I’m Skeptical: British Airways CEO Promises Premium Focus

I suspect a part of why BA is trying to become more premium and will make investments to achieve it is the prospect of Heathrow expansion. As you say, BA dominate the popular and slot controlled LHR, but expansion means more slots, and therefore more competition. Which is also why BA are quietly against Heathrow expansion, while Virgin, who desperately want more slots, are very vocal in their support for it.

Purchased two r/t tickets on BA from Atlanta Ga to Israel with a connection in Heathrow. Due to the travel time, we purchased the Club World Cabin for the extra space, ability to lie down for sleep and the technology package for entertainment at a total price of $11,725.86. The flight from Atlanta to Heathrow was excellent; however, it was downhill from there On our Heathrow to Israel flight, one of our seats did not move at all, no recline nor ability to lie down. Additionally, the technology package did not power on. Both of these issues were identified during the boarding process. The Flight attendant offered to have the seat reset as soon as we were in the air & the reset did not change anything. The other seat worked until about 1/2 through the flight at which point it would not return to the sitting straight position. The flight attendants were apologetic, embarrassed and professional. They provided an Ipad and helped us submit a complaint. Two weeks later BA sends a form email offering a $400 credit for a future flight. This is offensive - we were basically provided less than main cabin accommodations at a huge premium. If BA wants to be a premium airline, they need to first address customer service. There are times when things will go wrong and the best way to build and maintain a stellar reputation is by offering customer service that is reasonable, efficient and fair. Our experience with the customer service has been none of the above.

Flew on Brithish aiways international travel in june 2022. Worst travel experience of my life. Lost bags both directions. Waited 3 hours in line just to talk to someone in Madrid. Missed our bus as a result. One person servicing the line that kept growing while business class just walked right up and no line. Appalling. Took 2 days for me to get my bag delivered. This is after we double checked to make sure it would be transferred on our connecting flight and was reassured it would be. They cancelled our original flight and left no choice but to spend the night in London but did not compensate us with a room which ended up being a whole hassle in itself. A return bag did not end up on the carousel and they said they would send it as we had ro catch our bus then we get a call saying we had to pay 40$ for them to send it. The manager was rude saying the bag was there but it was not. They finally sent it almost a week later and multiple calls with no call backs. Seems the airline has really bad management from the top down. We did have an absolutely wonderful flight attendant on the way there. She should run the company as far as I am concerned. At the very least should make more money.

Ben, With all respect, the new business club seats are absolutely rubbish. First and foremost, its a business class product, but yet there is no space to actually store a laptop. Secondly, the space to move your legs from sitting to standing around the lowered arm rest is even worse than the AA international business seat implementation of the same Collins product. The storage offered all around cannot be used for take off or landing as it was never designed to be secured, so you have the pleasure of unloading and loading your stuff twice during your flight (unless you can hide it). The storage itself though is such an afterthought that most of the spaces are tiny, misshapen and unusable. The suite doors are not magnetic or tracked in a way that they want to stay closed for privacy, any turbulence and they start to open and close by themselves. If you are traveling as a couple in the middle seats, you cannot see each other at all without straining so conversations are impossible, and the tiny sliding door feels like its better in a prison. This Collins seat is also an HDBC product that is more claustrophobic than what other airlines have implemented with the same product. To get out of the seat in a leaned back position (not flat) requires any middle height user to completely bring the seat to an upright position so you can squeeze your legs out. The suite walls are too low for privacy, but too high for the staff to use, and so they have to consistently open the door and bend around to pick up or drop off drink and food trays. Lastly, though the old club world seat required someone to walk over your legs, you had an entire area above your body without hitting anything, and so it wasn't claustrophobic, a unique and original design, and could actually store a laptop....for business use.

It’s time BA got their experienced crew back in their First and Business Class cabins instead of inexperienced kids.