Our disgraceful National Airline
Discussion
sealtt said:
However economy is pretty damn homogenous across all airlines.
Unfortunately that's not the case. BA have the some of the lowest economy seat pitch around. Before they would explain this by way of saying the seats were thicker but now they use the same economy seats but with less legroom. On long haul flights BA economy only offer 31inch seat pitch. On the 787 it's 30inch in some rows, that's narrow and with less legroom than others. The BA crew even call the 787 the "bin liner"
http://www.seatguru.com/charts/longhaul_economy.ph...
BA standout on that list as having a pretty small economy legroom
U.K. Economy seat pitch in Long haul Airlines
BA 31inch
Thomson 33inch
Thomas cook 767 29-30 inch A330 33 inch
Virgin 31inch
el stovey said:
sealtt said:
However economy is pretty damn homogenous across all airlines.
Unfortunately that's not the case. BA have the some of the lowest economy seat pitch around. Before they would explain this by way of saying the seats were thicker but now they use the same economy seats but with less legroom. On long haul flights BA economy only offer 31inch seat pitch. On the 787 it's 30inch in some rows, that's narrow and with less legroom than others. The BA crew even call the 787 the "bin liner"
http://www.seatguru.com/charts/longhaul_economy.ph...
BA standout on that list as having a pretty small economy legroom
U.K. Economy seat pitch in Long haul Airlines
BA 31inch
Thomson 33inch
Thomas cook 767 29-30 inch A330 33 inch
Virgin 31inch
oyster said:
1. Look up sarcastic in the dictionary.
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.
Well my regular long hauls are thankfully eastwards so there's always a provider out of the list above who I know can provide a far superior service to BA and that's the reason I'll try my hardest not to fly BA again.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.
Nice try at being funny though in point 2...
Can't say I've got any issues with BA - though most of my flying is technically BA Cityflyer. Nice hot breakfast on morning flights (egg/bacon/sausage/hash brown/mushrooms) with free alcohol on afternoon ones. And you can change your seat at online check-in for free, even on a HBO ticket.
Never had any issues when I've flown full BA either - though most of those are personal rather than work flights so Avios-ed up to business class using the points earnt from work flights!
Still confused why I can book a flight+hotel deal for LESS than the same flights alone though...
Never had any issues when I've flown full BA either - though most of those are personal rather than work flights so Avios-ed up to business class using the points earnt from work flights!
Still confused why I can book a flight+hotel deal for LESS than the same flights alone though...
Edited by //j17 on Friday 22 January 08:56
sealtt said:
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.
As a bottom feeding member of cattle class (i.e. I pay for my own tickets) this is really not the case. 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.
Cathay Pacific and Air New Zealand are actually really quite good. So is Malaysian (and I'm not scared of flying with them) I'm 6 1 with long legs proportional to my upper body. And I can get comfortable enough to sleep on these.
Etihad is ok. So is Singapore
The old guard (BA, Qantas etc) are, frankly, abysmal. Poor food, rude service, poor passenger amenity. And generally a more expensive fare.
el stovey said:
Unfortunately that's not the case. BA have the some of the lowest economy seat pitch around.
Before they would explain this by way of saying the seats were thicker but now they use the same economy seats but with less legroom. On long haul flights BA economy only offer 31inch seat pitch. On the 787 it's 30inch in some rows, that's narrow and with less legroom than others. The BA crew even call the 787 the "bin liner"
http://www.seatguru.com/charts/longhaul_economy.ph...
BA standout on that list as having a pretty small economy legroom
U.K. Economy seat pitch in Long haul Airlines
BA 31inch
Thomson 33inch
Thomas cook 767 29-30 inch A330 33 inch
Virgin 31inch
The 787 has been designed with 8 accross seating, all but 1 airline operate it with 9 accross seating making the accommodation very tight indeed.Before they would explain this by way of saying the seats were thicker but now they use the same economy seats but with less legroom. On long haul flights BA economy only offer 31inch seat pitch. On the 787 it's 30inch in some rows, that's narrow and with less legroom than others. The BA crew even call the 787 the "bin liner"
http://www.seatguru.com/charts/longhaul_economy.ph...
BA standout on that list as having a pretty small economy legroom
U.K. Economy seat pitch in Long haul Airlines
BA 31inch
Thomson 33inch
Thomas cook 767 29-30 inch A330 33 inch
Virgin 31inch
The Moose said:
I'm surprised noone's mentioned it yet, but I try to fly BA out of LHR as often as possible not only for the service from the airline, but I love going through T5!
Don't get the regional haters started on that... for most its one of the main reasons why they hate BA.Never mind that from kerbside to 1st glass of champagne in the lounge is only 10-15mins max (provided you are to going through 1st thing on a Monday morning!)
GT03ROB said:
The Moose said:
I'm surprised noone's mentioned it yet, but I try to fly BA out of LHR as often as possible not only for the service from the airline, but I love going through T5!
Don't get the regional haters started on that... for most its one of the main reasons why they hate BA.Never mind that from kerbside to 1st glass of champagne in the lounge is only 10-15mins max (provided you are to going through 1st thing on a Monday morning!)
GT03ROB said:
The Moose said:
I'm surprised noone's mentioned it yet, but I try to fly BA out of LHR as often as possible not only for the service from the airline, but I love going through T5!
Don't get the regional haters started on that... for most its one of the main reasons why they hate BA.Never mind that from kerbside to 1st glass of champagne in the lounge is only 10-15mins max (provided you are to going through 1st thing on a Monday morning!)
On the other hand, BA really struggle with their long haul economy class, where you'll invariably be ignored by sour-faced, over-weight moosepigs, grapple with ancient and or broken IFE screens, and served crap food. IME, Etihad/Qatar are leagues ahead for their economy service, but I don't find their business class worth the huge price hike as a result.
In short, don't fly BA if you're poor
GreatPretender said:
I think BA are at their best when you fly with them through T5 in >Club. I still maintain that their pods are a far and away nicer place to be than the equivalent Business offerings of all the other carriers, Etihad/Qatar/Malaysian included (with whom I fly quite often with).
On the other hand, BA really struggle with their long haul economy class, where you'll invariably be ignored by sour-faced, over-weight moosepigs, grapple with ancient and or broken IFE screens, and served crap food. IME, Etihad/Qatar are leagues ahead for their economy service, but I don't find their business class worth the huge price hike as a result.
In short, don't fly BA if you're poor
Good description of BA economy.On the other hand, BA really struggle with their long haul economy class, where you'll invariably be ignored by sour-faced, over-weight moosepigs, grapple with ancient and or broken IFE screens, and served crap food. IME, Etihad/Qatar are leagues ahead for their economy service, but I don't find their business class worth the huge price hike as a result.
In short, don't fly BA if you're poor
But they certainly haven't got it right with the A380 business class seating, compared to Emirates anyway. You have to step over fellow passengers, food has to passed over the outer pax and there is certainly less room. The overall configuration of A380's is far better, IMO, with the lower deck all economy and upper deck first and business- not the way BA and Singapore airlines have it.
Kenty said:
Good description of BA economy.
But they certainly haven't got it right with the A380 business class seating, compared to Emirates anyway. You have to step over fellow passengers, food has to passed over the outer pax and there is certainly less room. The overall configuration of A380's is far better, IMO, with the lower deck all economy and upper deck first and business- not the way BA and Singapore airlines have it.
Agreed, but nothing beats your own pod, even if you do need to stand on someone to get to yours (I once travelled with an 'Elf and Safety rep who woke me from an amazing deep, drunken sleep to ask if I might move my legs such that he could pass without climbing over me. The But they certainly haven't got it right with the A380 business class seating, compared to Emirates anyway. You have to step over fellow passengers, food has to passed over the outer pax and there is certainly less room. The overall configuration of A380's is far better, IMO, with the lower deck all economy and upper deck first and business- not the way BA and Singapore airlines have it.
).In the other carriers I mentioned, you still feel obliged to actually talk to the person next to you on account that, rather than being physically bio-fused together with them a la Economy, your shoulders are now still only six inches apart. No such problems in the pod; albeit, I don't enjoy that awkward gauze shifting as you sit there before take-off with the divider down, directly facing the passenger next to you. Smiling. Winking.
In short, don't fly unless it's a 1st class suite on the top deck.
GreatPretender said:
I think BA are at their best when you fly with them through T5 in >Club. I still maintain that their pods are a far and away nicer place to be than the equivalent Business offerings of all the other carriers, Etihad/Qatar/Malaysian included (with whom I fly quite often with).
On the other hand, BA really struggle with their long haul economy class, where you'll invariably be ignored by sour-faced, over-weight moosepigs, grapple with ancient and or broken IFE screens, and served crap food. IME, Etihad/Qatar are leagues ahead for their economy service, but I don't find their business class worth the huge price hike as a result.
In short, don't fly BA if you're poor
Whilst your final sentence is a bit toungue in cheek, there is a lot to that. As I said somewhere above if you are an infrequent economy class traveler your are not BAs bread & butter. They chase the regular long haul business traveler. On the other hand, BA really struggle with their long haul economy class, where you'll invariably be ignored by sour-faced, over-weight moosepigs, grapple with ancient and or broken IFE screens, and served crap food. IME, Etihad/Qatar are leagues ahead for their economy service, but I don't find their business class worth the huge price hike as a result.
In short, don't fly BA if you're poor
Many find BAs service off, as it doesn't match the fawning you get from ME & FE trollies. What I do find though is that most of BAs crews learn what you want & give it. They are professional. So for example if you are in Club they will serve drinks just after take off, up to & including the meal. Then stop. You will see some people then moan on the internet that there is no further drinks service. Simple go to the galley ask for another, they pick up this & keep your glass topped off for as long as you want with a personal service.
Strangely enough I've also found that more often than not the sour-faced, over-weight moosepigs of which BA has a few are often the nicest, most pleasant & helpful crew BA have! Always good for a chat & a steady flow of vino.
Just come back from a business trip to Jamaica, using BA, the ONLY time I ever do, is when there is NO choice, as in this case.
Paid £2500 for business class ticket, but in order to choose a seat, thats an extra £68 each way, unless you are silver or gold then it's free. I declined that offer, and was the first to check in, as in sequence number 001 on my boarding pass and ALL window seats had already gone.
Plane out of Gatwick last week was 2 hrs 40 minutes late, due to a slide deployment by ground staff, and return trip was delayed by a fuel system fault, noticed at taxi out, i.e. we were at the end of the runway, before we taxied back to the stand.
All of the food and drink is uploaded for the outbound and return legs at Gatwick, so is therefore effectively rationed, we ran out of Gin (miniatures) on the way out, to preserve some for the way back, so I managed one G&T on a 12 hour flight. You get more with EasyJet.
All in all, simply an appalling advertisement for this Country, where the national flag carrier offers such poor service. I feel sorry for the staff, but the Airline has gone to the dogs.
Paid £2500 for business class ticket, but in order to choose a seat, thats an extra £68 each way, unless you are silver or gold then it's free. I declined that offer, and was the first to check in, as in sequence number 001 on my boarding pass and ALL window seats had already gone.
Plane out of Gatwick last week was 2 hrs 40 minutes late, due to a slide deployment by ground staff, and return trip was delayed by a fuel system fault, noticed at taxi out, i.e. we were at the end of the runway, before we taxied back to the stand.
All of the food and drink is uploaded for the outbound and return legs at Gatwick, so is therefore effectively rationed, we ran out of Gin (miniatures) on the way out, to preserve some for the way back, so I managed one G&T on a 12 hour flight. You get more with EasyJet.
All in all, simply an appalling advertisement for this Country, where the national flag carrier offers such poor service. I feel sorry for the staff, but the Airline has gone to the dogs.
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