[VintageKrug]

I am not a fan of the slopey SkyBed; when it was released QF demonstrated it in Sydney; my colleagues and I were less than impressed with the new product even then. Which is a shame, because otherwise QF is a great airline. Very pleased they have seen the light and are going fully flat, albeit reducing the number of services with First at the same time.

The SkyBed was, however, a huge improvement on the existing Business Class seat of the time; I have never spent a more uncomfortable night on board in a premium cabin as on a Qantas 747-300 from Honolulu to Sydney. No First, so I was stuck with it (though at least was on the Upper Deck).

It’s just daft that BA doesn”t use double airbrdges where possible.

[Travellator]

Double airbridge has been the norm for most of my flights to HKG.

Just a pity it wasnt used for departures as well !

[NTarrant]

John – well done on your comment about mixed fleet, I quite agree.

Disgusted – I have never flown Emirates, but certainly BA to and from DXB. I have not experienced an arrival off stand but have had a couple of departures off stand in which F and J passengers travel on a seperate bus to those in Y and WT+.

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

VK, you will be thrilled to know that those older QF Business seats – the “Dreamtime” seats – still survive on a handful of QF’s international 767s. I have just done a trip to Honolulu on such aircraft.

They only operate Sydney-Honolulu and Perth-Tokyo as a rule now, though have been operating other Asian routes (such as Brisbane-Manila) during QF’s recent A380 troubles which caused fleet shuffling.

The one good thing about that style of 767 is that the config is 1-2-2, so if you get the ‘A’ seat, you can exist in splendid isolation, window to your left and aisle to your right!

[Bullfrog]

Flying F Class on BA, I have always seen a crew member hold back Y passengers to allow F & C enjoy priority disembarkation & obviously WT Plus gain the benefit if the WT + cabin is directly behind the F cabin.

My recent flight to IAH had the new F cabin with Club directly behind.

On this particular flight there was no crew member to hold back economy passengers.

My experience with Cathay are that they allow F & C passengers to embark & disembark in HKG through Door 1 .. something I have not seen with BA.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

NTarrant

In the ME, it is not uncommon to provide segregated busses as a general rule (unless your wasta lets your man drive the limo up to the steps), but I was referring to EK standard procedures at all the airports I’ve used them to, including Malta. I have never been bussed by BA at T4 or T5 in a separate coach (or anywhere else), always been mixed, then again I have not used BA to DXB.

In fact, EK are so hot on this that when the Maltese ground staff erroneously mixed up the rules and let F off, then J and Y together, I received an unsolicited email of apology and miles.

If you ever go to Jeddah, the ‘business class’ busses are painted a different colour and have leather armchairs! I’ve just searched google for a picture, but sadly there isn’t one.

Has anyone else seen these busses?

[VectorOne]

Thank you DisgustedofSweigi for making my point better than I managed to….I appreciate the attention you gave to the matter and for clairfying the misapprehension…

Wanula 1…I’m not sure what you find offensive in my post….the only point I wished to make is that I find “gay double entendres” an inappropriate way of engaging with a stranger who also happens to be a customer. Equally I would find “straight double entendres” inappropriate be they from a man or a woman…

Neither are in keeping with the standards which I would expect from BA…simples!!!

[talparis]

Reading carefully all your comments above, I must say that there are a lot of mumbling about nothing.

I have the privilege to fly on average 3 to 4 F class flights a month half way across the globe with many different carriers. This made me appreciate the complexity of running an airline, for which food & service are only the tip of the iceberg.

Front seats air travel have come a long way in the last few years, and we have become use to and blaze to an extremely luxurious product. However we should not forget that we are after all the same as Tom, Dick or Harry, even though we pay more for our seat. Therefore some respect to FA, whether they are foreign, grumpy, old or gay, should be used as it is a hard job.

Also economy passenger are not dirt, and they travel at times in difficult condition, so at the end of a long flight they might be more stressed than what we are at the front.

Finally airline have made a lot of efforts to give us a superior product, which certainly is not always working as it should be. But we have the choice. I only wish that there will be more airline executive tuned in to the customers comments, and act swiftly upon that, which currently is not the case.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

talparis

As much as I repect your right to hold an opinion, I don’t entirely agree.

Food and service may be the tip of the iceberg, but they are integral parts of the service and as such, will always act as a barometer of customer perception.

The technology around premium travel has undoubtedly improved, but I would say that the service delivery (in my experience, which is a small sample size, as is yours) has generally worsened, certainly amongst most European and US carriers.

We all earn respect from each other, including foreign, grumpy, old or gay and this is a two way street. If I spoke to a female flight attendant and made a risque ‘double sense’, I would not expect to earn much, nor will I give much to a crew member who engages in inappropriate behaviour or who is rude (which I am not.)

I recently got spoken to curtly by an attendant at the gate because her colleague did not know whether the airline would have c class boarding priority (which was important for me to know due to overhead bin capacity) and he disturbed her. I made a very polite, but assertive point of telling her it was completely unacceptable to speak to a passenger for asking a reasonable question and if she did not like having to intervene, she should discuss her colleagues lack of knowledge with him, not snap at me.

Economy passengers are certainly not dirt, in my younger days I did tens of atlantic crossings in Y, earning the right to business travel in later years. I do not like the modern economy cabin on long haul and have sympathy for the people crammed in there, for example I don’t use their washrooms if business are full, as the people/wc ratio in economy is much higher and it is not fair, especially on fuller flights. Nonetheless, if we pay a premium for priority disembarkation, then we should receive it.

The airlines have worked to provide a better product (at least in some ways, such as the marvellous flat beds), but businesses that do not innovate and evolve or die, they are not doing us a favour.

I completely agree with your sentiments in your last sentence.

[HonestCrew]

Bit of crew input (note I haven’t read all the posts in full, just a quick skim)

Usually we do try to hold back the economy pax to allow Club to disembark without being pushed over.

If there are 2 jetties to disembark we shall ‘pen in’ the Economy Plus pax to ensure First class can leave first from the forward door and Club can leave first from the second door. Economy Plus can then follow First.

If there is only 1 jetty, as at LHR, this will be put at the first door. Club pax will have to leave after the Economy Plus but most Club pax will pass these folk on the way to passport control because meandering through the airport at snailspeed is all part of the ‘holiday experience’ for many of them.

Left hand side rear of Club is a Hong Kong based crewmember, possibly in this case their cultural difference may have prevented them from holding back the masses.(No real excuse I agree) As for the right hand side, as with many crew right now, maybe they just didn’t care.

I expect many customers have noticed this amongst their BA crew over the last year or so…..morale is rock bottom….hopefully it will be sorted out soon.

It is so hard to do your best, exceed expectations, show pride in your work when such dreadful things are happening internally. Personally, I do my best, it is not the customer’s fault, but believe me it chews us up inside.

And the camp stewards piss me off too. No harm being gay, we have some cracking gay lads, great to work with, give outstanding service, but why some of them want the whole world to know their orientation is beyond me. I don’t stroll the aisle with a football and copy of FHM to prove I’m a ‘breeder’.

Airlines love the gay lads as they know they will not have time of with maternity leave, leaving the company short of staff. Hence, at BA the gay mafia run recruitment.

Important! Any complaints, large or small, please write to the company. Your crew know where the problems are, we see it everytime we come to work, airlines listen to pax, not us. “If it was that bad the passengers would complain”… is the common response when crew put in feedback….so get writing.

Safe flying everyone.

[Charles-P]

“the gay mafia”

Is this the least threatening sounding criminal enterprise in history ?

“Hey Joey ged over ere and look at………. these simply divine new pistols I bought”

[MartynSinclair]

“in my younger days I did tens of atlantic crossings in Y, earning the right to business travel in later years”

since when does travelling in Y give you the right to business and first? Interersting concept Disgusted, the number of students crossing the oceans 4 – 5 times a year, the airlines may soon need a common room to cover their rights of passage!

[Charles-P]

MartynSinclair – I’m more disgusted at the revelations concerning members of Greenpeace and Plane Stupid who feel it is ok for them to lecture everybody else about flying – in particular Business travel while being more than willing to fly off to attend some conference.

Some animals etc etc

[talparis]

Fair enough comment, thanks.
Yes, American & European airlines lag far behind their M. & F. east & competitors, and that is why me and my wife use them less frequently.
However, maybe because we project politeness & respect to others & fly F that we are always treated like royalty. I have never had a ground or FA being rude to us.
As for boarding or disembarking first, the difference of 1 to 5 minutes before or after a long haul has never bother me. I have learned to never get angry on board and let other who seems to be in a hurry, overtake me, big deal.
The main things is that we get to our destination safely & comfortably, which is a big achievement furnished by the airline.
Let us all control our stress and treat well our fellow passengers & crew, you will see, it works.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“since when does travelling in Y give you the right to business and first? “

It doesn’t, apart from the odd MFU.

On the other hand, maybe my business sucesses over the years earned me that right, in the same way that BA captains earned the right to the rest seat – capisce?

[Author]

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