[Anonymous]

[ICrighton]

Hi – my first post here, but wanted to acknowledge some great customer service, which no doubt helped BA out too, but which made our holiday, and I wondered, does this often happen?

Ending our holidays in Lake Louise, Canada (beautiful, tranquil and showcasing the Rockies), which also happened to be our wedding anniversary, I received a call in our hotel room on my mobile. Wondering who could be calling me from an Alberta number, I answered the phone. It was BA calling (oh no, cancelling my flight; changing the time; being bumped down …).

I was due to fly home the next day, Calgary to LHR (he confirmed), but would I instead be interested in flying from Vancouver in First, as well as BA flying us there via Air Canada in Business?

Well, yes, I was interested, and after a quick phone call to ensure I could get to Calgary via our transportation six hours earlier than planned, to make our internal flight to YVR, I confirmed that this is something we could do.

So, in a matter of half an hour, BA had put my wife and I on a J class from YYR to YVR and put us both on F from YVR to LHR. Just by chance I was in the hotel room, not romping through a forest like only half an hour earlier, and picking up that call. They had oversold my original flight, so it was easier form them I understand, but I felt, on my anniversary as well, that this was a very good offer and arriving home 4 hours earlier than planned, and on a 747.

We are only Blue card holders, flying Club (on reward miles or through a travel agency booking mostly) once, perhaps twice a year, and doing First perhaps once every 2/3 years, so I know I am low down on their pecking order, so this ‘upgrade’ was very welcome and has endeared me more to BA, than perhaps VA whereby we fly with them 1/2 times a year in J.

I have to say, this was also one of the best F flights I have had (and does beat J on service). I am easily pleased and have little demands, and when I (dared to) ask for the Dungeness Crab AND the soup, the fantastic crew member laughed and said that was what First was all about. It then dawned on me that he was right, and I usually didn’t ask for anything other than what was given me, so I ventured further and had a made up ‘surf and turf’, with the fillet steak and 3 king prawns they kindly warmed up for me (from another main dish) and placed it on top. Delicious, as was the wine, which I could taste this one or that one, until my heart was content (I know, I am naiive).

This really was what First was all about, and we had a fabulous flight, fantastic and attentive crew, great food and wine and an all round good experience (even on ‘old’ First).

The good news is I have enough miles for another F jaunt upgrade, so now, where do I pick to go?!

Thanks BA, a great surprise, especially for someone low down in the grand scheme of things. A perfect end to a perfect holiday.

[Binman62]

What compensation did BA provide for you invol re route due overbooking?

How many feel the way this was dealt with was sufficient and how many that the compensation should still be paid?

[Cheeryguy]

Comp for what. He could have said no and travelled back from YYC in club as planned.
Sounds like he had a great end to a holiday on mileage tickets.
I would have been more than happy.

[ICrighton]

Well, I didn’t expect compensation, as I got a free Business flight to YVR via Air Canada and a F upgrade from J. Yes, it took 5 hours off our last day of the holiday and we had an internal flight to add on, but it got us home 3 hours earlier and we got a quality F upgrade to boot.

As Cheeryguy said, I was happy and would not look for anything else. The alternative may have been a bump down or another flight if they were overbooked.

[Shearer]

I think it’s excellent pro-active behaviour from BA, avoiding a situation at the airport and giving you a brilliant experience to boot.

Or to put it another way: Wowsers! WIN! 😉

[ICrighton]

NIRscot – 08/07/2012 17:48 GMT

I think it’s excellent pro-active behaviour from BA, avoiding a situation at the airport and giving you an brilliant experience to boot.

Or to put it another way: Wowsers! WIN! ;-

Indeed- a great way to cross the sea – wowsers indeed 😉

[LPPSKrisflyer]

Just goes to show that what others say is true, F is full of upgrades!

[SimonS1]

Yes I agree. Proactive, and exceeded the customer’s expectations.

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

Unbelievable that some (well, one) think you should get compensation when you get upgraded to First!

This “give me compensation for the slightest change” mentality is unhealthy.

In this case, the upgrade to First WAS the compensation!

[LuganoPirate]

I’d have also been more than happy. As IRC said, he could have said no and risked being bumped or downgraded (not sure which is worse) but he accepted the offer and was very happy with it as was his wife.

As he said, the perfect end to a perfect holiday, what more cold you ask for?

[epeek06]

Thanks for your post Icrighton!

I have to say it’s quite rare to find someone post a positive critic about BA, this should encourage more people to do the same!

I am flying J on BA end of this month, I shall keep you posted.

[Bruce98]

Unbelievable that some (well, one) think you should get compensation when you get upgraded to First!

Idiotic comment above.

If the upgrade was a result of involuntary denied boarding and re-routing, then compensation is a statutory right.

The acid test is whether this was invol or vol – I suspect BA would argue it was vol, because the OP was happy to agree, but if he had declined and been re-routed anyway, compensation would have been unavoidable by BA as there is no extraordinary circumstance to mitigate denied boarding.

Don’t comment on things you don’t understand. Mr Phelan, Binman62 is au fait with the legal situation.

Obviously the outcome delighted the OP and that is great; many would not have appreciated a 6 hour early departure and an indirect routing.

The call from BA was excellent salesmanship.

[epeek06]

Forums are all about sharing informative thoughts and opinions in a accordingly respectful manner.

I am not going to put myself down at your level to show you how this is done

[stevescoots]

I agree, why give Comp as well, a good proactive approache from BA.

I had similar many many years back flying Virgin from SFO to LHR. I had to change my flight to get back to UK in an emergency, only seat was in economy. got to airport and Virgin asked me if I was prepared to wait another day and they would then put me in first and pay for a 5 star down town for overnight..unfortunatly I had to decline to get back home before the wife put a hammer thru the nieghbors skull…but thats a different story!

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