British Airways - BAW > Reviews > BA World Traveller experience - Long Haul

Author's product rating:   

Food Quality	Poor
Customer Service	Very unhelpful
Punctuality	Awful
Space	Uncomfortable
Value for Money	Poor

Advantages:	British Airline, etickets, ease of booking, web site
Disadvantages:	almost everything else

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

British Airways

Now I don't wish to bore you but I am in the Aero industry and so I feel obliged to give you just a smidgin of history. British Airways a great British institution.
If you wish to skip this next part move to the next section, I won't be offended honest.
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It was in 1919 when the first British airline was established, then 2 more airlines were established, using modified bombers! (agh)

These merged to one bigger airline - Imperial Airways, the first major British carrier. Close to the beginning of the Second World War, BOAC was born and began trans-Atlantic routes. In addition, a new airline was created, the British European Airways (BEA), which flew European flights.

All aircraft were equipped with British Rolls-Royce engines.

In 1967, BOAC and BEA merged and created British Airways.

All through to today British Airways have stayed mostly true to its colours and has had to compete with strong competition. They are still here and still competing. (Did I hear you cheer?)

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Makes you feel proud doesn't it?

It should but unfortunately my recent experience is different.

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MY PRE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE

Now I should explain, I have had to make many fights all over the world with my job. Most of these I have to make alone and are of 1 or 2 weeks duration. The destinations have been mainly South America and Asia.

At first (2000-20003) we were only allowed to travel Economy or as British Airways term it World Traveller. Since 2003 I have mostly travelled Business (the rules changed yipeeeeee). However I recently got bumped down to World Traveller due to over booking and unfortunately I can confirm nothing has changed when travelling this class!!!!

The Web site is great you can see your booking via a reference number given at the time of booking. The web site is fast and very easy to navigate around.

British Airways use eticket so your passport is all you need to check in. On the web site you can make meal preferences and chose your seat, I believe British Airways were the first to offer this service. Within 24 hours of your flight you can also check in on line this means you confirm your seat (or so I thought, silly me......).

When you get to the airport If you only have hand luggage you can use the quick terminals (at airports that have them) to get your boarding pass, no need to go to check in. Anyone who has seen the queue's at terminal 4 Heathrow knows what a benefit this is. Could save you a 1.5 hour wait in the queue!
If you do have luggage but have checked in online you can use the business class check in for your bags, a nice touch, and also far shorter that joining the World Traveller queue.

Anyway my flight to Brasil was un eventful and I had been in Brasil for 2 days (they were + 3 hours UK time and +30 degrees) and was flying back to England overnight to change my suitcase before flying out to China also with British Airways (who were - 7 hours UK time and -15 degrees) some 14 hours later. I admit I was tired and was looking forward to my 13 hour 50 min flight home. (Yepp 14 hours on airplane is along long time)

Now I should also advise that this story is mainly about British Airways customer service (or lack of it!). Although I will detail the flight itself as well.

My ticket was meant to be business class at £2250

I arrived at the airport with 3 hours before flight the check in had just opened. As I tried to check in a British Airways representative approached me and asked me to step aside. There was no one else at the check in at this time so I thought this weird. Anyway the gentleman continued to say that the flight was overbooked and that I would have to accept a World Traveller Plus seat. Dismayed I informed him I was travelling back to UK to take a further flight onto China (with British Airways) meaning my time slip would be a massive 10 hours. As I was on business with no real down time to recover this was unacceptable. He repeated the same statement adding that as the flight I was on had started in Argentina and most business class passengers were already on the flight there was nothing he could do. He asked me to sign a ticket to say I accepted the downgrade.

I refused and stated I wanted him to find me the seat I paid for. He said he would try and find another passenger to change and could I wait in the lounge. At this time another two passenger's arrived at the check in and he took these two aside as well. They were much more animated than myself . The fact the first 2 arrivals at the business class desk got bumped down has left me in no doubt that the moral of this story is do not get to the airport early!!!! Or am I just a little paranoid? huuummmm.

Anyway I am now nervously sat in the lounge; no one contacts me at all. It is now late afternoon and our flight is the only one left. The flight is called but I have had no contact whatsoever! I ask the lady at the desk what is going on she has no clue.

She does phone through to the gate I am told to wait 10 minutes, the gentleman is coming to see me. I am now sat in the lounge on my own and with no information, getting slightly uptight. I ask again after 10 minutes and again am told to wait.

I am now getting annoyed. I am sat there on my own and take off is getting closer.

20 mins before take off (Oh yes the gate is about to close) I go back to the desk and ask again. The lady again phones down to the desk, a couple of minutes later a Brasilan lad (no more than 17) arrives with a ticket for me to sign, he cannot speak English!!!. Now was this done to leave me no choice and the staff the minimum amount of work and fuss............Or am I just a little paranoid? hummmm.

I now have a choice sign the ticket or miss my flight and hence my follow flight to China. I sign the ticket under duress.

I have to run to the boarding gate! I arrive on the plane expecting a World Traveller plus seat as the man at the desk has said.

[Here I should explain British airways actually have 4 classes on long haul flights.
1st class - separated bunks and personal service
Business class - flat bed with approx 1 attendant to 10-15 people
World Traveller plus - the old business class seats more leg room, bigger seat but serviced by Economy (World Traveller staff)
World Traveller - Economy, cramped high ratio of passengers to staff.
The plane is a Boeing 777 one of a newish fleet. They are not liked by crews as much as the 747's as apparently they are noisier and leave the crew more tired or so they say. ]

Anyway I am directed to my seat which is in World Traveller, NOT EVEN World Traveller plus as I was told. No wonder they keep you in the dark this is plain not funny. Remember this is a night flight so the flat bed or extended seats in World Traveller plus would be a huge benefit on my schedule.

When I complain I am summerairily dismissed by being told but we got you a seat in the first aisle so you have a bit more leg room! As If to say what's your problem then. THANKS.

I am now close to tears; I have had a stressful 3 days and was expecting a nice relaxing flight back. I go up to the flight purser who obviously does not know anything and repeat the story above. He listens but cannot do anything as business class is indeed full. I take my seat.

It takes me some time but after I have calmed down I recognise the couple next to me as the couple behind me at the check in. They are even more pissy as they did not even get access to the lounge being told it was full !!!!

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THE WORLD TRAVELLER EXPERIENCE

The doors are shut and cross check

We take off , the cabin is hot, then later cold and the crew are nowhere to be seen. The leg room is good to be fair as we are in the first row; however this also means you have the baby carriers in front of you! not so good. In my opinion if it is not your baby then the leg room is no swap.

The world traveller crew are sited at the rear of the plane and we are at the front of World Traveller. I can honestly say the only time they ventured to the front was to dish out the food or try to sell you things.

Anyway the couple next to me eventually get a flight attendant to come after pressing the buzzer and waiting what seemed a long time. They asked for blankets/pillows, but were told there were none left! They had been given to the children first????? Heh............. why didn't they have enough for everyone this was a night flight !!!! The crew member was sullen, did not smile and made them feel in the wrong for even asking. I went though to business class and asked the purser if I could have some of theirs which he obligingly got. Why oh Why couldn't the crew have done that it wasn't difficult.

This sets the scene, the crew ignored us, my tv headphones did not work properly and there were no more left. (What a surprise).

The drinks and food arrive first after take off. The drink is fine and I got a cup of water. The food ahhhhhhhhh well I can safely state that it was poor. As I was not in the seat I booked I had no vegetarian option. I ate the vegetables which were bland and did not leave any feeling of satisfaction.

I tried to sleep but the World Traveller seat and cabin really is not conducive to this plan. The World Traveller cabin is crowded, smelly and noisy. The seat is designed for the average 5'10" male and as I am a 5'2" small lady then all the things like headrests are in the wrong place. However for sitting the seat is quite comfortable, but very difficult to get comfortable enough to sleep in.

I cannot see the crew so I go back and see if I can get another drink. I find all the current crew (there are 2 sets on a 14 hour flight ) in the back galley. They are chatting, I stand there patiently waiting for one of them to acknowledge me, eventually one looks up and says yeh.

YEH .........................arrgh ..................................I ask If I can have another drink
(Whilst having strange hallucinations of me in the lead role of Oliver asking for more)
I get a long huff and she gets me a drink already turning her back on me as she is handing it over. Now I know it is late but there is NO excuse for plain bad manners.

Now unable to sleep for more than a 20 minute doze and not being able to watch the films properly I get the munchies, guess what reaction I get back in the galley! I also overhear others complaining about the same thing. I spend my time filling out a complaint form and trying to read my book/doze.

The breakfast arrives and luckily I get a chese omlette, unlukiliy it is a small piece of yellow playdoh with some grease covered potato and a hot tomato. The yogurt and coffe is nice.

The crew do not BOTHER us at all, except to try and get us to buy duty free!

Now to Children, there were a few on the flight and they appeared to find the seats comfortable, being littler than us. I do not know if they had kiddie meals or if they all got blankets/pillows or not as walking around a completly full plane is not easy. I can say that the pillows looked kiddie size, bit like a padded hankie really.

After more of the above the plane lands safely and we disembark, I hand in my complaint form on the way out, it has all my phone numbers on it and my executive club number and my email address.

I try to find out how I get a refund for the difference in ticket prices at the airport but find no one who can help me! The people at lost and found suggest I go back to my travel agent!!!!!!

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THE BRITISH AIRWAYS FOLLOW UP

My flight onward to China in busines class was significantly different, I may review that separately. Suffice to say it is like travelling with 2 different airlines.

Anyway 6/7 weeks later I get a phone call apologising for the problem and offering me some air miles as compensation. I had calmed down significantly by then so I accepted the apology and air miles.

It did leave me wondering 2 things....................
1. Did they leave it 6 weeks deliberately so I would not be upset any more or
2. Do they have so many complaints it takes 6 weeks to get to them?

As I used to travel World Traveller regularly I am afraid they have not changed and so the answer is probably number 2. and if it was 1. then I think I must be paraniod :-)

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THE SUMMARY

If you have been brave enough to read this tiraid all the way though many thanks.

All in all British Airways World Traveller Plus - you are made to feel like an inconvenience to their flight. I cannot recommend this airline for this class of travel.

The crew are generally rude, sullen and ignore you. British airways have no concept of customer service in World Traveller class. As I work in services I am deeply troubled this type of service attitude still exists.

Politeness does not cost anything after all.

For the money you pay to fly British Airways, you could get 1.5 to 2 tickets on other airlines who will treat you like a person, a customer, someone of value.................Airlines like Lufthansa, Varig, virgin, and Iberia are far better and cheaper for long haul trips.

Oh I do feel better for getting that off my chest. Thanks for staying with me :-)