Review of British Airways flight Cincinnati → London in Economy

Checkin / Gate Area

After a great holiday staying with my Cincinnati based family, it was time to head back home to the UK.

My cousin dropped me at the dedicated British Airways checkin at 1835pm. The queue was fairly short and myself and Mum were checked in by 1900pm by the friendly Supervisor Holly who was being observed by a colleague Lisa.

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For the few desks open, each one had 2 Agents. From my own observation it appeared some staff were being trained. Considering the Cincinnati to London Heathrow route ( at the time of this flight ) was now over 5 months old, one would think that there had been sufficient time to train the ground staff ? Unless of course a whole new batch had been inducted and therefore the training was appropriate.

As it was not too busy a flight, I managed to get us moved from 36AB (twin seats) to 31ABC with B blocked for extra comfort. I was on 31A and Mum was on 31C.

Surprised to get BA bag tags considering these were not even available in Manchester !

I had been unable to pay for an extra suitcase on ba.com as the option was not available. Another suitcase had been added onto Mum’s booking during the trip, but again no receipt was emailed. As this happened twice on our trip I will presume this is a fault. However Holly checked the booking and saw there was 1 suitcase added for the return sector.

As a result of not being able to pay for another extra suitcase on ba.com, I had to pay USD100.00 at the Airport ( GBP 27.25 more than if I had paid the GBP60.00 Airport charge and GBP22.25 more than if I had been able to pay online ).

We were given a green card for Prospect ( Wheelchair Assistance Company) for Mum as she needs a Wheelchair for distances and told to wait opposite the checkin desks, in the dedicated seating area. In next to no time 3 gentlemen arrived with digital screens fir various passengers. I immediately noted that our family surname had been jumbled up. I pointed this out as no other passenger was likely to have this or our surname based on who was sat in the wheelchair area.

A very friendly Special Assistance gentleman named Defonquez told us he would take us. He pushed my Mum and another lady from our flight and I am impressed at how they manage to push 2 wheelchairs at the same time in Cincinnati Airport.

We got the train for 2 stops and then got a lift up to Departures. Defonquez took us to our gate B10 and was a friendly man and very professional.

We were at our gate at 1920pm. The inbound flight, BA121 landed at 1932pm and was on stand at 1935pm. 2 ground staff were already at the gate, 1 male and 1 female.

Some Cincinnati Airport goodies for my younger family members back in Manchester !

There is not even so much branding onboard a BA flight as at gate B10 at Cincinnati !

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As the Aircraft was just arriving onto stand, I took a quick trip to the tripadvisor Store to get a juice and look around. The Flying Hoover arrives onto stand. I went to a neighbouring gate to get some shots of my BA aircraft. Even though our flight tonight was being operated by 26.5 year old G-VIIH, I still looked forward to the flight home.

I returned to the gate area and noted a third ground staff member. I say ground staff. It was a young blonde lady in an orange hiviz jacket and plain clothing with a BA lanyard/neck strap. She is also in the June 2023 route launch video online and also met our aircraft on 15th November 2023.

I don't know if she works for British Airways or is a Senior Agent for the BA Handling Agent at Cincinnati.

tripadvisor store - cincinnati airport

As the Aircraft was just arriving onto stand, I took a quick trip to the tripadvisor Store to get a juice and look around.

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The Terminal was not very busy save for our BA flight and Frontier to Denver on the next gate.

Frontier Airlines now have a dedicated crew base at Cincinnati and this Denver flight was operated by A321neo N611FR with the tail showing Bori the Coqui Llanero. The Llanero is a tiny tree frog found in Puerto Rico and is named "Ko - Kee" after the sound it makes.

Bori during the day ! Credit to the owner.

Around 2026pm, when the B AAircraft had been on stand for 50 minutes, 3 BA Cabin Crewmembers for the flight to London arrived. Only the Flight Deck were allowed into the Airbridge and the 3 Cabin Crew Members went to some shops and eventually sat down at a nearby Delta Airlines gate.

The Crew no doubt, all stay at the same crew hotel and would have been picked up and dropped off at the Airport at the same time. Yet I observed different crewmembers arriving at very different times (and being turned away by the rep). Even when crew were allowed to board to do their preflight checks, they arrived in dribs and drabs all the way up to 2055pm. A very strange thing to observe. Also very close to 2055pm, there was an announcement that 6 or so passengers needed to have their documents checked and would not be allowed to board without this check. All 6 or so passengers immediately came forward.

A lady asked the ground staff to watch her handluggage whilst she visited the washroom with her baby. They happily obliged but I just would not imagine this happening in the UK. The same lady would ask an Airhostess to watch over her baby whilst she visited a washroom inflight. The Airhostess obliged. I have never seen anything like this but was amazed by the friendliness.

boarding

At 2110pm, an announcement was made for Priority and Special Assistance passengers to come forward for boarding. The Passport was checked and the larger ( left side ) part of the Boarding Pass was handed back to us. My Mum did not need a wheelchair as the distance from the gate and into the Airbridge was very short.

Nonetheless, once inside the Airbridge there was a painful 7 minute wait before we actually stepped onboard the aircraft. In the meantime, general boarding had also begun,meaning the Airbridge was full to the brim.

Myself and Mum stepped onboard and were very warmly greeted by Inflight Manager Steven. We made our way through Club World which this evening looked spacious. We then proceeded through World Traveller Plus, before stowing our hand luggage and taking our seats. Classical Music played throughout the cabin. The smell upon entering the unsprayed cabin was that of roast vegetables. Not the worst smell but definately nothing to enhance the onboard welcome.

Club World

Highlights of World Traveller Plus ( Premium Economy ).

Priority boarding / disembarkation
Hot towels
Pretake off drinks
Menucard
Patterned blanket and pillow
A premium experience
A separate, smaller cabin with wider seats and more legroom
Two delicious meals and complimentary bar service
A personal entertainment system with noise-cancelling headphones
A stylish amenity kit made from recycled plastic bottles
Access to in-seat power
More free baggage allowance

Basically what BA Longhaul Economy used to be but with a wider seat with more legroom.

World Traveller ( longhaul Economy ) aka Pauper Class.

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poor attitude at a low altitude

Boarding continued and I was very surprised to hear that all passengers were onboard at 2130pm, which was the STD (scheduled time of departure).

The crew of tonight's flight had arrived on Wednesday 22nd November. Bearing in mind the flight on 24th November had been cancelled, this crew had had a 3 night stay in Cincinnati. With plenty of time to rest,relax,sightsee etc and one would have hoped they would be in great spirits. You would think so anyway.

On the flight to Cincinnati, my suit jacket had been taken and hung up somewhere in the back. I noted a male crewmember stowing bags and jackets tonight. He had his back fo me so I politely asked if I may have an extension seatbelt please ?

He turned around and abruptly said "Just bear with me (pause) Sir with a sharp S and elongated ir. I was taken aback by his tone, but thought perhaps I have got him wrong.

He returned and dangled the extension seatbelt in front of my Mum on 31C. As I reached over to get the belt, I politely asked if he would hang up my suit jacket. His initial response was an apology, that there is no wardrobe and that he is only able to put it in the overhead locker.

I seemed puzzled by his response and mentioned that on my flight to Cincinnati 2 weeks ago, the crew had hung my jacket up with no issue.

The following interaction and all those observed through the flight show that this individual is about to leave BA and has lost any feeling for the job.

Upon me politely telling him about my jacket being up , he came back aggressively and crossing his arms like the X from X Factor with " Not on this aircraft you didn't".

The Aircraft in question is sistership G-VIIN, a 777-200 in the same registration series as tonight's G-VIIH.

As a fairly frequent flyer, aircraft fanatic, ex Airline staff and passionate flight reviewer, I understand different aircrafts might have different configurations and perhaps this guy was right. But the way he came back at me was totally unacceptable. To tell me that my actual experience did not happen is a huge red flag and a sign of gaslighting and coercive control. And to do this in a fairly full cabin was demeaning and very insulting.

I told him I am ex BA staff and was about to tell him that I am familiar with aircraft configurations. He cut me off at being ex staff and said " Then you should know" and mumbled something else. On seeing I am no longer listening to him, he very rudely asked why I am challenging him.

He walked off and had we not been pushing back a few minutes later, I honestly believed I was about to be offloaded due to this disgraceful individual's attitude and approach.

I need to mention that this is no ordinary crewmember. From his mainly blue tie, this indicated he is an Inflight Manager. Albeit not the overall Inflight Manager, he was the Inflight Lead tonight for World Traveller and World Traveller Plus. He is onboard for safety and service. I guess you can teach people processes but you cannot teach them to be polite and kind. How he has risen through the ranks to a Senior crew position is baffling. If my polite,reasonable and justified request made him become so aggressive, is this even the job for him ? To Fly And Serve ? I think this guy got the wrong memo and instead got To Lie And Swerve. I could have been anyone. A mystery shopper passenger. Even someone from BA management. But this guy let rip without any care whatsoever.. I saw this from airliners.net on my return to the UK and it seems such bad eggs are not new to BA.

At 2145am the safety video played and I had to get a fine balance of taking a photo of the screen for my review and not letting Mr Happy (as he will be referred to from here ) think I am photographing him. He was stood at the exit row during the safety demonstration and was looking at the floor and looked disinterested, was chewing his lip for the whole of the video and totally looked like a sulky teenager who has been refused pocket money. The Airhostess on the opposite aisle was flashing me evil looks. Very clearly he had told her some drivel about me. When he came to do the cabin secure check, he stopped by our row. He didn't say a word and flew through the cabin at lightning speed. He must have a keen eye for safety as his attitude was very poor. How would he be in an emergency ? In fact, I can advise exactly how he would be later on. Cabin Crew Morale and standards sure have changed since 2014's documentary " A very British Airline" where two trainees were fired during training for being late and not applying the correct lipstick   https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01zvv0s

take off

Ar 2202pm, our 777 lined up for take off and hurtled down the runway and into the Cincinnati night. The Aircraft sounded like a kettle reaching boiling point. as it rotated Memories of a great holiday were accompanied by the sadness of leaving family behind. To add to these valid feelings were the not so pleasant thoughts of what Mr Happy would be like for the next 7 hours. 

I needed to use the washroom. The one aligned with our seat row was occupied. The opposite washroom was vacant. Mr Happy seemed to be guarding this. I managed to squeeze past him to open the door. Would this be the last of his odd behaviour ? Keep reading. Ironically, after take off, the Captain made an announcement about tonight's "excellent" crew who we met during boarding. Not for one person tonight Mr Captain. Steven, the Inflight Manager came over to speak to us .When I asked if he had flown to Pakistan, he told us how he loved the Pakistani food and crewhotel in Lahore ! He also told us how he had learnt to make naan bread on a layover in India What a contrast to his awful colleague just feet away.

I remember asking my Cincinnati cousin how long it would take for him to drive from his home to Cleveland. I had been astonished that it would take close to 5 hours. I was further surprised when I noted on the moving map, that it took 32 minutes from take off to flying over Clevelaand.

inflight service

I was really looking forward to my Muslim Meal out of Cincinnati. My was I dissappointed.

Firstly, there are no premeal drinks and nibbles. You are served dinner after take off. And a light breakfast before you land. In between, there is a "help yourself" snack service in the galley. I only discovered this by chance and no announcement was ever made to highlight this service. In contrast, oneworld partner Japan Airlines, specifically make an announcement regarding the snacks and drinks available in the galley between meals.

My Mum was served her meal first by an older Italian Steward. I was impressed to see a sticker with her seat number, considering we had done a seat change at checkin.

I had spoken to Inflight Manager Steven to get our drinks at the same time as the Special Meal.

I was brought my meal by an Airhostess Helen who was very charming and pleasant. I noted she brought a glass of Orange Juice with the meal. Although I had not asked for this, I was grateful and did request a coke with Ice which she came back with.

The meal had a nice salad of fresh lettuce, a single cherry tomato with the world's tiniest lemon wedge.

The Dessert was a pot of fruit. Come on BA. Seriously ? This is what you pass off as Dessert ?
There were no crackers with cheese, the Gluten Free breadroll was so hard that you could have injured someone with it. The bottom half was completely inedible so I had to leave it. I believe we were given a GFML in error - I have never been served a Gluten Free meal in my life ; not that I am gluten intolerant. Seeing as other passengers got a choice of Vegetarian pasta, it is obvious the caterers have been lazy and disrespectful in providing the correct meal.

A small bottle of water accompanied the meal tray as well as butter and a coffee mate milk portion.

The Main Meal was grilled courgettes in a tomato sauce with rice. All while other passengers were offered a Chicken dish or Vegetarian Pasta. Why on earth did the caterers not just give us a Vegetarian Pasta ? I asked a Steward if he might get me a spare pasta when the service is complete, as the meal tasted bland. Bizarrely, he said the meals are always bland. He would later return to say the Pasta had run out.

Cincinnati has a large Muslim population. Airlines are meant to keep up with culinary trends. Why oh why would anyone in British Airways approve the veggies and rice as a main and fresh fruit in a fastfood sauce pot as suitable items for a Muslim Meal ? I also would prefer food items to have tamper proof seals.

Tea / Coffee to round off the meal. BA World Traveller Plus branding on the cup.

Hot Towels, breadrolls in a basket and drinks glasses kept passing through World Traveller – almost like a tease for what those in World Traveller Plus would be getting and we wouldn’t. Surely it makes more sense to bring premium items to World Traveller Plus from the Club World galleys ? World Traveller Plus is in effect, what World Traveller should be but so isn't.

When the trays were being collected, tea and coffee was also being served. Joel, the Italian Steward and Mr Happy got to our row and Mr Happy said to my Mum" Are you finished Madammmmm" when taking her tray. He then mumbled something to Joel and walked off. At first I thought it was a genuine reason for him to walk off. But I noted in several other instances, he would only speak to my Mum then walk off. Very clearly to avoid any interaction with me. He did this many times in the flight.

When Joel was about to serve drinks to the wrong row, Mr Happy shouted from further back "Adudududh" like one would scold a baby about to put it's hand in a socket or fireplace. Singapore Airlines this wasn't. It is deeply difficult to imagine that the 5 Star Qatar Airways own a percentage of BA. Surely Qatar Airways should invest a bit further in BA's Cabin Crew training and inflight product ? BA simply does not have a competitive longhaul Economy Class. I would not dream of flying BA longhaul again. British Airways is just a name. A British Original it might have been once. But a British Champion it certainly isn't.

Skyflyers Kidspaclk I am told, are only loaded from Heathrow. I did not see any child receive one on the flight to London. Even here, BA is stupidly cutting back. Whyever would any child be a future flyer of BA, if they fly Qatar or Turkish or Emirates and get pampered highly ?

Inflight Manager Steven came to my seat and I told him I would be putting in a formal complaint about his colleague Mr Happy . The reason I told Steven was in case Customer Relations speak to him for verification and so he knows. I had my foot slightly out into the aisle but not quite,an Airhostess so politely apologised when she bumped into my foot and I naturally said no worries.

3 hours 38 minutes before landing, the crew came round with water and orange juice, using their mobile phones as torches in the dark cabin.

After the meal service was over, I made my Mum a SkyBed so she may enjoy some sleep. I put a blanket across the row of 3 seats and placed 3 pillows at the window side. With Mum settled, I moved into a vacant row of 4 in the middle and took 32G.

A short while later, the male of an Indian family took 32D, to give his wife and kids some extra space. The cabin lights had been switched off and the only lights were from the seatback tv screens or the reading lights from those who simply have to read on a 7 hour overnight flight.

There was a period after flying past Canada, that the engines were revved up for a while, but they then settled down again and the flight was smooth.

I noted a female walking through the aisle. She suddenly stopped at the gentleman at 32D. I honestly thought she was about to vomit badly. In an eyeblink she collapsed and fell to the floor. My Mum tried to tend to her and the gent on 32D tried ro get her up. I immediately went to the rear galley and noted Mr Happy and another Steward there. I quickly said that a lady has fainted in the aisle and left the galley as I got no reply whatsoever. Mr Happy had no emotion but did go into the cabin. He was accompanied by another Steward and all the cabin lights went on . I visited the washroom and as I came out, Mr Happy had 2 bottles of water with him as he exited the galley. I almost bumped into him and said sorry. I got no response and he gave me bad vibes like he did from his first interaction and all through the flight.

The lady continued to be helped and went and sat on an exit row. The lights were dimmed again.

The forward toilet doors kept swinging open and the toilets stank. BA seriously need to invest in air freshener and detergent.

I asked Joel if he might please ask Inflight Manager Steven to come and see me. He went away and I was shocked, when a few minutes later Mr Happy came to my seat. I told him I wanted to see Steven and I was curtly told "He is busy". I replied, without eye contact, that I will speak to Steven when he is free. Mr Happy walked off. I do not for a moment believe that he did not even think that I wanted to complain about him. But he seemed unbothered.

amenities

Foam and Spray.

IFE AND SCENES FROM THE FLIGHT

I was not in the mood for the IFE so here are some various shots from the flight and tv screen

.Great if this had worked

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The rest of the flight was uneventful bar the engines being on full throttle as we left the Eastern Canadian coast.. I took some much needed rest and also indulged me and my Mum in some galley snacks. She was happy to get some midflight nibbles.

Joel told me to take what I want and Helen got me a coke with Ice.

views from the top

BREAKFAST

Later in the flight, the lady who had initially fainted 4 hours into the flight, collapsed again near the L3 exit (left). 3 crewmembers tended to her for what seemed like an eternity.

I honestly felt like Breakfast would be missed by the time we were just over an hour from London. If 3 crewmembers were attending to this lady's relapse, surely other crewmembers could have worked together to start Breakfast sooner ?
I counted at least 9 crewmembers so why the delay in Breakfast ?

With 1 hour and 2 minutes until landing, myself and my Mum received what I had been told earlier were vegetable pastries.

We waited a shorter than normal time for drinks. I opted for an orange juice and coffee, to arrive refreshed into London.

The pastry was more of a malformed samosa but tasted delicious. In the last 2 bites, I found a piece of chicken. I am not vegetarian but I trust the chicken was Halal. I did discuss this with the Inflight Manager but I am dismayed that, had I been a Vegetarian, that I had eaten a chicken item.  Even being a Muslim passenger, it made me question if the chicken piece was Halal. Very poor quality control and presentation too.

1997 rang and wanted their BA font back ! Seriously BA…you really are using your logo/typeface from 26 years ago ?

My Suitjacket's hanging loop….who knew how much trouble this jacket would cause on this flight and what would happen on the next flight :(

Bizarrely, some passengers were given no serviettes at all, some were given tissues from a box and some were given cute little mini square serviettes . All lacked BA branding. Joel gave me some tissues from a box in a passive aggressive way. Almost like I had disturbed him. Maybe he had somewhere better to be. Yet surely the order of service is to give out the pastry with a serviette ? I wish crew wore gloves through the inflight service as Joels nails were disgusting and had dried blood/dirt in them. I felt sick at this. Surely a grooming check is conducted before a flight ? Probably another cutback by BA.

I am not ageist at all, but on both Cincinnati flights I noticed some crewmembers who were older,tired and going through the motions. Not the best advert for BA and definitely not on this new route. I also did not like the fact that drinks stirrers were touched by hand and were not wrapped hygienically along with sugar and a servietter. BA have cut costs so much in World Traveller (longhaul Economy) that all common sense has gone out the window.

The crew came round to collect all trash and get the cabin ready for landing into London Heathrow.

LANDING

With 37 minutes until landing, Steven the Inflight Manager came to my seat. He thanked me for my part in assisting with the inflight incident and gifted me a Business Class Amenity Kit and a thank you card. How is it even possible to be commended on the same flight where one crewmember hated me throughout ? I was naturally touched by this lovely gesture and shook Steven's hand. I had asked Steven if I may have a photo with the crew. He said he had asked and the crew were not the photo type. I did not disagree looking at how poor the grooming was for some of them. Ironically, Mr Happy was sharply groomed but his attitude just did not match those high standards. My Suitjacket - keep your eye on the hanging loop until the next report.

The card and amenity kit gift.

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When the crew were doing a cabin secure check, My Mum politely asked Joel if she might have a small bottle of water. Without any apology or even going to check,Joel said they have run out and he seemed very put out. I would not say he was overly cheerful throughout the flight either but I did feel annoyed by this interaction. I  had smiled at him just before his huff with my Mum and said I had left a little something in the galley for him ( I had given him and 2 crewmembers Thank You cards). He looked at me in astonishment said "Oh right" and walked off.

A video was shown regarding landing and connecting at Heathrow. I do feel an announcement should be made before this video starts to ensure everyone is ready to watch it. It was odd to see the video referring to HighLife magazine, BA's inflight magazine that returned in print edition in May 2023 after 3 years only to dissappear again.

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landing and arrival

As we descended further into London, the weather looked miserable.

Someone in London has a pool that looks like an iPhone !

Probably more costcutting - what a disgustingly dirty wing.

At 1002am we touched down at Heathrow. The Captain announced at 1011am that due to it being Sunday morning and a lack of resource from BA/Heathrow, there were low resources and a 20 minute wait for a gate. That dirty wing ruined any photos I had taken after landing.

Unbelievable that Qantas and BA are in the Oneworld alliance and QF's Economy Class is so much more superior.

G-VSXY of Virgin Atlantic after landing from Barbados - A week or so later this aircraft would fly a Manchester-JFK rotation. When VS position aircraft between Manchester and Heathrow, I really think they ought to sell seats to let  passengers experience the cabins and hopefully inspire them to fly longhaul ! Time for a bit of planespotting.

A319 G-EUOF just landed from Jersey and later heading to Edinburgh

A320neo G-TTNT just landed from Newcastle and heading soon to Zurich

All the way from New Orleans !

A320 neo G-TTND just landed from Istanbul

Iberia A320neo EC-NTQ just landed from Madrid

Inflight Manager Steven announced,that if 20 minutes pass and we still didn't have a gate and if anyone needed to use the washroom / get items from the overhead lockers, to press the callbell and the nearest crewmember will assist. During the 20 minute wait for a stand, I think it would have been a good idea to show the Arrivals video again followed by Classical Music or even some Pop hits. Instead the aircraft stood lifeless on the tarmac and the cabin was so silent.

At 1030am we arrived on a remote stand and had to wait for all passengers to disembark and wait for an Ambulift. I noted Joel doing what appeared to be a cabin sweep. When I looked towards him, he looked away and avoided eye contact several times. The change in personality was very evident. I had had no problems with this guy during the flight, albeit towards the end he seemed very grumpy. As we left, he was stood at the L3 exit. At no point was I thanked for the card and he half heartedly said bye. Juding by his huff, he seemed annoyed at waiting for the passengers who were waiting for the Ambulift. Did he have somewhere better to be ? He earlier walked into World Traveller to show some World Traveller lus passengers on how the armrests go up in World Traveller but not in World Traveller.

An eventful flight's cabin after the flight itself !

Near the crew seat I saw, what I hoped were brown vomit stains from the ill passenger. The Aircraft would fly to Bermuda few hours later and I sincerely hoped that that area was deep cleaned before boarding of the next flight.

As we went to exit the Aircraft, the lovely Elizabeth who had helped serve us Breakfast said goodbye and I said to Steven I hope we meet onboard again soon. He said yes and hopefully somewhere warmer !

We took our seats in the Ambulift and headed to Terminal 5.

Views like these !

Wherever "there" is - it won't be on BA !!

Flight Stats

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