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The call I made to the BA Exec Blue line this evening illustrates to me one of the biggest issues with BA, the high level of inconsistent service standards whether through their call centres, pre-flight and during the flight. I called mainly to add an open jaw return to a Companion voucher booking. I got through to a very amiable and professional young man called Hayden. He knew exactly what to do, all sorted quickly. I then asked him why my Orlando flight had not been ticketed despite making the change 2 months ago (from BA to Aer Lingus). I had previously spoken to 2 Indian based agents who advised me that nothing was wrong and it would all be sorted out, nothing to worry about. Hayden checked it out and immediately found an error from the original agent, an incorrect tax code (RFS) had been applied and the back office ticketing team therefore could not complete he process. Within 5 minutes he had identified the issue and resolved it. That’s great customer service. I do wonder whether had I not known about this potential issue, I would never have known and not been able to fly? There have been several posts on this forum illustrating the wildly differing service received on board, from outstanding to woeful, even between the two aisles on long haul aircraft. It’s surely got to do with management and training, or lack of it? If Sean Doyle was to focus on one thing to improve BA’s reputation surely fixing this issue has to be near the top?
If Sean Doyle was to focus on one thing to improve BA’s reputation surely fixing this issue has to be near the top?
I think his focus, and that of his predecessor Señor Cruz, is to cut costs and make money. Unfortunately, great service only comes from the initiative of individuals at BA.
Flight crew service is so inconsistent too.
Recently did a TP run to Manchester and back from Heathrow.
Going out, staff didn’t know what was in the sandwiches (asked as a veggie), didn’t top up drinks, didn’t smile, didn’t stop people from the back using club toilets.
Coming back (all new crew), staff were AMAZING, even handed out menus as well as excel in all the above, and done with genuine smiles!
“didn’t stop people from the back using club toilets.”
There is particularly poor discipline, self and crew, when it comes to this matter and BA. But no European airline is perfect. I recall during the height of covid being one of 2 passengers in the J cabin on TAP which was blocked out at 5 rows and closed with a curtain. Nonetheless passengers streamed up willy nilly all flight long.
I think Virgin Australia have it right with a rope that has to be manually disconnected to gain access; accompanied by signs either side of the rope on the bulkheads saying to use the toilets of your ticketed cabin. Granted no bulkheads in Europe to attach a rope or signs to but presumably both could be attached to the curtains themselves.
The US is an odd outlier in that despite having visually very different front cabins on short haul, the airlines have been browbeaten in the face of litigation to acknowledge that any passenger may use any toilet. They seem to find a way to avoid much encroachment though, be it from gameplaying with trolley placement or other means. I do recall a United flight sitting in 1D and a man in the Y cabin taking himself and his 2 kids and a baby with a nappy to change up to the front loo just as the crew were serving the F cabin’s hot meals. It felt purely performative on his part as despite the crew noting the hot food and it really not being the easiest option for him or them he stood there regardless. I nearly had an entire hot pasta dish drop on me because of the crew member losing his footing from the kids running amok in the galley.
@BWS, there’s a clear H & S issue there and it should be non-negotiable that passengers shouldn’t be able to obstruct the aisle when F & B are being served. The dad would soon be complaining if your pasta has gone on him or his kids!
I think Virgin Australia have it right with a rope that has to be manually disconnected to gain access; accompanied by signs either side of the rope on the bulkheads saying to use the toilets of your ticketed cabin. Granted no bulkheads in Europe to attach a rope or signs to but presumably both could be attached to the curtains themselves.
I’ve noted a rope on Qatar between the economy and business bar upstairs on the A380. I say rope, this thing is about 4 inches in diameter and made quite a thud when a cabin crew dropped it. Certainly one way from putting off the casual intruder.
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