This report will mark the beginning of my new relationship with BA as my preferred frequent flyer program. Some of you know that I have decided to leave AA after being a loyal customer for quite some time. Part of the reason for my switch has been the constant deterioration of the AA product both in terms of service and frequent flyer program. It was disheartening to see how AA has transformed itself from a legacy carrier with a focus on quality to this new entity with a LCC mentality right after the merger with US. I looked forward to flying BA for the first time and give it a try, at least for 1 year to test the waters. One thing that annoys the hell out of me with BA is that you cannot pre-reserve seats if you don't have status. What is even more irritating is that part of my ticket was booked in J and I couldn't even reserve for that long haul segment either, just the short CDG-LHR hop. My schedule is as follows:
A few months ago I planned this trip to Paris with my mother and sister. They would fly on the AF nonstop while I took a less direct route via LHR. I love this last flight of the day that BA has out of SFO because it would allow me to fly right after work without having to request the day off and give me an early start to my vacation.
I live very close to the airport and took the local bus from my place. The trip lasted about 10 min. and soon I arrived at the BA counter with a little less than 2 hrs. before dept. The area was amazingly empty and I was checked in by an efficient agent who just asked me if I had luggage to check. She did not bothered to even look at the carry on or weight it, which made for an encouraging start with BA.
Empty counters.
My boarding cards.
I went through security and presented my boarding pass. As a boarding pass collector I hate it when the agent disfigures it by writing all over. Security was the usual stripping of shoes and belts with everything out of your pockets. Why can't this process be more dignified as in other countries?
Once inside I went to my assigned gate and surprisingly it was not too crowded for being a full flight according to the agents who said that it was overbooked by about 15 people and were requesting volunteers to depart on a later flight the next day. I tried to inquire about an upgrade to Y+ using Avios or money, but was not successful.
My plane at the gate.
There were about 4 agents working at the gate and boarding commenced in an orderly fashion with seniors, family with children, premium passengers and elite members boarding. The Y cabin was called by rows from back to front.
There were 2 male FA's welcoming passengers onboard.
Cabin.
I proceeded all the way to the last row where a FA was positioned and placed my bags in the overhead bin. There was a metal box in front of my seat that restricted my leg room.
My seat.
Once everyone settled we took off 23 min. behind schedule. In the seat pockets there were inflight and duty free magazines, a safety card and a package with headphones and toothbrush. Eye masks and socks were available on request according to the note on the toothbrush. Interesting that on BA a toothbrush set is offered while on AF only an eye mask with a cold napkin is given.
Amenities.
The seat in front titled when reclined, making it nearly impossible to stow the tray table once it was released.
There were 4 WC's in the back in addition to a secured door to the crew rest area. The WC that was right behind my seat has a flaw in its design - everytime the door opens the light hits me on the side. One thing that I noticed with BA is that sanitizing wipes are installed inside all WC's which is a nice feature.
There is also ample supply of toilet papers.
That is one big CALL button.
Astrays?
The water pressure on BA WC's is a bit strong and if you are not careful you can get splattered all over.
The FA made an announcement welcoming everyone onboard and you hardly heard any announcements from the cockpit. Dinner started after we reached cruising altitude with a beverage/cocktail service. Sadly nothing was offered along with the drinks and not even the napkin was branded.
Having read horrible reviews and seen pictures about the sad breakfast offered on these long hauls, I decided to order a special Hindu meal in hopes of getting something salty for the 2nd meal. Unfortunately I was disappointed regardless of my precautionary measures.
However, the dinner was nice and the main dish was satisfying. There was salad with a lemon vinaigrette that was sweet and sour in taste, a pack of savory mix and I sprinkled on top of the rice to add some texture and a dessert that seemed like sweet paneer (strained yogurt cheese).
After the dinner service FA's walked around with metal pots in their hands offering coffee or tea.
The image quality of the screen was not the best resolution and I had some trouble understanding what was said on the audio. Film choices were somewhat limited. In that sense I liked AF and KL entertainment programs better.
After the dinner service I took a stroll to the galley and this was the set up with some snacks.
At around 2 hrs. before arrival we encountered strong turbulence for about 30 minutes. Once it subsided breakfast was served. The cabin was still dark and the FA opened the windows from the rear doors and eventually turned on the cabin lights subtly to wake up the cabin.
Cabin.
Disappointing special meal breakfast.
I closed the box after a quick look and politely asked for the regular offer which was equally disappointing but marginally better with a croissant. Even the U.S. carriers can offer a big hot croissant instead of a wrapped one. Why can't BA do better?
Arrival in LHR.
One positive point was the polite crew and at one point when I approached one for some logo items and she couldn't find anything, she returned towards the end of the trip and offered me a BA sack that she found.
Overall I have mixed feelings about BA so far. Catering is not a strong point and if flying in Y - TK, KL and AF provides better meals on the same route. Another negative issue is the inability to secure pre-reserved seats for free for those without status and charging for this service which no other airline follows. On a positive note, I found the staff to be accommodating, professional and polite - both on the ground and in the air. Perhaps once I reach elite status with BA I shall see things in a different light.
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Verdict
British Airways
7.3/10
Cabin7.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi6.0
Meal/catering7.0
San Francisco - SFO
9.0/10
Efficiency8.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness10.0
London - LHR
8.2/10
Efficiency6.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness9.0
Conclusion
Overall I have mixed feelings about BA so far. Catering is not a strong point and if flying in Y - TK, KL and AF provide better meals on the same route. Another negative issue is the inability to secure pre-reserved seats for free for those without status and charging for this service which no other airline follows. On a positive note, I found the staff to be accommodating, professional and polite - both on the ground and in the air. Perhaps once I reach elite status with BA I shall see things in a different light.
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Wow, it seems like BA has come a long way down from what I experienced 14 years ago. It doesn't seem as charming (if one may call a Y-class product so) as its European competitors, and more on par with the likes of American carriers, gosh even Avianca seems better. I also find that they've stuck to the same seat, and IFE, as 14 years ago (I do know new ones are on their way) dissapointing.
Thanks for sharing, and I look forward to the rest of the series, saludos!
Thanks for your comments on this and other reports. It seems pretty incredible that most competitors have a better breakfast than BA longhaul in Y. I have to say that this was almonst on par with IB, but at least IB offers a packaged chicken sandwich instead of just croissant.
Thanks for this very comprehensive Flight Report I took pleasure reading. As you point out there are some good and bad points with BA long haul service in economy.The meals are clearly dissapointing and breakfast is far too light for such a long flight. The IFE is also behind competitors. The crew seems good and that is key to a good experience. Last but not least it´s always a pleasure to fly onboard the queen of the skies !
Interesting that on BA a toothbrush set is offered while on AF only an eye mask with a cold napkin is given. French people are known for not brushing teeth
making it nearly impossible to stow the tray table once it was released. Uncomfortable :(
The meal doesn't look appetizing at all
What were the other choices ?
After the dinner service I took a stroll to the galley and this was the set up with some snacks. Far from the KL's snacks ! ;)
The Hindu breakfast had fresh fruits : I thought that you liked that (at least on a KL flight !)
Great pictures of the 747 - Thanks, it's a great compliment coming from you. ;)
French people are known for not brushing teeth - Not the one I know, but if you say so. ;)
Uncomfortable :(: - It was not too bad. I had a place to rest my elbows.
The meal doesn't look appetizing at all. What were the other choices ? - I actually thought it was decent, but then again some people don't like hindu food. I believe the other choices were shepherd's pie OR pasta. Of course, there was a real dessert like Eli's cheesecake.
Far from the KL's snacks ! ;) - No competition there.
The Hindu breakfast had fresh fruits : I thought that you liked that (at least on a KL flight !) - It was industrial version with syrup. Big difference from fresh fruit, don't you think? ;)
Breakfast (Hindu or not) is really a shame - A sorry attempt is more like it.
It's hard starting all over again with no status! I'm pretty sure if you want seat assignments ahead of time on BA with no status that you can pay for them. I did that with award tickets on them last year--I remember prices being reasonable. The dinner looks ok, not so much the breakfast. The breakfast is, however, better than AF Y on shorter TATL from the East Coast, but not as good as the hot breakfast AF offers on longer TATL from the West Coast. Beautiful pictures as always!
Thanks Kevin. BA gave me an option to reserve a seat if I pay something like USD 40+ for the Y longhaul and USD 100+ for the J segment back to SFO. I refused out of principle.
It's hard as you said to start all over with no status, but time flies and the good availability on true world class carriers makes it much more bearable. Sometimes pain and pleasure go hand in hand. ;)
I often head for the last flight for the same reason :) Any saved day off is another vacation opportunity :)
You accrue with BA ? That means you'll have to fly at least 4 times with them a year to keep a status. But I do remember your clear explanation when leaving AA.
The breakfast is very disappointing in regard to the flight duration !
Yes, I need to fly 4 segments on BA, but if I read correctly those can include IB, Openskies and any other code shared flights, so if I can find an AA one within North America that has a BA code it shouldn't be too bad.
Maybed I should order a kosher meal next time. If they are catered by Hermolis they are supposed to be very good.
Interesting to see that you think AA's service level has worsened, when on this side of the Pond, AA never was considered as a quality airline.
BA's food certainly is its weakest point. But as far as I remember, it's not worse that LH's Y.
Regarding the impossibility of choosing one's seat in advance, unfortunately, the LH group has gone this way and you now have to pay a pretty big price (30$) to select a regular seat.
AA in the mid 1980's and early 1990's was a good airline, even in Y. There were printed menus and some decent meals, not the cheap version that you get in Y these days.
LH might be doing the same thing as BA in charging for reserved seats, but I bet that their J passengers can always book a seat anytime.
It is always enjoyable to fly on a 747 and the BA seats in the Y cabin are well cushioned. The entertainment box under some seats and the pitch can be improved though.
I look forward to the A380 coming to SFO next year.
Thank you for this report. It has really set me back in booking BA. I'll stick with KL or for goodness sakes, QF.
The BA product is nice but the meals don't look that great. The 747 however, remains queen of the sky. Thank you for the impressive photo's, I have enjoyed reading and watching :)
I'm glad you enjoyed the report. If you use BA and have connecting flights, allow plenty of time in between. KL and QF are good alternatives. Thanks for your kind comments.
Thanks for sharing! WOW! The hard product looks really old. BA should do a retrofit. VS has the same mediocere catering, but slightly better hard product on their 744s.
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22 Comments
Thanks for sharing, and I look forward to the rest of the series, saludos!
Thanks for your comments on this and other reports. It seems pretty incredible that most competitors have a better breakfast than BA longhaul in Y. I have to say that this was almonst on par with IB, but at least IB offers a packaged chicken sandwich instead of just croissant.
As you point out there are some good and bad points with BA long haul service in economy.The meals are clearly dissapointing and breakfast is far too light for such a long flight.
The IFE is also behind competitors. The crew seems good and that is key to a good experience.
Last but not least it´s always a pleasure to fly onboard the queen of the skies !
Great pictures of the 747
Interesting that on BA a toothbrush set is offered while on AF only an eye mask with a cold napkin is given.
French people are known for not brushing teeth
making it nearly impossible to stow the tray table once it was released.
Uncomfortable :(
The meal doesn't look appetizing at all
What were the other choices ?
After the dinner service I took a stroll to the galley and this was the set up with some snacks.
Far from the KL's snacks ! ;)
The Hindu breakfast had fresh fruits : I thought that you liked that (at least on a KL flight !)
Breakfast (Hindu or not) is really a shame
See you soon for your next leg
- Thanks, it's a great compliment coming from you. ;)
French people are known for not brushing teeth
- Not the one I know, but if you say so. ;)
Uncomfortable :(:
- It was not too bad. I had a place to rest my elbows.
The meal doesn't look appetizing at all. What were the other choices ?
- I actually thought it was decent, but then again some people don't like hindu food. I believe the other choices were shepherd's pie OR pasta. Of course, there was a real dessert like Eli's cheesecake.
Far from the KL's snacks ! ;)
- No competition there.
The Hindu breakfast had fresh fruits : I thought that you liked that (at least on a KL flight !)
- It was industrial version with syrup. Big difference from fresh fruit, don't you think? ;)
Breakfast (Hindu or not) is really a shame
- A sorry attempt is more like it.
Thank you for your visit as always.
It's hard as you said to start all over with no status, but time flies and the good availability on true world class carriers makes it much more bearable. Sometimes pain and pleasure go hand in hand. ;)
You accrue with BA ? That means you'll have to fly at least 4 times with them a year to keep a status. But I do remember your clear explanation when leaving AA.
The breakfast is very disappointing in regard to the flight duration !
Thanks for sharing.
Yes, I need to fly 4 segments on BA, but if I read correctly those can include IB, Openskies and any other code shared flights, so if I can find an AA one within North America that has a BA code it shouldn't be too bad.
Maybed I should order a kosher meal next time. If they are catered by Hermolis they are supposed to be very good.
Thanks for yor comments.
Interesting to see that you think AA's service level has worsened, when on this side of the Pond, AA never was considered as a quality airline.
BA's food certainly is its weakest point. But as far as I remember, it's not worse that LH's Y.
Regarding the impossibility of choosing one's seat in advance, unfortunately, the LH group has gone this way and you now have to pay a pretty big price (30$) to select a regular seat.
LH might be doing the same thing as BA in charging for reserved seats, but I bet that their J passengers can always book a seat anytime.
Thanks.
BA isn't the best airlines for the meal but I think that it's not too bad for a Y.
The old cabin is comfortable with those old seats :)
It's always a true pleasure flying a classic like the B747-4.
See you soon
I look forward to the A380 coming to SFO next year.
Thanks for your comments Sebastien.
The BA product is nice but the meals don't look that great. The 747 however, remains queen of the sky. Thank you for the impressive photo's, I have enjoyed reading and watching :)
WOW! The hard product looks really old. BA should do a retrofit. VS has the same mediocere catering, but slightly better hard product on their 744s.
Thanks for passing by.
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