[Anonymous]

[bizleader]

After having recently taken the only 3 airlines which fly this route at sensible timings in business I have concluded the following:

Virgin – excellent product and lounges, once on board the service can appear loud but once this is over and one deals with the HK based crew it is now my PREFERRED choice and the mileage redemption awards levels are far more favorable than CX or BA.

CX – OK the seat is like a coffin and the food can be too Asia influenced for some, but the service is generally genteal and the crew smile and go the extra mile, this is my second choice.

BA – I found the Club World seats narrow and uncomfortable compared with the above, but the food is ok and T5 is excellent. However the service is positively lousy and the staff dam rude, they do not care about holding the economy folks back whilst Club and First people disembark. Based on my Jan 1 BA 27 experience I will never fly this again over the other options because of the non caring attitude of the crew in everything, and will encourage my 1000+ staff to do the same. I just feel sorry for my UK based colleagues who have to put up with this garbage every day.

[StephenLondon]

Wow…you’d not fly an airline again because of one disembarkation issue, yet you prefer Virgin even if their service is noisy? Oh yes, you can find a free seat on VS…wonder why you can? I guess perhaps those paying for it are flying BA or CX…
BA’s Club World seats are wider than the current CX seat (although that will change with the new CX seat introduced last month). Upgraded inflight services are being unveiled….I’d give them another try if I were you. Silly to upset your 1,000+ staff over a small perception of service level…

[VintageKrug]

While any service criticism can be fed back via http://www.ba.com/welldone a sense of proportion is also required, especially for those who lead businesses.

http://www.newclubworld.com is a market leading product, an ample 20 inches wide.

Virgin can be a great experience, and it has a small number of excellent pre-boarding lounges. Personally, I am not a fan of the seat/bed which requires you to get up to switch to bed mode, which isn’t very conducive to snoozing, and I find the herringbone layout slightly claustrophobic.

Hopefully some of these issues will be addressed its new Upper Class offering, which is being revealed in the coming months.

BA offers unrivalled same terminal connections within Europe at T5, and the widest possible network of premium redemption opportunities via its own network and oneworld.

There are some positive initiatives to develop the softer side of BA’s on board service further during 2011.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

The OP raises a valid point about disembarkation.

Having enjoyed a very pleasant cruise across the atlantic, last Friday, my family were gathering up our possessions in NCW, when a woman pushed past my wife and kids from the rear and asked me curtly to stand aside, so she could move forward.

This would not happen on Emirates or a bunch of other airlines, who do exactly what the OP says.

It is a silly omission, that would cost nothing to provide and which would avoid such unpleasant experiences.

Also, BA does incorporate priority deplaning as part of the service offer, so it should deliver it.

[londonberlin]

Oh please…..just get a life! Methinks you may have an agenda here…..BA’s Club World is far superior to Virgin’s. If the staff were rude to you it is perhaps because you appear to be a bit up yourself!

[Bullfrog]

@ VintageKrug

Your comment above about ‘hearing especially from business leaders’ is very disappointing.

I have already written about my experiences on BA 195 to Houston on December 26. The disembarkation had no priority & Y passengers were leaving the aircraft before C & F passengers.

Fortunately I am no longer a ‘business leader’ as I sold my business in September 2006.

I am now enjoying the rewards. I want to continue my loyalty with BA but even though problems occur on board flights, I really must begin to wonder what quality remains within the Senior Management & Directors that run BA when such a comment is committed to ‘print’.

[MartynSinclair]

“when a woman pushed past my wife and kids from the rear and asked me curtly to stand aside, so she could move forward.”

“poster 9.29 GMT – why on earth did you let her through. You should have told her to wait in line like everyone else. If that didnt work, use the, “please ma’am, I am trying to teach my children some manners, please can you help by setting an example of being patient!”

Last time I used that I got smiles all round from the crew as well.

BA / CX / VS to HKG – you must have had a lousy crew Biz leader. I hope you took the CSD’s name and reported this through as detailed by the 9.22 GMT post.

ps – I hope Santa delivered you some nice new toys for xmas.

[VintageKrug]

Bullfrog, you have misquoted me.

I wrote “especially from those who lead businesses”.

Yet again you are repeating the libel that I am in some way connected with BA and I can tell you I am absolutely not, and it is invidious for him/her to suggest it is the case when you know full well it is not from my other wide-ranging posts.

I really don’t understand the mindset of someone who is prepared to sit by and let something happen, which they obviously get very exercised about, yet take no action whatsoever, while at the same time is also prepared to moan about it on an internet forum.

If you don’t like what’s happening, and are justified and (hopefully) measured/humourous in the way you approach the matter than these things are much better dealt with there and then, as Martyn suggests.

[VectorOne]

I have to agree with Bizleader. Had my first CW experience with BA to LAS over the Xmas and was incredibly disappointed with the seat and the food. No way near as good as QF, EK, SQ, AF and EI and definitely not worth the 2k price tag.

The crew were excellent in spite of the gay double entendres from the male CC….all very high camp…not at all the class I would expect from a carrier like BA.

Ah well…we live and learn…

[Stowage222]

VectorOne – this is now a BA mixed fleet route. I understand a lot of these new recruits have come from a “charter operating” background.

[Potakas]

Disgusted,
What was your reaction? Did you let her move forward or you explained that she had to wait ?

[CallMeIshmael]

Problem is the low J config used on this route, whereby the WT plus is sandwiched between First and Club class. Whether either doors 1 or doors 2 are used it is very difficult to give F and J priority as dependent on exit door either F or J will be passing through the WT plus.

Also I do not think it is a mixed fleet route yet.

[DarrylW]

As a frequent traveler on business class and also a BA Exec Club member, I, too, have to agree with you.

BA offers great facilities at Terminal 5 but that’s about it. Unfortunately, in my experience, BA’s on-board service is way below par as compared with other flagship airlines. Yes, the seat is comfortable but that’s about it.

For some reason, the crew on my previous BA flights always seem very cold and unhelpful towards me and other passengers. I don’t get this from other airlines. And I do accept the odd occasion where one may have a bad experience but not the majority. There is no consistency with the on-board service for BA.

And yet, I’ve had very good to excellent on-board service (on average) from QF, QR, EK, VS, MH and SQ.

The last time I flew on NCW to China, I was very disappointed with both the service and the food. I couldn’t believe the vast difference in the service between QF and BA.

I truly believe if an airline should charge the significant difference for business class and promised the provide the additional benefits such as even something like priority disembarkation, etc., they should really honour it. If they can’t deliver, they should not include it. It’s like, when I fly with a budget airline, I have very little expectation except for getting me from A to B. At least I won’t get disappointed.

[bizleader]

All – thanks for the responses. I think my main criticism with BA is that the service is surly and you feel that it is a chore asking the crew to do anything for you and they answer you back with regularity ! The syaing that the “customer is always right” goes out the window here.

At the end of the day we have it too good service wise in Asia – maybe we should get Peninsula or Mandarin Oriental to train BA crews, if they could get through this without being sacked..,,:)

[Author]

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