and happy. Apparently it was my fault that BA and Qantas code share on that route and she ended up on a BA flight. Never seen anyone looking so miserable when I met her at the airport !
Dodsy said:
This thread has made an interesting read. I stopped using BA 14 years ago after my Wife flew back with them from Australia and they had no food on the plane for the entire duration - IIRC something like 27 hours with a stop over somewhere to refuel (or whatever they do). The only thing they had was some Chinese local brand pot noodle things.
She had flown out with Quantas who she loved - kept her fed, watered and happy. Apparently it was my fault that BA and Qantas code share on that route and she ended up on a BA flight. Never seen anyone looking so miserable when I met her at the airport !
It's pretty crappy of the pilot to even take off knowing there's no food on the place for a flight of that duration.She had flown out with Quantas who she loved - kept her fed, watered and happy. Apparently it was my fault that BA and Qantas code share on that route and she ended up on a BA flight. Never seen anyone looking so miserable when I met her at the airport !
GT03ROB said:
frye said:
GT03ROB said:
frye said:
BA are absolute sh*te. I've had the misfortune of having to fly them twice. Once to Australia via HK on a code share and once to New York where they proceeded to lose my luggage.
The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
That's fairly representative then.... The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
I've piled up hundreds of sectors with BA (30-40/year).... never lost my bags, never had delayed bags.
Done United, KLM, Lufthansa, Etihad, Gulf Air, Singapore, Cathay, Qantas, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkish in the last couple of years. If you are down the back of the bus there really isn't a great deal of difference between any of them, except United who really are crap. The style of service offered in business is the biggest variant.
BAs business model I believe is directed to the business & frequent traveler market. This is where it makes it's money. It doesn't actively chase the leisure market. It tends to look after it's frequent long haul flyers, as somebody else said look at it's frequent flyer reward program, you'll get a clue where it places value. If it's going to have empty seats on a plane sure it will dumb down to the LCC level, but it would rather not be there. If it pisses off a few once a year flyers, it's really not going to lose much sleep over it, as it knows it doesn't make much if any money from them & it knows the competition does the same be it any of the ME3 or Far East carriers.
I would say even its Business / frequent flyer offerings are a poor substitute to what's offered by other airlines. Lufthansa / KLM / Qatar etc, I've had many a pleasant journey with them both locally and long haul, likewise with the other airlines I listed. Not flown Turkish yet so cannot comment.
You just have to look online for BA reviews to see the views of all its customers. Quite a large proportion have had unpleasant experiences with them.
swerni said:
Kenty said:
Stephanie Plum said:
GT03ROB said:
Kenty said:
Update, yes we are HBO but why should that make any difference? We are only going for 4 nights and £60 for a bag in the hold makes no sense, why penalise us for our convenience?
So in a few weeks when I get my premium economy flight back to the UK, it will be fine for me to call BA disgraceful because they didn't put me in Club or 1st? After all they will have spare seats there so why shouldn't I be allowed to sit there. Come on, you're not stupid, so surely you can see that you've received what you paid for & to call the supplier disgraceful for supplying what you asked & paid for is a bit off.
I am not stupid, I paid £125pp I didn't expect an upgrade, I didn't want extra leg room, I didn't want to pay £60 per hold bag,
I wanted something different from £25 Ryanair flights, I wanted to choose my seats, I wanted something to eat a bit better than a petrol station snack, I wanted a bag in the hold - also I hoped I got a better aircraft, better maintained, better than a bucket airline but I'm not sure I did. BA has to have a business model better than the bottom of the market, it should be bettering them, it should be giving a bit more for the. Price they charge it wasn't in evidence. When I fly long haul again it will not be at my list to use them and it should be. If you can't see that, your blinkered. It isn't good and it should be.
If you want to leave at a descent time then it's £119.
Easy jet are £99 from Stansted to Lisbon
BA are the cheapest from LHR
When you added in the cost of food and any hidden extras, you got a good deal
Maybe we are blinkered maybe you are ignorant?
I know where my money would go
As rants go, this one is s
t!The passenger service charge at Stansted is £11 versus £34 at Heathrow.
Which means Ryanair is receiving £108 of their equivalent fare. BA are receiving just £96.
And BA are giving away free drinks (alcoholic) and food.
And yet the OP thinks the fare was expensive.
Good grief.
frye said:
GT03ROB said:
frye said:
BA are absolute sh*te. I've had the misfortune of having to fly them twice. Once to Australia via HK on a code share and once to New York where they proceeded to lose my luggage.
The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
That's fairly representative then.... The planes to NYC were ancient and laughable and the service terrible. Ill never fly them again, Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand, Qantas wipe the floor with them.
rant over
2. Look up how you'll travel to NYC in your preferred Emirates, Singapore, Air New Zealand or Qantas.
3. Look up how your 2 flights (over what time period?) compare against the 50-100 per year that regular flyers take.
BA do still have a number of older planes in their fleet which can really reduce the perceived quality of the journey, I've noticed this on their routes to the Caribbean.
However economy is pretty damn homogenous across all airlines. I've found a few carriers have a notably better premium economy and business class package than BA, but for me getting there quickly and easily is my number 1 priority. Direct flights from LHR will always be top of my list, so normally that leads me to BA - even if it means a 20 year old seat and a gameboy colour as inflight entertainment.
However economy is pretty damn homogenous across all airlines. I've found a few carriers have a notably better premium economy and business class package than BA, but for me getting there quickly and easily is my number 1 priority. Direct flights from LHR will always be top of my list, so normally that leads me to BA - even if it means a 20 year old seat and a gameboy colour as inflight entertainment.
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