[DK8]

My American partner is leaving on a BA plane from Philadephia to the UK, as I type this, where she, and her daughter have both been reduced to tears, according to her texts, by bullying rude crew, put in the worst seats, refused upgrades they in desperation offered to pay for (even though there are seats) - and told they cant have any meals. So our daughter will have to go hungry as she watches others all around her eat. Nice eh? They switched specially from a US flight for this? I can't raise a human being anywhere on the planet to remonstrate with BA about it. Willy, the truth is, I primarily blame you, not your rude, surly, unmotivated, unpleasant crew, who have been ground down to behaving like this. It's a shame but clearly this airline is heading for the royal flush because the board are too indolent to hire a CEO with half a clue

[Leatherboy2006]

What day of the week were they flying? If they were flying on days that the REAL BA flight attendants were on strike, then the flight was being worked by scabs who probably came from management or flight attendants that crossed the line.
The newspapers have been reporting that during the strikes they would be changing their service.
They should just cancel all their flights till the settle with the cabin crews and save good will toward their passengars.

[DK8]

that's an interesting speculation... and would certainly make sense if it were true. Unfortunately the strike isn't on today

[jimworcs]

DK8...
You are not involved with Unite are you? There is a odd lack of detail here.. why are they being picked on? Why are others being treated ok and they are not? Why is that Willie Walsh's fault? There is something fishy about this post!!

[DK8]

No I'm not involved with Unite... I'm just a long-suffering passenger. It's my sincerely held belief that Walsh has been a train wreck for BA from day one for any variety of reasons. He presided over the debacle that was the opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow, he made a total balls-up in charging musicians for their instruments that predictably resulted in an exodus, until they finally backed down - but in such a way that it's still easier to use other more reliable air-lines with a clearer more explicit policy. He is confrontational instead of collaborative and is plainly been a shockingly bad decision as CEO for shareholders, passengers and staff. He is to BA what Gerge Bush was for America, or Gil Emelio was for Apple - lost market share, lost profits, and lost morale and a big mess at the end to clean up. He'll continue in the same manner because he's incapable of learning from his mistakes. Is that less fishy. An airline that reduces their passengers to actual tears by hectoring crew is not an airline that deserves loyalty

[NewJerseyDevils]

How is she texting if they are getting ready to serve meals? She's way past LBI.
Ever since I had 7 hours of a BA FA scream at people on a Philly to Heathrow flight I learned on that route ask for nothing,if addressed only say yes or no, and bring a wawa sub onboard. It tastes better too. You won't have people peeing on the floor either like RyanAir when they start charing a £1.
You do know if your wife is using the NHS she is going to have to pay $350 to opt out of Obama Care? Your daughter too if she is an American.

[jimworcs]

What the heck? What is this all about? Am I missing something?

[NewJerseyDevils]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

What the heck? What is this all about? Am I missing something?

Change you can believe in.

[jimworcs]

someone, on some planet somewhere probably has a clue...

[BAStew]

Originally Posted by NewJerseyDevils

7 hours of a BA FA scream at people on a Philly to Heathrow flight

ask for nothing

only say yes or no

bring a wawa sub onboard

Monosyllabism isn't gonna make you look like a ********* at all now is it?

And really, one of the crew screaming for 7 hours? A bit of an exaggeration don't you think? "screaming" might even have been a bit of theatrical licence too, huh?

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Monosyllabism isn't gonna make you look like a ********* at all now is it?

The point isn't whether one looks like a d bag or anything even more negative. It's an unfortunate recognition of the fact that, on some airlines, a pro-active criminal defense is needed. So, if (or when) the f/a decides to write-up that "monosylabic" customer (because her ego was bruised?) all she can say is "Officer, the customer would only answer me with a 'yes' or 'no' and that is why I feel he was a threat to me and everyone else on the plane!"

PS: For questions that can't be answered with a "yes" or "no," there's Michael Corlione's ("The Godfather") favorite line: "I am exercising my right to remain silent." If my understanding of the Magna Carta is correct, I believe this line works in the UK as well.

[BAStew]

But you're missing the point - 'we' didn't catch the whole airline hysteria thing like the US did.

Airline employees in Europe don't pull the terrorism card at the drop of a hat. In the US "security" is used as an excuse for the TSA and any other under achieving college drop out to be rude and surly at will. Even the US embassy in London treats aircrew like criminals when we go to get our visas - hell, we're the ones who are supposed to sacrifice ourselves to stop terrorists/nutters into the flight deck.

To suggest that a crewmember is going to wrestle you to the floor just because you have got a cob on because your special meal wasn't loaded is ridiculous.

For one, I have far better things to do than spark arguments just for the fun of it. Flights go much quicker if you can laugh with the passengers. On the rare occasion that I may be curt is when a person gets on with the attitude that I am their indentured servant and that they have the right to speak to me using whatever foul language come rolling out of their dirty mouth first.

Screaming once, let alone for 7 hours? I haven't seen that EVER in my 17 years of flying. After that long slinging meals I frankly don't have the energy for it.