JANUARY 1999
I was flying B.A. from NY to Tel Aviv via London and the same return flights last summer and had problems right from the start In NY they cancelled the flight and told me to wait 12 hours for another. Only after bothering like two managers did I find out they had an American flight we could take but they really never told anyone.
I had to run to a bus and shuttle to a terminal that was a complete panic scene when I arrived with 500 screaming people. Not one person in charge with BA had any idea what was going on and I basically ran to a gate (after standing in a line that never moved an inch for 20 minutes) and climbed on a plane because I made one of the earlier mngrs put my name on that flight in the computer. Note that I got on international flight with two bags and went through absolutley no customs or special security.
After that mad rushing scene they made us wait on the ground for 2½ hours. On the flight they informed us we would barely make our connection but agents would be waiting at the gate to show us what bus to take to the terminal for Tel Aviv. Yeah right - one woman was there and sent me to a closed terminal. Another running through the airport and with no help at all from BA I found my way to the flight which sat on the ground for another two hours.
Upon arrival they lost all my luggage and gave me a coupon for clothes that couldn't be used because it was the Sabbath in Israel (stores are closed) - a day and a half later they brought my luggage. At this point it was no big deal but I got food poisening at my brothers wedding and had to fly home 36 hours later.
I tried so hard over the phone (numerous phone calls) 24 hours before the flight to get an aisle seat so I wouldn't bother others and BA was the biggest assholes and never put one word in the computer about it. They told me at the gate in Tel Aviv I did have an aisle but when I got on the plane it wasn't. So anyway this flight to London has major problems with the air flow inside the plane and it's either freezing cold or so hot I couldn't breath for almost five hours.
At this point I'm getting irritated and spoke the cabin director about getting a shower in London because I'm a sweatball and have over eight hours of flying ahead of me. The guy was so nice and said he'd find out all the info I needed and wait for me when I deboarded. Once again he totally blew me off and had no answers when I found him later - like he never heard a word I said.
I went to customer service and they were so tight they wouldn't give me a $2.00 towel (which they sold at the showers) even though they admitted the flight was horrible. Every person with BA was being such an asshole I told them I was not leaving until a manager gave me this stupid towel or $ for it (it was the principle, not the $). This guy comes out and starts yelling at me and tells me until I apologize to the female agent who was so rude to me and to him I cannot board the plane, and he threatens to call security and hold me in London.
Realizing I'm not on US soil I reluctantly apologized so I could get the hell out of England and was determined to somehow spread the word about BA. I got on my flight and told the cabin manager how rude everyone had been. Only after some woman puked next to me on the flight did the cabin director later take the time to listen to my story in first class.
She said the head of marketing for BA was on the plane, had heard about my experiences, and wanted to find out more. I told her everything and warned her if they blew me off I was going to do everything possible to legally warn thousands of people about not flying their airline. Basically only after I wrote this guy (Martin George) did they respond with a coupon for $250.00 and an apology. I wrote back telling them it was a joke to ask me to spend more money with them to use the coupon.
In addition I told them it was probably a bunch of crap about the marketing director and more people were probably lying (his assistant wrote me back). Anyway they wrote back telling me they were investigating it furthur (that was like six weeks ago and they never responded) but I've had enough.
I know this is a really long and detailed story but I will not forget all the hassles and how and embarrassed I was with that manager yelling at me trapped in a foreign country.
My company recruits high level pro sports
executives around the U.S. so I know poor management when I see it - and
these guys are the worst. I've also dealt with senior managers at
major firms like Toyota, UPS, Rossignol, and Compaq when I've had problems
and
have seen how real companies can deal with
issues on a professional basis (making you want to do business with them
in the future).
I realize no company and its employees are perfect but after
over a dozen incidents with lies or threats it was no coincidence.
Andy
