Xmas Panto vs Le Gavroche

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  • Anonymous
    Guest

    esselle
    Participant

    I haven’t flown BA longhaul for quite a while, so decided on this trip that I would, and booked F LHR-AUH-DOH-LHR.

    CCR quiet and as nice as ever; had excellent poached eggs but the bacon was industrial standard with yellow fat and flecks of greyish gloop.

    On boarding, it was evident that the F crew were in a bit of a tizzy. All youngish and very welcoming, it was clear they were not sure what was expected of them. Worryingly, they did not spot the fact that the lady in the row behind me was talking (loudly) on her phone as we pushed back, during the taxi, and as the wheels left the ground.

    The stewardess looking after my side of a nearly empty cabin was, I understood later, operating her first flight in the F cabin, and had not been trained for it. The experience started to remind me of the first time my daughter invited us to dinner in her newly acquired flat, and like my daughter on that occasion, this young girl was flustered, anxious, unsure of what to do next, but utterly charming and determined to ensure I was happy throughout the journey.

    In the end, we had quite a laugh together, and I had a very enjoyable flight. But this was as far from the normal BA F experience as it could have been. Xmas panto.

    The return was just the opposite; polished, confident, totally on the ball. Le Gavroche.

    So having not flown with BA for many months, my experience shows that they remain consistently inconsistent.

    Two other small points; BA used to offer a warm greyish rag, but none were to be seen on these flights. Has the hot towel service been withdrawn? In addition, the CSM/CSD of both flights was totally invisible in the F cabin.


    BigDog.
    Participant

    @esselle – 28/08/2014 11:04 GMT

    I hear the monthly turnover of mixed fleet is significant so expect the Xmas Panto v Le Gavroche to be a continuing, long running saga. Over time Le Gavroche will retire leaving the Xmas Panto to be run by Phineas T. Ratchet’s production line recruitment and training.


    PegasusAir
    Participant

    Just back yesterday in F from JNB and despite BA substituting a 747 instead of a scheduled A380 – my wife was particularly disappointed as it would have been her first taste of the BA 380 the CSD and CC in F did a very good job – very Le Gavroche, whereas the outward was very perfunctory – I think I would have preferred Panto probably as at least it might have been funny. This is the problem though with BA – inconsistent and getting more so, particularly noticeable on long haul.
    Incidentally our aircraft change appears to have been due to the previous days 380 going tech in LHR but doubt this would have been the case on each of the 4 previous Sun/Mon rotations (only checked the last 4 weeks)when they replaced the 380 with a 747. I am not sure they treat these changes as a downgrade which they are considering the hype they give to their 380’s. No advance advice even though they changed our seat numbers to one that did not exist on a 380! No apology, no comment even – the check-in Agent in JNB took it as normal and didn’t even know the reason. Sorry this last bit is off theme.


    esselle
    Participant

    Hello PegasusAir

    I haven’t flown the BA A380 yet, but will be doing LHR-LAX in F with my wife in November. Sorry to hear your wife was denied the experience. EK and SQ in my view do a great first class on this aircraft and I am interested to see how BA compares.


    openfly
    Participant

    @PegasusAir You can read the whole sorry saga of that broken A380 and it’s effect on the while BA operation in JNB and CPT for two days on thebasource.com!

    Enjoy….the massively delayed pax didn’t!!


    esselle
    Participant

    I did not mention that, on leaving the plane at AUH, I left my Bose headphones behind. First time ever after lord know how many years flying.

    Imagine my delight when, this evening, I got a mail from BA saying they had been handed in and were waiting for me there in their lost property.

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