[K1ngston]

Ive had worse happen to me in the past… Dont worry your secret is safe with us 🙂

[UAEScot1]

I’ve just gone through the last few pages of posts and would like to bring this back to “Did BA stop the on-board Gold welcome”

To me it seems clear they have ……….for whatever reasons that we have heard here, less crew, more tasks, less time etc. However the crux is that BA are not doing the welcome although others (CX) still manage it and without an Ipad.

I think the point here is that if its not operationally possible to do then just STOP it and don’t pretend that its part of daily business when clearly it isn’t

I know that when i travel CX (20-24 LH sectors PA) I’m impressed with the personal welcome, does it make me fly CX, actually it does as I could fly direct from AUH to Japan, Australia on Etihad but I choose Cathay out of Dubai, they pick me up in Abu Dhabi (J) and return me and I get my points and miles !!

[handbag]

TiredOldHack

After you question I thought I would let you know how it went on my flight today. Today I had 7 GC in WT and WT +. Said hello to 5 , 2 were asleep straight after take off with eye shades on No idea how many in Club, but in First I noticed that there were 2 silver , 1 non card holder and the rest were all gold ( it was full). As you can see the numbers of gold card holders can soon add up on a flight. The reaction from the pax varied from “can I get them a better seat” ( which I did as we weren’t full in WT,so moved them both to a bulkhead aisle with no one next to them)., bemused, and irritated. I will carry on doing the welcome when I can, although it never feels a natural process.

[K1ngston]

handbag, once again thanks for that, with CX when in Y travelling around the region they tend to come and say hello as mentioned by bringing a bottle of water, not much but it breaks the awkwardness of saying hi and actually shows others that status gets you something?

I know some would say water is nothing but it does encourage conversation even by saying thank you etc!

[stevescoots]

Just stepped off BA25 HKG-LHR CW, no welcome at door, just “to the right” 2 crew had plenty of time to be chatting to some passengers during boarding about recent holiday right next to me. I guess as i just get in my seat and get settled means i go invisible as they even missed me off the pre flight drink (again!) I used the CX F lounge on the way out and got a welcome back Mr xxxx, even though I was on my BA card

[handbag]

Thanks Kingston. Always offer a paper, but think I will take some bottles of water with me. Good suggestion.

[goldaviator]

Last night First Lhr -Bos, greeting and welcome very very enthusiastic, handshake was limp and wet and lingered for so long it was uncomfortable! Shudder!!

[SimonS1]

@handbag – interesting. Sounds like you feel the same about giving the welcome as I feel about receiving it. Not that I use BA very often but if so a a win/win would be to probably be to do away with it.

[BugAdvisor]

BA LHR-PRG Friday 4th Sept evening flight. I’d previously booked 5D (first row of economy) free to book for BA Gold. When I arrived at the T3 First Lounge my pass beeped and I was told my seat had changed. I expected this to be because Club had expanded by one row and they’d moved me to 6D.
But no, I’d been moved to 8E. I explained that moving me to a middle seat wasn’t acceptable. The only aisle available was 28D – the last row of economy! I took that as the only benefit was that there was nobody sitting in the middle.
On board – no welcome as usual. I had to walk past 5D and still no idea why I was bumped from it.

[SimonS1]

It could be that at some point in the run up to the flight Club had expanded (hence you were bumped) and then contracted again. Frustrating, but it happens and it really is the risk you take in the first row of economy.

[TominScotland]

Recent flights in one world

CX SGN – HKG in Economy – welcome from CSD (or whatever) plus bottle of water

AY HKG – HEL in Business; HEL- LHR in Economy – no welcome

BA DUB – LHR in CE – welcome and chat

BA LHR – LAX in CW – welcome and extended chat with CSD

[AnthonyDunn]

@ UAEScot1 – 02/09/2015 05:07 BST

The CX crews may not have an iPad, but they do have a long printed manifest from which they clearly take their cues. But it is a nice touch, never-the-less.

Recently Snr Mgt and I have been welcomed fulsomely onboard BA – in no small part because the CC have noted that we’re both Gold/Silver and they have taken the opportunity to “talk through” the consequences of HBO fares and ridiculous quantities of carry-on luggage, single seat pitch, indifferent onboard catering etc. So much so that we did indeed follow the matter up with direct written input to BAEC and Frank’s replacement. We’ve rather enjoyed the engagement with the BA crews which was genuinely around the service offering and the very opposite of synthetic.

@ BugAdvisor – 07/09/2015 11:08 BST

As a BAEC Gold, were you not able to bid for the over wing emergency exit row seats? If ever we’re “in the back”, we almost always cadge these seats, if they’re available, because of the generous leg room.

[BugAdvisor]

@ AnthonyDunn – I probably could have chosen the exit rows when I selected a seat two days prior to the flight. But by the time I got to the lounge (two hours before the flight so quite early), the only seats were 8E or 28D – maybe 26/27 something.
I always choose front of economy aisle on short flights as for me it is about getting on and off the flight quickly. I actually avoid the exit row as everyone goes for that and you almost never see a middle seat free. And for me elbow room is more important than leg room.

[openfly]

The points being made regarding em exit seats……BA has so many aircraft with different configurations of seating that, having booked an em exit seat, you find that you are in an ordinary seat due to an aircraft change. This happens frequently at Gatwick and is rather annoying. Needless to say BA covers it’s backside by saying that “seats can be changed for operational reasons”.

[Cheeryguy]

Re the exit seats.
I understand that the refit has now been completed for the euro Airbus fleet. So the only odd balls are the ex BMI hulls which are mainly LGW based. The seat maps on MMB differentiate quite clearly which is which.
A substitution will always be possible.
I also understand that all airlines cover themselves using similar wording.
I’ve been caught out myself.
Life is far from perfect, I just build a bridge in my mind……..then I get over it.
Works for me……

[Author]

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