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Jaysit · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 4346

Dear Sir/Madam -

I wish to make a heartfelt complaint regarding your ground services at JFK and LHR during my recent flights in ClubWorld from JFK to BOM via LHR (BA112/BA139) on August 26, 2012. We are senior citizens needing wheelchairs to traverse the long distances within airport terminals, and your treatment of us left us feeling afraid, demeaned and insulted.

I and my husband are both seasoned travelers, but we are also what you'd call "elderly." Thus, while we fly to the US every year, we always fly Business Class, and we request the airline - at the time of booking - to ensure that 2 wheelchairs are available. We ensure that the wheelchair requests are part of our reservation and are put into the airline's database. We also call up the airline a few days in advance to ensure that the wheelchairs will be available. On the flights mentioned above, we did all the above, and we expected that our requests would be met.

However, British Airways were painfully remiss in fulfiling our requests, and to make matters worse, treated us poorly and in some instances with contempt. At JFK, the wheelchairs showed up only after my daughter and son-in-law first made numerous requests, and finally read the riot act to the check-in staff. We ended up being among the last to board. However, the worst was yet to come. At London Heathrow, we were made to wait near the aircraft airbridge for at least 20 minutes until 2 confused men with wheelchairs appeared. They then proceeded to take us all over T5, and unceremoniously dumped us at "Flight Connections" even though we repeatedly informed them to take us to the Galleries Lounge. Apparently, no one told them that we were flying Business Class, and even after we told them, they didn't seem to care. Then at flight connections, we were made to wait 90 minutes while two staffers chatted among themselves about fashion and the like, and repeatedly ignored our pleas that as Busines Class fare-paying passengers we should be taken to the Galleries Lounge. One dismissively even said "don't bother us, we have a staffing shortage." Finally, a kind man who worked at T5 noticed our plight and got two assistants (both of whom were very nice) to take us to the Lounge. By then we barely had enough time for a cup of tea before we had to board. However, once again, there were no wheelchairs to take us to the aircraft. We had to wait for another 30 minutes for the wheelhchairs to reappear, while BA was making public announcements that if we didn't appear at the gate in a few minutes, the aircraft would leave without us. The staff at the lounge once again dismissively told us that "we have staffing shortages, and to run to our gate," as if we were Olympic athletes. The wheelchairs finally showed, but once again, we were the last to board. By then we were exhausted, and felt demeaned and exposed and insulted. Were it not for a kind airhostess of obvious Indian extraction working the ClubWorld cabin who made us feel welcome on the Heathrow-Mumbai leg, I think I would have burst into tears.

What a surprise it was to us when at Mumbai, everything was picture perfect. The wheelchairs were at the gate, and we were ushered to immigration and customs and to our waiting car and driver in less than 20 minutes. If a distinctively third world airport at an incredibly busy hour can manage this, I wonder why BA can't do the same at their flaghship hub terminal in London, or at JFK from where they have dozens of daily flights. Is it because we are Indian nationals? I hope not.

I wondered aloud to my husband that if this was how BA treated their premium passengers, how much worse could it be for those who by virtue of their finances are condemned to fly Economy. It must be a terrible ordeal, indeed. Over the last few years, airlines such as Turkish, Air India, Jet and others have treated us well at the airport. I was expecting the same from a major airline like BA. However, you not only let us down, you treated us poorly. I will, thus, never fly BA again, and cannot ever recommend you to our circle of friends and family here in Mumbai who frequently travel abroad on business and pleasure. As an aside, however, please express my thanks to the airhostess with the Irish accent on the JFK-LHR leg, the two kind assistants at LHR who finally took us to the Lounge, and to the Indian airhostess on the LHR-BOM leg I mentioned above.

Nimish · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 11:56 pm Post subject:

Oh shucks - quite a shame. EK next time I would imagine - with limo service at both ends, and (hopefully) better handling for wheelchair passengers.
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Karan69 · Member Joined: 22 Dec 2006 Posts: 1334

That's real sad mate , it's one thing when they treat us like that but to treat people who need wheel chair assistance in such an un dignified manner is shameful

I guess next time it will be EK or TK or EY

Karan

Jaysit · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 4346

I think it will be AI next time for flights to the US.

They may not have 100 movies on the IFE and their idea of hors d'oeuvres in premium cabins may be kurkure, and their idea of coffee Nescafe instant crap, but AI still do one thing well, and that is treat the elderly with care.

The_Goat · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 1:14 am Post subject:

After going through what she did, your mom has been incredibly polite, I must say.

Please let us know if and when BA replies to it. I believe they will. The Brits are always very particular about such things.
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PAL@YWG · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 2:29 am Post subject:

It's really sad.
If this is not an isolated incident then BA has lot to lose. BA is the carrier of choice (First/Business class) for affluent Indians (NRI/ PIO/Resident) and they are pretty loyal.

What we are seeing here is an overall degradation of service level in the airline industry. It seems that no one is immune. A similar story on SQ may be the next....

On the lighter side, I guess it's best value for money when someone arrives at YYZ from DEL on VV and upon landing asks airhostess "Wheelchair lao jaldi".
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Spiderguy252 · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:20 am Post subject:

Heck I would have snapped if I was stuck in that connections area for that long (90 minutes was it?).

From what I keep reading, the European carriers seem to be rather impersonal and mechanical in service, and only survive by virtue of convenient connections to various cities in the continent and beyond. BA, AF and LH are prime examples of this trend.

Also do remember to post the reply, should BA ever decide to send one.
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Yeah.

jbalonso777 · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:47 am Post subject:

What a big shocker this is! It's very, very disappointing to see the elderly treated like this! And worse, they were premium passengers! Well, like everyone above mentioned, Emirates it is then. And anyways now, the Olympics are also over, there shouldn't have been any problems with the crowds. I always knew BA had nothing special in them, this proves it further.

Regards
Jishnu
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rutvij · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:39 pm Post subject:

For an Airline that counts India to be in its Top 3 Revenue Grossing Markets, and one that sends its best metal to BOM including the 77W, this kind of Attitude is utter crass! And to get this treatment in J, downright disgusting! How can someone give such disrespecting and demeaning answers to elderly, and that too J Class? And all this to unfold at their HOME BASE, atleast where one expects the home carrier to be adequately staffed, or expected to make arrangements at short notices, this is INDEED disappointing.

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Sanjay, this experience is certainly not acceptable in any form.
I have flown BA quite a few times, starting with their Super VC-10s on the LHR-DEL segments, and the 742s too - all in economy, but have found the overall behaviour quite bad. The cabin crew and ground staff have been snooty, indifferent, and at times, outright rude.
To have been treated thus in J - is terrible.
I will fully concur with Rutvij on this - and this is not just on the AI 101/102, or the earlier 140/141 non-stops. The way AI treats senior citizens and little children - it has to be seen to be believed, and this goes way back in time, even in the days of the more prevalent rude Uncles and obnoxious Aunties. I have travelled on the Gujju Express AI 141/191 combo, the AI 124/127 - the care that the cabin crew - both the fresh recruits as well as the senior ones, take of senior citizens and little kids, and people who are not very literate, or are well-versed only in the vernacular - is simply exemplary. Sanjay, I think you have written about it yourself in a post many moons back. I have heard good things in this respect on Jet too, though I haven't flown them internationally, myself.
When my grandmother had to fly to the US alone in 1982, it had to be Air India, on their AI 111/112 on DEL-LHR-JFK and back. For a lady completely unfamiliar with English, and limited movement abilities due to her age, AI were superb, to say the least.
On a different note, your Mummy has really written the letter beautifully, with Economy of word and expression, while meaning Business, First. One can guess how well you have inherited her writing skills.
Cheers, Sumantra.

abhijith16 · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 1:00 am Post subject:

That is downright crass. Especially from BA. I think we all would really like to know any follow-up from BA.

I feel it was staff morale, especially when relations between BA and tge cabin crew are quite frosty.
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