"way British Airways handled this was atrocious"
Erin Methered (United States)
I was among the several hundred passengers whose British Airways flight was canceled last night from Dallas Ft Worth to London. No status indicating canceled was put on the displays at the gate, once the decision was made. They were not updated. People were told to call 1-800-AIRWAYS for help, but were turned away by the phone system, and as a result lost their places in line. One woman had a glimmer of hope with the phone system, only to be told that because she was traveling with a baby, she had to go back and wait in line. Only 4 ticket counters were open to assist the passengers, and each passenger took over 20-30 minutes to help, on average. One couple took approximately 2 hours to be helped because they were booked to go on a cruise for their anniversary and this delay cost them their connection. They were not able to get any arrangements that would get them to their cruise for another 3 days. The couple will now miss half their cruise. No screening was performed to get people with important connecting flights (like that couple or myself) close to the front of the line. There were two other flights out to LHR that night that would have allowed me to still make my tour, but due to the disorganization of the help, I missed both, even though one was 5.5 hours after the original cancellation. It did not help that the British Airways staff blatantly allowed people to cut in line, for no reason. I was still in time to make the last flight out at 10:10pm, but a couple was allowed to cut in front of me in line and as a result by the time my new bookings were made it was too late. People were falling out of line because there was no area to rest, or provisions made for food or going to the restroom. The customers were too exhausted to stand for that long. No attempt to "take a number" and call people back was made for the comfort of customers. Not even water was passed out during the 6 hour waiting period. The counter staff, and how they were managed, was completely inadequate. The way British Airways handled this cancellation was atrocious! Things break, including airplanes, which is understood, but the manner in which a company recovers from such debacles says a great deal about their character. I am sorely disappointed in how this was dealt with. I will now miss the first, and arguably most anticipated, part of my tour to India, and my traveling companion (coming from Atlanta) will be there alone, which is not safe for a young, single female. This airline has cost me time, money, and most importantly safety, for myself and my friend.
| Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | DFW to DEL via LHR |
| Date Flown | November 2015 |
| Seat Comfort | 12345 |
| Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | no |
"recommend the A380"
T Sahlen (Sweden)
Gothenburg to Los Angeles via London Heathrow return with British Airways. Everything went well, and I especially like the upper deck of the A380 which feels spacious and relaxed. The seats were comfortable for a 10 hour flight. I liked the bins at the window seats as this gave me opportunity to store more than I expected. Toilets were clean throughout the flight. Crew were excellent, relaxed yet professional. Did not eat food so cannot comment on it. Drinks and snacks served on these flights. I do miss the warm wet wipes that Lufthansa for example hand out. Inflight entertainment better than usual. I recommend the British Airways A380.
| Aircraft | A320 / A380 |
| Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | GOT to LAX via LHR |
| Date Flown | October 2015 |
| Seat Comfort | 12345 |
| Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
| Inflight Entertainment | 12345 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | yes |
"try to avoid BA in the future"
J Griffiths (United Kingdom)
Shameful service from British Airways travelling from Heathrow to Delhi. A problem with seat I had booked and paid extra for, ground staff said they had no authority - lots of phone calls nothing achieved, suggested I spoke with crew, understanding but pretty lack luster. A few crew members just rude. Food bad, service little better, seems to be a problem with allowing passengers a basic such as water. British Airways need to be shaken out of their tauper. Most other airlines far superior. Cabin very untidy, washroom not kept supplied. Sorry to say but nothing to commend here. I will try to avoid BA in the future.
| Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | London to Delhi |
| Date Flown | October 2015 |
| Seat Comfort | 12345 |
| Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
| Food & Beverages | 12345 |
| Inflight Entertainment | 12345 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Wifi & Connectivity | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | no |
"treatment was appalling"
1 reviews Denis Savostiyanov (United Kingdom)
My mother's flight from London to Moscow was cancelled. While understanding that these things happen, and accepting this inconvenience, it is the customer service of British Airways that I found outrageous. First of all, British Airways would refuse to speak to me (paying customer), as they had incorrect data in the ticket purchase details - despite the fact that I had any proof they may need, and all contact details in the ticket purchase data were mine. But fair enough, there is more. They couldn't speak to my mother (she doesn't speak English, they don't speak Russian), and while I was trying to offer various options to customer service agents, time passed. By the time (several hours later) I suggested their Moscow office calls my mother to confirm her identity, it was too late - Moscow office was closed, and all was offered is for my mother to call then next day. Needless to say, she had to travel next day, and it was unacceptable option. So, At no point my mother was offered anything required by Regulations 261/2004, Articles 8, 9 and 14 - so BA appears to be in breach of those regulations. I bought a ticket for my mother with Aeroflot instead, for a flight at a similar time to that cancelled by BA, and asked BA for refund. BA in turn (and after my mother travelled to Moscow) demanded a letter of authority from her, otherwise they would refuse to speak to me. They would not, for example, call my mother in Moscow and simply ask her. My mother sent me letter of authority, which I forwarded to the BA. Now they would speak to me, and promised refund and compensation. This was on 30th September 2015. On 20th October 2015, (20 days after - Regulations state that refund must be made within seven days) I chased this with BA. I was promised a refund and compensation again. As of today (6 November 2015), nothing was paid to me yet. Customer service responds with generic messages, themed "We are sorry for the delay, the refund will be with you soon". My requests are simply ignored. So, while it might be a reasonably comfortable airline when everything works well, I would encourage everyone to very seriously consider how you will be treated in an event of a delay or cancellation. In my experience, the treatment was appalling.
| Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | Heathrow to Moscow |
| Date Flown | September 2015 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | no |
"courteous and professional"
1 reviews Carl Fearn (Switzerland)
Geneva to Beijing via LHR. First flights on British Airways for six years - not because I was avoiding them, I just did not fly much. Used to be a big fan of BA but recent negative reviews made me a bit nervous. Well, my experiences on board the 2 flights were excellent. Cabin Services Directors on both flights were approachable, courteous and professional and team members exemplary. The boarding in Geneva was efficient, seat was comfortable for economy class and the flight departed before time. The sandwich and drinks provided were appreciated. On time arrival in Heathrow Terminal 5. The process of getting to the Beijing flight was relatively quick. The flight to Beijing was a 3 year old Boeing 777-300 series and my seat was 37A - the emergency exit seat that quite a few people have complained about because it has no window and the emergency slide box on the door limited leg room. I am 6' 3" tall and there was more than enough space for my long legs. Bar service offered shortly after take off. The food was good (smoked salmon starter, beef/rice dish, chocolate orange mousse). IFE was excellent (compared to the United flights I had taken to the USA earlier in the month) with a good selection of films and TV shows. During the flight, the crew came by with trays of drinks. Breakfast was a cooked breakfast with muesli starter, orange juice and a bread roll. Coffee refills were offered. The flight landed on time. I really could not fault the planes, service or food on both flights. Economy seating is cramped these days but BA seats are no worse/no better than other airlines. The return flights to Geneva a week later were just as good.
| Aircraft | A319 / Boeing 777-300 |
| Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | GVA to PEK via LHR |
| Date Flown | October 2015 |
| Seat Comfort | 12345 |
| Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
| Food & Beverages | 12345 |
| Inflight Entertainment | 12345 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | yes |
"dismayed by the BA agent"
Kath Boddy (United Kingdom)
Excellent flight and no complaints even though we were delayed due fog at Gatwick. The pilot kept us briefed as to what was going on and the cabin crew looked after us. I was however dismayed by the BA agent that dealt with our check in at Venice. We were first in the queue when check in opened and a supervisor asked us to go this woman, from the outset she was not happy. We were a party of 8 and she only wanted to check in 2. She was difficult and surly throughout. She told us we could not sit together and dotted us around the aircraft. This would have been accepted had she not insisted that an infant in our party had to sit with a 15 yr old boy and not with its mother. We then asked the supervisor to intervene and guess what we were all seated together so it was possible all the time. By the time we had been checked in the whole of the rest of the plane had been checked in by the 2 other staff. This was a dreadful agent representation of BA, the UK's flag ship airline. I feel BA need to know how their passengers are treated by agent staff. I have not included this experience in my rating of BA. Once through check-in the flight experience was excellent.
| Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | Venice to Gatwick |
| Date Flown | November 2015 |
| Seat Comfort | 12345 |
| Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
| Food & Beverages | 12345 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | yes |
"seats are very tired"
Andrew MacLeod (United Kingdom)
Return British Airways flight from Heathrow to Las Vegas. The cabin crew were very good, helpful and friendly. However, the quality of the seatback screens and the seats are very tired, and very oudated. The films and tv shows are good, however the quality of the screen is poor, compared to other airlines. The seats are also well past their serviceable life. Other airlines offer far better seats and entertainment so it is rather disappointing British Airways don't. Even other, newer, BA planes have far superior seats and VOD, to which it is shocking the difference in the service offered for economy class, there isn't even a charging port in the Boeing 747 when there is on the newer planes. At least the meals were good.
| Aircraft | Boeing 747-400 |
| Type Of Traveller | Family Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | Heathrow to Las Vegas |
| Date Flown | October 2015 |
| Seat Comfort | 12345 |
| Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
| Food & Beverages | 12345 |
| Inflight Entertainment | 12345 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Wifi & Connectivity | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | yes |
"cabin crew did a great job"
Vincent Borlaug (United States)
Lisbon to London on 2nd November was like many other flights affected by the thick fog which forced cancellation and delays of so many flights into Heathrow. The plane was boarded at normal departure time, just in case this flight got a slot into Heathrow, and kept informed of developments by the flight deck. Since at one point it appeared likely our slot might not open up till 16.00 (scheduled at 10.20) the food and drink service was started, and cabin crew did a great job keeping a congenial atmosphere in the cabin whilst doing this. Eventually we did get a slot at 14.00 and got into Heathrow round 16.30. It was quite stressful for those passengers who had connections to make (I did make my connection that afternoon to Washington), but the stress was reduced by continuous up-to-the-minute information from the flight deck and service from cabin crew.
| Aircraft | A320 |
| Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | Lisbon to London |
| Date Flown | November 2015 |
| Seat Comfort | 12345 |
| Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
| Food & Beverages | 12345 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | yes |
"you will get value for money"
R Ninikova (United Kingdom)
I flew with BA in September and cannot complain about anything. Everything went smoothly and cabin crew were
nice and willing to help. Food was of expected quality for a short-haul flight. Ground service was excellent and seats were perfectly acceptable for 2 hours long flight. I use to fly with BA quite often and I never had any problem. To be fair, you cannot expect luxury of Emirates for this price, but with BA you will get value for money.
| Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | Vienna to London |
| Date Flown | September 2015 |
| Seat Comfort | 12345 |
| Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
| Food & Beverages | 12345 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | yes |
"FA's showed no enthusiasm"
J Garin (United Kingdom)
After flying with BA long haul for the first time on one of their newer A380s, the flight back to LHR was with their B747-400 which is my favourite aircraft along with the A340-400. Ground service at SFO was efficient. Purchased extra luggage and was still 2kg over my limit on each bag of which the check in agent was considerate enough to let me off. My guess was that the flight was not full as there was virtually no one at the check in counters. I was wrong, the gate was packed. Considering I had 3 pieces of carry on luggage, I wasn't asked to put one of them on the hold. The flight was delayed by approximately 1 hour. Boarding was smooth and efficient. Upon boarding, passengers were having trouble storing their carry on resulting in me storing mine some 4-5 rows behind. The seat is no surprise, their older product with the outdated IFE. Cabin temperature was boiling. Passengers were requesting FAs to turn it down a little which they have mid way through the flight when everyone was asleep. The seat pitch on the Boeing 747-400 is 31 inches pitch in economy class. Compared to their A380 product, the cabin felt cramped. Although the seat was comfortable itself to sit on, it just felt cramped. I had the most uncomfortable long haul flights in my entire life., the flight became more and more unbearable and wasn't able to get any sleep at all. I was constantly trying to find a comfortable position for me to have nap but it was impossible and worse when the person in front of you reclines. To make things worse, the IFE was very unreliable compared to the A380. I fly with BA frequently on European routes where their economy cabin product is negligible due to the flight times but I would try and not fly with BA's product on their B747s. Inflight meals were rather disappointing. Service was rushed and FA's showed no enthusiasm. First meal was bland roast chicken. Landing meal was an English breakfast considering we were arriving at lunch time. Overall, I would fly with BA again but I would avoid the long haul product offered on their B747-400s.
| Aircraft | Boeing 747-400 |
| Type Of Traveller | Solo Leisure |
| Seat Type | Economy Class |
| Route | SFO to LHR |
| Date Flown | September 2015 |
| Seat Comfort | 12345 |
| Cabin Staff Service | 12345 |
| Food & Beverages | 12345 |
| Inflight Entertainment | 12345 |
| Ground Service | 12345 |
| Value For Money | 12345 |
| Recommended | yes |
Flat bed seat / suite
In-seat &/or USB power
Onboard WiFi
Audio / video on demand
On demand dining
Fine wines & beverage service
Pillows & duvet / blanket
Pyjamas / Sleepsuit
Amenity kit
On demand dining
Seat pitch : 31 ins
Seat width : 17 ins
In-seat &/or USB power
Inflight entertainment
