British Airways just keep getting it wrong . . .

[Britishairwayslobby]

My story:

 

Perhaps I am not very bright, but having bought a return flight from British Airways and having missed the outbound part, I was under the impression that I would still have the right to use the return. Not so . . .

 

Somewhat fortuitously I happened to phone British Airways customer services centre, just before committing to finalizing the online booking I'd set up for a new outbound flight. Otherwise I may have found myself buying two one way tickets at inflated prices. Strangely I only called because I had a feeling I might fall victim to some handy little loop hole that allows British Airways to sell the same flight twice – it’s sad don’t you think, that this is something I have come to expect from this company?

 

I accept that I missed my flight for personal reasons that I’m sure British Airways has no interest in. However I was willing to book a new outbound flight with the company in the expectation that I could use the return element of my original flight. I was somewhat shocked and dismayed to find that British Airways has exploited an unavoidable situation and as far as I’m concerned robbed me of something I consider to have bought and paid for. If this was a train or a coach, I would not be penalized for missing one element of my journey.

 

I am incensed that British Airways can simply withdraw something that’s already paid for simply because a customer could not travel on one element of the journey – to me it’s daylight robbery. This is the final straw and one of various issues I have with British Airways' service. This morning I sat on the phone waiting to be dealt with by what transpired to be a surly bloke who has no interest in representing BA or ensuring its customers are satisfied. I've listened to its droaning, dreadful marketing blurb over and over again - telling me to use the website, how wonderful the company is and how it always puts its customers first!

 

All I can say is when British Airways claims: ‘there's other ways and there's BA’ it’s damn right – not however for the reasons British Airways might like to think.

 

From here on in, for me, there will always be ‘other ways’ and they won't be British Airways . I may not be the company's best client, but I've travelled regularly with it in the last few months, long haul business, nationally and internationally and this is the second time in that period I feel I’ve had good cause to complain.

 

I can almost imagine that British Airways has long brainstorming meetings dreaming up every possible scenario that could allow it to sell it’s seats twice, never give refunds and no doubt carbon offset the same seats as many times as it sells them.

 

The company refuses to refund for easily made mistakes with online booking. I'm sad to say there's no customer feel good incentive to book with British Airways whatsoever – the company comes across as a money grabbing business that looks after number one, thinks that it's dreadful music is actually soothing – and is totally misguided if it thinks people want to listen to its misleading marketing rubbish time and time again.

 

That’s my story, I am sure there are plenty more. :-?

[barracad]

That is bizarre! Seems it is actually covered in their T&Cs British Airways - General Conditions of Carriage but I can't see the logic in such a clause.

 

When you challenged it did they give you a reason as to why you couldn't use your return ticket?

[Britishairwayslobby]

No and nor would they when pressed, the only reason I can see is that it's common for customers to miss an outgoing flight and therefore for BA it's worth invalidating the return portion of the ticket. After all, looking at BA's many clauses and rules, it seems the company's policy is to find as many ways to sell the same seats as is humanly possible. Maybe with BA you only buy the intention to fly as opposed to the right to fly!

 

The upshot is I've had to cancel a business meeting with a client from Australia which was to be held in Germany because the cost is now preventative. I am currently looking at other options such as the train - at least that will have a smaller carbon footprint!

[68904]

Look at BA, I thought British Rail were bad, but this team seem worse.

Thier Staff relations are a shambles and the new terminal is a mess. I'd rather fly with Icarus Airways than go with BA.

 

68904

Class J50, 0-6-0T from 56B Ardsley Shed 1960.

[bassfroth]

Hi There, I've often dipped into this site before but never felt the need to post. But after my recent trip with BA, I just had to share this with you..

 

I flew back from Shanghai to London with BA on May 5th and experienced one of the worst flights I've ever had with any airline. I'd been on a tour of Australia and China for two weeks which entailed 9 seperate flights with differing airlines (Qantas/Jetstar/Shaghai Airlines and BA). Even though my seat with extra leg room had been booked a month in advance (I'm 6"3) I got on board to find no seat allocated and the cabin staff indifferent to helping me out. Most of my 13hr journey was spent standing,as the seat I'd been given was woefully inadequate and I couldn't sit in it for more than 20 mins or so without getting cramp. To add insult to injury I then found out that most of the people in the seats I should have been sitting in had only booked their seats 24hrs beforehand (and I was a good deal taller than all of them too!). As all my travel requirements had been followed to the letter by all the other airlines, I was hugely dissappointed that the only time I travelled on my own national airline should have been handled with such incompetence and insensitivity. When I informed the cabin staff that my seats had been booked a month earlier they just shrugged their shoulders and gave the attitude of 'Well, other people are sitting there now- we can't do anything about it'. We're flying longhaul again later this year and I shall insist on using a professional, 21st century airline like Qantas or Cathay, not hamfisted, bumbling BA!

[patdavies]

Sorry, there's little point in castigating British Airways for this - most airlines do it; as do the cross channel ferries.

 

The reason is that a return ticket is often cheaper than a single. A single tends to be a fixed price, whilst a return ticket has various offers (Apex, SuperApex, etc.). The rule exists to stop somebody booking a return and only using the return half as a cheaper way to travel.

 

Also, there exists a situation where market forces dictate that a non-direct flight is cheaper than a direct flight. The rule about having to use all the ticket coupons is to prevent somebody booking (for example Schipol to New York via Heathrow) at a low price and simply joining/leaving the flight at Heathrow - in order to get a cheap flight.

[patdavies]

I flew back from Shanghai to London with BA on May 5th and experienced one of the worst flights I've ever had with any airline. I'd been on a tour of Australia and China for two weeks which entailed 9 seperate flights with differing airlines (Qantas/Jetstar/Shaghai Airlines and BA). Even though my seat with extra leg room had been booked a month in advance (I'm 6"3) I got on board to find no seat allocated and the cabin staff indifferent to helping me out. Most of my 13hr journey was spent standing,as the seat I'd been given was woefully inadequate and I couldn't sit in it for more than 20 mins or so without getting cramp. To add insult to injury I then found out that most of the people in the seats I should have been sitting in had only booked their seats 24hrs beforehand (and I was a good deal taller than all of them too!). As all my travel requirements had been followed to the letter by all the other airlines, I was hugely dissappointed that the only time I travelled on my own national airline should have been handled with such incompetence and insensitivity. When I informed the cabin staff that my seats had been booked a month earlier they just shrugged their shoulders and gave the attitude of 'Well, other people are sitting there now- we can't do anything about it'. We're flying longhaul again later this year and I shall insist on using a professional, 21st century airline like Qantas or Cathay, not hamfisted, bumbling BA!

 

Extra legroom seats are not 'booked in advance'; the very most that can be done is a request. They are allocated a check-in. The reason being that most extra legroom seats are adjacent to emergency exits and the airline is required to check that you are able-bodied enough to operate the door/slide in the event of an emergency. The 24 hours in advance is from use of on-line check-in and can be over-ridden by BA staff. However, if the person is considered able-bodied, then it is first come, first served.

 

If you have an absolute need not to use a standard economy seat (and the seat pitch details are widely available on the Web) then book premium economy or business class.

[bassfroth]

Well, I'm assured that the BA employee who took the booking (which was made over the phone) guaranteed a seat for me, so maybe its that staff member who has this wrong.

 

I certainly do think BA can be castigated for this, as all the other airlines that we travelled with managed to fulfill my requirements with ease and the BA employee at no time stated that this asinine policy would be in force (or my colleague simply would have booked a ticket elsewhere). Although I was in very real discomfort on this flight because of my height, I certainly wasn't alone. Many other (smaller) people in Economy were having problems with their seating too. The outward flight (booked through BA) ended up thankfully being on Qantas,who seem to have a very different attitude to Economy class. ie. Enough space to sit in comfort and recline the seat without causing discomfort to the passenger behind (as was happenning to several people on the BA flight). Although I do think paying out (a lot) more money to sit in another section is unfair and penalising me just for being taller than average, that's not the point. The point is that we were guaranteed a seat with extra leg room by a BA employee and acted in good faith (with information provided by that employee) that this would be provided.

 

Every other company we used fulfilled their promise, but if this policy (or rather 'non policy' is common amongst other airlines) then I will certainly consider upgrading to a higher class. But not ever again with BA, I find their and their staff's attitude disgusting.

 

Also, I have friends who've worked for their Euroflleet services for many years now and they're desperate to get out, as a once excellent company goes further and further downhill.