[scott1nthesky]

I tend to post sparsely on here about BA since I travel with them so often and something goes wrong on around 8/10 flights – while venting might release a little mental stress, it probably won’t achieve anything. However, I had a new odd experience with them recently and would be interested in your thoughts:

Flying YUL – LHR – NCL, in Club, with a 2.5hr connection in LHR.

We were on stand at LHR 3 minutes early, engines powered down and seatbelt signs off when the captain made a PA to note we’d been martialed onto a remote stand that was “too small for this aeroplane and our tail is blocking other planes getting past us.” He went on to say he could see most of the B and C stands with airbridges were empty, so it was frustrating we were remote anyway. We had to sit back down whilst a tug pushed us back and towed us to another remote stand. This all took 45 minutes but I got on a C-gate train quickly and was at domestic flight connections at -70. Given the usual minimum connection time to domestics is sold as 40 minutes, I wasn’t worried.

My boarding pass wouldn’t scan at the BA gates before transfer security. A BA staff member checked and said, “Oh we already offloaded you (laughing), we didn’t think there was any chance you’d make it.” I pointed out that main check in was still open for another 10 minutes and since I had a confirmed seat this seemed a bit unfair. She shrugged it off, called the gate, gave me a new seat and new boarding pass.

Security was virtually empty and I was through in under 10 minutes and at the gate before they’d started pre-boarding. After the usual flurry of “if you check your hand luggage in then we’ll board you first” plus the pre-boards, I joined the group 1 line. My new boarding pass wouldn’t scan…when the gate staff looked into, they said I’d been offloaded again. They said, “Well security was really busy so we thought you’d miss it. You’re already booked on the next flight and we’ve given you lounge access so it’s not so bad.” Security wasn’t busy – I thought it rare to see so many lanes open with no queues.

The next flight with a confirmed seat was in 7 hours (the new schedule has a much reduced service). The lounge comment was also odd since I was travelling in Club and I get that anyway through Exec Club status.

I found it extraordinary that the flight manager made a series of assumptions about how long it’d take to get through the airport and despite me being in the right place at the right time, twice!, they still offloaded me. 7 hours in LHR for a 45 minute flight seemed to err on the side of horrific so I tried to get my checked bag back, planning to take a train instead. The customer service desk in the lounge refused this and said I could only do that if I wasn’t present for boarding the next flight.

I made a complaint to customer relations the next day and received a litany of falsehoods about the flight arrival time and the connection process. Sadly, my description of exactly where I was and at what time is irrelevant and they’ve refused any comp.

It’s quite something to feel so powerless. Not a unique experience but this was one was particularly bad so I thought it worth sharing.

1 user thanked author for this post.

GordyUK

[ASK1945]

If your ticket was a through one from YUL to NCL, which it seems it was, could you be entitled to claim under EU261? Perhaps one of our online experts in relation to this can comment.

[AndrewinHK]

I have been subject to ‘proactive offloading’ but never if you arrive at the gate in time actually denied or overly encouraged not to board which it seems in this instance you were. I wonder was the flight was full/overbooked or if there were staff on standby to travel home. The flight manager seemed overly zealous in the pursuit of not having you board the flight.

[CheerUp]

Yes, I had this exact thing on my trip to the US in February. Flying the slightly long winded LHR-PHL-LAX, the LHR-PHL flight was delayed slightly due to plane slowing for turblence. Whilst still on the flight (and fair play for BA here) the cabin crew came over and told me that I’d been taken off my onward flight. I was only travelling hand lugagge, so I said to the cabin crew I’m going to still try and make it. Cut a long story short, clear US immigration and security and still had an hour before the flight, despite having to wait at American desk whilst they tried to unravel BA cancellation.

Also to add icing on the cake, very rude BA rep at the lounge wouldn’t let me in, claiming it was full – 60% I would have said.
All I wanted to do was use wifi to email client to say I would actually still be arriving on the same day!

Oh and I still haven’t been creditied with the tier points for the fligth either! 😀

[cybertravller]

If something goes wrong, 8/10 flights, which to me seems very high, why don’t you try an alternative? As an ex-BA employee, I can tell you from personal experience that nobody at BA from management down gives a damn about the passenger.

AF/KLM also have a routing from NCL-YUL either through CDG or AMS.

I certainly have had better experiences with AF/KLM than with BA.

Vote with your feet.

[FDOS]

[postquote quote=1357065]

Steps to take

1 – ask customer relations for a deadlock letter (we will not chnage our decision)

2- take the case to CEDR – https://www.cedr.com/consumer/aviation/

3- from what you have recounted, it looks like a fairly straightforward EC261 £520 to me, for denied boarding, though I am sure you would have rather not waited for 7 hours

5 users thanked author for this post.

pdwtrip, lostantipod, Ian, EU_Flyer, cwoodward

[Edin12]

I travel through LHR with BA at least once a month, and I can agree there is something off with the ground services. Nearly every flight arrival there is a problem, usually followed by profuse apologies and vents of frustration by the pilot. Its usually due to lack of stairs, faulty airbridge, or goodness knows what else. Fortunately my evening connecting flight to Edinburgh is ALWAYS delayed by at least 30-60 mins.

Incidentally, I also had a tight connection in Doha recently due to delay, sprinted to the gate, got a confused look by the gate attendant but then eventually got through after a call to supervisor. While sitting on the plane i realised i had received a notification on app saying Id been offloaded. At least the Qatar staff had helpfully sorted it unlike your experience!

[Harbord1]

We got up at 3.30am to catch the absurdly early 0625 flight to Funchal. Even though it was only the third flight of the day we were sent to the coaching gates (why would you do this when your aircraft will free up the jetty by 0630 ?). The flight departure time came and went. Eventually the coach departed to the aircraft where we were boarded up the steps through the rear door. The aircraft was affixed to a jetty in the B gates. Apparently the front door could not be used as the door to the jetty head was broken and could not be opened. No explanation as to why this was an unknown fault and more especially why we could not have been sent to the B gates from the outset and just board through the jetty in the normal way – so much better than the coach. The whole thing felt shambolic. Has to be said the onboard service in Club was surprisingly good as was the food/snack offer.

[jwhite9185]

[postquote quote=1357235]

Reason for the bus gate, despite it being early is that it was likely one of the last aircraft into T5 the previous evening. With most of the short haul fleet back at home base for the evening, parking spaces can be at a premium.

2 users thanked author for this post.

lostantipod, Flyboy18

[TonyR]

I think there is something off in general with BA.

On my last long-haul flight it was staffed by young inexperienced cabin crew. Our stewardess was very badly sunburnt from her first ever trip to the Caribbean and clearly trying to hide unsuccessfully a bad hangover. The young crew had no idea about customer service. My food tray was missing the dessert so I asked if I could have one (No, we don’t have any spares) or one from the forward cabins (Immediately: “No, they’ve all eaten, there’s nothing left”. Whereas we all know there is always extra in First and Club) The purser did come and thank me for being a long term Gold Member and offer to help with any requests but then ignored us for the rest of the flight while the cabin crew rejected two minor requests.

When we arrived at LHR we had a lengthy wait on a remote stand because there were no buses available to take us to the terminal. So a long wait there and then for the first time in a long time one of our suitcases arrived damaged. Tried to report it at the desk but they told me to do it online instead where the form asks for the reference number of the report in the baggage hall! Over a week after filing the online claim I have not heard anything from BA, not even an email acknowledgement.

Their problems seem to stem from being either badly understaffed or staffed with staff who are very inexperienced and with little supervision. Another recent flight on the same route with Virgin was a world apart. They had a cabin crew who were more experienced and mature, were up to full strength in the cabin and were friendly, helpful, good at their job.

There does seem IME to be a reordering of historical standings post pandemic. Of recent long-haul flights Virgin and Emirates have both been very good (Emirates not so good on the ground). BA and Singapore -usually top rankers – very disappointing.

[CathayLoyalist2]

BA´s problems, along with other errant companies, start and finish at the top with an ineffective Board/CEO/Senior Management Team.

2 users thanked author for this post.

GordyUK, pdwtrip

[esselle]

[postquote quote=1357504]

At least Cruz used to appear from time to time wearing a Hi-Viz. Is Doyle still in charge?

2 users thanked author for this post.

cwoodward, GordyUK

[Casey_99]

Have had the exact same thing happen several times, arriving late into US airports for an onward connection or arriving into Madrid for connections to South / Central America or back to LGW or LHR.
I’ve always stood my ground at the gate, said I’ve got a boarding pass for this flight, I’m not late and I expect to be taking my seat.
Every time the gate staff have looked sheepish and finally accept they had to let me on. In one case, they stepped back, had a conversation which I could fully hear and one then said ‘we have to let him on, he’s got a boarding pass’. They then called a guy who was on standby, who’d been given my seat, and told him that he wouldn’t be flying after all. I got a sharp glare from him.
Luggage not making the connection was not an issue generally with hand luggage on business trips. However, coming back from Central America via Madrid on a family holiday our bags didn’t make the tight connection due to our late arrival but that didn’t matter too much.

[TonyR]

I’ve not generally had that problem and its the reason I travel carry-on only wherever possible. In the past when a connection has been tight every time I have flown and my luggage has caught up with me later. Slight inconvenience of having to go get a toothbrush, shirt etc and reclaiming it but have never been denied boarding because of delayed luggage. Wonder if there has been a policy change?

[nevereconomy]

I have the same “computer says” connection experience at Heathrow. My Manchester flight was delayed, I only had hand luggage and could still easily have made my onward flight but had to be rebooked on a flight without my original F – it was actually a lovely experience because of the J crew on that particular flight, but of course then messed up my further connection in the US. Would be better to let people try for their original connection, THEN rebook them if necessary. Just a lack of common sense – so very prevalent everywhere these days.

[Author]

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