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AIBU?

Terrible customer service from British Airways

44 replies

Dreamqueen · 23/06/2017 13:31

Is it unreasonable to expect a refund of more than £50 when BA don't provide what you've paid for? My Mum asked me to post this on FB for her so I thought I'd ask for opinions on here too. Here is her story.

On 2 June 2017 I travelled from Port of Spain to Gatwick with British Airways. As I’m 81 years I booked Club World because it was a night flight and I wanted a good night’s sleep especially as I had a ticket for Sadlers Wells on the day of arrival. Plane was 11/2 hours late coming into Trinidad and we had a long wait in a cold lounge but that was OK because I was looking forward to a comfortable bed on the flight.

My seat couldn't recline and after 2 stewards failed to move it, I was told it was broken. They couldn't offer me a different seat as the flight was fully booked. I had a very uncomfortable night looking around at everyone else asleep under their blankets. Towards the end of the flight the manager took the details and offered me £50 or 10,000 Avios miles. Bearing in mind the cost of the upgrade is 30,000 air miles, I refused the offer.

I wrote to BA to inform them what had happened. On 13 June I had a call from Jim ( who refused to give his surname ) of Customer Relations BA and he made me the same offer of £50 or 10,000 air miles. I explained to him that I had paid for a seat which should recline and asked for an upgrade from Premium Economy to Club World on my next flight from Port of Spain to Gatwick. He refused on the grounds that I had “enjoyed “ Club World and that they had apologized. The meal wasn't very good, I don't drink alcohol, my seat wouldn't recline and having to sit up all night didn't feel any better than Premium Economy so his
apology was no comfort.

I feel British Airways is trying to short change me so I told him I should get what I paid for and would put my case on Facebook to get a fair opinion.

OP posts:
SellFridges · 23/06/2017 13:34

You are definitely being short changed. I was bumped from my BA flight a while ago and received almost £1000 in BA vouchers as compensation.

Giraffeski · 23/06/2017 13:34

YABU expecting BA to have good customer service. Every single interaction I have had with them has been fraught with misery.

missyB1 · 23/06/2017 13:38

I'm afraid I hear nothing good about BA these days. Yes your mum should put it on social media.

Dreamqueen · 23/06/2017 14:52

I agree British Airways service is awful but unfortunately they are the only airline from some parts of the Caribbean to London.

OP posts:
Pigface1 · 23/06/2017 15:04

I think this is unacceptable. The price difference between premium economy and club world is vast (isn't it usually nearly double?!) And the main point of paying for club world is to get a proper bed, not a reclining seat (like in PE). £50 or 10,000 avios is an absolute joke.

Pigface1 · 23/06/2017 15:05

PS. just more generally, BA does seem to have deteriorated massively both in terms of customer service and value of money!!

Rosa · 23/06/2017 15:09

Do not accept and fight... If the seat broke outbound they could have told you at Port of Spain and offered you adequate compensation there and then. They have not provided what they advertised and you are correctly entitled to compensation. Don't give in .

bookgirl1982 · 23/06/2017 15:12

Did you pay by credit card? Worth checking if you can get a refund as you didn't get what you had paid for.

requestingsunshine · 23/06/2017 15:14

Don't give up on this. Sounds like they are fobbing your mum off because she is 81 and think they can get away with it. Don't let them. They should be ashamed.

Hassled · 23/06/2017 15:16

That's really bad - you're 81, you pay the insane amount of money so you can actually, properly sleep, you don't get the bed and they think £50 will sort it? They're taking the piss. Persist. Are you on twitter? That may be the route to go.

Weedsnseeds1 · 23/06/2017 15:17

BA are rubbish. They have bumped me off a flight before, but lied about it by asking me to wait as they wanted to board families and couples first before allocating me a seat as a solo traveller. Time ticked on until the person in the check in desk said " oh, the coach to take you to a hotel is here now" and it was made clear that the flight was boarded and I wasn't on it. There were two other women also travelling back from work trips who got the same treatment.
Compare with Emirates who asked very politely if it was possible for me to take a layer flight as they were over booked. I didn't mind as it was only about 6 hours difference. They provided a limo transfer to a 5 star hotel, breakfast and lunch vouchers, a hotel room for day time use and a free return flight to a destination of my choice in the regional zone ( chose Muscat, lovely holiday).
BA wouldn't even pay for a phone call or WiFi so I could let people know what was happening, or for late check out so that I didn't have to hang around the hotel with my suitcase all day waiting for the return flight.

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 23/06/2017 15:17

Shame them all over Twitter and FB. I had problems with another airline and it certainly lit a fire under them. Get friends to share, comment and retweet to cause them maximum annoyance.

SeagullsStoleMyChurro · 23/06/2017 15:20

Definitely social media. Chancers. I wouldn't touch them nowadays.

Dreamqueen · 23/06/2017 17:45

Thanks for all replies. Tweeted and posted on FB. It's impossible to tag BA on FB though.

OP posts:
notapizzaeater · 23/06/2017 18:00

That's shocking service, hope they respond to the tweets

ForalltheSaints · 23/06/2017 18:19

Your suggestion of an upgrade is perfectly reasonable.

Pariswhenitdrizzles · 23/06/2017 18:25

Definitely, definitely don't give up on this. BA are being a absolutely unreasonable.

Could you write into one of the 'complaints sections' on the travel pages on the papers OP? That might help.

Good luck Flowers

eurochick · 23/06/2017 18:28

Club World seats should turn into a flat bed shouldn't they? She didn't get anything like what she paid for this a seat that wouldn't recline. Ask for jim's supervisor and keep going up the chain until you get a decent offer.

roundtable · 23/06/2017 18:29

BA are bringing their level of customer service down to match American Airlines imo. But not their prices to match.

I've heard some dreadful stories about BA the last few years. It's a shame.

roundtable · 23/06/2017 18:30

And yes, complain!

AmberStClare · 23/06/2017 18:32

They should have upgraded your DM to 1st from Club World. Disgraceful way to treat her.

Agree with PP, Gill Charlton from the Daily Telegraph Saturday travel section gets good results, write to her.

Domino20 · 23/06/2017 18:38

Tweet Simon Calder the BBC Travel Reporter.

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TakeThatFuckingDressOffNow · 23/06/2017 18:49

They are so wrong to do this to you. After two horrible flights with them and no compensation despite hours arguing and writing letters etc. I just gave up. They are THE WORST - it's such a shame obviously their business model doesn't work anymore, but they are still trading on their name and the monopoly they have on certain routes. They pay their cabin crew absolutely nothing. They can't survive like this forever.

Cremolafoam · 23/06/2017 18:49

DQ, that's utterly appalling. I am completely furious on your mums behalf . Compensation should be just that: to compensate for discomfort, disappointment or disaster. BA have not compensated your dm, they have insulted her twice. Shame on them. Flowersto you and dm

I suppose , like many businesses, even before the whole computer virus fiasco, they have cut corners endlessly and ended up treating their staff like shit too. Hence dreadful customer relations. This seems to be what is happening to many of our previously outstanding businesses. Meh. Down with that sort of thing.

londonmummy1966 · 23/06/2017 18:55

Times Weekend section on Saturdays has a column each week when people can send in this sort of issue - TBH this is worse than most of the complaints I've seen in quite a while. They usually get very good results.

I'd also write directly to the customer director on the BA Management Board

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