Play fair BA, if you want my custom
THE mail’s transport correspondent Tom Payne is spot on: British airways is in a nosedive. my wife and I always try to use Ba from Heathrow, booking at least nine months in advance to make certain we get the flights we want. We are Executive Club members, which should ensure we will sit together. One important flight I booked 14 months in advance is to Bordeaux on June 7, 2020, where I am playing in the World Veterans Table Tennis Championship. I chose the arrival time carefully as I need plenty of time to register at the sports venue before a 6pm deadline. In the past two weeks, Ba has sent me 12 e-mails cancelling four flights, rebooking us on flights on a different day, changing the time on six flights and moving our booked seats on five flights. I have been re-booked on a flight that does not arrive until late at night, which means I might not be allowed to play in the championship because I will be too late to register. I am still waiting for the tournament organiser to agree to allow me to register after the official deadline. all the re-arranged flights except one were not suitable, so I have had to transfer to other airports. I have spent a lot of time in phone calls to Ba, as well as to car hire companies and re-booking hotels for extra nights, not including the extra travel to other airports. So I decided to write to Ba asking for compensation. But Ba has now informed me this is not forthcoming. Clearly it assumes it has done nothing wrong and that the cancellations and changes of seats are covered in the small print of its booking conditions. The fact I have flown more than 200 times with Ba since 1978 does not appear to mean very much to them. In future, I will consider travelling with other airlines that might value my custom.
JAMES JOHNSON, Beaconsfield, Bucks.
THE consumers’ champion Which? report highlights how savvy consumers are not prepared to suffer belowaverage experiences with airlines at increasingly higher costs. British airways stopping complimentary food and drinks on economy short-haul flights epitomises an industry that is over-reliant on ancillary revenue. Short-changed passengers have had enough. While Ba’s position as one of the worst airlines in the world may come as a surprise to anyone proud of the national carrier, few will be shocked by Ryanair’s placement at the bottom of the ranking. Ryanair took more than £1.7 billion in ancillary revenue in 2018 and its constant cost-cutting has cemented its status as the most budget of budget airlines. It’s a sad state of affairs that flyers have to splash out for basics such as bringing hand luggage on board while facing a sub-par service. The airlines are getting richer, taking much-needed travel money from their passengers.
ADAM EWART, London W1.