foreword
After landing from Cincinnati and parking on a remote stand, we were taken by Ambulift to Terminal 5. Again.
After a short wait in a warm and fully staffed area (neither applied to the MANLHRCVG transit) we were approached by Mr Manino from WilsonJames, the Wheelchair provider.
We had to have our Passports checked and then had to go through security. I removed the liquids from the amenity kit I had been given as a gift onboard the BA120. The Security man who had to search one of our bags was extremely friendly and professional. Looking at the high volume of passengers that pass through Heathrow each day, getting service with a smile is a huge bonus. But I was not impressed at having to do security all over again.
Due to the time spent getting a gate, disembarking and clearing Passport / Security checks, our transit time flew by in what seemed seconds !
With security clear, we were taken to near a Fortnum Mason store whilst I visited a washroom. I came out and was told that this is actually a waiting area for Special Assistance passengers. Mr Manino waited with us until 1205pm when the Manchester gate was supposed to show.
At 1210pm he took us to the proposed gate A21 as the actual gate had not appeared on the screen. We were there all.of 2 minutes when we got notification that the BA1394 is now departing from gate A18.
We headed over to the gate, a sea of passengers left this gate as it had been due to be used for Paris but that flight had now had a gate change. I was surprised to see one of the Paris passengers moaning to Mr Manino about "the way Heathrow operates".
As we arrived at the gate, so too did our crew. We let them go before us and a lovely Steward wished my Mum a safe flight and an Airhostess smiled at her too.
We had our Passports and Boarding Passes checked again. I wish Heathrow would adopt Geneva's efficient process and only let passengers into the gate area once IDs and Boarding Passes have been checked. Meaning, when it is time to board, passengers simply come forward to board by row or Group Number. Our Aircraft today would be an A321neo registered G-NEOS with a flexible CY220 configuration and delivered to BA in January 2019.
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boarding ba 1394
We were taken by lift down to the airbridge and had a short wait. Mr Manino treated my Mum with utmost respect. I bade farewell to Mr Manino at the aircraft door. As I boarded, a very young Airhostess smiled and welcomed my Mum and I. I asked who the Inflight Manager was and a lovely lady who had been closing a trolley door, looked round and said "That's me ! How are you ?" What a lovely welcome.
As we boarded my first ever BA A321neo, the cabin looked beautiful with a large Club Europe cabin. Classical Musical played in the cabin.
I wish BA were consistent with boarding music being played on both boarding and disembarkation, if played at all.
The flow of passengers was never ending but crew continued to get everyone seated quickly. Captain Dan Mendoza made an announcement that today's aircraft has been busy to and from Frankfurt this morning and that today's crew were handpicked by the Inflight Manager ! If I closed my eyes, the cabin crew really made me feel like I was flying British Midland, whom I used to fly all the time between Manchester and London Heathrow. The legroom was nice and spacious.
From an online article.
The side of the E seat in the row in front of me had what appeared to be yoghurt splattered on it. I felt sick looking at it so used one of my personal wet wipes to clean it. The area behind my tray table also had stains. BA's cutbacks are in the most bizarre areas. Cleanliness being one of them.
See here https://onemileatatime.com/news/british-airways-reducing-aircraft-cleaning/
Brand new HighLife Cafe brochure already !
Silver Speedmarque logo on the bulkhead wall.
The legroom on this A321 was super comfortable compared to the awfully cramped A320 that brought us to Heathrow10 days ago.
I was astonished to see 3 random passengers being handed Lifejackets in sealed packets. I wonder why this was being done ?
Although Mum and I were assigned 11EF, she took 11D as the seatmap had shown this as a free seat, a gentleman then came over to say he was on 11D. Mum moved next to me. As my suit jacket was on the (awkwardly placed) coat hook on 11E and to give my Mum space, I went to take my jacket off. The hanging loop of the jacket was caught in the coat hook. After a few minutes wrestling, I had to rip the hanging loop off. 7 years of no issues and now this. Luckily the inside of the jacket itself is fine.
The gentlemen on 11D then moved to 11A. More space but a damaged hanging loop. I doubt BA would recompense me for the damage to my jacket. Seat 10B after my "best as I could" clean. And my Jacket's hanging loop before it's untimely demise.
#jacketgate
#Jacketgate truly was an eventful drama on this trip ;
* BA 1389 - nowhere to hang jacket so I had to wear it
* BA121 - Jacket hung up in rear and handed back prelanding
* BA 120 - Huge issue around hanging up my jacket
* BA1394 - Hanging loop got caught in coathook and had to be ripped off thereby damaging the jacket as below. Thanks BA.
A really smartly dressed Airhostess came to see a colleague travelling in Club Europe. Several Junior and Senior uniformed off duty BA crewmembers who would disembark in Manchester, were seated in Club Europe whilst an Inflight Manager was seated in Economy. It was highly odd, that on a 90% full flight, off duty crew were occupying Club Europe seats when fare paying passengers of the Executive Club could have been upgraded.
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PUSHBACK AND TAKE OFF
Pushback took place at 1315pm, 20 minutes after the Scheduled Departure Time.
An announcement was made for a manual Safety Demonstration which began at 1317pm and ended at 1320pm as a kerosine smell filled the cabin.
During the cabin secure check, an Airhostess told a Japanese lady on 10F to stow her underseat bag under the seat. She repeated this and when the lady did this, the Airhostess said "That's better". Whilst I personally did not feel the Airhostess was rude, a better choice of words would have been a simple thank you.
We taxied towards the runway and saw a variety of Aircrafts and Airlines. Just a typical day at Heathrow ! Is Northwest Airlines back ?! I didn't get a good shot of Royal Brunei's beautiful 787 which was accompanied by a Westjet 787.
Saudia,Air Algeria and Qatar's A380 on the far right.
Air Serbia - formerly JAT Yugoslav Airlines - about to depart back to Belgrade.
take off
At 1342pm, our A321neo powered down the runway and Inflight Manager Emma immediately made a Welcome announcement and outlined the inflight service.
inflight service
As we climbed higher and into sunny blue skies, the inflight service began.
The winglet looks so sad - not a single marking that determines which airline this aircraft is flying for.
Steward Alex handed out a packet of Penn State Sour Cream and Onion pretzels and a serviette whilst Airhostess Rhiannon handed out water bottles. I took a bottle on behalf of my Mum who had briefly nodded off.
The new HighLife Cafe brochure which smelt so fresh from the printers !
The service is more polished on UK Domestic and European services than it is on longhauls. Qatar Airways operated A320s on behalf of BA during the 2017 strikes and offered full service and proper Business Class seating.
I told Alex we had two Afternoon tea boxes and 1 Sandwich Meal deal pre-ordered. He came back a short while later with the Afternoon Teas (gifts for my Parents) and only the Orange Juice and Crisps of the meal deal. In fact there were two boxes of crisps. I advised that a Cheese Sandwich was part of the meal deal. Alex apologised for the delay and came back with the sandwich. I noted other crew members with small trays with what looked like preorder deliveries. This is an area that BA need to improve on urgently. On both domestic flights, the preorders were served very close to landing. By the time the order was swerved on this flight we were told we need to close the tray table, as we were getting ready for landing in Manchester. Surely as I had had an issue on the MANLHR 12 days earlier, this order should have been delivered first to avoid a repeat and ensured by BA Customer Relations when I contacted them the day after I arrived in the USA ?
Not so cheap and still not able to enjoy it as served late :(
No sooner was our order served than we were told to close the traytables for landing. So we had to put all items on the vacant seat 11E. Had Mr 11D not moved, then the afternoon tea box gifts and all other items would have needed to be squashed into the lower seatpocket.
Talking of THE HighLife magazine - I did not see a single copy on all 4 BA flights. Then I saw this on ebay !
Landing / Arrival
The crew did a prelanding cabin secure and the descent into Manchester was uneventful but filled with grey skies,rain and…well…a typical Manchester day !
Stockport B&Q - I see you !
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All passengers exited the aircraft and my Mum had to use the washroom. As I left the aircraft, I had a quick photo with the lovely and charming crew.
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Whilst I vow never to fly BA longhaul again whilst they are in the sorry state they are in, I will definately consider BA for domestic and shorter European flights. With a strong hope that you know who is not onboard. But that would be the last chance saloon for BA. If those future flights are below standard then I will not look to fly BA ever again.
customer relations
On 30th November, I got a phonecall from BA Customer Relations in Manchester. Without even hearing my complaint first, Georgia speedily told me that no refund would be made as I had flown on the ticket, bit that she would look at gestures of goodwill owing to multiple service failures. These are her exact words.
I have then spent a total of 4 hours collating each flight's review, to be told in a blunt message on 4th December, where she opens by stating BA are clearly not meeting my expectations and that nothing will be done for me. Such was her tone that I do not even believe she has fed back my complaint to any department. For if she really had studied my complaint, the service received was below poor. She also told me to submit pdf files twice despite me telling her there is nowhere to attach a pdf. She even implied it was me having difficulty attaching the pdf. Again, there is nowhere to attach anything. It would be good to see a timeline and content of any additions to a complaint. Before I commenced my journey, I had wanted to treat my Parents to a short holiday in London.
I initially complained on arrival in the USA about the poor outbound experience and had asked if BA might, as a gesture, provide two free tickets in this regard. When I got told no I never mentioned it again. From when Georgia took over the complaint, she was fixated on telling me that I won't get free tickets. I honestly believe she is suffering from compassion fatigue as she showed me zero sympathy or empathy in all her interactions. I guess she has reached her limit for apologising on behalf of BA all the time. I presume only BA's First,Business and Gold Card holding passengers are worthy of any respect and dignity. If you aren't a high spender, I guess you are of no importance as this person in Customer Relations showed me.
A summary of my whole trip and then BA's pathetic response just 1 business day after I formally logged my full complaint ;
From a preordered cheese sandwich being delivered as Ham for Muslim guests to being offered champagne despite me saying we are Muslim and do not drink, to stripped back catering and zero amenities on an 8+ hour longhaul flight, 1 hour delay in my Mum getting a wheelchair despite prebooking it, broken IFE on two rows, blood pouring from an overhead locker, my suit jacket being damaged by a coat hook, an aggressive Senior crewmember, mainly tired older crewmembers on a 5 month old route and a strange girl in Customer Relations with zero social skills who has denied my massively long complaint, BA have done everything to spoil my trip and waste my hard earned cash.
And then you see this and think…really ?
Oh really ?
