[AlanOrton1]

Flew to VLC and back last month in Y and I’m pretty sure on one leg there was no curtain divider.
Sat in an exit row seat, over half way back on an A321 and it was a far more comfortable experience than the previous months flight in CE in row 2.
If only they could revert to something like 32-34 inches in CE.

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DNAdams

[SimonRowberry]

[postquote quote=1245861]

Hi Frederic,

Wow, it’s been quite a while since I saw such unnecessary aggression on this Forum – it’s like a return to a sad past.

Just a thought, dear chap – if you think we are a humourless lot here, then why don’t you just leave the Forum? I don’t think you’d be missed either.

A bientot,

Simon

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[evelyn]

Can one actually pay for an extra seat in economy?
I di not think that was possible.
Can anyone confirm please?

[GordyUK]

Good luck with that… my “complaint to Doyle” was met with a “we’re very busy and it will take 35 days for a response”… that was 40 days ago 🙄

[DNAdams]

[postquote quote=1246903]

Thanks, appreciate that it won’t go anywhere, and BA/Doyle couldn’t care less about their customers, but it made me feel better.

Got a load of Avios and a companion voucher to use up and then I won’t even consider BA again.

[openfly]

Evelyn…..yes, it’s called a Comfort Seat. I’ve done it several times on BA….it’s designed for very large passengers who might overflow the seat beside them!

Make a booking then call the BA Exec Club….request an extra seat beside you. You only pay the seat cost….no taxes or charges. Once you’ve paid, the seat is blocked off. I’ve done it a couple of times in the Em Exit seats, and it works. It can be as cheap as £5 extra…! Damn sight more comfy that Club Europe!

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DNAdams

[FDOS]

[postquote quote=1246799]

I’ve done it a number of times, Evelyn.

The process varies from airline to airline, but generally you pay the fare for the seat only and not travel taxes.

[rferguson]

The problem is, what BA offers in Club Europe is competitive in europe. Or, in the case of my recent KLM and Lufthansa flights slightly better!

When every european airline is touting a row of economy seats with the middle seat blocked off as ‘Business Class’ which may or may not have the glory of a dividing curtain between it and economy, where is the incentive to improve? I mean even the faux middle table across the blocked seat has disappeared.

My recent flights with Lufthansa in Business – dire. I mean I won’t speak about the seat, but the catering was a disgrace. No choice. A few slices of sausage and a bread roll. And some little pudding.

KLM departing MAD for AMS business class – a cardboard box with not a single fresh item in it. Nada. Some kind of cake, a pack of nuts, a bread roll and some other carby pastry.

Saying all that, there ARE some good deals to be had in Business Class. The other week I had booked a £45 one-way fare from MAN to MAD on Iberia Express in economy. When I went to check in online it offered me an upgrade to Business…for £34!

Had a delicious hot meal on the way (choice of beef or fish), friendly service (on IBERIA SHOCKING!) and an empty seat next to me. Not to mention lounge access and fast track security to boot (although I had this already with BA Gold).

In the US the situation seems a little reversed. I flew Delta from JFK to Chicago the other month in ‘First Class’ and although the seat is physically different and larger than economy the choice of ‘meal’ was a bag of pistachios or a cereal bar. And of course, being a domestic flight within the US, no lounge access. But again, the difference in fare from economy was so marginal.

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[macaulay]

OK this is not curtain related.
Flew back from Sydney the other day, BA Buisness for the first time in years.
We left Singapore and it became clear they had NO menus for First or Buisiness, worst the crew had little idea of what they had to serve!
Needless to say the notorious Singapore food was even worse that day.
BA had no amenity kits for its First or Buisiness passengers either.
Guess what I wont pay them a fortune ever again…

[LuganoPirate]

My curtain related experience is somewhat different. Back in the early 80’s flying from Johannesburg to Nairobi with BA in First, I was told at check-in I had been downgraded to Economy as First was full (I don’t think they had business then). Being a bit suspicious as on reconfirming my flight (as you did then) I’d asked if the cabin was full and was told it was only half full.

Finding a phone booth I called the BA airport office and was told, yes, seats are still available. So back to the counter to protest to be told it was because I was wearing (smart tropical) shorts and this may upset the other passengers. I am, by the way, told I have very nice knees 😉 After some toing and froing they checked me in and I was escorted to the plane where they had curtained off the first row and put me in front of the curtains so the passengers would not see me. Unbelievable I know, but it did happen.

After a few hours I needed to use the bathroom and exited the curtain to a half dozen “shocked” passengers! On my return a man stood up, introduced himself as Lord somebody (can’t remember) and asked who I was and was I pop singer or someone famous. When I told him no I wasn’t, but BA wanted to hide my knees from general viewing, he burst into laughter and announced to the cabin “he’s not famous, just BA was embarrassed we might see his knees”! The whole cabin burst into laughter, he ordered the curtain be taken down and we almost had a party drinking champagne all the way to Nairobi together.

Looking back with hindsight, shorts are almost a uniform in SA, even my bank manager wears them. Maybe it was different them?

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[cwoodward]

LuganoPirate A fantastic story and totally believable – I was living in SA at the time and also travelling on that BA route. Thank you.

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LuganoPirate

[DNAdams]

Further to my original post, I mentioned that I will be complaining directly to Doyle about my poor experience in CE from Prague.

I did receive a reply which did not acknowledge or explain the lack of curtain divider but did apologise for the poor food and constant ET traffic to the front loo.

I also got 20k Avios. I am happy with that and I reckon it was worth writing a short complaint email.

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mkcol74

[GordyUK]

Great that you got a reply.. I was told I’d have to wait 35 days.. we’re now on day 52

[Stowage222]

Flew out CE from LHR to LCA this week on their brand new super-duper A321. The IFM mentioned the new large overhead bins. Not a curtain in sight – apart from the galley!

[nevereconomy]

I certainly think Frederic could have couched his comments less judgementally, but the question does remain – why do you all keep flying BA after all these horrible experiences?
I do it because they get me safely from one convenient place to another and for that I accept the inadequacies. If I want fancy on a route where it is available then I use someone else.

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Ekond222

[Author]

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