POOR/ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM BRITISH AIRWAYS - FLYING WITH TODDLER - HELP!

[lululo]

Hi folks,

I posted recently and got some great advice and as a result contacted BA to request a bassinet, bulkhead and a meal for my toddler.

Firstly, it took several weeks for them to respond to my email and when they did it was a generic response redirecting me to the website - where they claimed I could book what I needed.

I tried the BA website and found that the website advised me to contact customer service - I emailed them again. No response.

I called customer service and was put on hold for 55 mins before I gave up!!!! I tried again today and after 20 minutes got through and was advised that I couldn't get a bassinet for part of my journey, nor could I get bulkhead seats, food for my baby and, they were unable to seat my partner next to me!!!

I asked if all of this were possible if I upgraded. I was advised that yes, it may well be. I asked if I could upgrade using AVIOS - which their website claims is available. I was told that with my (£2000!!!) world traveller tickets I did not have the option to upgrade with AVIOS and in order to ensure a bassinet etc. I would have to re-purchase our tickets.

I can not tell you how angry I am about this. And how stressed... the idea of flying longhaul without my partner next to me, no bassinet or bulkhead etc. is of great concern to me. I'm also worried that there isn't food provided for my toddler or milk. I was advised I can purchase this from Heathrow and Cape Town airports - a) our connections are tight in Heathrow and I'm not sure if I'll find what we need in time - (by the way, any top tips where to buy food/cows milk?) b) Cape Town airport didn't have a place to buy such items the last time i was there (anyone know how things are in 2014?) and c) we've paid a great deal of money with a high end airline that claims to be supportive of parents etc. and offers various things online, only on closer inspection to be unavailable.

I am so stressed!

Any advice please would be much appreciated.

Has anyone else had a similar experience from BA?

I think it's outrageous how parents are being treated and feel we need to highlight these sorts of experiences.

FYI - To date, I have also had shoddy service from FLYBE staff and Edinburgh airport.

Many thanks in advance for all helpful responses!

I would take my own baby and toddler food. If toddler has a seat on the plane will have a meal anyway so can eat that.

Is it a toddler and baby or one or other?

Weird! In my experience of flying with DS aged 4 months, 8 months then 18 months, the fact that we booked an infant ticket meant me were automatically allocated bulkhead seats and supplied with a bassinet (though at 18 months he was def too big).

OP you're really overthinking this.

I think the OP is stressing over nothing. How old is your child? The bassinet is only for very very small children. If yours is drinking cows milk he's too apbug for it.

I haven't done long haul BA. Other airlines I have used said bassinets are allocated to youngest baby priority. You cannot reserve them at all. Sounds fair enough to me. As it was there were always lots and lots of tiny baby in slings on the flights. I'm not even sure a 8mo would get a bassinet. Could be that our long haul is the NZ flights though with lots of family going home. Loads of the passengers are kiwis with very young children flying 24hours plus home. DH family is in New Plymouth in NZ and it takes over 24 hours just to get to Auckland. And then we have to take a domestic flight onwards to New Plymouth. So get a grip as Cape Town isn't very far.

Can you not okay for the reservation of the seats online via the website? I have never heard of anyone doing it on the phone. You probably have to pay for the privilege because last time we did with qantas they asked for £35 or something. Reservations of seats used to be free with these non budget airlines!

I have flown with DH on separate seats but only short haul to Spain. DH flown with work so it was business class and I bought economy ticket with me and DD (under 2 so no sear) to tag along. I gave DD to DH . It was bliss. Apparently she drove his next seat neighbour away. They have free seats in business class so not a problem for the guy.

I don't remember that young children are allowed bulkhead seats but I mig be wrong. We did fine with a normal seat.

Air NZ gave us a meal for an under 2. There is enough food for a child. Would it be so bad he has no cows milk for a day? In fact DD lived after 2 weeks within cows milk at 18mo. It's not something that common in Singapore and Hong Kong when we stayed there. We bought some yoghurts when we see then. She would have been fine without the yoghurt but it's good she gets some home comfort. Besides they will have milk with the coffee and tea. Just ask when they serve them.

Sorry I didn't mean bulkhead seats isn't for young children. I meant the ones next to exits.

The bulkheads are reserved for bassinets if there are any in use. On flights with lots of babies they will not give it to you unless you also are allocated a bassinet.

We've just been away long haul with BA, got back last week. As we had an infant we could pre-book seats on-line in advance without paying extra so we booked bulkhead seats months ago. If your children are 2 or over you have to pay extra to pre-book or risk the rush when on-line check in opens 24 hours before the flight.

In front of the bulkhead seats there was a table which folded down and an air seat was fixed to it, which was a bit like a car seat. It was plenty big enough for a large and rather chubby 18mo.

When the drinks trolley came round and I asked if they had milk I was told no. When they realised it was for DS I was told quietly they did have a little if we needed it. When I've flown with infants on other airlines I've always been told they don't have milk. I'd gone to Boots at Gatwick and bought some cartons of Cow & Gate toddler milk (he normally has normal cows milk but I thought these would be better as fine out of the fridge for a long flight). I had a couple left which I put in my hand luggage on the way home and security had no problems with it. Security both ways were fine with yoghurts and fruit pots in hand luggage.

You don't get a meal for an infant. He had a mixture of snacks we had taken, bits of our meals and his sisters (who has decided plane food smells funny and refused to eat any of it.......). On our flight they had a snack box at the back of the plane so you could go and help yourself to biscuits, crisps, freddo frogs.

I had to phone the call centre as there was a problem with one of our boarding cards when we checked in and they were very unhelpful. They told me they would send me an email within 24 hours to confirm something and seemed a bit surprised when I said that wasn't very helpful as the plane was leaving in 16 hours. The email arrived an hour later but didn't deal with what it was supposed to.

Did you not ask why you couldn't have a bulkhead seat? If they were all booked then that isn't their fault! Sitting apart seems a bit odd - hard to believe everyone has paid extra to sit together so has already been able to choose seats. When I checked our seats again a few days before the flight only a handful of seats were booked, mostly bulkhead so people with infants. With your booking reference can you not go on-line and see what seats are booked and which are still free?

You will be able to take enough milk for the journey through security but may have to taste 50% which means opening bottles/carton this caught us out when travelling Manchester, Heathrow to Bangkok. The better option is to preorder at the airside Boots if you want follow on milk. Boots and WHSmith also normally stock pints of fresh milk, I'm sure if asked cabin crew could keep in cool on ice once on board. Most airlines only carry tiny little milk pots these days for tea and coffee.

Regarding the bassinet, I don't know about BA but our dd only just fitted in one at 12 months.

Good luck, lots of snacks, plenty of wipes, a couple of changes of clothes for you and toddler and some activities. Sticker books work well.

Def overthinking. Toddlers and bassinets? Lap seat until two with a lap belt which will be supplied on the plane. After two, own seat. Before two, if you pay for an additional seat, bring an acceptable car seat or use theirs. Simples. And if you have a fat baby like ds1, they won't let him in the bassinet past 6 months, even if you lie about how much he weighs

It's easier with two kids, tbh. That way you and dh can flip a coin for who sits next to who, but be aware that the baby/ toddler that you thought was going to be the easiest might not be particularly if your nine hour flight ends up taking a four hour detour to Baffin Island, where they can't get the woman with the heart condition off the plane because every time they move her, she crashes again. I suspect she was having less fun than me, even with the baby in tow. Oh, and I was 26 weeks pg.

Two adults flying with one toddler? Piece of piss, really, even if you aren't sitting together.

In an aside, I made a long haul group booking for 13 people this summer (a youth group with 13 kids, some of whom had never flown before, let alone long haul), and we weren't pre-sat either. In fact, when we checked in, as a group, they told me they only had seats for 11 of us.

But y'know, if all you have to fret about in life is a single plane journey, I think you are doing pretty well.

I suspect the OP was a hack trying to get stories. They don't appear to be very engaged in this thread, that's for sure

In the nicest possible way- STOP.
Flying 2 adults and one toddler world class traveller, will only be difficult if you continue with he stressing and fussing.
Seriously life will be very hard unless you unclench.

I think BA, like a lot of airlines, use their manage my booking site for you to book everything you need and tell them what you need. Most people take powdered milk and a bottle and the cabin staff add the boiling water. Easy!!! Take your own food and they will heat it up. Easy!!!! Pre book your seats together.....easy!!!! No, a bassinet is no good for a big baby or toddler.

Lastly - stop stressing!!! I have alsways found BA staff to be helpful but you must book what you need via manage my booking. If the seats you want are taken by people without a child, sometimes they swap people around. But don't rock up expecting this to happen because there may be small babies on the flight who are in the bassinets. Many toddlers fly without being in these seats. You will be fine - stay calm............