AirlineComplaints.org - Customer Service British Airways: bad customer service in London

:mad: Due the flight delay I have experienced (BA 821 - 22/JUN/12 - Copenhagen to London), I lost my connection to Sao Paulo ( BA 247 - 22/JUN/12 - London to Sao Paulo). Thus, I had to stay in London waiting for the next flight to Sao Paulo. From my side, I am very comfortable with the fact that you have to delay a flight due bad weather. I know that once there was no other flight departing from London to my destiny on the same day, and considering it is done for safety purpose, I have to wait for the next flight available.

However, from the side of the Airline Company, they have to provide proper assistance for its customer. Let customer take the baggage, take the customers as soon as possible to a hotel, provide dinner, breakfast, lunch, provide full transportation from Airport to the Hotel, and back from the hotel to the airport. Make things happens as smooth as possible.

However, in this case, all things was in a way that I could not imagine that I have experience that in the city that is about to host a event like the Olympic Games.It seems that British Airways is not prepared for such situation. The service provided by the biggest UK flight company in the biggest airport of London is a key point.

First of all, when I arrive from Copenhagen to London (BA 821 – 22/JUN/12), due the delay I was informed that it was too late for the connection to Sao Paulo (BA 247 - 22/JUN/12), and I had to go to British Airways counter – Area D, 5th floor. So, I went through immigration, and the went to reclaim my luggage, and that was when things started to go wrong:

- I was surprised when a British Airways employee informed that I would not be able to take my luggage, and it would be possible only in the day after, because “my luggage was stuck” and the system would not allow me to take it (?).
- I went to counter – section D on 5th floor (without my luggage), and I was surprised by a huge amount of people on the line. I stay there for about 30 minutes, and the line was completely stall , and no one from BA to provide any information. When suddenly we realized we were supposed to be on Section G to get a hotel voucher .
- On the section G, the situation was the same. No movement on the line. It took more than 1 hour for a BA person kindly advised one by one on the line that we would be receiving a voucher for a hotel.
- It took a long … long time until someone distribute the hotel voucher, and asked us to go on the 1st floor and take a bus that would take us to the hotel. I asked the same person if that voucher included dinner for that day, and she convicted said “YES”. On the way to the bus, all people had to “guess” where to take the bus (no information on where to take the bus was provided). About half of the all people got lost on the airport. It took a long …long time until join everybody together into the bus. Just to have an idea , I arrive in London about 21:30h, and the bus to the hotel departed at 1:00h (3:30h, and in the meantime was just given us a bottle of water. No food, no proper clothes for a freezing London weather - it was all in my luggage, that is unacceptable !). And then I realize that would take one more hour to reach the hotel,once that was located next to the Gatwick airport.

- We arrived at the hotel about 2:00h, and I was surprised at the check-in counter when I asked for the dinner. The hotel assistant told me there was NOT dinner included on that voucher.
- On the day after (I mean, few hours later), I had breakfast (that was included in the voucher), and went on the front desk to ask about the transportation to Heathrow airport. With the hotel voucher, we have received a bus fare ticker to take a Shuttle from the Gatwick airport to the Heathrow airport. However, to go from the hotel to the Gatwick airport, British Airways had not provided transport service. I was informed that in order to go to Gatwick Airport , I would have to take a bus (and pay for that about 4,5 pounds). They did not accept credit card. If I had not plan to stay in London, its clear that I had no British money in the pocket, so how I was supposed to pay for the bus? Kindly the hotel charged 10 pounds from my credit card, and gave me the money, and I have to pay myself for the bus.

After one more hour I got back to Heathrow airport, and then I booked my flight to Sao Paulo for that evening (BA 247 – 23/Jun/12). Then I took my luggage, and went to another hotel (Renaissance). Now that hotel was located near to the airport. And British Airways gave me lunch and dinner voucher. In the hotel, when I went to the restaurant, I was informed that with that voucher I could take any food with the maximum value of 13 pounds. Sorry, but with such value, for that level of hotel, I could not afford most of the option. I have to add 1,5 pounds in order to get a simple sandwich. And NO beverages included, so I have to pay for an orange juice, and later I have to pay for the water as well.

When finally I took the flight (BA 247 – 23/Jun/12), I saw that the entertainment system on my seat (49G) was not working. After the people of the crew tried to reset the system for 3 times, I asked to talk with the head of the cabin. I have reported all this history to her, everything that had happens since I landed in London in they before, she took notes of everything in a IPad, and she convicted told me that somebody would contact me back ! And in order to solve my problem, she kindly invited me to move to a seat into the 1st class.:mad:

However, until 29/JUN/12, I had not received any phone call, or even an email from British Airways. So I decided to contact British Airways customer service, and I tried to fairly explain the whole thing again . The assistant told me I would receive a reply through e-mail.

And for my surprise, after all, I have received in 29/JUN/12 an automatic template e-mail. Asking me for apologize for the “delay” (only for the delay) and rewarded me with a US$150 flight voucher;

- I would rate that as a "serious" problem. But British Airways treated in that matter (sending an automatic template e-mail) , I can imagine that "provide poor customer service" is a routine at British Airways;

- I can understand the delay due bad weather. Thus, I don’t need to be rewarded with a US$ 150 flight voucher. By the way, with such low value, I can pay about 3,7% of the cheapest British Airways flight ticket from Brazil. Such reward sounds offensive and outrageous;

- It seems that nobody has received the report issued by the head of the crew during the flight;

- I was contacted by a British Airways assistant in 5/JUL/12 (after insist), and he told me that is it , and he could not do anything else.They will return only the money I have spent in London ( about £ 22);

To summarize, with such bad service provided , and after have reported to British Airways I have received that as a reply, everybody would conclude that "provide poor customer service" is a rule for British Airways.

Regards
Euclides M. Oliveira Neto