GRRRR - BA Rant!

[Elise79]

Sorry - just need to rant.

We got a really good price on fly drive with BA for next summer. Nice early outbound and late return flights.

Well today they have changed our flight times on outbound from 11.20 to 13.40 - 2 hours and 20 minutes We now don't arrive into MCO until 17.55

Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but really annoying all the same especially as it has taken me 16 years to get over the last flight I had with them and give them another chance!

For all Virgins flaws I think they will remain my preferred airline

 

[2Tiggies]

I can relate to this 100%

I too refused to fly BA again after one hassle after another, in 2001. Flew with them last year and they were fine.

Our return flight next year now has use leaving MCO at 5.35, after a change by them from the 8 pm one. See for me, every hour counts

I hope they don't change our outbound now - we are just a couple of weeks before you on the same route and looks like the same times too

 

[flortlebap]

I would be really annoyed with that too, it's the worst time to hit MCO - and you lose a whole evening of your holiday

That's why we fly with VA at 11:00 from Man despite it historically being slightly more expensive than the afternoon flight.

 

[2Tiggies]

Tracy, have they put you on a different flight? There is a BA flight that leaves just after lunch time, though not sure if it flies out every day (too lazy to check).

Pointless question to satisfy my curiosity

 

[Elise79]

Tracy, have they put you on a different flight? There is a BA flight that leaves just after lunch time, though not sure if it flies out every day (too lazy to check). Pointless question to satisfy my curiosity

No - same flight number just later time.

It looks like they have cancelled the later flight and moved the early one to the later slots.

 

[wayneg]

No - same flight number just later time.

It looks like they have cancelled the later flight and moved the early one to the later slots.

Was just going to suggest that or they had merged the 2 and keeping both flight numbers but using 1 plane.

This is what it should be, 2 planes:
LGW -> MCO 2037 11:20a 3:35p Boeing 777
LGW -> MCO 2039 1:50p 6:05p Boeing 777

11 years since we used BA, thankfully they don't fly from Man and prices are too high for me to consider them from London, although after 11 years I probably would try them again now at the right price.

 

[Elise79]

Was just going to suggest that or they had merged the 2 and keeping both flight numbers but using 1 plane.

This is what it should be, 2 planes:
LGW -> MCO 2037 11:20a 3:35p Boeing 777
LGW -> MCO 2039 1:50p 6:05p Boeing 777

11 years since we used BA, thankfully they don't fly from Man and prices are too high for me to consider them from London, although after 11 years I probably would try them again now at the right price.

It will be a while before we use them again after this - why add flights then take them away again? I think it was marketing stunt - "we are adding seats and going to 2 flights a day" as VA were pushing the fact they were going back to all 747s on the MCO routes.

I have to remember we have saved about £100 and I got to keep my money in the bank until May rather than having spent it now.

Too late now - it just means a rush the first evening. Chloe normally lasts until about 8.30pm local which gives us 2 1/2hrs from scheduled arrival to get through the airport, check in and get something to eat.

 

[wayneg]

Problem is all airlines do it. VA probably the worst of them all. Here is a list http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/Virgin-Flight-Mergers-Cancellations-for-2013-2014-p-697.html

Also had same with Delta last year. Infact with Delta I don't think I have ever booked with them and not had 3 or 4 changes before flying.

 

[Elise79]

I know - but with VS I have watched them for years and even if they consolidate on to the late flight it still arrives an hour earlier than we are with BA.

I actually don't mind the late VA flight out of LGW - we have done it a lot over the years however we have always booked it so it is our choice - If we had only had a choice of the late time I probably would have hung on and gone with the VA MAN flights instead.

Time to move on and worry about something else like getting Disney to show the right people on my December booking

 

[2Tiggies]

Oh well, thanks for the heads up Tracy. Looks like I will need to keep an eye on my flight times as we are also booked on the 11.20 a one from LGW. We have already been sent home 3 hours early on the return lol.

I was happy with the price so I'm not going to make a big deal of things, but as you say, it messes up the first night and I don't mind a bit of inconvenience if it saves enough money but my prices were good enough to be within budget - not fantastic enough to afford them the opportunity to be a nuisance and let it go by unnoticed

ETA: Did they email you?

 

[Pootle]

Hope it works out okay for you Tracy, but I feel compelled to weigh in in support of BA as I probably use them as much as Virgin.

I've had issues (usually minor) with both from time to time but have always been happy with the way BA try to resolve things. I think Virgin's PE has the edge over BA for the 'extras' but seating is similar, especially now the 'bubble' is not what it was.

I'm only sorry we don't have BA from MAN. You know that this sort of stuff (flight consolidation or time changes) happens with Virgin too ..... It's just annoying when it becomes your turn . And I haven't checked on the stats recently, but certainly a few years ago you were far more likely to be on a delayed Virgin flight to MCO than a BA one!

 

[wayneg]

And I haven't checked on the stats recently, but certainly a few years ago you were far more likely to be on a delayed Virgin flight to MCO than a BA one!

Just had a look, doesn't look good for BA recently.

 

[Elise79]

ETA: Did they email you?

Nope - just noticed as I accidental opened the app on my iPhone!

Hope it works out okay for you Tracy, but I feel compelled to weigh in in support of BA as I probably use them as much as Virgin.

I've had issues (usually minor) with both from time to time but have always been happy with the way BA try to resolve things. I think Virgin's PE has the edge over BA for the 'extras' but seating is similar, especially now the 'bubble' is not what it was.

I'm only sorry we don't have BA from MAN. You know that this sort of stuff (flight consolidation or time changes) happens with Virgin too ..... It's just annoying when it becomes your turn . And I haven't checked on the stats recently, but certainly a few years ago you were far more likely to be on a delayed Virgin flight to MCO than a BA one!

Thanks

I know VS consolidate too (and they have done it when we have been travelling but we have always been on the flight they have consolidated too.)

Think I am just annoyed with myself - I would never have booked if our arrival time was going to be that late. I stupidly assumed that as they had just added additional flights that they wouldn't be consolidating them a couple of months later especially travelling in July!

 

[Tony Toon]

When is it you're heading out with them? We booked a couple of weeks ago with BA for next summer (8th July - 5th August) after deciding not to go with KLM/Delta who changed our flight times from reasonable ones to horrors last summer! Just checked on 'Manage my booking" and it's still showing us as booked on the 11.20 LGW arriving in MCO at 3.35pm.

Mrs TT

 

[2Tiggies]

Mine is also still showing as 11.20, though that doesn't mean much. I booked a code share (flying on BA metal but booked through AA) so I have both airlines' respective apps installed and both still say 11.20.

We fly in late June, returning 8th July

Do you think it's only certain days of the week that they are messing with the flights? We fly out on a Thursday if that makes any difference

 

[Elise79]

Mine is also still showing as 11.20, though that doesn't mean much. I booked a code share (flying on BA metal but booked through AA) so I have both airlines' respective apps installed and both still say 11.20.

We fly in late June, returning 8th July

Do you think it's only certain days of the week that they are messing with the flights? We fly out on a Thursday if that makes any difference

Having had a read on the Dibb - it looks like it is all Thursdays - We fly out Thursday but home Saturday.

 

[JintyB]

They did this to us last year, and I was initially gutted, but it's only a couple of hours - we still made it to the Poly to watch Wishes from the beach that night.

It actually saved us money because we only live about an hour from the airport and instead of staying there the night before (I fear the M25!) we just travelled in the morning because we had the extra time buffer.

We too hadn't used BA for years, but they were AWESOME

Also, according the the fear of flying course I did a couple of years back, the later flights are better at avoiding turbulence because they get data from flights that cross that morning...

 

[2Tiggies]

Having had a read on the Dibb - it looks like it is all Thursdays - We fly out Thursday but home Saturday.

Damn we fly a thursday too so I guess I need to rearrange arrival night plans in anticipation of this

Wonder why they have not updated our Thursday flight yet since we go before you do. I'd rather just have it in black and white and plan accordingly. Could have saved our connecting fliight to LGW from here being at stupid o clock if we'd known!

 

[bobbych]

We just got back, form 2 weeks in October. I had booked my flights last November, and it was all sorted.

I was flying

07.30, - Edi - LGW
11.30 - LGW - MCO

17.30 - MCO - LGW
09.30 - LGW - EDI

I had even PRE-PAID for seating on the flights at a cost of £250 to make sure my family sat together

Then, in June this year, I got an email saying I needed to ring them as there were changes

I rang them, to find out all 4 of my flights had been move to;

09.30, - Edi - LGW
13.50 - LGW - MCO

20.10 - MCO - LGW
11.50 - LGW - EDI

When I said I was not happy, they said there was nothing they could do, as my flights I had booked no longer operated at those times.

Anyway, conceding defeat, I then realised they had not re-booked my seats on the new flights. So I rang again, to be told, sorry, those seats on the new flights are taken!!!!

After about 45 mins on the phone, and establishing that I had been the one messed about, they eventually offered to re-book my original seats, but on the later flights

In the end, the times were not a real pain, it just meant we landed 2 hours later in MCO, and exactly the same time as the VH 747, so immigration was FULL, but we still made it through in 40 mins. But we only made it to our villa at 7.45pm, and we were knackered. That was the reason I wanted the earlier flights, but BA were not willing to move me back

I did fly VA last time, from Manchester and was veryimpressed, but flying from Edinburgh means we are limited for choice

And YES, my flights were THURSDAYS which is where the problem was, they had cancelled flights on THURSDAYS

 

[gavvy]

I'm a bit fed up with BA too - first they cancel my May 1st flight booing me on April 30th then, they change the time of that flight to a few hours later, still Least I get an extra day in Orlando, even if it does mean I wont be in hotel till late.