British Airways Threatens Those Who Criticize The Airline

BA did what BA does.

BA has a frequent flyer program? Like, intended for people who would actually fly BA more than once?

Wow.

Could even a comment on a post qualify you to be kicked out by BA?

PS - I too was simply "stunned" by the old BA biz class seats.

I don’t feel it’s aimed at you Ben or other sites doing fair reviews. More than anything you promote and explain their hard and soft products. This is clearly aimed at dissatisfied passengers that want to vent via social media. BA is saying do so at your own risk.

Definitely their Busy Class cabin us spacious.. hahahahaha. This is absolutely ridiculous by BA, like many will say: I would take my business elsewhere. I have programs with AA, AS and QF... My points will be collected there and BA would be criticized or praised as I has been doing in letters directly to them.

Friends don’t let friends fly BA.

It’s a lawyer on a power trip (does anyone read those T&Cs they agree to on Google or wherever, or read the copyright statements at the start of a dvd?). This is the same thing.

The airline already claims total power to close the account at its own whim, so this makes no difference. Though it does reveal just how much contempt the average multinational has for its customers.

So they know they’re crap but they don’t want to hear it, way to go BA. Peter hit the nail on the head with his comment. Also didn’t realize there were people who are prepared to fly BA more than once.....

Well thats you screwed then, isn't it.....

As said, BA is simply clarifying one of its "for any reason" reasons. Unfortunately, the lack of civility and restraint that is emboldened by online distance has real consequences and is rapidly contaminating in person contacts, so that open hostility to any control over ones behavior, even in the confines of economy class, has increased. BA and most other carriers, in coordination with the police powers of states, have become less restrained in stating and showing this authority.

Let me go vent at their twitter, facebook, and tripadvisor. I have 0 problems being banned or kicked out of their executive club. Their excessive "carrier imposed surcharges" on award flights left a bad taste. Last straw was a flight that was around $1,100 if I bought cash, but the award flight was around 60,000 miles and fuel surcharge for around $900. I always filter BA out on any flight searches out of principle. Stingy pompous airlines.

(waiting for BA to ban me for this post)

Retaliation against negative reviews is illegal (at least in the US) as of 2017, when the CRFA was passed, which the FTC is tasked with enforcing. Personally, I would love to see BA get taken to task for violating this...

I like BA's old style 777 business class if I can get a window seat. Very private. Facing backwards. Like a private cabin.

However, BA ending A318 LCY JFK service is a bummer.
BA is stupid.
BA should be banned.
BA should be ended as an airline because of this.
BA is bad, the worse airline in the world because of this.
BA, do you know my account number?
😛

To me this reads as being targeted towards primary towards people whose behaviour directly threatens either employees or the airline’s reputation with other passengers, eg violence, excessive drunkenness etc. The reputation bit is likely also geared towards people who make wildly inflammatory claims about the airline to tabloids, which actually isn’t all that unusual here (the British tabloid press loves a story about airline service failures - not just BA - which are often extremely exaggerated).

I agree that spelling it out in this way makes it sound unnecessarily ominous, but as many have pointed out they have long had carte blanche to cancel your EC membership whenever they please, this just highlights that they expect you to have some defined standards of behaviour. Not really sure why this update was required though....

BA has done a fine job crushing their once decent reputation, all by themselves.

They don't need my snark to help fan the flames of the dumpster fire.

Despite being Oneworld Emerald, It's been 10+ years since I've been on their metal, and I haven't heard much positive since I last flew them.

Fuel ssurcharges, substandard business class, inflexible change policies....the list goes on.

I welcome them shutting down my account...it'll save me a step.

Come the fudge on. Yea, they can pretty much shut down an account whenever they want. I think that's always been kinda the case, no?

This just goes to tell you, how disloyal loyalty programs are. My advice? Pay money, buy ticket with cheapest airline and forget loyalty. Status and points with airlines seems worth very little now, especially with transferrable points like Amex, Chase and Capital One. In the future, these "clubs" will even be worth less.

Why join anything run by someone who poos all over you? I know this sux for the business/corporate commuter, but for the rest of us, the only vote you get is by taking your money to those who treat u the best.

The final word on whether this will rest with a court.

Anyone can put anything they want into an agreement, but courts have the final say on what is enforceable and they generally take a particularly dim view of lopsided terms that are imposed upon one party by another such as here as compared agreements that are entered into jointly by both parties.

Chase and Steve are correct here -- at least with respect to American members of the BA Executive Club program.

Belligerent Assholes

Everyone needs to get a grip of themselves. Nothing is going to happen to 99% of members/flyers. I strongly suspect this change has come as a result due to some nob who has abused the system for their advantage.

So $ 765 copay in addition to 80K miles for a one way Transatlantic flight in Business is just cool, when right now they have a special return from LUX via LHR to SFO in Business for $ 1,020 ? Go figure !

@Chase - it is only illegal if entirely factual and doesn’t include opinions. Trust me - many in the US have been sued (and lost) over negative reviews

Please be advised that the following have been banned from our flights and removed from our Executive Club membership rolls.

All of you who disparaged our great brand.

Have a Capital day!

I have avoided BS like the plague for > 30 years - mainly due to their terrible industrial relations. But also the product hardly compares favourably with the MEs and larger Asians. But stunts like this only serve to strengthen my resolve. Keep alienating your potential customers BA !!!

There’s still a difference between criticizing and wrongfully accusing / defaming someone.

The Chinese Communist Party has a new national airline....

Maybe BA decided to crack down on negative comments after reading this recent trip report on FT:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2025719-good-bad-ugly-our-17-hour-day-ba.html

maybe there is something wrong with a company that doesn't want critiques? I would think you use this this to improve your product/service? Or to make you stand out?

English people are not democratic at all and they do not believe in freedom of speech in their culture lol

Want to use an award MIA-LHR-IST on BA with Aadvantage miles, 50k miles plus $768.60 surcharge...

AaronP, Or how about 70K +$766 with Alaskan miles, HNL to MUC, in what they call 'First', which actually is 6 hours in Eco, 10 hours in Business, and the final 1.5 hour hop in First. What a deal !

I totally think you have misunderstood why this has been added. Individuals abusing the Executive club and manipulate it for their own benefit. BA staff, ground staff, crew and contact centre employees regularly being abused by aggressive behaviours. Added into the T&C of the enrolment makes it easy to ban membership!
UK laws are also different from US , the lawsuit, compensation, mentality ! Don’t you get it... the more people that sue and gain monetary benefit from a company, just increase the cost!

Shocking...BA make you buy tickets and disallow flying through Heathrow...it's big scam...why should they let you buy and not allowing passengers...

"Sir, you didn't finish your tummy sandwich. Sir, if you do not finish your tummy sandwich AND the cup of tea I deigned to pour for you, we will be forced to make an unscheduled landing. You and your baggage... yes, your spouse... will be deplaned. And you will be charged for this. And kiss your Executive Club membership goodbye. Now sir, please finish your tummy sandwich and buckle up..."