Comments on: Another Reason To Hate British Airways

By: Barry

Barry — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:56:42 +0000

Sounds like luxury! I was a passenger on BA149 in 1990 that was used to land UK Special Forces into Kuwait on the eve of the Iraqi invasion. Yes – a civilian, regular, scheduled flight.

I was kept as a hostage in Iraq for 131 days, dealt with mock executions and generally crappy living conditions.

BA stonewalled every avenue to recourse. All I received was cira 300 usd when I arrived back in the UK on an Iraqi Airways evacuation flight when we were released.

BA settled with the American passengers for big bucks – I wish we had your legal system in the UK!

By: steve hailey

steve hailey — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:23:13 +0000

I am traveling on an around word itinerary which includes 4 segments in business class. The total charge for advanced seat assignment is US$200.00. Neither Cathay Pacific nor American Airlines have this requirement, yet. I find this to excessive, actually any amount is unacceptable. In the past it was a pleasure flying BA but slowly the pleasure has become displeasure. First was the booking and check in experience but in-flight was good. Not anymore! The cabin attendants just go through the motions. Now they require me to pay more for the displeasure of flying with BA.

As I said, in the past it was a pleasure flying BA but not anymore. Paying for a seat assignment is the tipping point. Please tell me why I should continue to fly BA when there are other choices at the same price point?

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sat, 15 May 2010 09:20:41 +0000

BA, what a mess. 1st stranded in Tanzania because of the strike, then stranded in London because of the strike, Finally I get stranded in Philadelphia because of the volcano. I tried to change the flights but after calling for 3 days straight gave up and went to the airport where I waited for 5hrs to speak with an agent to be told had to wait another 9 days at my own epense, ok fair enough so I make my own plans on another airline Quatar to fly direct to Tanzania $2100. Would BA refurn my flight, not a hope in hell, excuse after excuse they even cancelled my return and finally offered $87 tax refund but I had to write in to get it. They do have flexibility and it should be used in circumstances like this afterall passengers are expected to give. Last flight on BA ever, even if its the only option. Oh now I see they are on stike again, what a bloody mess. Will someone please pull the plug on this embarrassment of a British company.

By: Su Clark

Su Clark — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:58:07 +0000

An example of British Airways customer service – we were due to fly out on 19 April, but got stranded in US because of the volcano. Now BA say it can’t get us out until 1 May. There are flights out of Denver (and elsewhere) but they are refusing to fly us there with another airline saying it’s not their problem. We would have drive (more than a day) or fly (£1000-plus for family of five). Interestingly, we are not being put up in a hotel at an expense to BA – wonder how much that has to do with it not get us out earlier. My kids exams start on Monday (for university entry). We tried to be reasonable, offering to go back in one or two at a time, but no go. I will never, ever fly BA again.

By: Danny Sullivan

Danny Sullivan — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 06:52:03 +0000

That’s impressive. I’m hosting an ash cloud victim at my home right now. He’s flying BA and hasn’t gotten any of this. Hope they’ll do the same for him!

By: piscator

piscator — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:16:40 +0000

All this BA is a budget airline nonsense…I am sitting in Los Angeles due to the ash cloud and have been so for the last four days, I expect to be stuck for a week in total. BA have booked hotels for the whole period – direct billed to them. Food vouchers for the period – provided straight away. The staff have been excellent. And I’m flying economy so this is not special treatment.

Does Ryanair do this? Get real. And talking to some of Beardie’s passengers, it seems they have been left to foot all the bills themselves and then send them to Virgin when they get back with the hope of a refund.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:35:33 +0000

BA is now another budget airline, yet even easyjet letsyou change your ticket for £25

Cant wait until Willy and the board go bust

There are a lot of PREMIUM BRANDS left thankfully, but BA as inferior as the flagtheyfly on the tail

By: David Tomkins

David Tomkins — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:38:34 +0000

BA AS A COMPANY TO WORK FOR ARE S***.

BA AS AN EMPLOYER IS S***.

THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD RATE BA FOR IS IT’S CREW….

THEY ON THE WHOLE ARE FANTASTIC AND A DELIGHT TO TALK TO

ON LONG FLIGHTS.

WILLIE WALSH IS A THUG AND MY MONEY IS ON HIM LEAVING THE COMPANY

SOONER RATHER THAN WHEN HE IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE OVER THE

MERGER OF BA AND IBERIA.

By: BAsucksa$$

BAsucksa$$ — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:30:58 +0000

El,

I flew with BA on Jan 7th from Rome to London. Not only was my original flight cancelled due to “weather” when every other airline was flying, but the flight I was rescheduled on was 3 hours late (yet, that is not enough time for them to refill the water, since there was NO water on the flight: for drinking or in the sink). After sitting on the runway for 90 minutes because we were so late, they could not get a gate for us, and sitting in front of the baggage reclaim for 3 hours until the flight disappear off all the reclaim screens nowhere to be found, I tracked down someone from BA who said that the baggage is actually in the airport, and they will put it out as soon as they are good and ready. Not just me, the entire flight was baggage-less. And the flight after us. 20 hours to get from Rome to London, and no luggage. It only gets worse, b/c today is Jan 22, and I still have no luggage. 2 suitcases packed for a 3-months long trans-continental trip, 15 days without it, and BA caps its compensation at GBP1,100! The suitcases along without any content cost that!
The most frustrating thing is that they “found” the bags 48 hours after we landed in Heathrow. Since then the bags had been in the process of being delivered. To my multiple inquiries about ETD, or offers to pick up the bags if they tell me their physical location, BA was blaming the contractor they employ to deliver the bags. Well, here is the cherry on top, BA is saying they cannot reach their contractor. Apparently, Rico Logistics is not returning BA’s calls/emails.
I want to start a business, get a contract with BA, get their money and then just not pick up the phone. By the time they get around to actually doing something about it, I would have finished furnishing my villa in the Bahamas.
NEVER AGAIN WILL I STEP A FOOT ON A BA FLIGHT! I hope the company and everyone who works for them evaporates, so they cannot go on poisoning other firms with their incompetence!

By: EL

EL — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:41:17 +0000

British Airways are by far the worst airline I have ever flown with. I recently had to travel with them from Cairo to Toronto and they cancelled my flight a few hours beforehand because of weather conditions, but did not even notify me properly of my options for a new flight. They then rebooked me on a Delta flight on their website without my knowledge and I only found out about it accidentally by logging on to their site again for an update, but by the time I called them to confirm they had closed their airport office and would not issue me a paper or electronic ticket to confirm the new booking. They in effect booked me on a flight I couldn´t even take. Then when I obviously missed that Delta flight they tried to suggest it was my fault and tried to evade booking me a new flight home. In the end, I got them to organise an Air France flight following a big delay…Air France lost my bag to top it all off. Of course, snooty British Airways came up with some stuffy and inflexible policy reasons to completely avoid responsibility. I usually fly with Qantas whenever I can, and I can only say that in comparison, British Airways are atrocious. I will never fly with them again as long as I can avoid it. Right now I feel like I would rather swim or fly a magic carpet than give a cent of my money to British Airways.