[FlyingChinaman]

P.Sepsas,

I went to a colonial Public school where my British teachers were all very strict with the correct usage with the English language.

It is refreshing to see a person like VK who still insist on maintaining that high standard.

I wish BA would or could do the same as judging from the number of dis-satisfied cusomers of late, BA is not getting it right!

[Potakas]

Well yes, and the most important thing is that many customers have problems with the CC’s attitude/service, the hard product is something you can fix but the soft product is not.

[RichHI1]

AA send EXP’s coupons that you hand staff for extraordinary service. Not sure how many EXP’s bother to use them but I always make sure I do when warranted and I am a great believer in not only making my views heard when things suck but also compliment people for an excellent job well done, even if it is their job. I find a traditional polite British accent and demeanour coupled with a sense of humor can work wonders with many airline staff around the world.

[FlyingChinaman]

P.Sepsas,

This is exactly the reason why Cathay is at the top of the Oneworld group as it has a very western-style management (top posts are mostly Brits) and augmented with a team of highly dedicated and customer-oriented Chinese/Asians.

BTW, Just checked the CX lounge access policy for their top tier flyers (equivelent to BA Gold). Members at the highest level can invite TWO guests into the First or Business lounge travelling on ANY airlines!!!!

No question asked – that is the real point of the ONEWORLD benefit!

[RichHI1]

FlyingChinaman CX rocks. I like the food on JAL more but for service and making you feel welcome and not just a revenue opportunity CX set the standard.

[Potakas]

When you try to compare Asian hospitality with the European/US hospitality every time, the Asian one is the winner hands down IMHO.

According to lounge policy, for me the best one is LH’s.
Card Holder + one guest or(?) your family.

There is not point leaving you kids without an invite if you are Top Tier customer.

[Tete_de_cuvee]

Don’t expect to see an improvement with the soft CC product for a long while.

On one side BA believes it can make silk purses out of sows ears through performance management.

Current CC intake includes prior rejects, surplus baggage handlers and bus drivers, programmers etc. The recruiting bar has been set so low a slug would trip over it.

Gone are the days when BA viewed the CC as the face of BA and had the highest recruitment standards in the industry selecting bright, multi-lingual, highly people centric individuals.

On the other side the remaining premium crew have had their hearts ripped out, are demotivated and demoralised.

[VintageKrug]

On my recent flight with “remaining premium crew” they couldn’t have been more pleasant or do enough to help.

Those who remain demoralised should be perfectly capable of getting a job elsewhere.

The “current CC intake” is scoring amongst the highest levels of customer feedback seen in years.

Soft product improvements are already being initiated – new wines in F & J start in the next month, for instance. New investment in catering – an initiative known formally as “Height Cuisine” has already started delivering changes, and these will be widely visible to us customers over the coming months.

All this alongside the rollout of a new hard product in F which will complete by the end of the year, the final 777-300ERs being delivered and the commencement of A380 deliveries next year.

[RichHI1]

Interesting though not unknown views from Tête_de_cuvée. I think there is something that we as frequent flyer elites can bring to the table. A lot of people view Flight Attendants as waitresses and Flightdeck Crew as bus drivers (particuarly in US). Given that we entrust our lives and safety into the hands of these people then may be we should accord them the professional standing their roles warrant and expect such behavior in return?
Or would it just produce a more paternalistic “do as your told” response (very prevalent on US Lo Cost carriers so I am told). Either way if I hear another flight deck announcement to “boys and girls” I will drown in my BA supplied non Vintage Krug…

[travelworld]

Introduction of the A380 next year? 2013, surely…

[Hippocampus]

I haven’t noticed any change to BA’s on board service from crew. Sometimes it’s excellent; sometimes much less so, but always professional and efficient.

The claim of being demoralised etc seems to be the work of the imagination if those who, having brought entirely on themselves a completely pointless strike, now have little else to do than wallow in self pity.

The denigration of the new Mixed Fleet cabin crew is frankly shameful and wholly unjustified.

[FlyingChinaman]

Let’s hope more innovations and improvements are coming our way from the BA management as it was once a leader in the industry.

It is a question of survival!

Some of their “older” cabin crew are world-class and worldly but unfortunately it is a question of hit or miss. There is a great disparity between the “exceptional” and the “ordinary”. with their cabin crew A bit like the British society!

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

To be fair, the inconsistency is not unique to BA. I find the same thing with Qantas – you will have either a fantastic crew, or a very ordinary one. There seems no middle ground.

I think much depends on the Cabin Manager and the expectations they have of their crew members.

[SSTBeliever]

I find the baggage inconsistency to be one of the major aggravations. My regular commute is LHR to Oz in F or J on BA/codeshare tickets booked through BA either directly or through my agent in BRU. BA metal allows me 3x 32kg in either, QF metal allows me 32kg in J and 40kg in F (if I was a QF FF rather than a BA one I could have 64kg in either class). Change from BA metal to QF metal in SIN and the BA allowance is obviously carried as I don’t get involved in carrying my bags from one airfame to another (yet!!). So far so good but arrive in Oz and the rules say that the internal flights within 24 hours of arrival or departure should carry whatever baggage allowance applies to the major part of the international journey (LHR to SIN) however the new automatic bag machines do not seem to know this and most of the QF groundstaff don’t either so unpleasant scenes can be the norm – don’t even get me started about the return journey and getting bags packed for home!!
I know QF are busy re-inventing themselves as a LoCo carrier but surely some consistency can be introduced across the board for codeshare and associated flights (ssshhh – better be quiet before BA cut their baggage allowance to match) its not only the airline staff who are confused but the majority of passengers as well as well as those paying £5000 for their tickets.

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