What are BA like?

[bxccah]

We normally fly Virgin when we go to Orlando.
However, we went in Feb, and it was AWFUL.

This time it's just me, so I thought I'd try BA. It's £20 cheaper, and I've never flown with BA before.

Any experience?

 

[pampat]

You will get a hundred different answers to that one! It's like every other airline experience, some will have good some will have bad.

Personally I like them and would always prefer to fly BA scheduled service, my husband, not so much!

Cant ever see where they have been the world's favourite airline, but it was good marketing.

Pam

 

[MissKip]

I agree there will be several different answers! We always fly with BA and I have used them regularly for business flights as well in the past.

I have had booking issues before where they have changed the schedule and subsequently my flights but they have always been easy enough to deal with and have resolved any issues. I am an exec club member though so any issues I have ever had have been resolved through them, no idea if their regular customer service team are the same. I have gone KLM and Continental in the past and I've flown direct into Sanford a few times with various airlines as well but prefer BA

 

[flortlebap]

We normally fly Virgin when we go to Orlando.
However, we went in Feb, and it was AWFUL.

This time it's just me, so I thought I'd try BA. It's £20 cheaper, and I've never flown with BA before.

Any experience?

Oh dear, what did VA do wrong?

 

[MrRomance]

We normally fly Virgin when we go to Orlando.
However, we went in Feb, and it was AWFUL.

This time it's just me, so I thought I'd try BA. It's £20 cheaper, and I've never flown with BA before.

Any experience?

We had a dreadful experience with Virgin last February. When I expressed to Virgin that we were very upset by our experience, they simply brushed it under the carpet, so despite using them many times over the years, I refuse to do so ever again. It is one thing to have a crappy experience, but to be told by customer services that they really don't care that you've been treated poorly was enough for me to spend my £3000+ elsewhere!

We are flying with BA this year (we fly in October) hopefully it'll be a better experience!

 

[Minniesgal]

I feel the same way about BA as you feel about VA. We flew to San Francisco BA and it was awful and have flown virgin ever since.

 

[Magic Megadegs]

We flew BA for this trip and were impressed. IFE fab and starts the moment you board (you don't need to wait for the fasten seatbelts sign to switch off.)

Food was good and service regular. Pretty much on time and clean x

 

[Lisash]

I have always a been a big VA fan but have found them much more expensive recently and I feel there has been marked drop in customer service and standards of late. Planes seem a bit tired and we have rarely had a flight where there hasn't been problems with entertainment systems etc. I have also noticed cabin crew don't seem as enthusiastic and committed as they used to. Have heard them moaning about passengers on more than one occasion. We have used BA on last couple of holidays and are flying with them again on Monday. So far we have been quite impressed. Planes seem much less dated, staff are polite and efficient and most importantly they have been coming out substantially cheaper when we have been checking prices

 

[queendisney]

We had our best flight ever with Virgin on the way out last September but then had the worst flight ever with them on the way back!

It all came down to the cabin crew, fantastic on the way out and our attendant was a complete cow on the way back.

Personally I think they are all very similar and we sort of enjoyed our flight with BA to Orlando a few years back, would have been better if they came around more often with drinks. They only came around twice, once at the beginning with the meal and once more with afternoon tea later on. But the plane was spacious and the flight good. So swings and roundabouts really.

 

[queendisney]

Planes seem a bit tired and we have rarely had a flight where there hasn't been problems with entertainment systems etc.

all VA planes to Orlando have all been refitted recently so not tired and dated anymore, so at least that's a plus for them now over BA. But I must admit I am no longer loyal to any airline. I'll always go for the cheapest nowadays as to me its not about the IFE or the food etc its just a giant metal tube to get me back to the magic. I wouldn't say for example that I'd only fly VA because of a bad experience on BA etc..if it happened to come out £200 cheaper. I want that money in my pocket not theirs.

 

[zippy99]

I'll be honest... no loyalty for us. Whoever offers the cheapest ticket gets our business! Unless you are flying first/upper class the flight is a means to an end and let's face it a necessary evil in order to get to the magic.

We had a 20 hour delay with Virgin in 2009 and despite getting over £2000 compensation from them a couple of months ago I would still book with them again if they were the best price.

 

[Kanga-Roo]

I have always a been a big VA fan but have found them much more expensive recently and I feel there has been marked drop in customer service and standards of late. Planes seem a bit tired and we have rarely had a flight where there hasn't been problems with entertainment systems etc. I have also noticed cabin crew don't seem as enthusiastic and committed as they used to. Have heard them moaning about passengers on more than one occasion. We have used BA on last couple of holidays and are flying with them again on Monday. So far we have been quite impressed. Planes seem much less dated, staff are polite and efficient and most importantly they have been coming out substantially cheaper when we have been checking prices

We have found that VA have let things slip both service wise and cost wise over the last couple of trips. We are flying BA to New York in Dec, same hotel etc over £800 cheaper with BA. Then May back to Disney with BA, again over £600 cheaper. That's park passes etc taken care of.

 

[Verity Chambers]

We flew BA this year for the first time and were super impressed. Twigs light checkin was brill, lovely cabin crew, great entertainment and drinks/snacks were plentiful.

 

[2Tiggies]

There was a time when I could afford to be picky - and I was! Of course I have my preferred airlines and routes and will pay a little more if I am lucky enough for that option to be on the cards; likewise there are a few airlines I will go to great lengths to avoid, but BA are not one of them

We flew with BA last year and although we had an issue on this side, it was a ground staff problem rather than an airline one and the flight was fine, flight back was lovely and they give a very generous hand luggage allowance. I also like their flight times for arriving at and departing from MCO. I am on a flight hunt at the moment and they are one of my daily searches.

Truth be told, where flights are concerned now, my budget trying to contain the ever rising costs of flights has made me far less picky. It makes me look and feel good to say "I only want to fly with" or "I would never fly with" .......

Frankly, I'd settle for packing my own wine and sandwiches and fly in the luggage hold if it was cheap enough to make it worth the inconvenience

 

[tinkerpea]

There was a time when I could afford to be picky - and I was! Of course I have my preferred airlines and routes and will pay a little more if I am lucky enough for that option to be on the cards; likewise there are a few airlines I will go to great lengths to avoid, but BA are not one of them

We flew with BA last year and although we had an issue on this side, it was a ground staff problem rather than an airline one and the flight was fine, flight back was lovely and they give a very generous hand luggage allowance. I also like their flight times for arriving at and departing from MCO. I am on a flight hunt at the moment and they are one of my daily searches.

Truth be told, where flights are concerned now, my budget trying to contain the ever rising costs of flights has made me far less picky. It makes me look and feel good to say "I only want to fly with" or "I would never fly with" .......

Truth be told, I'd settle for packing my own wine and sandwiches and fly in the luggage hold if it was cheap enough to make it worth the inconvenience

You just made me LOL!!!!
I could just picture it hahaha. X

 

[cliveywolves]

Never had a bad flight or experience with BA have flown about 10 times in past few years short & long haul flight always been on time in fact only flown once with VA.

 

[2Tiggies]

You just made me LOL!!!!
I could just picture it hahaha. X

Overhead locker would be even better - we could swipe drinks off the booze cart when the crew are looking the other way

 

[tinkerpea]

Overhead locker would be even better - we could swipe drinks off the booze cart when the crew are looking the other way

Hahahaha! Yep and have the luxury of a flat lay bed!!! Who needs 1st class