[UAEScot1]

Well, it’s apparent to me throughout this thread that we all seem to agree on a few points
1.BA on the whole have stopped the on-board Gold welcome, or at least the management are not enforcing the standards that they believe should be delivered
2. Out of the One World carriers it seems CX are leading the field in welcoming premium status customers whether they are from CX or from other One World Carriers

My only hope here is that someone from BA management actually takes some time to look at the consistent messages that we are sending them in order that they can match CX if not try and better them.

[esselle]

I haven’t flown BA much over the last few years, but was a regular F/J flyer with them for over a quarter of a century, and never assumed there to be a “standard” which required Golds to be recognised with a personal welcome. Sometimes it happened, sometimes it didn’t . This level of inconsistency was something of a BA speciality, but not a big issue in my eyes.

[SimonS1]

@UAEScot1 – let’s hope not! In the years when BA was my first choice carrier I used to cringe on the occasions when the Purser came up and said “Hello Mr…er…[insert rustling of paper]….simons1….I’m pleased to welcome you back on board”.

So fake it was awful and I assumed only for those on an ego trip.

Surely it can be done subtly at the door like on EK, quick glance at BP, hello and welcome back Mr x. That’s all it needs.

[FDOS_UK]

Surely it can be done subtly at the door like on EK, quick glance at BP, hello and welcome back Mr x. That’s all it needs.
+++

Whoa – I fly EK regularly (4-6 times per month) and the crouching, subservient, ‘recognition’ of the chosen few is much worse than BA. I know, I’ve seen it at close range a few times and it was truly toe curling on a few occasions.

[rferguson]

UAEScot1 –
– Although it may seem it, BA hasn’t changed the standard for ‘personal recognition’. It remains that all Gold card holders should be welcomed regardless of cabin – in fact this was extended to include OW Emerald status customers too,

Eselle-
You are completely right in what you say about the inconsistency in delivering the messages despite ‘the standard’. I won’t make excuses for the crew (a small minority are just plain lazy) but whether you get a welcome or not will depend on what route and aircraft you are on. The fact is that BA has some of the worst crew:passenger ratios in the premium cabins of any airline on some aircraft types.. Take the example of a ‘Hi J 747’. It has 50 Club World seats on the main deck with only four crew serving those customers. One of those four crew is the CSD/CSM – so say an IFE failure, issue with a passenger etc etc etc that can drop to three crew. Compare this with say Virgin Atlantic which has six crew in Upper Class for a cabin with 45 seats. And yet, BA has recently tried to emulate VS on some U.S routes by introducing catering enhancements which include ‘plating’ the hots in the galley, preparing hot desserts and so on. Yet – with no more crew. The workload on a route like LHR-JFK in CW is now ridiculous and something has to give. The 787 and A380 are different cases. In Club World on the 787 there are 35 seats with four crew (including the CSD). On the A380 the CSD is not written into the service at all so there really is NO excuse for a lack of personal recognition on those routes (though i’m sure it still does happen occassionally).

[TiredOldHack]

Interesting. I’ve noticed the ‘missing welcome’ on my last three or four BA flights (to AMS and BOD). The flight to Bordeaux was in CE, as well.

Not that I minded: I just noticed.

[SimonS1]

@FDOS_UK – shows how circumstances differ I guess. I’m also a 4-6 times a month guy and it’s rare I’ve got anything much other than a quick glance, smile, hello, welcome back etc. Maybe because it’s always my goal to board as late as possible and they have other things to do.

When I sit down the first thing I do is put in my earphones which is code for I’m not really interested in conversation with the crew, neighbours etc. Occasionally a persistent cabin manager will hang around trying to do the greet bit but usually they will take the cue.

Maybe I just don’t get the ‘on-board welcome’ bit. After all the individual doing it is only doing so because it’s routine, and I know they personally don’t give a toss. So unless you are one of those types who enjoys the recognition I don’t really see the point of it.

[BugAdvisor]

SimonS1 – it isn’t so much the recognition, but it is handy to score a Glenlivet 15yr from the Club bar instead of an economy Johnny Walker.
Plus it is about consistency.

[SimonS1]

@BugAdvisor – in a company the size of BA, or Emirates, or similar, you will never get consistency. That’s a pipe dream I’m afraid. Cabin crew are not highly paid people and there will always be things that don’t get done or perhaps get missed out as turnarounds get tighter and tighter.

I get the point about Glenlivet, apart from the occasional G&T I’m not a spirits drinker so that would have passed me by…

[K1ngston]

Ive been away and have not had time to update but I flew SIN-BKK with CX 10 days ago, the price is ridiculously good at $370 SGD in economy and was pleasantly surprised when not only did the CSD welcome me, they bought me water, but the highlight was when they bought me a pass to Premium lane immigration at BKK, as many of you know I think that BKK airport is the worst airport in the world, but with the pass I was off the plane and through immigration and in a car within 15 mins, well done CX you rock, and thank you for recognising that as a frequent flyer I have a choice and mine is CX

[FDOS_UK]

“Did BA stop the on-board Gold welcome”

Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no……..

[IanFromHKG]

I can top that K1ngston – just flew back with the family on CX from Bali. Was paged while I was in the lounge, offered an upgrade to business class for myself and the Memsahib (hell, yes!), got the greeting as a CX Diamond (BA Gold equivalent), and even – get this – the Memsahib and I were both offered the opportunity to reserve our main course choices in advance to ensure we didn’t miss out.

Always addressed by name (without any of that silly looking them up on a piece of paper) throughout the flight. That is the part that CX do exceptionally well. I don’t know how they do it – I am terrible at remembering names, but it seems that within a very short time of getting on the flight, all the FAs know the names and faces of all the premium passengers. Consistently impressive, and shows real personalisation of service.

[K1ngston]

Right Ian now I am p*ssed LOL!! Straight onto customer services …. Seriously I cannot praise CX enough, and what I forgot to say is that I am BA Gold so this is a partner exercise which is even better in my opinion

Hope the family and the Memsahib enjoyed the service 🙂

[UAEScot1]

IanFromHKG & K1ngston I totally agree with you and have commented on this on numerous times throughout the thread. A BA Gold is treated far better and made to feel more welcome on CX than we do on BA.
I too struggle with names but the CX staff are excellent at remembering from memory without the aid of an Ipad.
Cant wait until the end of the month until my next sectors to ADL and then back from SYD.

[BugAdvisor]

Last night PRG-LHR in first rows of economy. No visit from the CSM and had to ask my colleague in CE to get me a pack of the CE mixed nuts!

[Author]

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