[Dave_3]

Have a buisness trip to Japan end of the week, so a few weeks back started to organise an extended trip.

Contacted the BA Executive club and got a quote to continue the flight down to Auckland ... extra price was reasonable, they said they had to send it to their "Fares Dept." to calculate extra taxes, they'll contact me. OK, no problem.

Week goes by without any feedback, so calls them - "Ah ... it was refused by the Fares Dept." - nice of them to let me know.

Was given some excuse about it not including an Atlantic crossing, so ask them to add one in after New Zealand. OK, they would get back to me.

No they didn't .. chased them again to find out that the price had ballooned by another £2,000 !

Thought about it, but I am Scottish and don't have MUG across my forehead so told them no.

Got a simple price for a business flight London-Tokyo-London and then for Zurich-London-Tokyo-London-Zurich .... and would you believe it the extra flight from and to Zurich business class actually made the whole flight £500 cheaper.

Bloody shower. Worse than getting a quote for some double glazing.

They are about to receive an extremely terse letter from me.

Was looking forward to lying on the beach over Chritsmas.

D.

[SiKkBaSs]

Originally Posted by Dave_3

Have a buisness trip to Japan end of the week, so a few weeks back started to organise an extended trip.

Contacted the BA Executive club and got a quote to continue the flight down to Auckland ... extra price was reasonable, they said they had to send it to their "Fares Dept." to calculate extra taxes, they'll contact me. OK, no problem.

Week goes by without any feedback, so calls them - "Ah ... it was refused by the Fares Dept." - nice of them to let me know.

Was given some excuse about it not including an Atlantic crossing, so ask them to add one in after New Zealand. OK, they would get back to me.

No they didn't .. chased them again to find out that the price had ballooned by another £2,000 !

Thought about it, but I am Scottish and don't have MUG across my forehead so told them no.

Got a simple price for a business flight London-Tokyo-London and then for Zurich-London-Tokyo-London-Zurich .... and would you believe it the extra flight from and to Zurich business class actually made the whole flight £500 cheaper.

Bloody shower. Worse than getting a quote for some double glazing.

They are about to receive an extremely terse letter from me.

Was looking forward to lying on the beach over Chritsmas.

D.

That's a lot of angry faces in one post...must be angry. Draw one on the letter you plan to write .

Good luck with the letter.

[zltm089]

Sorry to hear this mate...

I wonder where the fuck is customer service principles?!!....they just don't giv a shit these days...

[prt71]

On a similar note can I suggest anyone avoids travelup.co.uk for similar flight related incompetence.

Just come back from Oz with China Airlines, on landing in Schipol after 28 hours or so of flying to be told my transfer flight to Birmingham was cancelled 6 weeks ago and I'd been rebooked on one 7 hours later, and my travel agent hadn't got round to telling me.

BTW if anyone sees very cheap China Airlines business class fares, you get what you pay for, the 747's are pretty atrocious, seats only about as good as premium economy.

[Teutonicdriver]

Could be worse, you could on a Scottish airline with cross dressing, baby eating, ginger haired mingers serving you while the in flight entertainment would comprise of Bagpipe music and the Krankies, and first class dining would be haggis and porridge swilled down with a can of McEwans.

[willhollin]

[Teutonicdriver]

Originally Posted by Dave_3

They are about to receive an extremely terse letter from me.


D.

We are talking British Airways here, terse letters are an everyday occurance. Unless its terser than an overly terse letter it may be mistaken for a letter of appreciation. It needs to be really really terse! "Worlds favourite Airline"?? I think not.

[Dave_3]

Oh trust me, it was firmly between a polite clearing-the-throat cough and a pretty cross look. Pretty terse ...

D.

[Dannyrado]

You got the name wrong. You mean "london airways" surely!

Another thing, been saving airmiles for years, kept checking that i could get on the emirates a380 for free, and indeed i always could....
However, now that i have enough airmiles, they've changed the rules, pretty much all airmiles flights are BA.... because BA own airmiles. Bang goes the a380 dream then.

[Teutonicdriver]

A380? You dont want to be flying in one of them yet. Theyre still encountering loads of 'teething' issues and if you get booked on one chances are you would end up on another type anyway.

[Dave_3]

Popping off tomorrow for just over a week.

Will be giving the Executive Lounge staff in Terminal 5 my best Paddington stare.

A colleague used Singapore Air and the A380 earlier this year - he really rates it, says the space is amazing in Business Class.

Probably who I will look at next time.

EDIT: Just checked and he isn't wrong : http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_U...lass/index.jsp

D.

[Dave_3]

By way of apology, I have credited your Executive Club account with 5000 BA miles. Please accept with my compliments.

Oh well .... better than nothing.

Will plan a bit better next time.

D.

[lons]

However.............

The other "face" of BA and Quantas is quite different according to my recent experience.

On a holiday to NZ and Oz with non refundable or upgradeable tickets and we had to return a week early due to my father in laws' sudden death.

Insurance company were virtually impossible to contact and the policy stated arrangements must be made by them so in desperation I 'phoned Quantas who sorted flights for minimal admin cost on compassionate grounds. Contact with BA at Singapore and Heathrow to sort seats and an earlier H/R to N/Castle flight proved nothing but helpful.

As for the F****** insurance company - well that's another matter and they are currently receiving my FULL attention to recompense cancelled car hire, hotels and other costs.

[Dave_3]

Woke up to find this in my inbox.

Dear Customer,

We regret to inform you that flight from Glasgow to Heathrow (London) on 11 Jan 2010 has been cancelled.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Still, a phone call later ... and booked on a flight through London City.

For a few minutes there I thought I might be forced to take some more days holiday.

D.

Edit : as a footnote, the flight that I booked back at Christmas was disrupted by the planned BA Staff strike. I received a further 25,000 miles as an aplogy from BA for that without even saying anything to them. Which was nice.

[Dave_3]

Glasgow airport is DEAD ... really, really quiet. Like a ghost town.

Breezed straight through security.

Lady at the Business Lounge said all flights to Heathrow have been cancelled.

Whole Lounge to myself.

D.

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by Dave_3

Glasgow airport is DEAD ... really, really quiet. Like a ghost town.

Breezed straight through security.

Lady at the Business Lounge said all flights to Heathrow have been cancelled.

Whole Lounge to myself.

D.

Are you coming into London City? About ten minutes from my flat! How long are you in London for?

[Dave_3]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

Are you coming into London City? About ten minutes from my flat! How long are you in London for?

Probably about 45 minutes ..... before jumping on a flight to Zurich. Last time I was there the queue for Security snaked along the top floor, down the stairs and out the front door. Might be busy again if others are doing the same as me - but seems VERY quiet here.

The weather looks much better up here on the West coast of Scotland. Definitely much warmer and actually thawing. But ... if it deteriorates ....

D.

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by Dave_3

Probably about 45 minutes ..... before jumping on a flight to Zurich. Last time I was there the queue for Security snaked along the top floor, down the stairs and out the front door. Might be busy again if others are doing the same as me - but seems VERY quiet here.

The weather looks much better up here on the West coast of Scotland. Definitely much warmer and actually thawing. But ... if it deteriorates ....

D.

Ah, fair enough then... we'll have a beer next time you're in London or I'm in Zurich. Safe flight!

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by SiKkBaSs

That's a lot of angry faces in one post...must be angry. Draw one on the letter you plan to write .

Good luck with the letter.

He should have posted in the ''Rude and Angry'' post!

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by E92Fan

Are you coming into London City? About ten minutes from my flat! How long are you in London for?

You have PM mate!

[flyfs6]

Tell me about BA and the executive club. Their service in recent years is a lot more hit and miss than my liking, and I've been in the same situation as you. Even though I have many miles, often when I use these to upgrade my seat and then need to make a date change they try the no seats available in that class excuse (even though there are seats available, just not for upgraded customers!).

[Oil Burner]

i have the advantage of a) flying a heck of a lot in the last 6 months b) working for one of BA's largest customers, so tend to get prompt response to any complaints I raise

my flight out to Dubai (DXB) on saturday was nearly 3 hour late leaving Heathrow, and then when we got to Dubai they got the luggage container stuck in the plane hold so had to wait well over an hour for it to arrive.

Wasn't a happy boy when got into my hotel at about 05:00 in the morning. not helped my sleep pattens at all