[Shearer]

I think it’s the sense of triumphalism surrounding negative BA news stories that irritates me on this forum.

Ah shoot I’m part of the story now.

[StandingThemUp]

BA is having a hard time at the moment, the longhaul fleet is aged and it is causing problems with quite a lot of tech problems, meaning that flights are being cancelled and others are having long haul 767s substituted with short haul.

This is a matter of public record.

The cabins on some aircraft have been allowed to get into a tatty state and this gives a bad impression.

It is also fair to say that there are more than a few demoralised cabin crew, at present, but that will tend to be impacted with by natural wastage, as mixed lfeet becomes more dominant.

Fast forward to 2015 and many of the older 747s will be gone and the A380/787 fleets will be well established.

At that time, it will be interesting to see the ranking.

For the moment, I don’t think BA deserves a ranking as a top airline, but it can re-establish itself. However, new aircraft alone is not enough, there needs to be more customer focus.

[BigDog.]

Is there a global airline award program without flaws? What is an appropriate reference point?

When new boy Walsh willingly basked in the glory of BA being Airline of the Year in 2006, weren’t all the flaws still prevalent?

[AnthonyDunn]

@ StandingThemUp – 19/06/2013 11:45 GMT

+1

A sensible summary of the situation IMO.

[AllOverTheGaff]

@ StandingThemUp – 19/06/2013 11:45 GMT

+2 – fair synopsis.

Rgds.
AOTG.

[StandingThemUp]

Just to add to Ian in HK’s info, if any BA crew readers would like a chat, I’ll be in 16A on BA005 on 20 June and in 2A on BA006 on 28 June.

I’d welcome any contact.

[canucklad]

Would concur with STU’s sentiments…..especially the last bit…

I’m not going to go into a BA rant here…….But,…it’s my old hobby horse

Pay attention to detail and the bigger picture takes care of itself….

Ian’s issues should not happen, regardless of status……and I fear her attitude changed because of the class….and the increased likelyhood of consequence !!

To me , you get the impression that no one at BA seems to be accountable for anything specific so the full brand is tarnished!

A carpenter can have the newest most modern tools on the market, but if he can’t or won’t hang a door, your door’s not going to get hanged….

It’s up to the management at BA to ensure the basics happen to the best of everyones ability !

They showed checks being done on that BBC 2 programme last night…so why was my IFE system crap…..just because it’s an old 747 doesn’t mean that I need to suffer as a fare paying passenger a dusky screen…..

[BigDog.]

Wrt your final point Canucklad, I had been informed by a BA insider that, in order to save costs, non-safety related repairs would be left until the major service if it were not a quick/simple fix eg change the fuse.

So rather than address the problem and build a quality image & culture, BA appears happy to repeatedly compensate for known faults to seats and IFE through using AVIOS. Although it keeps the customer coming back it does little to deliver a image of consistent high quality and leading customer service to the customer or employee.

[AllOverTheGaff]

AnthonyDunn – 19/06/2013 00:52 GMT
I also wonder whether In order to obtain the kind of ratings achieved by Asia-Pacific and Gulf carriers, those who criticise BA would like to see all or most of the UK-based cabin crew at BA sacked and replaced with considerably more pliant, subservient and cheaper-to-employ Asian females?

As one who has openly (and some have suggested overly) criticised BA, I take exception to the above remark.

It makes no difference to me what nationality anyone in the service industry is, but if they choose to work in the service industry, they should pride themselves on offering the best level of service that they can.

In particular, if I have chosen to spend my cash on a high-value-premium product I would expect a premium level of service. Why should that concept be alien to a British employee but at an acceptable level for an Asian or Arabian employee? If I dine at Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road, I expect a great level of service. If I dine at Big Jacks greasy spoon I do not. If I stay at The Savoy, I expect a great level of service, if I stay at Mrs Miggins Pie Shop with rooms, I do not.

If I pay BA more than it costs me to stay at The Savoy for a long weekend and eat at Petrus, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Ramsay at Claridges combined, why should I accept poor service? Because the team on-board can’t be bothered? Because they are there “primarily for my safety”? When was the last time you flew on an airline and interacted with the CC about safety?

I’m entirely unsure why the race of the flight-crew has any bearing on the level of service offered, my last flights to from KL was out with Malaysian and the nicest flight attendant I’ve had the pleasure of flying with, so nice that I went to the bother of emailing MAS and telling them so. My flight back aboard BA’s plane was staffed by a crew who couldn’t give a toss about my flying experience with them, if as you suggest I should put that down to the British being “less subservient” than their Asian/Arabian counterparts, so be it.

I put it down to poor training and even worse on-board and upper management.
Rgds.
AOTG.

[canucklad]

Cheers Big Dog…….

Should have complained to get my AVios topped up……too late now right enough…..and personally I would rather have had a decent picture to look at to while away the hours across the pole !

Back on topic……bribery only lasts for so long…..and BA management adopting such a tactic shouldn’t be surprised at the exodus of premium paying passengers…..to other carriers….

[Henkel.Trocken]

Having skimmed two episodes of airport live where in the first of which we saw the SQ A380 first class cabin and in the second we saw F on a BA 747 which was in for maintenance, is anyone really surprised that BA have fallen so far behind?

I would rate them as a three star airline these days.

[HongKongLady]

I have had a look at the list and I am wondering what information they are gathering ? These airlines are not all comparable. As with most awards just take it as a rough indication at best. Reading a broad range of reviews is often a far better way of telling if an airline is one you would want to use.

[SimonS1]

canucklad – 19/06/2013 12:28 GMT
They showed checks being done on that BBC 2 programme last night…so why was my IFE system crap…..just because it’s an old 747 doesn’t mean that I need to suffer as a fare paying passenger a dusky screen…..

Indeed, they also showed a pilot doing walk around checks looking at the engines on an Airbus…..

[Henkel.Trocken]

Simon, he didn’t check the engine cowlings though!

[AllOverTheGaff]

SimonS1 – 19/06/2013 13:38 GMT
Indeed, they also showed a pilot doing walk around checks looking at the engines on an Airbus…..

HA!

🙂

[Author]

Posts