Aviation Discussion

[AlterEgo]

BA were accepting contactless on INV-LHR today.

Service was a farce, with the crew not getting beyond Row 8 on a little A319. Inverness is their longest domestic route so Lord knows how it work on a MAN or LBA flight.

Just baffling.

 

[atillathehunn]

There goes the theory that contactless would speed things up.

I was on a BOB Manchester the other day, they didn't even get as far as row 4 on the A320.

 

[Butts]

I've heard those with access are bringing a "carry out" from the BA Lounges in anticipation of the FOB (farce on board )

 

[berneyarms]

Sounds like BA should get some lessons from their IAG colleagues in Aer Lingus who do generally make it through the aircraft quite quickly with their onboard service.

Granted Aer Lingus just have the one service model on board - therefore the full crew cover the entire cabin on their A320 aircraft.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Morale is extremely low amongst cabin crew, where strike action has been threatened several times recently.

Whether this has anything to do with slow BOB sales, I'll let others decide

 

[me123]

When I flew with Vueling (another IAG airline) Manchester to Barcelona, they barely made it through the cabin with their BOB service in both directions. I have absolutely no idea what took them so long - I think they had very little stock on the trolleys, with most of it in the galleys. Perhaps BA are using this model?

 

[Butts]

Sounds like BA should get some lessons from their IAG colleagues in Aer Lingus who do generally make it through the aircraft quite quickly with their onboard service.

Granted Aer Lingus just have the one service model on board - therefore the full crew cover the entire cabin on their A320 aircraft.

Do they also take cash ?

 

[Tetchytyke]

BA have launched some summer-only flights from Manchester to Alicante, Malaga, Ibiza and Palma, Mykonos and Nice. I hope they get the booze cart through a bit quicker on those flights

 

[AlterEgo]

I've heard those with access are bringing a "carry out" from the BA Lounges in anticipation of the FOB (farce on board )

I pinched some mini Cokes and a biscuit today. The rebellion has begun.

 

[me123]

BA have launched some summer-only flights from Manchester to Alicante, Malaga, Ibiza and Palma, Mykonos and Nice. I hope they get the booze cart through a bit quicker on those flights

It's BA Cityflyer, not BA mainline. They already operate some summer weekend services from Glasgow, Edinburgh and a few other airports, often largely on behalf of travel agencies.

 

[berneyarms]

Do they also take cash ?

Yes they most certainly do and in multiple currencies.

 

[Butts]

Yes they most certainly do and in multiple currencies.

This seems to be BA's "faux pas" - it's okay in theory to save the charges by not accepting it - but if you end up taking very little due to not taking cash it seems to be a false economy.

Is there any other BOB that does not accept cash ?

 

[gsnedders]

This seems to be BA's "faux pas" - it's okay in theory to save the charges by not accepting it - but if you end up taking very little due to not taking cash it seems to be a false economy.

Is there any other BOB that does not accept cash ?

Icelandair, for one. I'm sure I've been on some other.

 

[atillathehunn]

Icelandair used to accept cash, though they have changed to all plastic now. An interesting change. As has been said, in theory it should be better. But it seems it isn't on BA.

Perhaps those with access to the lounges can assembe little Red Cross parcels for those plebs down the back without such luxuries.

 

[atillathehunn]

BA have launched some summer-only flights from Manchester to Alicante, Malaga, Ibiza and Palma, Mykonos and Nice. I hope they get the booze cart through a bit quicker on those flights

I would imagine it would descend into madness fairly quickly if they don't.

I also seem to recall CityFlyer offering the drinks and food for free for longer, perhaps another year or so.

 

[AlterEgo]

BA Cityflyer are offering free food and drinks until "this summer" is the latest info I can find.

 

[atillathehunn]

BA Cityflyer are offering free food and drinks until "this summer" is the latest info I can find.

Interesting.

Yesterday's LCC flight was about an hour all things told, and the crew managed to serve everybody who wanted anything with time to spare. I was late to the airport and desperate for a tea so I partook. Not at all bad.

My last BA flight was a similar duration and they didn't even serve 1/5th of the cabin.

 

[AlterEgo]

Interesting.

Yesterday's LCC flight was about an hour all things told, and the crew managed to serve everybody who wanted anything with time to spare. I was late to the airport and desperate for a tea so I partook. Not at all bad.

My last BA flight was a similar duration and they didn't even serve 1/5th of the cabin.

I had a flight back from Turin yesterday. I was in Club but a friend was in Row 8 (the 4th row of economy). Apparently the BoB cart didn't make it more than half way down the aircraft.

BA need to acknowledge this and fix it ASAP otherwise there is no point even providing a damned trolley.

I have no particular wish to buy anything off the trolley - I will sneak two Pepsis from the lounge and fill up on carbs - but I don't like to pick up on others' frustrations.

I flew Easyjet outbound to Turin from Luton because I am a tart. It was even worse than BA. The airport is an abomination and even worse now that there are longstanding building works. For some reason when I boarded the rear door wasn't open, but this wasn't visible until 20 of us had got past the wing, forcing us into a double back and the front steps becoming crammed. I have yet to have a good experience with Easyjet, though I recognise I am probably unlucky. FWIW, I find Ryanair to be exceptionally consistent.

 

[berneyarms]

I had a flight back from Turin yesterday. I was in Club but a friend was in Row 8 (the 4th row of economy). Apparently the BoB cart didn't make it more than half way down the aircraft.

BA need to acknowledge this and fix it ASAP otherwise there is no point even providing a damned trolley.

I have no particular wish to buy anything off the trolley - I will sneak two Pepsis from the lounge and fill up on carbs - but I don't like to pick up on others' frustrations.

I flew Easyjet outbound to Turin from Luton because I am a tart. It was even worse than BA. The airport is an abomination and even worse now that there are longstanding building works. For some reason when I boarded the rear door wasn't open, but this wasn't visible until 20 of us had got past the wing, forcing us into a double back and the front steps becoming crammed. I have yet to have a good experience with Easyjet, though I recognise I am probably unlucky. FWIW, I find Ryanair to be exceptionally consistent.

How many cabin crew and trollies are they using in economy?

For reference Aer Lingus have two trollies each with two crew covering an A320 - that way they manage to cover the entire cabin.

 

[AlterEgo]

How many cabin crew and trollies are they using in economy?

For reference Aer Lingus have two trollies each with two crew covering an A320 - that way they manage to cover the entire cabin.

This was an A320 and I believe it is just a single trolley.

A321s on BA have always had a second trolley, I think.

Problem is on BA European flights, at least one member of staff is preoccupied serving Club Europe.

 

[berneyarms]

This was an A320 and I believe it is just a single trolley.

A321s on BA have always had a second trolley, I think.

Problem is on BA European flights, at least one member of staff is preoccupied serving Club Europe.

That is asking the impossible in my opinion given the extra time required to process transactions.

You need two trollies on an A320 with a minimum of three crew, but ideally four, to get through the aircraft in time.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This is I believe actually part of the reason easyJet went for 156 seat 319s rather than downseating to 149 to only require three cabin crew as the Boeings did - the additional sales they could process plus the fares from just 7 extra seats paid for the extra crew member.

 

[gsnedders]

FWIW, as a counterpoint, on my A321 flight on Sunday back from LHR to GLA they got through the whole cabin with plenty of time to spare. But as said above, they have two trollies on an A321, which undoubtedly helps!

 

[atillathehunn]

I had a flight back from Turin yesterday. I was in Club but a friend was in Row 8 (the 4th row of economy). Apparently the BoB cart didn't make it more than half way down the aircraft.

BA need to acknowledge this and fix it ASAP otherwise there is no point even providing a damned trolley.

I have no particular wish to buy anything off the trolley - I will sneak two Pepsis from the lounge and fill up on carbs - but I don't like to pick up on others' frustrations.

I flew Easyjet outbound to Turin from Luton because I am a tart. It was even worse than BA. The airport is an abomination and even worse now that there are longstanding building works. For some reason when I boarded the rear door wasn't open, but this wasn't visible until 20 of us had got past the wing, forcing us into a double back and the front steps becoming crammed. I have yet to have a good experience with Easyjet, though I recognise I am probably unlucky. FWIW, I find Ryanair to be exceptionally consistent.

About half way seems to be par for the course on these new BoB flights, if you're lucky. The Glasgow flight is an interesting counterpoint: I've yet to hear of or see a flight that gets that far.

Luton is, without question, a dump.

easyJet has come a long way, and it's been a while since I had a bad flight with them. Flying 'long haul' with them tedious very quickly, though.

If I had status and therefore access to a lounge this would be a different story. Alas, alas.

I usually purchase nothing, but this occasion was an exception (bad traffic and taken apart at security in the random check) and I was grateful there was at least something. I would have been annoyed had I been on BA and the trolley didn't get to me.

 

[Bald Rick]

I flew Easyjet outbound to Turin from Luton because I am a tart. It was even worse than BA. The airport is an abomination and even worse now that there are longstanding building works. For some reason when I boarded the rear door wasn't open, but this wasn't visible until 20 of us had got past the wing, forcing us into a double back and the front steps becoming crammed. I have yet to have a good experience with Easyjet, though I recognise I am probably unlucky. FWIW, I find Ryanair to be exceptionally consistent.

You are unlucky. I have never had a bad experience on Easyjet, with maybe 50 flights, almost all of which have involved Luton. Punctuality good, service good, value good.

As for Luton - yes the building works are a pain, but the plans seem to show that the airport will be much improved as a result. Initial results are good - my last inbound flight (last month) saw me from touchdown to the new Multi-Storey in under 15 minutes, and that included immigration and collecting hold luggage. Or put another way, from security in Geneva to my own bed in Hertfordshire in well under 3 hours, for £40.

Meanwhile, Ryanair have been universally sh*te to me, with the most appalling customer service. I am, however, breaking a 13 year boycott of them this year, as I have no other option to get to where I am going.

 

[atillathehunn]

You are unlucky. I have never had a bad experience on Easyjet, with maybe 50 flights, almost all of which have involved Luton. Punctuality good, service good, value good.

As for Luton - yes the building works are a pain, but the plans seem to show that the airport will be much improved as a result. Initial results are good - my last inbound flight (last month) saw me from touchdown to the new Multi-Storey in under 15 minutes, and that included immigration and collecting hold luggage. Or put another way, from security in Geneva to my own bed in Hertfordshire in well under 3 hours, for £40.

Meanwhile, Ryanair have been universally sh*te to me, with the most appalling customer service. I am, however, breaking a 13 year boycott of them this year, as I have no other option to get to where I am going.

While they've been late to the party, Ryanair have turned themselves around a bit. I have no reason to interact with customer service beyond the app and their onboard crew, but the app is handy and the boarding and on board experience has come on such a long way. I wouldn't go as far as to say a good experience -the interior yellow is still so headache inducing - but it's certainly not bad. The onboard bag situation has alleviated so many headaches.

 

[atillathehunn]

Royal Air Maroc have announced they're starting a thrice weekly service to Casablanca from Manchester using 737s.
12.30 departure from Casablanca.
17.00 departure from Manchester.

Convenient for connections into West and North Africa, arrives around 20.30 for the connections out to places like Lagos that leave around midnight/1am. Terrible for connections to somewhere like Nairobi, however.


Also announced today is a daily Cologne to Manchester flight from Ryanair. Starts in the winter.

 

[Butts]

Flew from Edinburgh to Cardiff on Wednesday - hammered down on an Embraer 195 in 50 minutes .....I love it

Unfortunately the return leg last night the 2045 from Cardiff to Glasgow was late and diverted to Prestwick - it hammered up in an hour but then we were bussed to Glasgow and dumped at Midnight with no Flybe Staff in sight.

Poor Butts consequently missed the last train from Glasgow to Falkirk and had to fork out £70 for a Taxi from Glasgow Airport to Falkirk. Any other time of the day I would have been okay to get back

Thrown myself on the mercy of Flybe to help towards the taxi cost. If only they had diverted to Edinburgh I would have been okay

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Looking at flights to China for the autumn. Anyone got any recommendations between Hainan from Manchester, BA from LBA via LHR or KLM / China Southern from LBA via AMS. Thanks.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You are unlucky. I have never had a bad experience on Easyjet, with maybe 50 flights, almost all of which have involved Luton. Punctuality good, service good, value good.

Yes, and I have only ever had *one* rude crew, who I guess must have been having a bad day. The Luton crews are always very pleasant other than that once.

As for Luton - yes the building works are a pain, but the plans seem to show that the airport will be much improved as a result. Initial results are good - my last inbound flight (last month) saw me from touchdown to the new Multi-Storey in under 15 minutes, and that included immigration and collecting hold luggage. Or put another way, from security in Geneva to my own bed in Hertfordshire in well under 3 hours, for £40.

LTN-GVA-LTN is incredibly cheap in winter and has been for years. It's almost as if they put too many flights on but never notice that they have done. My experience is of it tending to be about 2/3 full and £19/£29 base fares being available until a couple of months beforehand. In summer there are only 1 or 2 rotations a day and these are generally full and much pricier.

Meanwhile, Ryanair have been universally sh*te to me, with the most appalling customer service. I am, however, breaking a 13 year boycott of them this year, as I have no other option to get to where I am going.

Try Wizz. On the other hand, don't. Ryanair in a sickly pink colour. And when I'm eventually too infirm to sit in the exit row, completely useless to me - their seat pitch is inhuman, worse than any other aircraft I have ever used in my life. (It's quoted as the same as easyJet, but the seat design has a thicker back and cushion).