A nightmare experience with British Airways. The flight from Portland to Italy was a pleasant journey. However, the return flight was a complete disaster, and a story I will never forget.
The journey began with a delay. We left Pisa for Heathrow an hour late, missing our connecting flight. A flight attendant directed us to “any of their colleagues” for a rebooking. Standing in a long line, we were approached by a BA representative who asked if we were rebooking due to the Heathrow delay. We confirmed, and she inquired if we had checked if they had already rebooked us. We were clueless! They had rebooked us to a flight departing in 45 minutes, but we didn’t have a boarding pass.
Chaos ensued. Security had no idea what to do with us. They sent us back and forth to different people who were equally clueless. After 30 minutes of running around, we finally got through security. BA had put us on a Delta flight, but their gate was closed. Delta told us to go back to BA. We waited in a 30-minute line with just two staff members trying to help everyone. Eventually, a staff member booked us on a new flight departing the next day, with a connecting flight to Seattle.
The nightmare continued. We were put up in a rundown hotel filled with other BA passengers. They sent us to a buffet, but we were relegated to the back of the restaurant. The food was awful. I choked on a chicken bone in the “chicken sauce” and got a large bay leaf stuck in my throat while trying the “chicken curry.” The “fresh steamed vegetables” were frozen.
The next morning, we arrived early at Heathrow. We flew to Seattle, but we couldn’t get off the plane for 30 minutes. Our connecting flight was in two hours, but it took an hour and a half to retrieve our luggage. We approached the BA customer service desk, but the agent said “it’s not really my issue.” Only after other passengers intervened, did our luggage start to appear. Of course, we missed our connecting flight again! BA rebooked us with Alaska Airlines, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Alaska’s staff was exceptional, and they ensured we reached home that day.
I will never fly British Airways again. The experience was truly dreadful.
A Mixed Bag: Sydney to Delhi with British Airways
Good food, comfy seats, and amazing footrest massages. What’s not to love? The meals were tasty, the seats were comfortable with ample legroom, and the footrest with massage roller was simply amazing. The in-flight entertainment worked well, too.
However, there were several disappointments. Over half the in-flight entertainment screens and remotes were broken or damaged on the 12+ hour flight. If you wanted a cracker or biscuit with your tea, forget it, they don’t carry any. And don’t expect a chilled beer, as they only serve room temperature beverages. The crew appeared inexperienced and lacked the usual British Airways charm.
Will I fly again? Maybe. I would only fly British Airways because it’s the fastest way to get from Sydney to Delhi. But, I really hope they improve their service.
A year has passed since TATA took over, but I haven’t seen any significant changes. I hope things will improve in the future.
