[Biggless]

In reply to: BA New First Class??

Yes, I got the email earlier today. Unless I’m not navigating the web site correctly the only picture of the cabin is a rather pathetic view of the seat back (see http://www.britishairways.com/travel/first-seating/public/en_gb). Doesn’t really give the impression that BA want you to see what they have to offer when you compare to other airline websites which give a very clear view of the seating in First class.

Before anyone thinks I’m a BA basher, let me say that I do generally have quite a positive view of BA having been a Gold or Silver Exec club member since it first started (actually when I first joined in 1988 there was just one level and you simply paid about £80 to join if I remember correctly – hands up who else remembers that?) However, I must agree with all the above posts that the new cabin is hopeless compared to the suites offered on other airlines. My most recent First experience was on the short Cairo/London hop and SanFrancisco before that. To be honest, apart from the food being served on china plates, I don’t think it is that much better than club. Also, to be honest, I prefer the old Concorder lounge with the help yourself buffet. The food in the new one is not as good as Virgin’s business lounge at Heathrow and they don’t do the nice canapes anymore. Oh and one final gripe, you get no preference in the Spa. So quite often it is booked up and despite paying a fortune for First you get nothing ! Think BA need to rethink that one ?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I got the email earlier today. Unless I’m not navigating the web site correctly the only picture of the cabin is a rather pathetic view of the seat back (see http://www.britishairways.com/travel/first-seating/public/en_gb). Doesn’t really give the impression that BA want you to see what they have to offer when you compare to other airline websites which give a very clear view of the seating in First class.

Before anyone thinks I’m a BA basher, let me say that I do generally have quite a positive view of BA having been a Gold or Silver Exec club member since it first started (actually when I first joined in 1988 there was just one level and you simply paid about £80 to join if I remember correctly – hands up who else remembers that?) However, I must agree with all the above posts that the new cabin is hopeless compared to the suites offered on other airlines. My most recent First experience was on the short Cairo/London hop and SanFrancisco before that. To be honest, apart from the food being served on china plates, I don’t think it is that much better than club. Also, to be honest, I prefer the old Concorder lounge with the help yourself buffet. The food in the new one is not as good as Virgin’s business lounge at Heathrow and they don’t do the nice canapes anymore. Oh and one final gripe, you get no preference in the Spa. So quite often it is booked up and despite paying a fortune for First you get nothing ! Think BA need to rethink that one ?

[Anonymous]

usainbxl……..You and I will have to agree to disagree I suspect…..
You do make some valid points but what really is required is good parenting, good manners and good service. What kids don’t need is banning orders or prohibition. If we ban them how can we expect them to grow into socially adept adults?

It is in my experience it is adults who fail to behave to the social norms…after all children are children and we should not, indeed we must not, expect them to be adults no matter the surroundings. Well behaved yes, children certainly, but not adults. Their childhood is already too short.

As I stated earlier I have endured the hygienically challenged the snorers and the down right rude, none of whom behave to the social norm and I can tell you that being stuck next to, or indeed in the same cabin as, someone with BO for 10 hours is thoroughly unpleasant.

I travel with my kids in First and god help them if they play up. But whilst I do not expect them to sit still, I do expect that the airline will provide them with a service that meets their needs and which provides them with a level of distraction, suitable to their age, in much the same way as the airline does for me. Head phones that fit along with decent in-flight entertainment would be start. Catering too needs to meet the needs of the customer both in terms of cutlery, dishes and glassware as well as what goes on the plate. All too often kid’s meals in first and business are often simply economy meals put on a china plate. This is not acceptable and neither is junk food filled with e numbers and sugar…….the kids equivalent of too much alcohol. Food that meets national nutritional standards and is presented well is what is required. No different in other words to an adult requesting a special meal on dietary or religious grounds.

Airlines differentiate their products to make money and not just by class, but by fare type as well, resulting in a variety of passenger types in each cabin. Some want to sleep, some to work, some for the experience. Kids are no different and airlines need to provide services to meet those needs on the ground and in the air. Kids after all are airlines future revenue and have potential high lifetime worth. Kids are also very discerning, often more so than adults, and have very long memories and a great deal of pester power.

[Binman62]

In reply to: Obnoxious kids in Business Class

usainbxl……..You and I will have to agree to disagree I suspect…..
You do make some valid points but what really is required is good parenting, good manners and good service. What kids don’t need is banning orders or prohibition. If we ban them how can we expect them to grow into socially adept adults?

It is in my experience it is adults who fail to behave to the social norms…after all children are children and we should not, indeed we must not, expect them to be adults no matter the surroundings. Well behaved yes, children certainly, but not adults. Their childhood is already too short.

As I stated earlier I have endured the hygienically challenged the snorers and the down right rude, none of whom behave to the social norm and I can tell you that being stuck next to, or indeed in the same cabin as, someone with BO for 10 hours is thoroughly unpleasant.

I travel with my kids in First and god help them if they play up. But whilst I do not expect them to sit still, I do expect that the airline will provide them with a service that meets their needs and which provides them with a level of distraction, suitable to their age, in much the same way as the airline does for me. Head phones that fit along with decent in-flight entertainment would be start. Catering too needs to meet the needs of the customer both in terms of cutlery, dishes and glassware as well as what goes on the plate. All too often kid’s meals in first and business are often simply economy meals put on a china plate. This is not acceptable and neither is junk food filled with e numbers and sugar…….the kids equivalent of too much alcohol. Food that meets national nutritional standards and is presented well is what is required. No different in other words to an adult requesting a special meal on dietary or religious grounds.

Airlines differentiate their products to make money and not just by class, but by fare type as well, resulting in a variety of passenger types in each cabin. Some want to sleep, some to work, some for the experience. Kids are no different and airlines need to provide services to meet those needs on the ground and in the air. Kids after all are airlines future revenue and have potential high lifetime worth. Kids are also very discerning, often more so than adults, and have very long memories and a great deal of pester power.

[Anonymous]

I agreed with yout that it is the problem with specific passenger being an “Idiot”. However, by screening passenger before givem them the complimentary upgrade can prevent this kind of situation to happen. As far as I know, the check-in agent usually screen those passenger by the way they dress etc. However, Air China just upgraded almost the whole tour group. I don’t think a decent airlines would do that.

[thanyakorn]

In reply to: Paid BC PAX being disturb by upgraded PAX on Air China

I agreed with yout that it is the problem with specific passenger being an “Idiot”. However, by screening passenger before givem them the complimentary upgrade can prevent this kind of situation to happen. As far as I know, the check-in agent usually screen those passenger by the way they dress etc. However, Air China just upgraded almost the whole tour group. I don’t think a decent airlines would do that.

[Anonymous]

I am the passenger on board flight CA 959 from Beijing to Bangkok on Jan 4, 2010 and the fare paid was a normal Business Class.

With the incident of the snow storm in Beijing on Jan 3, 2009 and it resulted in airport closure as well as flight delayed and cancellation. I totally understand that there’re large numbers of leftover passengers which airlines need to put them on the next available flight. Hence, the Business Class cabin was full of upgraded passengers. As mentioned, I totally understand situation and I don’t mind upgraded passengers at all even I was paid the normal Business Class Fare.

I am a Star Alliance Gold Card member and I’ve sometimes got the complimentary upgrade to Business Class / First Class when travelled on Economy / Business Class on some overbooked flight. However, what really bother me and make me feel totally unacceptable is the inappropriate behavior during the flight of some upgraded passengers from “Tour Group from Thailand”. The behavior includes noise making and shouting to the other passenger expressed the angriness why they plane has to be stand still on the run way for more than 3 hours due to heavy traffic. These people are not respect the paid Business Class passenger at all.

I’ve paid the Business Class fare because of extra comfort and quiet cabin (as you know that the Business Class fare is almost triple from Economy Class). With this flight, the cabin was very noisy and I was not able to sleep until the flight attendance turned off the light. It seems like somehow, I was in the Economy Class with the extra space.

Air China will need to re-consider that upgrade criteria again, not just randomly upgrade passenger especially those on a “tour group” and make those people disturb the passenger who paid the normal fare. Otherwise, I will need to consider using Air China’s service again.

[thanyakorn]

In reply to: Paid BC PAX being disturb by upgraded PAX on Air China

I am the passenger on board flight CA 959 from Beijing to Bangkok on Jan 4, 2010 and the fare paid was a normal Business Class.

With the incident of the snow storm in Beijing on Jan 3, 2009 and it resulted in airport closure as well as flight delayed and cancellation. I totally understand that there’re large numbers of leftover passengers which airlines need to put them on the next available flight. Hence, the Business Class cabin was full of upgraded passengers. As mentioned, I totally understand situation and I don’t mind upgraded passengers at all even I was paid the normal Business Class Fare.

I am a Star Alliance Gold Card member and I’ve sometimes got the complimentary upgrade to Business Class / First Class when travelled on Economy / Business Class on some overbooked flight. However, what really bother me and make me feel totally unacceptable is the inappropriate behavior during the flight of some upgraded passengers from “Tour Group from Thailand”. The behavior includes noise making and shouting to the other passenger expressed the angriness why they plane has to be stand still on the run way for more than 3 hours due to heavy traffic. These people are not respect the paid Business Class passenger at all.

I’ve paid the Business Class fare because of extra comfort and quiet cabin (as you know that the Business Class fare is almost triple from Economy Class). With this flight, the cabin was very noisy and I was not able to sleep until the flight attendance turned off the light. It seems like somehow, I was in the Economy Class with the extra space.

Air China will need to re-consider that upgrade criteria again, not just randomly upgrade passenger especially those on a “tour group” and make those people disturb the passenger who paid the normal fare. Otherwise, I will need to consider using Air China’s service again.

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone !

Oldchinahand–I definitely agree with your opinion regarding your comment to such attitudes referring to Airpocket and Golfpro. I am a longstanding subsribers of BT — I liked them and appreciate their ways of information. If those people really want tabloid travel trash–than they really out of place here in BT !

Regarding EK’s airplane orders–who knows how it will look next year. At the moment the numbers of EK are still okay— but if EK do not get proper yields results in the long term–I do not know how EK will justify to have a huge numbers of A380 in the future. Pax nowadays are price conscious and very demanding especially when flying in premium class.

About EY messing around EK and its future plans–who knows, if EY really wants to have a saying or stirring up in EK’s business. Both airlines are pretty ambitious. Let us see–which of the two will dominate the future.

[Hess963]

In reply to: What fate awaits Emirates?

Hi everyone !

Oldchinahand–I definitely agree with your opinion regarding your comment to such attitudes referring to Airpocket and Golfpro. I am a longstanding subsribers of BT — I liked them and appreciate their ways of information. If those people really want tabloid travel trash–than they really out of place here in BT !

Regarding EK’s airplane orders–who knows how it will look next year. At the moment the numbers of EK are still okay— but if EK do not get proper yields results in the long term–I do not know how EK will justify to have a huge numbers of A380 in the future. Pax nowadays are price conscious and very demanding especially when flying in premium class.

About EY messing around EK and its future plans–who knows, if EY really wants to have a saying or stirring up in EK’s business. Both airlines are pretty ambitious. Let us see–which of the two will dominate the future.

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone !!

For the fans of Skyteam frequent flyers–China Airlines of Taiwan has launched early this month the new Taipeh-New Delhi-Rome route.

Yes, you have read it right. CI is being daring here, but actually wise.
The former stop in BKK was phased out, so the stop will be in New Delhi now. It is actually a good idea as there is no Rome-New Delhi non-stop connection. This will help and ease Italian pax for their trips to India and to Taiwan as well–as the overall flight time to Taiwan will be less than 1 hour than the previous flight time via BKK.

[Hess963]

In reply to: China Airlines–bold connection

Hi everyone !!

For the fans of Skyteam frequent flyers–China Airlines of Taiwan has launched early this month the new Taipeh-New Delhi-Rome route.

Yes, you have read it right. CI is being daring here, but actually wise.
The former stop in BKK was phased out, so the stop will be in New Delhi now. It is actually a good idea as there is no Rome-New Delhi non-stop connection. This will help and ease Italian pax for their trips to India and to Taiwan as well–as the overall flight time to Taiwan will be less than 1 hour than the previous flight time via BKK.

[Anonymous]

Well, I will be toasting you during 2010 from First on Swiss, United, Thai and China Airlines (well, Business with China Airlines) courtesy of bmi’s Diamond Club on the dates I wanted to the exact locations I wanted on the exact flights I wanted.

All for less cost than a good dinner out.

Like so much in life, a little research and application reaps benefits.

Armed with knowledge, the Pune callcentre has improved, as long as you know when simply to put down the phone and call back for a more knowledgeable agent; many of them are extremely helpful especially when you have researched what you need properly.

It is far from the worst frequent flyer scheme and I broadly welcome these changes, which are not just an “image” makeover and genuinely substantive.

Their IT does leave something to be desired, but once you get to know its (not it’s) quirks, DC is a very attractive scheme.

[VintageKrug]

In reply to: New bmi Diamond Club Improvements: HHAs, Confirmable Upgrades & New Partners

Well, I will be toasting you during 2010 from First on Swiss, United, Thai and China Airlines (well, Business with China Airlines) courtesy of bmi’s Diamond Club on the dates I wanted to the exact locations I wanted on the exact flights I wanted.

All for less cost than a good dinner out.

Like so much in life, a little research and application reaps benefits.

Armed with knowledge, the Pune callcentre has improved, as long as you know when simply to put down the phone and call back for a more knowledgeable agent; many of them are extremely helpful especially when you have researched what you need properly.

It is far from the worst frequent flyer scheme and I broadly welcome these changes, which are not just an “image” makeover and genuinely substantive.

Their IT does leave something to be desired, but once you get to know its (not it’s) quirks, DC is a very attractive scheme.