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Viewing 15 posts - 31 through 45 (of 108 total)

  • FDOS_UK
    Participant

    [quote quote=869784]Tominscotland l concur and will instead read the BT magazine and look through its articles rather than going through what was once a great website.

    To completely take my comments and describe me in a completely incorrect manner is simply farcical. I support Brexit wholeheartedly and as an ex Army officer who now travels throughout the World with various airlines for work and leisure l enjoy the service that BA have to offer with decent fares when available in First and Club. It reminds me of home when l board a BA 777 or 787 and l am very patriotic when it comes to my “own country” airline and it is so much better than others l could choose.

    FDOS_UK is simply a person who would give Trolls a bad name in Norway! He may come across to some as being a nice and funny chap but to me just an overbearing child who would benefit from a little discipline in manners and discussion.[/quote]

    LOL, I wasn’t describing you, just applying some irony to your post. Most ex forces officers I know are capable of standing their corner with banter, but that requires a sense of humour.

    If you lay off the personal attacks, you’ll get a better response from me.


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    Back on topic, this isn’t a bad video, different angle, but still shortish and clear


    FaroFlyer
    Participant

    Tom in Scotland & David Arnold,

    I agree with you both. This forum has largely been monopolised, recently, by 2 characters who are arrogant or antagonistic. The antagonistic one has either become moderate, or been moderated, it matters not which. His posts are now generally worth reading.

    The arrogant one still pontificates as the font of all knowledge, and attempts to put down all who question him. His usual defence is that it is either “irony” or “humour”.

    The real test of the value of any post is: Would it make it into print in BT magazine? I would suggest that less than 2% would as, if Tom Ottley printed them circulation would fall, and advertisers would walk.

    To move briefly back on topic, TAP also had kids making safety videos with funny voices. Infrequent travellers laughed, but probably missed the entire point that it should be a safety briefing, not entertainment. A mistake for BA to go down the same road. The Ryanair approach is much more professional.


    Ekond222
    Participant

    [quote quote=869811]Tom in Scotland & David Arnold,

    I agree with you both. This forum has largely been monopolised, recently, by 2 characters who are arrogant or antagonistic. The antagonistic one has either become moderate, or been moderated, it matters not which. His posts are now generally worth reading.

    The arrogant one still pontificates as the font of all knowledge, and attempts to put down all who question him. His usual defence is that it is either “irony” or “humour”.

    The real test of the value of any post is: Would it make it into print in BT magazine? I would suggest that less than 2% would as, if Tom Ottley printed them circulation would fall, and advertisers would walk.

    To move briefly back on topic, TAP also had kids making safety videos with funny voices. Infrequent travellers laughed, but probably missed the entire point that it should be a safety briefing, not entertainment. A mistake for BA to go down the same road. The Ryanair approach is much more professional.[/quote]

    +1


    Tom Otley
    Keymaster

    “The real test of the value of any post is: Would it make it into print in BT magazine? I would suggest that less than 2% would as, if Tom Ottley printed them circulation would fall, and advertisers would walk.”

    I’m not sure that’s right. The forum isn’t here so we can print it (thank god), and if it was libelous, I’d still have a responsibility to remove it, print or not.

    And we do print quite a lot from the forum…

    But you’re right. When it’s just forum users insulting with one another, we don’t print it, because it’s uninteresting – on the forum, in the magazine, to anyone who happens to be in the room at the time. To anyone, ever.

    This week, once again, I have received direct email from forum users complaining about bullying and about racism …and naming the posters they would like…. well, banning.

    Neither accusation is without any basis, but neither is, in my judgement, proven. When it is, we will act.

    Meanwhile, you’ll understand why many newspapers are closing even the comment sections under articles. Why Flyertalk has such problems. Why so many websites won’t have forums, and spend half their time moderating what they do allow to be posted. Why the world is going to hell in a handcart. People don’t pay for content, they get it for free in the echo chamber, and then are surprised when people disagree outside that echo chamber.

    Because people can’t just discuss, and disagree, but have to personalise it.

    “I have a different opinion to the person who just posted, therefore they don’t know anything, or they are an idiot.”

    Maybe they’d say it to your face. But in most cases I doubt it. The internet gives them the opportunity.

    It’s… well, it’s sad. And it makes me sad to read it day after day. But in-between, in the last two days, I’ve found things to do with my weekend. And am about to walk out into the evening summer sunshine and forget all about it for a few hours.

    I hope you all make the most of the remaining hours of this wonderful weekend, wherever you are.


    handbag
    Participant

    BA Cabin Crew have manuals on tiny details of everything we can and cant do – Standard Operating Procedures. This includes when the blinds must be up , when they can be down, if it is a pax window or a crew seat window, what level the lights are for take off and landing etc. There is nothing in there that says we are to ask pax to stop talking or they must watch the video and not read a paper. We should ask them to sit down while it is on, we should make sure the screen is out, the floor at bulkheads and door is clear etc etc. If I ask a pax to do something that is written down, then I am totally covered and it doesn’t matter if they don’t like the ruling. If I ask them to do something that is not and they complain, then I would get no backing from BA.


    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    One of the wonderful things about cyberspace, is you can be at the pub, waiting for friends to turn up, sipping the first of a several, and still be amused by…. childish antics….


    @FDoS
    – for once I don’t agree with you (no worries though, no report is needed)…….. Using Children (however cute) to communicate important safety messages in my humble opinion is wrong. At best, it will get someone’s attention to the fact.. oh.. how sweet… but not to the serious message about safety, which is being communicated.

    I think what we all agree on is the fact that safety briefings for passengers should last no longer than 150 seconds…

    Enjoy the rest of the weekend and next week too……….


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    [quote quote=869811]Tom in Scotland & David Arnold,

    I agree with you both. This forum has largely been monopolised, recently, by 2 characters who are arrogant or antagonistic. The antagonistic one has either become moderate, or been moderated, it matters not which. His posts are now generally worth reading.

    The arrogant one still pontificates as the font of all knowledge, and attempts to put down all who question him. His usual defence is that it is either “irony” or “humour”.

    The real test of the value of any post is: Would it make it into print in BT magazine? I would suggest that less than 2% would as, if Tom Ottley printed them circulation would fall, and advertisers would walk.

    To move briefly back on topic, TAP also had kids making safety videos with funny voices. Infrequent travellers laughed, but probably missed the entire point that it should be a safety briefing, not entertainment. A mistake for BA to go down the same road. The Ryanair approach is much more professional.[/quote]

    Monopolised means to have a hold over something, generally interpreted as to control something.

    I respectfully put it to you that you are writing nonsense, as my posts are <2% of the forum postings.

    There are too many people on here who are too easily offended.

    Recently, someone posted a lot of unpleasant invective about me and I did not bleat about it – BT banned the person, so obviously the behaviour was unacceptable, but the point is that I was not hurt, not libeled or defamed and frankly didn’t care very much.

    It really is time for some people to develop a sense of proportion – if you don’t like a post, BT has provided a ‘report’ button.

    For goodness sake!


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    @FDoS – for once I don’t agree with you (no worries though, no report is needed)…….. Using Children (however cute) to communicate important safety messages in my humble opinion is wrong. At best, it will get someone’s attention to the fact.. oh.. how sweet… but not to the serious message about safety, which is being communicated.

    Fair enough, Martyn. I see your PoV.


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    [quote quote=869815]BA Cabin Crew have manuals on tiny details of everything we can and cant do – Standard Operating Procedures. This includes when the blinds must be up , when they can be down, if it is a pax window or a crew seat window, what level the lights are for take off and landing etc. There is nothing in there that says we are to ask pax to stop talking or they must watch the video and not read a paper. We should ask them to sit down while it is on, we should make sure the screen is out, the floor at bulkheads and door is clear etc etc. If I ask a pax to do something that is written down, then I am totally covered and it doesn’t matter if they don’t like the ruling. If I ask them to do something that is not and they complain, then I would get no backing from BA.[/quote]

    Totally get what you are saying. However, one airline empowers its crew to demand attention to the safety brief and produces a 2 min 30 second brief, another doesn’t and thinks it is okay to demand nearly 7 minutes attention to watch something full of luvvy jokes and mixed in with a chugging message, with a mistake in the middle.

    Go figure, as the Americans say.

    No criticism of you handbag, you have to follow your SOPs.


    GivingupBA
    Participant

    I am glad you are here, FDOS_UK, and I value your input. (And as you pointed out you are certainly not monopolising anything). This is a public forum and you have as much right to be here as me or anyone else.

    Also, many thanks as always to Tom and Alex and all the BT staff, who have such a hard task and who do it so well. I find this forum very useful (and also interesting).


    Londonfrog
    Participant

    I liked the first video and am looking to seeing the second one.


    handbag
    Participant

    [quote quote=869824]

    BA Cabin Crew have manuals on tiny details of everything we can and cant do – Standard Operating Procedures. This includes when the blinds must be up , when they can be down, if it is a pax window or a crew seat window, what level the lights are for take off and landing etc. There is nothing in there that says we are to ask pax to stop talking or they must watch the video and not read a paper. We should ask them to sit down while it is on, we should make sure the screen is out, the floor at bulkheads and door is clear etc etc. If I ask a pax to do something that is written down, then I am totally covered and it doesn’t matter if they don’t like the ruling. If I ask them to do something that is not and they complain, then I would get no backing from BA.

    Totally get what you are saying. However, one airline empowers its crew to demand attention to the safety brief and produces a 2 min 30 second brief, another doesn’t and thinks it is okay to demand nearly 7 minutes attention to watch something full of luvvy jokes and mixed in with a chugging message, with a mistake in the middle.

    Go figure, as the Americans say.

    No criticism of you handbag, you have to follow your SOPs.[/quote]

    I totally agree with your points on this. I would very much like to be able to ask pax to stop disturbing other pax and and watch (or at least pretend to), but unless staff have the backing of their Company, there is little they can do. I would not be prepared to put myself in the difficult position of asking pax to do something that is not written down. If it is I feel 100% comfortable with standing by what I say.

    A couple of flights ago, a gentleman demanded that he be moved to an over wing seat, or be upgraded as he was too big to sit in his bulkhead seat. He said the room in this seat was unacceptable, it was uncomfortable and he had booked the over wing. Onboard, we are able to see if someone has paid for a seat, but not which one. I said that I could not ask the current pax sat in those seats to move or upgrade him. I sympathised he was not happy with his seat and showed him a couple of other options and asked him to contact BA and offered him a Comments Form. None to his liking. He told me that he would be cancelling all the flights for further travel with be BA and would be suing BA, as he had booked the over wing. I would very much liked to have given him an over wing if I could , but was not possible. Neither can I justify upgrading someone, because they are unhappy with he size of the seat. There was no room, to upgrade him anyway. Even though he was extremely annoyed and was saying he was suing BA (something that is often said if someone is demanding an upgrade), I was not in the slightest bit worried. I wish I could have satisfied his demands, but I couldn’t, and I did nothing wrong. Therefore after this conversation, it was disappointing that I couldn’t resolve to his liking ( would rather keep pax happy), but was I worried he was threatening to sue and the fall out onto me, NO. I had done everything correctly. If however I was to ask a pax to stop talking, stop reading their paper etc., in that situation I would not be sure of the outcome of any complaint a pax had.

    On BA Crew have an Operational Dashboard, with Red, Green and Orange marks on it. The marks are based on pax, comments, reports filled, safety training results etc. Senior Crew are very much managed on the colour band they are in overall and have to be very careful to make sure they are not going into red.


    MarkivJ
    Participant

    I love the current video, it’s fun, engaging and has several recognisable faces. Let’s be honest here, they won’t get a Brad Pitt or an Angelina Jolie to do a airline safety video, but did manage well with these stars. At least people are watching!


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    handbag

    What an unpleasant experience you describe – the problem is that the pax may have paid for an overwing and been booted out by an aircraft change. This happens to me, from time to time and all you can do is suck it up. With easyJet, if they change from an A319 to A320 (or vv) they re-allocate exit seat pax to the corresponding exit seats and avoid the aggro.

    Whilst I’m aware that BA has a more complex fleet/sub-fleet set up than easyJet, it is galling for pax that the first they often know about a seat change is when they are given a boarding pass (either via online checking or physical) with a different number on it. As a user of BA since 1978, I keep a weather eye on Manage My Booking and check regularly as the flight gets nearer, but I do not think it unreasonable for an inexperienced passenger to believe that a seat purchased is a done deal or that the airline will contact them in the event of a change – too often this is not the case (not just with BA, either, but the company does have form with me more than any other).

    As crew, you suffer the full force of the enraged pax (telling crew you will sue the airline is not going to change anything, though it may let off some steam) and this summaries perfectly the airline industry to me, where the front line people often pick up the tab for the inefficient and uncaring faceless back office staff.

    What really gets me with BA, though, is the express inability to do things consistently, whether it be loading the right items for the flight (loading bingo is a popular pastime of mine – I usually take what I need with me, eyeshades, water, snacks etc.), boarding the aircraft (already there are many variations on boarding groups 1-5), responding to EC261 claims (e.g. some pax in a party are paid, others have to pursue for the same flight) etc.

    It must have been very difficult working there, as crew.

    Apologies for going off topic.

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