British Airways screwed us out of £110.00 for seats we reserved back in May. They changed the configuration of the plane, the seats we paid for are no longer available and their computer reallocated totally unacceptable seats and did NOT generate a refund.
It also did not generate a notice this occurred. We would not have known if Les hadn't checked our reservations. So we went online and booked new seats--the best of what was left, which are crappy and nowhere near the seats for which we paid. AND we had to pay an additional £7 for them!
We tried to file a refund form at BA's website for two weeks and kept getting an error message: "We're sorry but an error has occurred and we cannot file this form at this time. Please try again later.! I've tried a dozen times to do so and I get the same bloody message. We called them today and were told that the seats we booked again and paid the additional £7 for would have cost us £110.00 to reserve anyway!
And we are Executive Club members--which clearly offers us no benefits. I HATE FLYING!!!! I am so pissed at BA. I would NEVER have chosen the seats we have now or the seats the computer generated. I am going to tell the world and everyone in it what piss poor service British Airways offers. I've posted this on my FaceBook page and on BA's FB page as well which I have no doubt will be removed as soon as they read it.
There is no such thing as service anymore in this world. Corporations treat us like cows they milk for cash and then they turn a blind eye and a deaf ear when their company causes an issue and make us pay again.
I love my family and friends in the United States But it will be too soon if I EVER have to fly again. A bloody coffin has more comfortable room than this airplane.
18 comments:
If you had been a bit more civil about my previous employers I'd have done all I could to help and put you in touch with the right people but seeing you have 'told the world' I'll pass on that. Not every company gets things right all thee time but to use such language is unnecessary in my view.
Jaq,
You have our sympathy.
It's not only BA that do this. The worst civil flying experience Sue and I have had was when United Airlines reconfigured their aircraft over Christmas - so that there was no way all their return passengers to the UK could get back to work on time from LA in the New Year!
However, if you paid for those seats with a British credit card you should complain to the credit card company. In the UK it is your contract with the credit card company and theirs with the airline.
Love Ken and Sue
Ouch!!! Give them hell you two. If that was Jaq writing I know you can do this. Unbelievable!!
See you in November - this is Karen in Pullman.
I SO understand you! The single customer is worth nothing anymore, the huge companies really do not give a damn. I just have a similar problem, and it really tells me the same story. It sucks!!!!! And I sometimes have the feeling that these things were better in the "olden, golden days". I don´t know if I am right but definately IT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!
XXXXX, Silvia
WOW Jac, I think I detect that your dander is well and truely UP! Mind you I can hardly blame you because of BAs poor customer service!! Hope they give you a full refund and a free upgrade too :)
Good luck.
Kevin
LOVED YOUR RANT AT BA.
Which is why a number of UK friends fly Air Canada or some other carrier to Toronto, if they can.
BA like so many other carriers are in the business of operating airbrone sardine cans;
sadly the world allows said companies to do so. Self-regulating? Give me a break.
Too bad you couldn't take the train to Oregon.
Mind when I do fly try and get either and exit door or bulkhead seat, if only for the legroom.
This is truly rubbish service...
I am sorry to hear it.
Would never have happened on the old Imperial Airways bi-plane liners flying out of the old Croydon aerodrome.....
Those were the days!
OK, so you have been let down.. Deep breath Jaq.. Deep breath again.
Its not what you wanted or hoped for but you are getting to see your family and friends..
Sometimes it doesnt work for us either. Sometimes we cant get train seats that are friendly for our girls.
I remember one journey when I had to get up 16 times to walk Meg out to the end of the carriage while people passed through.. she had to lay in the walkway by the seat if you see what I mean,
I do try to get seats by the wheelchair area and hope there is no wheelchair on our trip, sometimes that doesnt happen.
But we make the trip even if it is difficult and we forget what we had to endure once we are with our family and friends the other end.
xx
Leo II:
I don't recall engaging yourself as an ombudsman on our behalf. My business was with BA. Their website clearly states if one's chosen seats are changed by the airlines, one has the right to a refund. Your former employer is in the wrong and have made more than one mistake.
1. BA changed our chosen seats for which we paid considerable extra fees and did not inform us immediately of the change.
2. They allowed a computer to reassign us seats at random; obviously folks who book 6 months in advance and pay extra for seats have a reason for doing so--otherwise one would simply take whatever seats the airlines offer. BA made an assumption we didn't care about the seat change or the money we spent--or they just don't care.
3. Once our seats were reassigned, BA never offered us a refund of the fees we paid for the seats they took away.
4. We were charged the same fees again plus £7 for the seats we chose to replace the ones we lost--even though they are nowhere near as good--which is BA's reson detre for refusing to refund our money.
I count four major mistakes your former employer made in this one instance.
Hi Karen,
Well we aren't going to get our money refunded that is patently clear. As someone who has had little personal power to change corporate injustice in this world, I vote with my wallet and my mouth. The best thing to do in my opinion is to make it clear to all and sundry who care to know that a corporation behaves unjustly (in this case essentially stealing from us by renegging on a stated contract under which money was exchanged for services never rendered) so that others my be forewarned, let the corporation know, and then I spend my money elsewhere in the future.
This is why I refuse to shop at Mall wart (Wallmart) and have done so for the past twenty five years. Folks are always shocked when they hear the truth about Mallwart.
I have to live with myself and I cannot do so in good conscience when turning a deaf ear and a blind eye to bad behavior and then spending my money to underwrite said behavior anyway.
I know you empathize with me and I appreciate your love and friendship. It will be great to see you and Jim next month.
JaqXX
Hello Sylvia,
Yep I agree with you--service was indeed better in the days before deregulation allowed corporate raiders to charge what they like while providing vastly inferior service.
JaqXX
HI Kevin,
Yes indeed my dander was as you say, UP! I try very hard to behave as a civil. law abiding citizen of the world. Corporations treating their customers badly and making money off of their misery is one thing about which I become unreasonably angry. Why? Because I know it doesn't have to be that way. Large companies have a choice about how they treat their customers. Sadly, deregulation has only made them richer but has done absolutely nothing for those is us from whom business make their money.
JaqXX
Hi Bryce,
Having worked in the airline industry for many years, I am well aware of what goes on "behind the scenes" as it were. My family and I all worked in the industry before and after deregulation, at one point I searched for bombs on board planes at Anchorage International Airport. I refuse to fly on American carriers in and out of the U.S. because my country is hated and considered as the world's big bully by so many. It is the knowledge I have from inside the industry that informs my decision hence I thought flying BA would be better. If there is a next time, we will definitely look at Air Canada or KLM.
Jaq
Jaq
Hi John,
Yep the old days when the government controlled the airlines were indeed good. I recall that as standby passengers (we could fly standby for $50 as airline employees) we had to wear dress clothes--dresses and nylons for the ladies and dress slacks, shirt and tie for the men. In return we were provided seats with plenty of leg room and very fine meals--and these were not first class seats--just economy. Then corporations lobbied for deregulation saying it would provide customers with more choice at better rates. What a lie!
JaqXX
Ken and Sue,
We didn't know that about the credit card company so we may consider it however BA has told us if they refund our money we will not have any seats booked for our flights! I mean really, what did we pay £1500.00 then???
Love JaqXX
Hi Sue, Yep--rant over; reason has returned. :) I hate to fly because I have extreme claustrophobia regarding small spaces,along with a couple of other related issues. I like the way Howard Hughes used to travel: the doctor came to his house strapped him into a bed on wheels, gave him an injection of something to make him fall immediately into a deep sleep and he was then taken to the plane and loaded on board, He was woken up when they landed.
JaqXX
My Sympathies Jaq. I remember an airline taking our money for upgraded seats as we needed the extra baggage allowance for my Grandson, then 2 weeks before the departure date cancelling the flight from Stansted and giving us a very busy flight from Gatwick instead. Virgin are also as bad although I do hear Emirates are a great airline to fly. Whatever happens, I hope you have a safe and wonderful trip back home. Carol BV
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