Watchdog…BBC1 consumer programme rips into BA

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)

  • openfly
    Participant

    After “numerous complaints from viewers” Watchdog took BA to task on several problems.
    1. Passengers who booked full service economy over the last few weeks won’t get their expected, and paid for, snacks and drinks.
    2.A family of 7, two children of 6 and 9, to MCO paid for seats together. They were split up over the cabin and the kids were on their own.
    3. Paid for seating not achieved.
    BA wouldn’t send a spokesperson to the programme. Maybe, they couldn’t get a flight from India.

    There will be more complaints when the two extra rows go into the short-haul aircraft and seat pitch goes down to 28 inches and in Club Europe as well!


    esselle
    Participant

    Has the programme been aired, or is it going to be, if so, when?


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    I thought Watchdog applied a light touch, TBH.

    On the other had, they may just be ‘teasing’ the audience, to see what response they get and may go for the jugular in a later programme.


    summerfly
    Participant

    How did BA respond? Was it the standard irritating ‘apology letter’? If they didn’t send a spokesperson it’s probably because they don’t care. It seems they think passengers purchase travel based purely on price & whilst that is generally true, customers are also sensitive to other factors (especially WT+ & above). BA has many hidden charges – seat selection for non OW status in J being probably the worst offence. They make their money by being a long haul LCC. It’s actually rather sad as the flag carrier is effectively representing our country.


    1nfrequent
    Participant

    I thought Watchdog went soft on BA but it also felt like a taster – they were inviting other people to contact them so I think it’ll be like their current supermarket crate campaign – they’ll keep the pressure up over the rest of the series.

    1F


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    Will the programme be repeated?


    openfly
    Participant

    No….it’s not repeated LP. But if you can get onto BBC iPlayer it is on there.

    BA couldn’t be bothered to reply or send a representative. There’s probably nobody left at BA to speak on their behalf!


    Travellator
    Participant

    Has it been confirmed yet that CE seat pitch will also decrease to 28 ?

    I haven’t read about that !


    nevereconomy
    Participant

    I am really beginning to think that there is a deathwish mentality at BA these days……


    Defcon5
    Participant

    JohnHarper
    Participant

    Isn’t it time the shareholders outsourced Wee Willie?

    After all no particular skill is required to do nothing but cut everything, it should be easy to employ someone purely to do that and think of the salary savings that could be paid in dividends.


    FaroFlyer
    Participant

    I am normally a supporter of BA but think that the BoB has not been thought through well. It should be easy to inform the passengers who booked before the BoB announcement, and give them the option of a full refund; vouchers to BoB, or Avios as compensation. If handled correctly this could have been spun to most people’s satisfaction.

    I saw the WD programme and had sympathy with the family who had pre-booked seats to sit together, as it should have been easy for those re-allocating to see that it was a family, presumably on one booking, who had paid to sit together.

    I had little sympathy with the “leg room” complainer who had guessed where leg room seats would be. Not all aircraft have same configuration, and aircraft do change for “operational reasons”:-).

    As FDOS said, it seems likely that WD are testing the water before a full blown attack on BA, so I can understand why BA did not send anybody to answer questions. They probably want to judge the strength of feeling before deciding who should be sent in to the lion’s den.


    openfly
    Participant

    @Travellator

    If they are installing yet another two rows of seats in the short-haul fleets, as announced, then the other rows have to lose 2 inches to accommodate the plan. As all rows now have the same pitch on BA then it follows that Club Europe pitch has to reduce to 28inches.
    Unbelievable eh??!! No not really…these are the days of Alex Cruz…failed of Veuling!


    Phil_Duncan
    Participant

    Long time lurker, first time poster:

    I must admit that after years of loyally flying BA I’m now wondering what is the point. Yes, there are still some excellent staff but my travel is all short haul, sometimes in business and sometimes in economy. I’m a silver card holder but rarely go to the lounges these days as I often want to eat and the lounge offering is so reduced and generally unhealthy that I go elsewhere and pay for it.

    I simply won’t BoB from BA, easyJet offer at least as good and with a far cheaper base fare, others still include food and drink in the ticket price, even companies like Germanwings offer something.

    ‘Enhancements’ are planned for BA business short haul or so I’m told so any spending there is on hold until I see how bad they are. A 28 inch seat pitch means I will not use them again.

    For the routes I travel, living between LHR and LGW the choices are easyJet, Germanwings/Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian, Turkish, Alitalia and SAS. All look attractive at the moment as much as anything for a change and because I won’t be annoyed by the latest cut every time I travel.


    Kass
    Participant

    Ok I am not the biggest fan of my employer but the seating of 7 people together, ok, depending on aircraft, there is only certain ways of being “together” and if you read T and C’s over an aisles is termed as together. Also children alone, ok, so they were “issued” those seats, but an adult could sit with each child by swapping the kids with other adults in the party so that’s just a moan for sake of moaning.

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