[AisleSeatTraveller]

seems that most people don’t really care if they receive a personal welcome or not, personally I always feel / felt a bit awkward when it did happen (especially in economy with the thought that other pax were thinking, ‘what’s so special about him’ with a typical sneer)

[AisleSeatTraveller]

seems that most people don’t really care if they receive a personal welcome or not, personally I always feel / felt a bit awkward when it did happen (especially in economy with the thought that other pax were thinking, ‘what’s so special about him’ with a typical sneer)

[Kamkura001]

it all depends on the personality of the CSD. Some do, others don’t, unfortunately!

[UAEScot1]

I agree with some of the above, the welcome on board chat as a BA Gold is very inconsistent across the network, on LHR – AUH or reverse I cannot remember the last time. CX are excellent at it, in over 50 flights ex AUH (before they stopped) and now DXB I have never not had a welcome and thanks for being a One World Emerald.

[Senator]

I had this discussion with someone else the other week. I do about 4 Club World or First sectors a year, and on all these flights I have CSD stop by at some point to say hi and to thank me. So about 100%.

When they removed the boarding pass check at the door, I rarely now have the “Welcome back Mr. Senator” when travelling in Club Europe.

I recently did 4 sectors with Cathay, and this was extraordinary. My two travel companions and I are all BAEC Gold and we were greeted on each flight by Purser. Not only that, meal orders were taken first from us to ensure our preferred dish was available.

My Star Gold or Senator card has rarely offered the same recognition, although I tend to get served first on Swiss Business when I travel with them.

[NTarrant]

Currently in The Pier at HKG, just arrived from MNL, cabin manager came and introduced herself and welcomed me onboard, but no mention of tier status, usual let me know if you have any questions etc.

[ModernDaySinbad]

Interestingly enough I had the “welcome” speech on my flight with QR as a BA Gold last year. I refrained from pointing out that that was my first flight with QR ever when the the FA said “We know you fly with us a lot”. She was very attentive and addressed me by my surname throughout the flight, even though I was in economy. She also took my main course order before dinner service started “to ensure that you get your first choice”.

[NNoah16]

Hit and miss. Always in First and higher percentage in Club World.

Economy, from Brussels, aisle and exactly across the aisle same row my colleague (Gold) who travels less than me; got “the” welcome but I didn’t!

Hey ho.

[NNoah16]

On another note with Emirates, dropped from Gold to basic Blue; travelling in First, they came to show me how to use the seat assuming I never travelled with them before 🙂
I thought it was funny..

[CathayLoyalist2]

Even when I am flying Economy with CX in 99% of flights the Purser in the cabin says hello and brings me my Diamond status bottle of water and after take off the ISD adds his/her welcome. As others have said it isn’t a deal breaker but with some things in life it’s nice when crew do do it. The biggest and shallowest welcome is in hotels when you walk in and the doorman says “Welcome Back”. I often reply with “but this is my first visit” and the reply to that is ‘That’s what we are told to say”!!.

[IanFromHKG]

I have mixed views about the greeting.

If I am already watching something on the IFE I do NOT want to be disturbed to hear the same speech I have heard a hundred times, thank you very much. However, since I know the crew member is just doing their job and trying to be nice, I take my headphones off and smile (through gritted teeth) until they are finished, even though I wish they had never started.

However, if I am not, then I am perfectly fine and think it is a nice touch, even if the novelty has definitely worn off!

Best of all, however, is when they come up to me right at the start, and give me something I wouldn’t get otherwise – for example, the bottle of water that CXDiamond mentions, or advance choice of meal, or the chance to order a drink before everyone else. For fairly obvious reasons, these benefits only tend to be relevant when I am flying economy.

My experiences – never had a special greeting on Finnair (long-haul or short-haul), nor BA (only shorthaul, although I will be flying longhaul with them at the end of the month so will see what happens!), never on MH, and nearly always on CX (to the extent that I definitely notice on the rare occasions that it doesn’t happen), although it should be said that my status is with CX which may make a difference. It is very, very hit-and-miss on KA, though, which is hugely annoying since of course my status is also with KA (as CX’s subsidiary, they share the same FFP) but I am usually in economy with them, and the opportunity to indulge in a bit of queue-jumping would be especially welcome!

[christopheL]

More than 40 posts re. the lack of welcome by the CSD/CSM when a gold card holder board a plane… I am speechless !

[SGJNI1961]

Actually, several posts confirmed a welcome, mine included. My post was sent on board but in fact after take off the CMD did come and welcome a few golds like myself and also my partner who is silver. I am among the group who find the whole thing a bit of a performance but, the entire point of this thread is, not the welcome per se, but, the inconsistency of the service offered. Recently, on BA 001, the welcome extended to a handshake which my friend who had never flown with BA before thought very impressive until, she was also greeted as a first time flyer with BA, boy did she like that! The power of the iPad.

[TominScotland]

I am in no way offended by the lack of a welcome BUT if it is the brand standard?

Just off BA107 to Dubai, with at max. a 30% load – meant I had 3 seats to myself at the front of Economy. Aged legacy crew in an aged 747, opting for the easy life, I guess. Anyway, not a squeak from any of the crew to me, even though I have just hit the bell and achieved Gold for the next year.

[MrMichael]

Due to the way my tickets are booked I am not in BA,s exec club nor any other loyalty scheme other than Morrisons. On boarding my flight this afternoon, CE from MAD to LHR I was greeted by the flight attendant with “good afternoon MrM, nice to see you again”. He then went on to say that although the flight was slightly delayed he expected our arrival at LHR to be on time and that he was hopeful I would not be inconvenienced. I then asked a question about a subject I had seen on this forum just half hour earlier, and he immediately called the Skipper out for me to answer my question. An excellent crew, irrespective of any loyalty card or status. Just good old fashioned customer service from a couple of crew members that wanted to please their passengers. Probably what we all want, and perhaps do not get enough of. So although you golds and emeralds etc find it important to be “recognised” I can’t help but think it is all a load of old tosh. A sincere greeting to me is way better than instructions on an iPad, although I confess I have never experienced an ipad policy greeting!

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