[Bullfrog]

AlexUpgrade77 – 23/05/2013 14:23 GMT

Your perfect solution! “Book a fully refundable J class fare with VS and BA leaving at approx the same time.

Check in for the VS flight and head straight to Clubhouse at T3. Also check in for the BA flight. Enjoy Clubhouse for a few hours then call VS and tell them you regrettfully need to cancel your fully refundable J fare. Exit lounge. Head to T5 and board your BA flight (or stay in T3 if heading to BKK etc with BA).

Criminal but well within the rules and gets you the best of both worlds, VS lounge and BA onboard.”

Alex .. The things is, if it was between BA Club and Virgin Upper, I’d stick with the ClubHouse & the Upper Class seat. However if I was buying a BA First and Virgin Upper Class .. then I’d use the ClubHouse before boarding a BA aircraft for my BA First seat.

[esselle]

Despite being a longstanding gold member of the BAEC, with a short period as a Premier card holder, and a drop down to silver for a couple of years recently, I have never been asked to take part in any customer research by BA.

Years ago, the then pretty decent BA lounge in CDG1 became no smoking, as a result of extensive customer research.

Maybe I am just unlucky in never being asked my opinion.

[SimonS1]

Maybe you are unlucky. Or maybe they are not interested in your opinion.

Funny that the Flyertalk statement by BA talks about response to feedback etc etc but in the subsequent 25 pages of posts not a single lounge user who has been consulted as part of any research.

The wider picture here is with the losses continuing at BA, costs need to be cut and this is one way of doing it.

[StephenLondon]

@esselle – how do you know the new lounge contract was based on price? The BA people I have spoken with have intimated other things were behind the decision to change.

Do people on this board believe some of the comments on FT? I find many odd, including those who have shifted corp business away from BA to lounge catering. Yeah, right. Or those cancelling upcoming tkts in F to fly other carriers. Or those moaning about hygiene in biscuit jars but are happy to eat viennoiseries that are left out uncovered. Ummmmm…

[KeaneJohn]

Some of BA’s research and focus groups are done though http://www.focus4people.com,. All anonymous until you are selected by the client as suitable.

Back to the topic, I do wonder what it takes for BA to listen. When the winter 2012/13 timetable started there was quite a lot of negative feedback on the Club Europe catering with the brunch and extended hours for afternoon tea. Despite lots of apparent negative feedback with Avios thrown left right and centre at people that complained it would seem that nothing major has been done with regards to these changes simply minor tweeks.

[VintageKrug]

1. BA is not loss making, it made a profit when it last reported in February 2013 of €347m.

2. According to my first hand discussion with the BS Manager and other people at BA, this contract was not negotiated with price as a primary factor; as you’ll see (as examples) the better quality biscuits and improved sandwiches as well as increased staffing there are areas which have been improved; the overall spend is “about the same” but has been refocussed. Either way, it’s simply not delivering to standard.

[NTarrant]

I too have read some of the comments on FT and agree with StephenLondon that some comments about moving business and canceling tickets a bit bizarre.

There is more chance of contamination from dipping a hand into a bisuit jar as opposed to the larger displays. I wonder if the move to these biscuits is also a way of stopping people taking packets for use outside the lounge!

[openfly]

If VK writes….”it’s simply not delivering to standard” …. There must be a big problem.

We are approaching a month since the new caterer took over and nothing has changed since I started the thread. There have been no adjustments or tweaks to, at least, make an effort to improve the offering to show that BA is listening? BA do not listen. BA has the arrogance to think that every move is right and will not listen to the Premium passengers feedback. Time will tell.

[first_class_please]

I have not had the chance to pass through Heathrow this month to comment on this subject.

However, from previous issues on seperate subjects, I do have a few email addresses, which when contacted responded very quickly and solutions that Customer Services staff could not offer, were provided.

I would suggest sending conerns, comments, complaints to the below, knowing it will certainly be read by the right people.

Whether there is any action, that`s another case..

<a href="mailto:[email protected]“>[email protected] (CEO)
<a href="mailto:[email protected]“>[email protected] (MD Brands & Customer Experience)
<a href="mailto:[email protected]“>[email protected] (Global Customer Relations Manager)

NOTE – all the above addresses are available in the public domain / by guess work. Nothing confidential.

[SimonS1]

VK – I am sure your man Willie is looking at the IAG losses of €997m last year and €670m in first quarter of this one to see how costs can be trimmed.

If the overall spend really is “about the same” (which is corporate code for less) then it has mismanagement written all over it.

[esselle]

VK

Trust me on this one. It is cost driven. BA’s procurement department at its finest.

[rferguson]

Can I suggest that if anyone does go to the lounges and discovers a sight to behold (and not in a positive way) take a photo!! Then email it to BA. Even as crew this is often what we do on board. If we have a meal loaded that is clearly below standard instead of filling out a form or trying to describe it, out comes the iPhone or iPad, ‘Click’ and off it goes to Frank the chief of IFCE as well as catering. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words.

Slightly OT of this thread but just in regards TO BA’s financials:

There was a feature in this weeks internal magazine ‘up to speed’ about BA’s latest financial results by CFO Nick Swift. Obviously I cannot provide a link, but just to pass on a few points:
– On track to make the targeted £1.1B operating profit by ’15
– Operating loss in first quarter better than expected given the environment. Bad weather in January contributed as well as ‘aircraft serviceability issues’. First quarter is traditionally loss making.
– Revenue up, focus on yield Vs volume, no massive fuel price increases.
– Non fuel costs up slightly, mainly attributed to costs in introducing the new aircraft types.
– Continues on to compare BA financials with those of VS, LH, AF/KL etc.
– Focus on SQ financials. Operating profit $228M. Same period last year $786M. The article suggests that the challenges that have faced the euro airlines for a few years now are moving to asia – Mid east airlines challenging the SIN transit hub. Chinese carriers pricing aggressively in their (updated) premium cabins. And the likes of Air Asia/Jetstar with 1000+ aircraft on order. Was an interesting article, a shame I can’t provide a link.

Anyway, back to the thread 🙂

[PatJordan]

I have sent emails to the three addresses provided by first_class_please.

It remains to be seen whether they elicit a response, and if so whether it is a generic or personalised one.

I’ll keep the forum informed of developments.

[rferguson]

Address #2 is your best bet for a reply 🙂

[openfly]

Emailing the Keith.Williams address is a waste of time. You might get a reply after two or three reminders. Usual BA attitude…ignore them and they might go away! And that is from the CEO!

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