BA Spring

I flew on British Airways today 31 August 2011 from Dubai to London on my way to Detroit. It reminded of a blog I read on Innovation Analysis Group entitled "Pride in BA Brand" a campaign that is supposed to improve the battered image of BA after 2 years of fighting with UNITE.
According to IAG Blog "Central to the drive is a 90-second film addressing five decades of BA, focusing on the role of BA's role in the history of aviation. Topics are set to include British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), which merged with Imperial Airways in 1971 to create the modern BA, as well as Concorde. Images of BA staff are expected to feature prominently in the campaign." This comes after an internal communications campaign designed to inspire the BA Brand in the 32000 BA staff.

For some reason BA reminded me of the MENA regimes, extolling the glorious past in order to improve a present passenger perception. It is laudable that BA is addressing its staff problems because the current problem is not a passenger perception, it is a lack of consistent performance. Staff that is not smiling, cool and abrupt. A Customer Support organisation that is failing to adequately respond to its passenger complaints. A Frequent Flyer Program that does not use emails as a means of contacting it.

Basically a staff problem, the same staff and organisation that a few years back were "the World's Favorite Airline".

Just like people in MENA, BA passengers are not interested in the past but more in the present and the future and this is what BA needs to address. BA needs to convince passengers that it is aware of  the problem(s) and they are being fixed, otherwise BA might be looking at a BA Spring.

Almost an Emergency

I have been in the airline business for more than thirty three (33) years and I traveled extensively. Throughout this period  I had one inflight emergency, a bird strike that took out an engine on take off from Toulouse in 1987 in a Lear 35.

All my flights have been uneventful not even an unruly passenger, until my flight on the 29th of March, on the first leg of my flight to Detroit. I had my second inflight emergency, well almost an EMERGENCY. On BA0107 a B747-400 out of Dubai at 01:55 lt to London Heathrow. About 3 hours into the flight I opened my eyes to see the Oxygen Masks deploy and the deep prerecorded Boeing voice instructing us to use the oxygen masks. As I grabbed mine and pulled it towards me, the captain came on the PA system to tell us not to use the masks. Everything is OK and nothing is wrong with the aircraft and this was the result of a "SPURIOUS" technical error. The aircraft was quite, no panic. I suppose it helps when almost everyone was asleep and just woke up.

It was surreal to watch these oxygen masks deploy. I was not panicking or heart racing and pounding. I suppose years of listening to safety briefings pays off. Most of the passengers went back to sleep. This"spurious"technical error took down the entertainment system and the passenger service modules (no reading lights).

The cabin crew was flustered, I could here lots of nervous giggling. The remainder of the flight was uneventful.
The BA Customer Relations staff were at the bottom of the stairs handing out apology forms for us to fill.

A couple of things I like to share:
1. The passengers were calm, probably sleepy as most woke up due to prerecorded announcement
2. I was wide awake and I did not panic.
3. The cabin crew became subdued and lucky for us this was not a real emergency.
4. We were not told what really happened. I don't accept this "spurious"technical error theory. I subscribe to
    the "finger problem" theory.

So much for my second emergency. However, looking at BA vs UNITE and the cabin crew saga that has been going on for the last two years, my personal feeling is I really did not want to be with this particular crew in a real emergency.

Impressions of a Frequent Flier

This year I have traveled extensively and had the opportunity to experience on board service of several airlines on different flights (Ultra long, long, medium and short range) and different classes.

Here are some of my impressions

Ultra long range (12 to 16 hours) on Emirates, and any other airline for that matter, economy is not a joy if it was not for the inflight entertainment system (ICE). ICE makes all the difference, I am not a movie goer but with ICE I have seen 5 movies during one flight, a personal record, and still had 7 hours to sleep.

For some reason Emirates always serves the last meal on the flight too close to the arrival time, and results in the cabin crew really hustling to secure the cabin sometimes up to a few minutes from landing. And if you are sitting in the back you will never get your first choice when it comes to meals.

However, long and medium range flights on Emirates Business is a gourmet experience that stands true to their radio advertisements. I had my best steak ever on an Emirates flight.

Business class service on long and medium range flights of American Airlines, is an enjoyable although sometimes a very slow service depending on the flight attendant serving your side of the cabin. I understand there are laws and rules to prevent discrimination based on age and/or BMI, but please let us be reasonable here, having one's meal when the other side of the cabin is halfway through their siesta is not nice. The inflight entertainment system is adequate.

On the other hand a BA flight to Dubai during a UNITE strike day is a bloody awful experience. Minimum crew on the B777 (8 out of which 6 are of minimal experience). The service in Business left a lot to be desired, lucky it was a night flight and most of the passengers were asleep.

Willy Walsh should be grateful passengers are still flying with BA. Of course, I had better experiences on BA flights but this one was memorable.

Royal Jordanian's Business class on short flights (2 to 3 hours) is a relatively good experience. The flight attendants sometimes lack the sophistication and finesse of their counterparts in other One World carriers. The food is good and the crew are friendly and actually smile at you most of the time and I like it, but then I am biased (ex RJ).

As for Regional travel in the USA whether with American or Continental, the best you can do is nap. The seamless service and experience that we were promised in the 70s and 80s did not happen and it will never happen you can not compare a B777 to an EMB145. Service is not the issue. It is the feel and look of the aircraft that throws you off, the Majors need to look again at their regional feeders.

However, the one thing that EMIRATES surpasses all the others is the ability to deliver your bags in a reasonable time no matter where the aircraft is parked at Dubai airport. On Business class I found my bag on the belt and I use e-gate. Kudos Emirates

Flying American

Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous 2010

This last week has been weird and exciting. For the first time in 20 years I have decided to fly with a USA Legacy carrier on an international flight (Last time was 1990 from JFK to LAX with TWA).

I flew American Airlines (AA) from Dubai to Detroit.

Well, the first flight was DXB to LHR a code share with their One World Partner British Airways (BA), I suppose we all know about their Flight Attendants' call for a strike over the Christmas/New Year season and the ensuing drama. I fly with BA several times a year, but that was different. The crew were very professional, courteous, poker face, fake smiles and cool, well more like cold, lucky it was a night flight and I slept.

Then came AA, now I am used to American Eagle Flights between Chicago and Detroit, commuter aircraft, very short and very informal. AA at LHR were friendly, my boarding passes issued and sent on my way to their Admiral's Club. I liked their lounge in LHR the layout was nice, much better than BA's T5 lounges. The one in Chicago was great but other than a voucher for a free bottle of water everything else is chargeable.

Now AA must have a great profiling software for additional security screening. In the last 8 months I got profiled twice for extra screening, I suppose a Jordanian, residing in the USA traveling back and forth to Dubai does raise some concerns to somebody in AA, so you get a bunch of SSSS typed on your boarding pass. In Detroit the TSA made sure I understood that it was "my airline requested extra screening", in LHR the security personnel told me SSSS was for special, I actually laughed. I don't mind it.

I love travelling in B777, it is a great aircraft and the Business seat on AA is so complicated, they have a video clip on how to use it, pretty cool. The entertainment system is not as extensive as BA's just a few movies, but I loved their Audio especially the Classical Music.

The food was not bad, imaginative and tasty (Chicken on a bed of couscous with tomato sauce, not bad for a Legacy Airline) and the chocolate ice cream was divine, I was impressed.

The crew was professional and aloof. The Purser told us not to leave our designated zones, congregate around toilets and not to approach the galleys and she meant it. WOW.... very clinical almost surgical, of course the Captain's announcement to us that if we see something unusual, it is probably unusual and tell your FA.

All in all, it was a great Atlantic crossing, surprisingly

The World's Favorite Airline

The World's Favorite Airline, who else but British Airways and it is still my favorite airline.

That was true when it was an innovative and efficient airline and lead the industry in setting standards.

Now that tough times have hit, it is fraying at the edges and really getting tattered. I fly with BA home to Detroit from Dubai at least 3 times a year, and I like the multi stops flight because it breaks up a long flight in manageable 7 hours segments. I enjoy the lounge in T5 its naturally well lighted, comfortable and wi-fi connected.

However, off late things have changed at BA.

• I still pay the same price for my tickets I did the previous 2 years and the surcharge is the same as when fuel prices were double ($145 a barrel).
• The staff are still courteous but are a little distracted, abrupt and indifferent.
• The cabin Crew smile but you rarely see them going through the cabin except during the service. All you hear is chatting and laughter in the galley
• Equipment has been downgraded from B777 (my favorite airplane) to squeaky B767.
• Automatic upgrades to Business are a thing of the past, I dare not ask for one because all I got was an abrupt no or quoted a price and no you can not use your miles.
• The food service quality and quantity has deteriorated a little

True to its legacy roots and to stem losses, BA turns and starts putting restrictions on bags for economy. The darlings (First and Business) of the airline having abandoned it, the economy class passenger is the one that feels the pain.

What happened to the innovative management approach that made The World's Favorite Airline or is that a Good Times management style only, come on BA you can do better

Tattered or not BA is still my favorite airline and worthy of my support.