Went to Abu Dhabi for the 5 days this week using British Airways - I was stunned by the difference between the 2 crews.
Going out on the Monday, we were an hour late due technical difficulties, but the crew from the purser downwards were incredibly helpful - they regularly explained what was going on and did their best to make everyone comfortable. As a Goldcard holder travelling further back in the plane than normal, I was still picked for exemplary service including extra G&Ts, but generally the service was excellent, particularly to those travelling with younger children.
Coming back to London overnight last night, the crew were from the other end of the spectrum - zero service ethic and treated us like cattle.
BA will never succeed with such inconsistent approach to customer service.
21 April 2007
11 April 2007
Marked man
Interesting experience at Southampton airport @ 0615 this morning - boarding my flight to Amsterdam, a person from immigration control asked to see my passport- I was then questioned as to whether I was flying onwards from amsterdam and what my business there was?
Having flicked through my stamp pages he then commented - "you have a lot of Middle east stamps in your passport sir" - why is that and what is your line of business ?
I have to admit all sort of answers that would not have got me on my plane, so I simply said - "I like visiting there and I work in Chemicals" to see whether I would get further reaction. He grunted a thank you and moved on to the next passenger.
So perhaps I am "a marked man" because of passport stamps ?
Having flicked through my stamp pages he then commented - "you have a lot of Middle east stamps in your passport sir" - why is that and what is your line of business ?
I have to admit all sort of answers that would not have got me on my plane, so I simply said - "I like visiting there and I work in Chemicals" to see whether I would get further reaction. He grunted a thank you and moved on to the next passenger.
So perhaps I am "a marked man" because of passport stamps ?
9 April 2007
Change of carrier - can other countries keep track?
Those of us ex BA Connect travellers now with flybe are becoming increasingly confused as to actually which airline we are travelling.
Last Tuesday caught the flybe flight to Dusseldorf fromSouthampton - this route was announced before the BA Connect takeover. They have used mainly Dash 8 sprinkled with BAE146s on the routing, so I was somewhat shocked to suddenly find myself on a BA embraer 145 with obviously a BA crew on board; despite their uniforms, confirmed by the "why don't you check out our cheap flights on http://www.ba.com..... www.flyba.com.......I mean wwww.flybe.com ....",well she got there in the end.
( I actually asked the hostesses what it was like now they had crossed over to the "dark side" - they said it was ok but were shocked at the lack of attention to detail and disorganisation - they seem amazed that Flybe managed to operate a service at all).
Anyway on arrival at dusseldorf, it was the ground crew that amused me you could see all these Germans trying to work out what BA plane from Southampton was doing in that slot. Much shrugging of shoulders, mystified looks at paperwork, should they provide a valet service etc. anyway they figured it out in the end and got us on the bus without too much delay.
Update 21/4 - since I wrote this the last three domestic flights I have taken with Flybe have all used BA Connect Embraers - the crew still remain amazed at Flybe's disorganisation.
Last Tuesday caught the flybe flight to Dusseldorf fromSouthampton - this route was announced before the BA Connect takeover. They have used mainly Dash 8 sprinkled with BAE146s on the routing, so I was somewhat shocked to suddenly find myself on a BA embraer 145 with obviously a BA crew on board; despite their uniforms, confirmed by the "why don't you check out our cheap flights on http://www.ba.com..... www.flyba.com.......I mean wwww.flybe.com ....",well she got there in the end.
( I actually asked the hostesses what it was like now they had crossed over to the "dark side" - they said it was ok but were shocked at the lack of attention to detail and disorganisation - they seem amazed that Flybe managed to operate a service at all).
Anyway on arrival at dusseldorf, it was the ground crew that amused me you could see all these Germans trying to work out what BA plane from Southampton was doing in that slot. Much shrugging of shoulders, mystified looks at paperwork, should they provide a valet service etc. anyway they figured it out in the end and got us on the bus without too much delay.
Update 21/4 - since I wrote this the last three domestic flights I have taken with Flybe have all used BA Connect Embraers - the crew still remain amazed at Flybe's disorganisation.
1 April 2007
Diverse Paths
Now my kids are teenagers, the conversations we seem to have are far more interesting - this evening over family tea I was trying to illustrate though we may go through the same experiences in life we turn out in very different way.
For example I went to school with George Monbiot, probably one of the leading Green activists in this country, well known Guardian columnist and TV pundit. George and I won the natural history prize at our boarding school when we were aged approx 11. To procure the prize, we managed to turn an old 1940's enamel bath (recently saved from the destruction of the communal bathroom I used for the first 2 years of prep school career) into a faithful reproduction of our school pond, complete with lillipads, tadpoles, mud etc. I remember George being very disappointed by the fact that he could not keep fish in the bath, because a science teacher said the water was not oxygenated enough.
So George grows up, travels the world, nearly dies at least twice in pursuing his quest to show us the true green agenda and how we are destroying our planet through Global warming etc. Meanwhile yours truely, grows up , travels the world for the 3rd biggest oil company in the world for 15 years and now I work for the second biggest chemical company.........it must be worth a Channel 4 documentary...........
For example I went to school with George Monbiot, probably one of the leading Green activists in this country, well known Guardian columnist and TV pundit. George and I won the natural history prize at our boarding school when we were aged approx 11. To procure the prize, we managed to turn an old 1940's enamel bath (recently saved from the destruction of the communal bathroom I used for the first 2 years of prep school career) into a faithful reproduction of our school pond, complete with lillipads, tadpoles, mud etc. I remember George being very disappointed by the fact that he could not keep fish in the bath, because a science teacher said the water was not oxygenated enough.
So George grows up, travels the world, nearly dies at least twice in pursuing his quest to show us the true green agenda and how we are destroying our planet through Global warming etc. Meanwhile yours truely, grows up , travels the world for the 3rd biggest oil company in the world for 15 years and now I work for the second biggest chemical company.........it must be worth a Channel 4 documentary...........
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