Phuket Thailand

JFL · #1 27-07-2005, 04:31

My travelagent found a good deal with BA for my trip in nov so far so good but it involve 8 hour in heathrow, maybee thats no problem becourse i understand you have some good tasting beer

I have searched the forum and read some bad things about BA but it was allmost a year ago, my travelagent told me they have improved since then?
Is this true?
And one more how is the legspace compered to Thaiair?

Best Regards
Mr Pongneng

Chiggerz · #2 27-07-2005, 07:41

I flew BA from Tokyo to the UK last month, and i found the staff were rude, and getting a drink was nearly impossible.
The seats were ok, but i would still recommend thai compared to BA.

steve@thaib · #3 27-07-2005, 12:06

My Experience with BA is all good, all 747s doing the Bangkok trip (though the codeshare with Qantas so often it is a Qantas flight reather than BA) so leg room not too bad.

I like BA because they have a lot of flights going to Bangkok, and a lot of aircraft, so you never seem to run into huge delays if a plane goes technical. You can pick your flight time to an extent as well, I like the night flights to Bangkok as I can get a little sleep and you get there at a decent time.

Coolhand · #4 27-07-2005, 12:39

first of all 8 hours in heathrow is a long time, and dont even think of getting a day room at local hotel. Get your bags checked all the way through, then if you can get out of the airport, go into Windsor or even London for a couple of hours.
I have never had problems with BA except they lost my luggage once (on way home). Flights do tend to be full. Try and join their frequent flier club, as it adds a few benefits, such as faster check in, online seat selection, etc.
Just flew back with them last night and everything was fine landed at 5.15 and was out of airport by 5.45, and that was even having a chat with customs about all my cigarettes

sishow · #5 27-07-2005, 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizbusta

BA are just like any other airline, you will find that staff have "off days" just as much with BA as with any other airline. Diz

In my opnion Ba flight staff tend to have more off days than on days. I personally will never fly with them as both my previous experiences have led to me having arguements with the flight crew over the conditions onboard and their so called 'service'. So therefore I will never fly with them ever again. Though they are not the worst airline I've flown with (Air India, Don't ask!) I would try to get Thai Air myslef!

Sirgezza · #6 27-07-2005, 16:16

I have flown with BA once and after that experience (about 8 years ago), vowed I would never fly with them again. Maybe they have changed and woken up and realised that they can no longer treat their customers badly as people have left them and used other carriers.

They were and maybe still are an arrogant company. 8 hours in Heathrow is no fun. Easiest place to go is central London - get on the underground (Piccadilly line).

alibaba · #7 27-07-2005, 17:15

I flew with them many years ago from Perth WA. to London.
Staff were ignorant, lazy, etc. Press the buzzer for a drink etc. and they just completely ignore you. You would have thought they were doing you a favour letting you fly with them. I swore then I would never use them again and I have kept to that.
Only positive is like someone else pointed out, you don't get long delays.
The same applies to Quantas who I flew with twice.
I use Thai every time if I can get a reasonable deal. I must have used them for 20 plus trips and can honestly say, I've never yet had lost luggage, a delay of more than 30 minutes and the staff are the best bar none.
Only problem I've found with them is the shitty food. It hasn't varied for years. I no longer eat it. I take my own.

sishow · #8 27-07-2005, 17:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by dizbusta

When travelling around Europe for my work, I tend to use BA quite a lot and they are quite good. I recently went to/from Moscow with Lufthansa and they were much better. I also did the Moscow trip once with Malev (via Budapest) and they were brilliant. Maybe I have got used to BA, or maybe I just don't notice things that I used to ? I know the food on their European flights is naff and getting a second drink can be hard at times, but I have not experienced anything to make me want to stop flying with them. KLM on the other hand have and I refuse to use them. I suppose it's really down to what the service and staff are like on the day if you don't travel too often.

If anyone is going London Heathrow to Bangkok, then I highly recommend you use EVA Air's Evergreen Deluxe Class. OK it's a little bit more expensive at just under £700, but you get a nice meal a big, spacious and comfortable seat along with cute Taiwanese Flight Attendants, that have such sweet smiles

plus it's a non-stop flight. I would rather spend the extra £200 or so for this flight and class. Evergreen Deluxe is the same as BA's Premium Economy, but much better

Don't use EVA Air's website if you want to see £700, use www.benztravel.co.uk who have strong links with the airline. I prefer to call them on the phone when booking, as when you put in the details online, it confirm the flight as "economy" which is very confusing. I booked online once and when I called them they said it was a glitch in the system. You would have thought that they would have fixed it by now. Last time I looked, BA quoted £1,600 for the same class !!

Cheers
Diz

I used westeast travel to get eva business class for £850 or something. From the website, it looks good!

I can recommend EVA economy as being alot better than BA for the same trip mind, and that possible to get for around £450. Staff are ALOT better!

barfly · #9 27-07-2005, 18:01

I hear BA loose luggage with alarming regularity. China Airlines good and cheap.

djmyst · #10 27-07-2005, 18:19

Last trip I go with finnair. good price on the flights and it's only take 9h 30min from helsinki to bkk. Went from oslo 19.10. 1h25 min to bkk. Turn the clock one houre forward. arraived helsinki at 21.35 local time. and boarding 22.45 so not many hours to sit and wait.

JFL you should go to finnair's web site and take a look. Not the best service on the flight. but you have good space to your legs on the flight. I'm 190cm and had good space, that's more inporten then a few free beers. Think finnair take around 6 -7000 NOK for flights in nov. 750 - 875 euros =)

They have good beer at the airport in helsinki too - Lapin Kulta

JFL · #11 28-07-2005, 02:02

Thank you all.
I have now booked with BA i still have the 8 hour stop when i go out but i managed to cut the stop on my way home to 3 hour. the main reason i chosed BA was i can fly from a little airfield 30 min from my hometown + it was much cheaper than the other options.

Cheers

Denver · #12 28-07-2005, 16:18

I'm not flag waving or being patriotic but I have never had a problem on a BA flight. Never lost an item of luggage, but then again, like all airlines, they shift a lot of the stuff. I think it best to avoid Monday morning or Friday afternoon flights - You just know how that bloke, who is throwing your carefully packed bag with your expensive camera inside is feeling.

I do think BA have or are getting thier act together a bit more (Suppose they have to, to remain competitive out there in a cut throat market) We could all use a bit more leg room on any airline we take, unless you've got bottomless pockets and can go up the sharp end behind the curtain.

Normally lots of clued up representatives at most airports who won't walk away from you if they don't know the answer, they try to find out for you and get back to you in my experience. Oh and for me in any case they speaka da lingo! Like the saying goes: Two languages = Bi-lingual, Three languages = Tri-lingual, One Language = yep, you guessed it = British!

Plus on a Jo'berg to Paris flight once with BA, the stewardess showed me how to sneak a crafty one in the aft heads without the silent alarm going off (Have a cigarette that is!

What were you thinking?) Not big, not clever I know, but never once during that cigarette did I think the plane was in danger of exploding. Comments on the bag of a Fag packet to Denver (For our US listeners - a fag packet is not a gay blokes condom)

Just fly any airline that actually gets you there and won't dump you off in Bahrain with no comments or feedback as to why. Offer you a hotel for the night or offer to purchase you a meal. Inform you when you are likely to actually get into the air again and still give you a smug smile when you ask for at least part of the wad of cash you paid them for the priviledge of flying with them refunded!

Denver · #13 28-07-2005, 17:42

Another good British Airline is the Royal Air Force (Commonly known, in a friendly way, of course, as 'CRABAIR')

They fly some lovely green and grey painted aircraft called Fat Alberts (Hercules C130's) Lovely red webbing seats, facing inwards for your comfort and delight. Non-pressurised cabin, so when you just have to go for that in-flight piss in the bucket with a nice green curtain around it (Privacy for the girls!) It feels like the pee is travelling back into you rather than out. A constant drip, drip, drip from the condensation forming inside the cabin roof where you can see the wires moving as the jockey up front pushes the pedals. You are also issued with little yellow plugs of expanding foam to try and surpress the noise! No good, they don't work. You do learn to lip read quite well though.

In-flight catering consisting of a white cardboard box (affectionately known as a 'Death Pack') thrown down the aircraft at you by the Air load master down in the posh seats at the front. A carton of warm orange squash, a packet of jammy dodgers and maybe a Mars bar (if he hasn't nicked those for the pilot and his mates) Oh yes, no heating up there at altitude, so everyone scrambling around trying to put on everything you have packed for your 6 months away from Mum or Wifey.

A 14 hour flight to Ascension Island (Look it up, if you can find it!) Half an hour refuelling stop (You are allowed off to "Burst into flame" - Have a smoke) as long as you get far enough away from the aircraft. Then hop back on for another 14 hour stretch down to the Falkland Islands (Yep, 28 hours!!) On my particular trip we were carrying an internal 14000 litre tank of aviation fuel south to the FI's for the Phantom jets down there. Still one numpty piped up and asked if he could have a quick smoke in the aircraft!!

Most of the time the aircraft actually lands and you get to walk off the thing, other times, depending on the colour of the beret you are wearing, they keep the bloody thing at about 3000 feet and you actually get to jump out of the door! Fan-bloody-tastic!

I sailed back - 10 days - slept most of the way - brilliant.

Sirgezza · #14 28-07-2005, 18:45

You lads certainly have an easy life in the forces - flying around the world and then a luxury cruise

. All paid for out of my hard earned taxes

Denver · #15 28-07-2005, 19:03

Aye Gez lad we did, loved every minute of my time in the Mob. Hey! We paid taxes too!

Been out six years now and earning the big bucks! Did I mention there was a free bar on that ship on the way back? Don't panic Gez, I didn't waste any of your money!

The next ones on me Gez lad

Denver · #16 29-07-2005, 01:37

Don't do spillage Gez....Diz even (I need to sort my eyes out, must be all this cheap Bolivian Vit V) That's sacrilege in my book!

Anyway, back to the thread, British Airways, Hot or Not!

or

t0rn · #17 30-07-2005, 01:09

Always found BA very good and a little known fact is that you can collect Tesco points (in the UK) and convert them to BA Miles.

SuRFeRGiRL · #18 30-07-2005, 17:33

last time i used ba they broke my baggages(they bought me new ones of course), they made me losing 2 flights(they paid me other 2 but i got 12 hours later to my home), they forgot my diabetic meals(they gave me chocolate!!!), they tried not to let me check in my insuline injections because they were dangerous, they changed the hour of the flight and they forgot to tell it to me(i had to return to the airport the next day), i had to wait also 8 hours at heatrow and we had a smoking alarm, so when i was sleeping at a chair i had to take all my things and run!!i hate BA!!!!If i can next time i will not fly with them but i know they have probably the cheapest rates...
I have also flown with lufthansa and i prefer them, you can also try china airlines but i would choose emirates...

geespot · #19 30-07-2005, 18:34

I wouldnt touch Ba with a barge pole!!! Their staff are old rude boilers, they should all be sent on a customer service and attitude adjustment course immediately

Flown to Thailand to numerouse to mention, can say that Thai Air service and economy seat pitch is good, only grumble is they need to refit their 747-400's with upto date entertainment system. Other than that I would highly recommend Emirates, service really good but watch out for seat pitch which wasnt so good

Even on domestic flights in the UK, I will stick to BMI as opposed to BA. Its a sad state of affairs that they have so much monopolistic control of the berths at Heathrow as Virgin Atlantic and BMI have found to their cost

G

norrie · #20 30-07-2005, 18:48

my sentiments regarding ba,,same as many above,,stopped flying with them years ago,,lousy service,,and dont even think about "pressing" your buzzer for a drink,,ba had it too easy for years.competition is good,,keeps you on your feet and alert,, but ba have been sleeping for years,,hence ,,so many bad posts,,

Denver · #21 30-07-2005, 20:56

Nice one Diz

That gave me a chuckle, I know you're a big lad an all.

If that happens to me, I just load all my duty free bags on the opposite side overhead baggage thingies and the plane flies straight as an arrow.

Short haul I think most of the companys are much of a muchness, KLM, Lufthansa, Air France and BA etc. The ones that ferry us Brits around Europe normally.

It's just that some of them have those better final touches on the long haul flights: Entertainment, video games, limitless drinks, half decent in flight catering etc BA can be lacking in some areas but I have flown worse airlines for more of my bucks. IMHO BA's colouring books and crayons are way better than Lufthansas!

Sirgezza · #22 30-07-2005, 22:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by geespot

I wouldnt touch Ba with a barge pole!!! Their staff are old rude boilers, they should all be sent on a customer service and attitude adjustment course immediately

G

It is their training that causes the problem. There was a documentary on tv some years ago on airports etc. and one item it showed was training of cabin crew at BA. Several times the instructor made comments that once the student cabin crew had passed the course they would never again have to think of themselves as ''the customers''. They seem to think that paying customers are of a lower intellect and should be treated with disdain. At the end of the day I know I've got more brains than some tart with a cart at 30,000 ft. No trolley dolley gets to look down her nose at me, so I would not touch them with a barge pole either.