BA's decision to stop flights because of the snow has been criticised by aviation experts.
See The Telegraph.
www.baisshite.com the latest news and views on British Airways, the world's "favourite" airline. This site contains updates on the ongoing strike action, and dispute between BA and Unite.
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Friday, 10 December 2010
Delays IV
My much delayed flight to Stockholm finally took off at 18:00 (almost 4 hours late).
I finally got to the bottom of the reason for the delay. It seems that a combination of heavy snowfall and a lack of de-icing equipment in Frankfurt caused the delay.
Whilst BA cannot be held responsible for the weather or probably the lack of de-icing equipment, BA should have communicated the reasons for the delay to their customers.
On board, despite that fact that it was well past "teatime", afternoon tea was served.
The reason?
Catering is now provided by DHL who, so I am advised, aren't very good at "customer care".
The two finger sandwiches were an inadequate repast, and were of poor quality (total lack of taste and frozen bread).
That is what you get when you hire a logistics company to provide the catering!
www.baisshite.com the latest news and views on British Airways, the world's "favourite" airline. This site contains updates on the ongoing strike action, and dispute between BA and Unite.
I finally got to the bottom of the reason for the delay. It seems that a combination of heavy snowfall and a lack of de-icing equipment in Frankfurt caused the delay.
Whilst BA cannot be held responsible for the weather or probably the lack of de-icing equipment, BA should have communicated the reasons for the delay to their customers.
On board, despite that fact that it was well past "teatime", afternoon tea was served.
The reason?
Catering is now provided by DHL who, so I am advised, aren't very good at "customer care".
The two finger sandwiches were an inadequate repast, and were of poor quality (total lack of taste and frozen bread).
That is what you get when you hire a logistics company to provide the catering!
www.baisshite.com the latest news and views on British Airways, the world's "favourite" airline. This site contains updates on the ongoing strike action, and dispute between BA and Unite.
Thursday, 1 July 2010
BA Strike Update - Not A Happy Place
From the Guardian:
"BA will struggle to weather the fallout from this bitter dispute. Our brand, our reputation and our integrity as an employer have all been damaged – indeed continue to be damaged – as this dispute rolls on with no sign of a resolution or closure. The road ahead will be fraught with challenges – challenges that we will all have to deal with. It will be an uphill struggle and it will not be easy.
Those BA staff who have chosen to volunteer as cabin crew have unwittingly prolonged this dispute and, in all probability, hastened their own demise. Their actions have allowed BA to keep flying rather than to reach a negotiated settlement.
As Unite prepares for another ballot and, in all probability, more industrial action, many managers are trawling through employment websites, desperate to find anything that will enable them to leave the bedlam that is now BA.
For anyone who really wants to understand what it is like to work for the world's favourite airline, I would suggest reading George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four."
www.baisshite.com the latest news and views on British Airways, the world's "favourite" airline. This site contains updates on the ongoing strike action, and dispute between BA and Unite.
"BA will struggle to weather the fallout from this bitter dispute. Our brand, our reputation and our integrity as an employer have all been damaged – indeed continue to be damaged – as this dispute rolls on with no sign of a resolution or closure. The road ahead will be fraught with challenges – challenges that we will all have to deal with. It will be an uphill struggle and it will not be easy.
Those BA staff who have chosen to volunteer as cabin crew have unwittingly prolonged this dispute and, in all probability, hastened their own demise. Their actions have allowed BA to keep flying rather than to reach a negotiated settlement.
As Unite prepares for another ballot and, in all probability, more industrial action, many managers are trawling through employment websites, desperate to find anything that will enable them to leave the bedlam that is now BA.
For anyone who really wants to understand what it is like to work for the world's favourite airline, I would suggest reading George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four."
www.baisshite.com the latest news and views on British Airways, the world's "favourite" airline. This site contains updates on the ongoing strike action, and dispute between BA and Unite.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
BA Strike Update - Next Week's Flights Cancelled
The ongoing strike action by BA cabin crew shows no signs of ending anytime soon. The Times reports that BA will be informing passengers, with flights booked next week, that they will be cancelled.
Whilst BA management has the financial resources to weather the strike, and Unite claims that its members have the stomach for a protracted dispute, the long term effects on the company (ie irreparable damage to the brand) and consequential loss of jobs for the cabin crew are not going to be so easy to weather.
The protagonists in this Greek tragedy would do well to remember that.
Whilst BA management has the financial resources to weather the strike, and Unite claims that its members have the stomach for a protracted dispute, the long term effects on the company (ie irreparable damage to the brand) and consequential loss of jobs for the cabin crew are not going to be so easy to weather.
The protagonists in this Greek tragedy would do well to remember that.
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Stormy Weather
I doubt that Unite, the BA staff union, will be that impressed by this report in today's The Times:
"The entire 11-member board of British Airways has agreed to work for nothing next month but is clinging to the free, unlimited, first-class travel perk granted to all past and present senior directors and their spouses for life."
"The entire 11-member board of British Airways has agreed to work for nothing next month but is clinging to the free, unlimited, first-class travel perk granted to all past and present senior directors and their spouses for life."
Monday, 26 January 2009
Prepare for Turbulence
It looks like there may be some staff issues ahead within BA, as Willie Walsh seeks to impose a 1% pay rise.
Doubtless it will be the long suffering passengers who have to end up weathering the forthcoming storm.
Doubtless it will be the long suffering passengers who have to end up weathering the forthcoming storm.
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
The VIPs - BA Style
Those of you with a penchant for classic films may well recall that fine film from the early 1960's starring Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, Margaret Rutherford etc.
It followed the lives, over a period of 24 hours, of a group of disparate travellers stranded at Heathrow in the fog.
Forty years on, here I am stranded at Heathrow in the BA lounge.
I was planning to catch the 14:15 to Stockholm, but was helpfully texted by BA at 11:45 this morning telling me that my flight was cancelled.
Pity I was en route at the time!
I duly called BA, and some 15 mins later (having listened to countless adverts for online check in, carbon offset and other assorted junk) I was finally able to speak to a human being.
Seemingly fog, of which there is very little, has caused disruption to my flight and the flights of a few others.
I rebooked myself onto the 16:30, and duly checked in at the airport.
Check in went without incident, aside from the fact that I was told that I was 2 hours too early to check in my bag. Given that this was not down to any fault on my part, it was agreed that a special dispensation would be granted and that the check in guy would do all he could to get my bag checked in.
On arrival at the lounge, the BA check in lady told me that I could come in but that I should keep my eye on the announcements.
It seems that they are not confident that they will launch the 16:30 either.
I still remain bemused, as the weather is clear and bright.
Where the fark is the fog?
I will post updates during the day.
It followed the lives, over a period of 24 hours, of a group of disparate travellers stranded at Heathrow in the fog.
Forty years on, here I am stranded at Heathrow in the BA lounge.
I was planning to catch the 14:15 to Stockholm, but was helpfully texted by BA at 11:45 this morning telling me that my flight was cancelled.
Pity I was en route at the time!
I duly called BA, and some 15 mins later (having listened to countless adverts for online check in, carbon offset and other assorted junk) I was finally able to speak to a human being.
Seemingly fog, of which there is very little, has caused disruption to my flight and the flights of a few others.
I rebooked myself onto the 16:30, and duly checked in at the airport.
Check in went without incident, aside from the fact that I was told that I was 2 hours too early to check in my bag. Given that this was not down to any fault on my part, it was agreed that a special dispensation would be granted and that the check in guy would do all he could to get my bag checked in.
On arrival at the lounge, the BA check in lady told me that I could come in but that I should keep my eye on the announcements.
It seems that they are not confident that they will launch the 16:30 either.
I still remain bemused, as the weather is clear and bright.
Where the fark is the fog?
I will post updates during the day.
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
BA Among Worst In Europe
British Airways performed worse than any other major European airline, with more than two in five flights running late, according to figures released yesterday.
Not only did BA's punctuality figures leave it languishing alongside the Portuguese and Greek carriers, it was also among the worst airlines for losing baggage over the summer.
The latest performance league table, covering July to September, was released by the Association of European Airlines.
It was published within days of BA announcing that it had notched up a 25 per cent increase in profits for the first six months of the year.
This summer, while difficult, was the first in several years when Heathrow avoided major disruption at the height of the holiday season.
But the performance figures for this year were even worse than those for 2006, when British airports went into meltdown after the thwarting of an alleged plot to down transatlantic flights.
Only 58.8 per cent of short haul flights arrived at their destination less than 15 minutes late - nearly six per cent fewer than the same period last year.
The long-haul performance was even worse, with 45 per cent of flights reaching the terminal more than quarter of an hour after they should have done.
This figure again, was marginally worse than the previous year.
A startling number of BA flights also departed late - nearly 40 per cent in the case of short haul services and 41.3 per cent for long distance trips.
Again, this was worse than July to September last year and BA was also amongst the worst when it came to cancelling services outright.
With a cancellation rate of 1.5 per cent, only a handful of carriers - including Alitalia and Croatia Airlines - dropped more flights.
BA also was amongst the worst performers when it came to lost luggage with the airline mislaying 30 bags for every 1,000 passengers it carried.
This is the equivalent of around 10 bags on a full jumbo jet.
The only crumb of comfort for BA was that the Portuguese airline, TAP, was even worse when it came to losing luggage, mislaying 35.1 bags per 1,000 passengers.
While in many cases the lost luggage was reunited with passengers several days later, this was not always the case.
Earlier this year The Daily Telegraph disclosed that lost bags were being sold at auction.
"BA said they were putting measures in place to deal with the problem, but things do not seem to have got any better over the past six months," a spokesman for the Air Transport Users Council said yesterday.
Last night a spokesman for the airline said performance would improve when Heathrow Terminal 5 opens next March.
"These statistics have to be put into context. We operate out of one of the most congested airports in the world and the UK is the only country in Europe with restrictive hand baggage rules which put more pressure on hold baggage carried," he said.
"A security alert which closed T4 airside and landside, followed by extreme weather (floods and thunderstorms) in July, led to the cancellation of some 600 flights and a build up of baggage.
''Through this period we were also dealing with record levels of hold bags and transfer bags - at least 15 per cent up - because of the one bag hand baggage rule."
The spokesman added: "We are working hard to improve our performance and September's figures were a lot better than July and August."
Source Daily Telegraph
A 25% increase in profits coupled with joining the ranks of Europe's worst airlines, well done lads!
Not only did BA's punctuality figures leave it languishing alongside the Portuguese and Greek carriers, it was also among the worst airlines for losing baggage over the summer.
The latest performance league table, covering July to September, was released by the Association of European Airlines.
It was published within days of BA announcing that it had notched up a 25 per cent increase in profits for the first six months of the year.
This summer, while difficult, was the first in several years when Heathrow avoided major disruption at the height of the holiday season.
But the performance figures for this year were even worse than those for 2006, when British airports went into meltdown after the thwarting of an alleged plot to down transatlantic flights.
Only 58.8 per cent of short haul flights arrived at their destination less than 15 minutes late - nearly six per cent fewer than the same period last year.
The long-haul performance was even worse, with 45 per cent of flights reaching the terminal more than quarter of an hour after they should have done.
This figure again, was marginally worse than the previous year.
A startling number of BA flights also departed late - nearly 40 per cent in the case of short haul services and 41.3 per cent for long distance trips.
Again, this was worse than July to September last year and BA was also amongst the worst when it came to cancelling services outright.
With a cancellation rate of 1.5 per cent, only a handful of carriers - including Alitalia and Croatia Airlines - dropped more flights.
BA also was amongst the worst performers when it came to lost luggage with the airline mislaying 30 bags for every 1,000 passengers it carried.
This is the equivalent of around 10 bags on a full jumbo jet.
The only crumb of comfort for BA was that the Portuguese airline, TAP, was even worse when it came to losing luggage, mislaying 35.1 bags per 1,000 passengers.
While in many cases the lost luggage was reunited with passengers several days later, this was not always the case.
Earlier this year The Daily Telegraph disclosed that lost bags were being sold at auction.
"BA said they were putting measures in place to deal with the problem, but things do not seem to have got any better over the past six months," a spokesman for the Air Transport Users Council said yesterday.
Last night a spokesman for the airline said performance would improve when Heathrow Terminal 5 opens next March.
"These statistics have to be put into context. We operate out of one of the most congested airports in the world and the UK is the only country in Europe with restrictive hand baggage rules which put more pressure on hold baggage carried," he said.
"A security alert which closed T4 airside and landside, followed by extreme weather (floods and thunderstorms) in July, led to the cancellation of some 600 flights and a build up of baggage.
''Through this period we were also dealing with record levels of hold bags and transfer bags - at least 15 per cent up - because of the one bag hand baggage rule."
The spokesman added: "We are working hard to improve our performance and September's figures were a lot better than July and August."
Source Daily Telegraph
A 25% increase in profits coupled with joining the ranks of Europe's worst airlines, well done lads!
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