My Recent BA World Traveller Plus Experience

[Travel Guru]

Thankfully I picked up mine on an agents deal for $1080 inc taxes return so pretty happy with that for Y+

Thanks for the feedback

TG

 

[mikeyjames]

Actually, the truth can fail as a defense against defamation... You have to prove that it is also in the public interest...

Hi,
I realise that in a legal battle with BA I'd lose hands down unless I could find a QC willing to do pro bono. So basically, I'm st***ed.:evil:

My main aim is to get the truth across about how bad the experience was and how equally bad their response was.

Maybe I'll offer them the domain name for the fare difference between between Standard Economy and Premium Economy, which far as I'm concerned they rightfully owe me anyway - Sounds fair to me:mrgreen:

But I know fairness and the law often have little in common.:?:

Cheers

Mick

 

[anat0l]

But I know fairness and the law often have little in common.:?:

Amen to that.

 

[auriga]

But I know fairness and the law often have little in common.:?:

How true!

It does sound like a horrible flight.:shock:

 

[mikeyjames]

How true!

It does sound like a horrible flight.:shock:

Without doubt the worst experience ever on amajor international airline ever in any class of travel

The only other experience that comes close is being stuck queued on the runway at BKK for 60 minutes on an packed Air Asia flight to Hatyai with no air conditioning functioning. Those seats just kept getting smaller and smaller. Then again this flight only cost me about $100 return.

Cheers

Mick

 

[albatross710]

Without doubt the worst experience ever on amajor international airline ever in any class of travel

Possibly other experiences on this website have been worse, people being stranded in Hawaii, sitting on aircraft waiting for missing passengers, arriving 2-3 days late.

 

[mikeyjames]

Perhaps you should post your experience there, although naturally bring your flame shield with you.

Flame shield not necessary - doesn't seem to have gotten past the moderator

Cheers

Mick

 

[mikeyjames]

Possibly other experiences on this website have been worse:

people being stranded in Hawaii.

- I could think of worse things :mrgreen:,

sitting on aircraft waiting for missing passengers.

- and then if they don't show at all waiting half an hour while they remove their bags from the hold:evil:

arriving 2-3 days late.

Really depends on where you're going I suppose. Two days late for a boring two day conference :mrgreen:. Two days late for the beach in Thailand

Cheers
Mick

 

[laffer]

Hi,
I realise that in a legal battle with BA I'd lose hands down unless I could find a QC willing to do pro bono. So basically, I'm st***ed.:evil:

My main aim is to get the truth across about how bad the experience was and how equally bad their response was.

Maybe I'll offer them the domain name for the fare difference between between Standard Economy and Premium Economy, which far as I'm concerned they rightfully owe me anyway - Sounds fair to me:mrgreen:

But I know fairness and the law often have little in common.:?:

Cheers

Mick

It is my understanding that the ability of corporations to sue for defamation in there own name was abolished in NSW around 2003 and all other states in 2006. The Corporation could fund a case to be brought by a prominent Officer of the Airline (e.g. whoever the CEO is) but that would of course create an extra layer of difficulty. If they really wanted to bring proceedings (which I doubt they would) then they would have to bring an injurious falsehood claim or something like that and those cases are harder to prove for them. Of course if it concerns you should get your own legal advice as this is not intended to be any advice to you.

 

[mikeyjames]

It is my understanding that the ability of corporations to sue for defamation in there own name was abolished in NSW around 2003 and all other states in 2006. The Corporation could fund a case to be brought by a prominent Officer of the Airline (e.g. whoever the CEO is) but that would of course create an extra layer of difficulty. If they really wanted to bring proceedings (which I doubt they would) then they would have to bring an injurious falsehood claim or something like that and those cases are harder to prove for them. Of course if it concerns you should get your own legal advice as this is not intended to be any advice to you.

Hi,
BA and QANTAS are both fully aware of the site now and have made no requests for me to pull it down. I really think they simply don't care.

Cheers

Mick

 

[mikeyjames]

Hi all,
For anyone who remains interested here's my latest form letter from BA:

From: BA Customer Relations :gsrreplies at contact britishairways com]
Sent: Wednesday, 29 July 2009 1:06 AM
To: <mikeyjames>at worldtravellerplus info
Subject: Your Response from BA Customer Relations


Dear Mr <mikeyjames>
Thank you for coming back to us about your recent experience travelling in our World Traveller Plus cabin. I am sorry that you are unhappy with our response. I understand that you feel that we did not take your complaint seriously enough.

When our customers tell us that something has gone wrong, our first response is to apologise and take action to address the problem and try to stop it happening again. Sometimes it is possible to make an immediate change. Other changes take more time.

For our part in customer relations, I want to reassure you that we do carefully log every customer complaint and comment we receive. All of the information we get from you is valuable to us, as we meet with our Board every month to share our customers’ views with them. This means we can invest in and improve the areas that matter most to our customers.

We are genuinely grateful for the time you have taken to explain your concerns. We will hold our offer of the Highlife Shop! vouchers open for a year for you. So if you change your mind at any time and would like to accept them, please do let us know. We will be happy to send them to you.

While I do understand the reasons you have for asking, I am unable to arrange for your account to be refunded with the difference betwen the fare We do not have the facilities to arrange this.

Thank you again for contacting us and for giving me an opportunity to look at your case again. I hope our decision will not deter you from flying with us in the future.
Best regards

<xx_xx_x>

British Airways Customer Relations
Your case reference is:xx_xx_x


One a better not it looks as though the NSW Department of Fair Trading seem to think I may have a case:

From: tamworthftc at oft dot commerce nsw gov au
Sent: Wednesday, 29 July 2009 12:10 PM
To: michael at worldtravellerplus dot info
Subject: Office of Fair Trading Enquiry No: 4xx_xx_

Dear Mr <mikeyjames>

Thank you for your correspondence dated 27/07/2009 concerning a flight with British Airways from Bangkok to Sydney booked via QANTAS.

Because you paid for premium service this is what you should have received and if you are dissatisfied with the service you received you should contact the Trader advising of your concerns and requesting the refund.

Should you not be happy with the response from the Trader you have the option of requesting Fair Trading's intervention and would need to contact us quoting our reference number, 4xx_xx_. The role of Fair Trading is to try and negotiate a solution and if this is not possible we do not have the power to direct a Trader to a particular course of action.

However if this is the case you would have the option of lodging a claim in the Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal where a legally enforceable order can be applied for . Further details on the tribunal are available on their website: www cttt nsw gov au

I trust this information is of assistance to you.

Yours Sincerely
Richard xx_xx_
Customer Service Officer

 

[mikeyjames]

Some good news.

I took a chance and tried to guess the email adresses of the QANTAS CEO and a few other senior execs based on an address I found on the internet. You'll be pleased to know it's as simple as their name without spaces at qantas dot com dot au.

So this morning before work I cc'd them all in on the complaint history (uncluding reponses from BA).

Anyway got a a phone call from an Executive from customer relations this afternoon and I have my $ /points back

So Kudos to QANTAS

As for BA you'll never get another dollar out of me again

Cheers

Mick

 

[Flashback]

A good result.

 

[Walter Plinge]

All this is concerning. I hope BA gets their act together -- I'm booked for LHR-IAD next year in premium economy on a Qantas code share. I don't expect business class service but it is nice if everything works and the cabin is clean.

 

[anat0l]

Luckily my last CW experience was quite good. Can't compare it with something else, but it wasn't ****house.

I'm more worried now about my Nov flight on BA F, given that BA are slowly but surely phasing out F on almost all services (a la QF style: sell 3 classes on 4 class equipment, i.e. J service in F cabin)

 

[simongr]

Interesting stuff. It sounds like a terrible flight experience and certainly worth a complaint. I wonder though whether this was isolated or endemic. I also think it is hard to compare a TG whY flight to WT+ on price given that you got an exit row on TG. One of the key benefits of WT+ is the extra space - which is what I primarily paid for when I paid for WT+.

 

[sr81]

I think that you have gotten a great result through persistence and saving your emotions for a more useful outlet - AFF!

Points for QF on that one.

I would also humbly suggest that a thankyou note to said CEO and his staff may be in order.

 

[harvyk]

Actually, the truth can fail as a defense against defamation... You have to prove that it is also in the public interest...

If you are a lawyer I won't get into an argument over this with you, however I was talking to my lawyer yesterday and a question about defamation came up. His response was basically provided you tell the truth, you don't leave things out or add things in (so in other words, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth) then you can't be sued.

About the only thing they may be able to get you on is the use of the world traveller plus name which is no doubt a trade mark. That said, as your not actually selling anything or gaining any financial profit from this then even then they'd have trouble. That said, they may make a condition of any refund that you both close the site down and give then control of the domain name.

As for the experience itself, whilst I have never flown on BA, so I can't comment on it personally, this does not surprise me, as it fits in with the trip reports friends \ family have given me.

 

[drron]

"While I do understand the reasons you have for asking, I am unable to arrange for your account to be refunded with the difference betwen the fare We do not have the facilities to arrange this."
Well BA had no problems refunding us when our Asia trip booked for 30/11 through BKK went pear shaped.Doesn't sound like the truth,the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

 

[UP4014]

Airline (and many companies are similar) responses to complaints and problems remind of the the book "From Worst to First" by Gordon Bethune about Continental Airlines going from worst big airline to best in 1 year. Good book, recomend it, a bit repetative but shows how any airline can get it's act together, even Tiger.

'Thanks for flying on our crummy product, with coughpy meals, cough service, sorry we lost your bags, but; see you next time'. Well of course you don't see them next time because they went to an airline that cared.

Airline complaint replies (and hotels, look at Trip Advisor when something goes wrong and Hotel replies) always seem to asume it was a one off problem and they hope to see you soon. On Trip Advisor you can some times see many complaints in a row and hotel blindly apologising saying it was a one off and hoping to see them come back.

Gee, wouldn't it be smarter to the fix the problems rather than let them get so bad that people are so frustrated with the responses that they want to post them on the internet.