British Airways

[Butts]

Some of the routes out of Gatwick have 14 rows on a A321

Being in 2D on a 320 then a 319 today I feel the latter seems to have marginally more legroom and a better seat ?

 

[cactustwirly]

Being in 2D on a 320 then a 319 today I feel the latter seems to have marginally more legroom and a better seat ?

Pitch and Seats are identical between them unless you're in a ex BMI A319

 

[Butts]

Pitch and Seats are identical between them unless you're in a ex BMI A319

Interesting, must have been the "Black Label" effect !!

 

[Sun Chariot]

Another discovery from my old photos:

King George V Dock, where London City Airport sometimes rubbed shoulders with cruise ships.
At that time, I lived in KGV's old pump house, which had been converted into apartments.

 

[Bald Rick]

Another discovery from my old photos:

King George V Dock, where London City Airport sometimes rubbed shoulders with cruise ships.
At that time, I lived in KGV's old pump house, which had been converted into apartments.

BA1?

 

[Mag_seven]

BA1?

Doesn't look like Concorde to me.

 

[busesrusuk]

Another discovery from my old photos:

King George V Dock, where London City Airport sometimes rubbed shoulders with cruise ships.
At that time, I lived in KGV's old pump house, which had been converted into apartments.

An interesting photo. It was taken during the London Olympics in 2012. The cruise ship had been "hired" to house workers during the Olympic Games. The giveaway on time scale (Aug 2012) is the large number of buses parked behind the cruise ship. That was one of two huge bus garages created specifically to house the buses used on games transport (workers and athletes).

The cruse ship was originally intended for use by G4S staff but as we all know their ability to provide staff went belly up big time and the army was drafted in to provide security. As it happens this threw up a number of cabins which were made available to bus drivers - we used a few of them for our staff who were operating on the games transport services from the adjacent bus garage. Probably one of very few/if any occasions where a bus driver could say that their journey to work involved walking down a gang plank!

 

[JCO1406]

G-VIIV is returning from CWL with CS refitted and G-VIIY is heading down. That will leave 1 CW B777 (G-VIIW) running around the Heathrow operations for a few more weeks. G-ZBJC (B788) is still in CWL having it's CS refit done. Hopefully we will see the pace start to pick up.

 

[Ted633]

G-VIIV is returning from CWL with CS refitted and G-VIIY is heading down. That will leave 1 CW B777 (G-VIIW) running around the Heathrow operations for a few more weeks. G-ZBJC (B788) is still in CWL having it's CS refit done. Hopefully we will see the pace start to pick up.

787 refits should pick up again now. They were put on hold over the summer/autumn due to a mixture of the RR engine issues and a shortage of capacity for regular maintenance.

 

[TheHSRailFan]

Hey all, I'm flying with BA in Economy in under 2 weeks with a friend for the first time to get to Copenhagen (then Malmo).

I was planning to fly with Ryanair (Stansted is my local) but in the span of a month (from mid-Dec to mid-Jan) the price shot up from £35 one way to just £175 just for the outbound. I was spending a lot at the time so I couldn't spend it right away obviously.

BA gets a lot of bad coverage from my friends. One calls them "pretend low-cost airline" and another I have noticed has gone from praising them to saying "They are dead to me". My question here is pretty much, are they really that bad? or have IAG made them like Vueling? (who are alright in my opinion when I went with them last year). My other question is are they better or the same as European short-haul flights when going long-haul distances outside of Europe?

I look forward to taking my first flight outside Heathrow!
Thanks!

 

[zero]

Hey all, I'm flying with BA in Economy in under 2 weeks with a friend for the first time to get to Copenhagen (then Malmo).

I was planning to fly with Ryanair (Stansted is my local) but in the span of a month (from mid-Dec to mid-Jan) the price shot up from £35 one way to just £175 just for the outbound. I was spending a lot at the time so I couldn't spend it right away obviously.

BA gets a lot of bad coverage from my friends. One calls them "pretend low-cost airline" and another I have noticed has gone from praising them to saying "They are dead to me". My question here is pretty much, are they really that bad? or have IAG made them like Vueling? (who are alright in my opinion when I went with them last year).

BA has recently gutted its loyalty programme which has alienated a lot of middle / upper middle class people who will no longer get stuff for free in the future. That may be what your friend meant by BA being dead to them.

They are not like Vueling, however there is only so much you can do with a flight of two hours.

There won't be any nasty surprises at the airport. You have to pay to choose a seat in advance, but it is free from 24 hours if you check in online. Though you are not required to check in online, you can if you wish just turn up at the airport with nothing but your passport and everything will be fine.

You can bring up to 46kg of hand luggage on board provided that it fits in the luggage dimensions (well you aren't going to fit 23kg of stuff in a laptop bag, but that is the permitted amount).

On board you will get a small bottle of water and a small biscuit or similar for free, and then there is an option to pay for more food and drink.

My other question is are they better or the same as European short-haul flights when going long-haul distances outside of Europe?

Can you clarify exactly what you are asking here? There are plenty of differences between the BA long-haul and short-haul experience.

 

[AlterEgo]

Hey all, I'm flying with BA in Economy in under 2 weeks with a friend for the first time to get to Copenhagen (then Malmo).

I was planning to fly with Ryanair (Stansted is my local) but in the span of a month (from mid-Dec to mid-Jan) the price shot up from £35 one way to just £175 just for the outbound. I was spending a lot at the time so I couldn't spend it right away obviously.

BA gets a lot of bad coverage from my friends. One calls them "pretend low-cost airline" and another I have noticed has gone from praising them to saying "They are dead to me". My question here is pretty much, are they really that bad? or have IAG made them like Vueling? (who are alright in my opinion when I went with them last year). My other question is are they better or the same as European short-haul flights when going long-haul distances outside of Europe?

I look forward to taking my first flight outside Heathrow!
Thanks!

To be honest it’s an hour in economy, nearly all airlines in Europe are the same in that respect. Long haul is a different prospect, as there’s more differentiation of service. There, you’ll find BA to be a very mid-tier airline, far from the worst but nobody’s favourite. Much better service on non-Western airlines if you fancy shopping around.

 

[cactustwirly]

Hey all, I'm flying with BA in Economy in under 2 weeks with a friend for the first time to get to Copenhagen (then Malmo).

I was planning to fly with Ryanair (Stansted is my local) but in the span of a month (from mid-Dec to mid-Jan) the price shot up from £35 one way to just £175 just for the outbound. I was spending a lot at the time so I couldn't spend it right away obviously.

BA gets a lot of bad coverage from my friends. One calls them "pretend low-cost airline" and another I have noticed has gone from praising them to saying "They are dead to me". My question here is pretty much, are they really that bad? or have IAG made them like Vueling? (who are alright in my opinion when I went with them last year). My other question is are they better or the same as European short-haul flights when going long-haul distances outside of Europe?

I look forward to taking my first flight outside Heathrow!
Thanks!

It is noticeably better than easyJet and definitely better than Ryanair.
The hard product is the same as LCC airlines aka an Airbus A320 with as many seats crammed in as possible. The older Airbus planes have nice leather seats

However the soft product is much better, much more welcoming service, the boarding process is more relaxed. There is a boarding by group number system so you know when you'll be boarding. No waiting for ages down the jet bridge unlike easyJet, they don't normally start the boarding until the plane is ready.
You get 2 items of cabin baggage and no hidden fees

Definitely worth a small premium over easyJet and Ryanair, plus Heathrow T5 is the nicest airport to fly from, unlike the disaster zone that is Stansted

 

[Jamiescott1]

It is noticeably better than easyJet and definitely better than Ryanair.
The hard product is the same as LCC airlines aka an Airbus A320 with as many seats crammed in as possible. The older Airbus planes have nice leather seats

However the soft product is much better, much more welcoming service, the boarding process is more relaxed. There is a boarding by group number system so you know when you'll be boarding. No waiting for ages down the jet bridge unlike easyJet, they don't normally start the boarding until the plane is ready.
You get 2 items of cabin baggage and no hidden fees

Definitely worth a small premium over easyJet and Ryanair, plus Heathrow T5 is the nicest airport to fly from, unlike the disaster zone that is Stansted

I find BA prices comparable to easyjet.
I refuse to use stansted so rarely use ryanair.
The main negative with ba is although you're allowed 2 pieces of hand luggage, the overhead bins fill quickly so later boarding groups have to check their hand luggage

 

[Tetchytyke]

You have to pay to choose a seat in advance, but it is free from 24 hours if you check in online.

Just to add that you have to pay to choose even at check in if you travel on an Economy Basic (hand luggage only) fare.

However the soft product is much better, much more welcoming service

I don't strictly disagree, but it does depend on who you get. I've had some absolute stinkers on BA when I've been down the back but BA at their best are better than EasyJet at their best.

 

[camflyer]

I find BA prices comparable to easyjet.
I refuse to use stansted so rarely use ryanair.
The main negative with ba is although you're allowed 2 pieces of hand luggage, the overhead bins fill quickly so later boarding groups have to check their hand luggage

Plus BA generally aren't very strict at enforcing lang luggage limits so you often have people with their 2 pieces plus another bag, plus duty free shopping, plus kids stuff, plus bulky coats

Stansted is my nearest airport so using it is sometimes unavoidable though it is rarely a pleasurable experience. It's Luton which I totally refuse to use.

 

[yorksrob]

BA has recently gutted its loyalty programme which has alienated a lot of middle / upper middle class people who will no longer get stuff for free in the future. That may be what your friend meant by BA being dead to them.

They are not like Vueling, however there is only so much you can do with a flight of two hours.

There won't be any nasty surprises at the airport. You have to pay to choose a seat in advance, but it is free from 24 hours if you check in online. Though you are not required to check in online, you can if you wish just turn up at the airport with nothing but your passport and everything will be fine.

You can bring up to 46kg of hand luggage on board provided that it fits in the luggage dimensions (well you aren't going to fit 23kg of stuff in a laptop bag, but that is the permitted amount).

On board you will get a small bottle of water and a small biscuit or similar for free, and then there is an option to pay for more food and drink.



Can you clarify exactly what you are asking here? There are plenty of differences between the BA long-haul and short-haul experience.

If you want to be "the world's favourite airline" you need to not annoy your regulars !

 

[Bald Rick]

Stansted is my nearest airport so using it is sometimes unavoidable though it is rarely a pleasurable experience. It's Luton which I totally refuse to use.

Luton’s great!

 

[gabrielhj07]

Luton’s great!

Possibly the first time those two words have been put together

 

[Jimini]

Possibly the first time those two words have been put together

Hehe

 

[Bald Rick]

Possibly the first time those two words have been put together

I should have qualified this is a discussion about the airport

(I make no public comment on the town itself, if only for fear of a lifelong ban from the forum for language unsuitsble for mixed company).

 

[eoff]

BA gets a lot of bad coverage from my friends. One calls them "pretend low-cost airline" and another I have noticed has gone from praising them to saying "They are dead to me". My question here is pretty much, are they really that bad? or have IAG made them like Vueling? (who are alright in my opinion when I went with them last year). My other question is are they better or the same as European short-haul flights when going long-haul distances outside of Europe?
Thanks!

BA is not loved by people who remember what things used to be like, and you can go back in various time periods from recent to a long time ago when considering why that is the case.
Hard to reply to the other points because a lot was not clear.
I would chose BA over Easyjet (who have crazy combinations of fares for someone like me who just wants to take a reasonable sized laptop backpack on the plane). I also hate the gate corral. Also I heard that Easyjet destroyed the app experience and that is really not good if that is true.
Would never fly Ryanair.

For a short fight I'm not sure there is much to choose, with no status BA makes you pay for seat selection in advance (but who cares if it is a 2+2 plane).
BA give you a free strength test in economy, you can see if you can open the water bottle.
KLM give you a thick sandwich for free.
The non low-cost airlines are likley to have bridge boarding to the aircraft.

So I would not be concerned about flying BA, just back from a trip myself on BA and Finnair.

 

[cactustwirly]

Luton’s great!

Used it once and that was enough.

Definitely a close contender with Stansted being the worst London Airport

 

[Bald Rick]

Used it once and that was enough.

Presumably a bad experience. But try it again. Ive used it around 100 times, had a couple of long waits for bags or immigration, and the departure lounge is usually busy when I fly (typically in the first round of departures 0600-0800), but it’s no busier than my recent experiences at Heathrow T5 or T3.

Usually I’m airport boundary to departure lounge in under 10 mins including bag drop, and touch down to being picked up in 30-40 mins including bag reclaim. Without bags it can be 10, and half of that is taxiing. Compare to Heathrow where my last 3 arrivals have all been an hour from touchdown to disembarking the aircraft!

 

[Failed Unit]

Used it once and that was enough.

Definitely a close contender with Stansted being the worst London Airport

It is considerably better than it was, I remember it was a little better than a shed. I would use it ahead of Stansted now. Reasonably quick through security and places to sit while waiting (before the rebuild these could be challenging to find.)

Back to BA they are still really lacking on customer service. After 4 cancelled flights back in December still heard nothing, even Ryanair are going to pay the out of pocket expenses required EU Law.

 

[eoff]

It is considerably better then it was, I remember it was a little better than a shed.

Back to BA they are still really lacking on customer service. After 4 cancelled flights back in December still heard nothing, even Ryanair are going to pay the out of pocket expenses required EU Law.

Did they inform you of your rights?
You can go to thie website to make any claims, I had no issues in the past.

 

[cactustwirly]

Presumably a bad experience. But try it again. Ive used it around 100 times, had a couple of long waits for bags or immigration, and the departure lounge is usually busy when I fly (typically in the first round of departures 0600-0800), but it’s no busier than my recent experiences at Heathrow T5 or T3.

Usually I’m airport boundary to departure lounge in under 10 mins including bag drop, and touch down to being picked up in 30-40 mins including bag reclaim. Without bags it can be 10, and half of that is taxiing.

My experience is the same at Heathrow but the terminal surroundings are much nicer.
The terminal at Luton is very basic and not very nice

 

[Failed Unit]

Did they inform you of your rights?
You can go to thie website to make any claims, I had no issues in the past.

No - No representatives at the airport. Have submitted the claim via their website but they are still processing it (8 weeks later)

 

[Bald Rick]

The terminal at Luton is very basic and not very nice

It’s much improved. Less high end stuff than Heathrow, but then I don’t need a Bvlgari bag.

 

[CC 72100]

At the risk of going off topic, I'm not sure what all the Luton and Stansted hate is caused by.

Any airport can be busy at the wrong time. Duty free shops - I don't use them anyway.

Security wise the worst has been US airports: JFK, SJU and RDU I'm looking at you in terms of time taken. Don't think I've ever queued for more than 15 minutes at any UK airport.

So genuine question to those who say they'd never fly from X airport: What makes an airport bad, to the extent that some people may refuse to use it?