cabin rules

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Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 42 total)

  • DisgustedofSwieqi
    Participant

    I just had a quick look to see what BA says on its website about the buddy seat and couldn’t find anything.

    But I did find this wonderful picture of a BA person ‘here to help.’

    Look at the facial expression!!!

    PS: Just to add that she is probably a very nice lady and (if she works for BA) probably is good at her job, but surely the photographer could have elicited a proper smile?

    https://www.britishairways.com/travel/youfirst/execclub/_gf/en_gb


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    The post by VK

    “It’s part of the service standard, is documented in the manual (I asked them to check), though not encouraged during night flights so as not to disturb other F pax. It is not a “right” and remains at the discretion of the CSD”

    ….does not read right. No employee would read a service standard document, unless asked by a director or senior manager of the airline, which VK by his own admission is neither.

    The only time I have seen a buddy seat used in F (by nion First pax) is by good old Willie as part of a publicity stunt when he toured the economy class cabin and invited 2 pax up for a drink.

    The more I think of this scenario of a pax conducting a busienss meeting or social event in F, the more I think it is the height of rudeness, esepcially to fellow First pax. I would also feel the same if it were to happen in CW.

    I would be interested to hear from a CSD what the official BA position is.

    One of the reasons I stopped using Virgin was becasue they took the Upper Class club house atmosphere too far by allowing the on board bar to get a little out of hand in terms of “visitors” of pax joining in.


    RichHI1
    Participant

    I agree with the direction this forum is going however I would like to voice a distinction that I see clear.
    Where 2 or more passengers are travelling on the same plane in different classes, paying a quick visit (colleagues passing a file, children saying good night) when done considerately (not blocking cabin service not being loud ect) is not something I would condemn.
    Where there is a substantial time or a substantial draw on resources from another cabin as in VK holding court in accordance with BA policy or Hooray Henrys jamming up th Business or Coach Class toilets then I see a big issue with this.


    BTBAsccm
    Participant

    This is my first forum post. Let me introduce myself, I do work at BA as a senior cabin crew member. I’ve read the forums avidly, sometimes with mild amusement, sometimes pride, sometimes shame, other times with anger and complete disbelief. But forums are here to exchange experiences and ideas.

    I thought I could perhaps interject with a few facts and dispel some myths.

    So with regard to guest joining out First Customers. VK is correct. It is part of our First service standards. It should really be limited to drinks only at the buddy seat, and only during cruise.

    How many is ‘too’ many visiting First? Well that would be up to the discretion of the Purser in the First Cabin, and possibly some common sense from our First customers. If they’re guests do not impact on the service delivery to our guests, they’re welcome to stay for a drink or 30mins or so.

    I would say 2 guests at any one time should be seen as the acceptable limit. Any more, and that would clearer impact on Service, style, exclusivity and privacy that our First customers demand and require.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Interesting post. Hard to believe a Purser would allow, especially if the blinds were down and the cabin was in night mode.

    Voices do carry in confined areas, even at 38000′.

    I have certainly not witnessed this either in CW or F, but there again, I do not have the network of a good bottle of champagne!


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    MartynSinclair wrote “I do not believe that it is an accepted “standard”.”

    A BA senior cabin crewmember wrote: “VK is correct”

    Thank you for confirming the veracity my post, BTBAsccm. Welcome to BT!

    Nowhere in this thread anyone mentioned inviting a guest during a night flight, or while others in the cabin were sleeping. In fact I don’t believe one could have emphasised more the need to consider the needs of other passengers.


    DisgustedofSwieqi
    Participant

    If we are going to be picky, then someone who wrote “I do work at BA as a senior cabin crew member” commented on the thread.

    As I have heard different versions of what is and is not permitted, I’ll keep an open mind.

    I have sat in F as a guest, for a drink, but this does not prove it is officially sanctioned, but it does happen.

    No disrespect to BTBAsccm, only a reflection that this is an anonymous forum and there are no checks on who anybody claims to be.

    I could even be living in Tunbridge Wells 🙂


    BTBAsccm
    Participant

    Having operated on night flights, if a First customer asks for a guest to join him, i politely decline, as I have to consider the comfort and requirements of the sleeping passengers in First.

    I do point out that they are more than welcome to meet up and share a drink or coffee at the Club kitchen, where my crew will be happy to serve them and give them the time and privacy to chat, out of earshot of F and J sleeping customers.

    As for my identity, of course I could be a school boy aviation buff, sat in the bedroom of my parents house in Tallahassee. There is no way of proving that I am a SCCM at BA. That’s fair enough. So as a ‘possible’ BA employee here are two points from the BA First Service guidelines to crew that are relevant to this discussion…

    13. Buddy dining is only available to fellow First customers and only for the main meal service or afternoon tea, not breakfast

    14. First customers may invite a guest from another cabin to join them for a drink for a limited period of time. This should only happen during the cruise & the guest may only be served with beverages


    DisgustedofSwieqi
    Participant

    BTBAsccm

    Accepting you are who you say, this policy seems to put the CSD/CSM in a tricky position, given that the F cabin can be inhabited by some fairly ‘difficult’ souls.

    And in my limited experience (which only runs to about 10 flights, as I am a committed business class traveller), most F pax wish the flight to be treated as a nightflight regardless of the time of day, with the blinds down and them sleeping.

    How do you adjudicate between two pax, one of whom is mid-morning on his/her bodyclock and wishes to talk with a colleague and another who is experiencing 2am and just wishes to sleep.

    That seems to me to me to be a dilemma. Both have paid big bucks and the manual dumps the decision on you.

    On balance, I prefer to be in a cabin where only the pax who have paid to be there, are there. Even then, one can get conflict.

    I can see the commercial attraction for BA of letting people have a tantalising glimpse of the top cabin, maybe they will book there next time. It costs little to give them a view and any future conversion is a nice addition to the bottom line.


    RichHI1
    Participant

    Taking the forum to a slightly different tack…
    Martyn posts “Voices do carry in confined areas, even at 38000′. “
    I am reading for the posts that everyone has a concern for the courtesy to others when it comes to the inclusion of pax from other travel cabins. I have an issue with inconsiderate travellers from the same cabin who do not realize the veracity of Martyn’s post.
    I fly Long Haul (10 hours +) fairly regularly and I observe two time models (normally based on home time zone, length of trip and frequency of first class travel). There are those who stay on departure time and those who adopt arrival time. My preference is for the latter, so I board, get into my PJ’s (after take off as I hate tempting fate) and try to sleep then after 6 or 8 hours I wake up, eat and watch a movie (partially opening the blinds to expose some sun light if any but not inconveninece those who are still sleeping). Other passengers enjoy cocktails, the meal service and then sit and chat to each other in loud voices about their meeting strategy or the debt leverage yaddah yaddah yaddah with no concern over how their strident voices carry.
    I try not to inconvenience by not opening the blinds too much prior to arrival, is it too much to ask for people to talk quietly and perhaps even use buddy seat instead of shouting across the aisle? A trick that does work well if people are really annoying in this way is to make a big show of taking notes on what they are saying (ring the button and ask the flight attendant for pen and paper) -makes them self conscious very quickly – works with loud cellphone calls in lounges too…


    DisgustedofSwieqi
    Participant

    I know exactly what you men, Rich. Hooray Henries.

    However, the worst example I’ve witnessed was by the crew on a LX overnighter, in first class, following a 0200 departure, bringing out the meals, course by course and telling people ‘ths is some air dried ham….’, when a number of us were trying to sleep.

    I was just about to say something, when a co-traveller unbuckled, threw off his duvet, stood up and said to them “please shut the **** up, this is a first class cabin and we don’t need you bunch of ***** disturbing those people who have paid the equivalent of your monthly wages to take the flight.’

    Very rude, but no more loud voices afterwards.

    Strangely enough, I’ve flown Swiss loads of times in J and found their crew to be uber professional and discrete.


    BTBAsccm
    Participant

    DisgustedofSwieqi you have a very valid point. Which customers wishes do I value over the others? If there are customers asleep in the cabin, I would point this out to those who want guests to join them and suggest alternatives, a coffee or drink in the galley or the Club kitchen area. More often than not this is quite satisfactory. Our customers who wish to sleep really should take priority.

    Can I just add, although customers in First may be perceived as “difficult souls” by some, they’re not by the crew. In fact First is often the desired position to work for pursers and main crew alike. The more ‘difficult’ , or should I perhaps say “challenging” customers are often traveling in other cabins. Seldom in First.


    Communipaw
    Participant

    I strongly believe that First Class passengers should be kept out of Coach.

    After all, we passengers who fly Coach have standards as well.

    Kindly stay up front with the hoi polloi. :p


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Jolly useful that a new poster was on the side ready to enter the dicussion, especially as the new contributor is not a junior (perish the thought) but a SENIOR. Welcome indeed.

    The thought of VK in 2K with a collegue in the buddy seat, DoS sleeping in 1K and me trying to sleep in 3K (having been upgraded of course from 60J), just the thought………….must be:

    “Nightmare on British Airways Part 1”

    BTW VintageKrug, you never explained why you wouldnt walk back to Economy?


    Inquisitive
    Participant

    The writing style of BTBAsccm is surprisingly similar to the wrting of most prolific contributor to forum. Could both of these person be the same?

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