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LHR T5: After the Launch

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  • #16
    Originally posted by milehighj View Post
    Let me get this straight... She was an outbound passenger. How would BA and the passenger have known that her baggage went missing before she even reached her final destination??
    That part of the story doesn't ring true. There are other versions of the incident, such as that she wanted the plane to wait while she sent staff to retrieve a bag that she had left in the lounge.
    ‘Lean into the sharp points’

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    • #17
      Just an update : I had a called from BAEC and the chap (Dutch accent) there apologised profusely for the crap service that I received but it did take him quite a while to utter 'our most valued member' . I told him what what went wrong and asked him to feedback my views up the chain. From BA, I think it's a good gesture on BA part. Pity no service recovery miles.

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      • #18
        Originally posted by SQFAN View Post
        Just an update : I had a called from BAEC and the chap (Dutch accent) there apologised profusely for the crap service that I received
        You're not by any chance a Dutch Eurocheat ?

        There's a post on another board about exactly the same type of phone apology from a Dutch BAEC rep to a(nother) Dutch Eurocheat.

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        • #19
          Originally posted by jhm View Post
          You're not by any chance a Dutch Eurocheat ?

          There's a post on another board about exactly the same type of phone apology from a Dutch BAEC rep to a(nother) Dutch Eurocheat.
          I mentioned 'Dutch' since when do you getthe word 'Dutch' and 'service' in the same sentence?

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          • #20
            Originally posted by SQFAN View Post
            ... I told him what what went wrong and asked him to feedback my views up the chain.
            'Feedback' is now a verb, let alone a transitive verb?

            Aren't you the one who winces at some American expressions (I remember your reaction to the use of 'happening' as an adjective)?
            ‘Lean into the sharp points’

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            • #21
              Originally posted by jjpb3 View Post
              'Feedback' is now a verb, let alone a transitive verb?

              Aren't you the one who winces at some American expressions (I remember your reaction to the use of 'happening' as an adjective)?
              I better brush up my usage of English.

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              • #22
                Originally posted by up and away View Post
                I wonder if sending them to Italy won't make matters worse
                Originally posted by milehighj View Post
                Let's see... They could take 2 weeks to sort thru all the bags, then arrange to fly the sorted luggage back to the UK on AZ, just by chance on the day that AZ ceases operations...
                The BA representative (brave man ) who came to my office with a presentation on T5 (he decided to ditch it -- wise man ) explained why sending the bags to Italy made logistical sense, even if on the surface it looked counterintuitive.

                UK regulations apparently require that each bag that doesn't make a connection be x-rayed from two different angles. This doesn't create such a problem if it's only a couple of bags per flight. With the baggage chaos on opening day, the number of bags reached the point where it would be quicker to send them, by road, to a contractor in Milan (not AZ ) who would sort through them and courier them across Europe.

                (You may recall that FedEx was brought in as well: that was for passengers in the US.)

                10,000 bags, for example, would take a few days to individually x-ray from the required 2 angles. By the time you did that, they would have arrived in Milan and got sent on their way (assuming no further hiccups in the process).
                ‘Lean into the sharp points’

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                • #23
                  Originally posted by SQFAN View Post
                  When I asked the cabin crew about their view on T5, she said it took them while trying to get into the T5 this morning. He he he.

                  Another glitch, my plane refueler came in late as he could not get the authorisation to get thro some secure area. So we were 30mins later than planned.
                  Actually that was one of the four critical glitches that combined for that messy first day. Staff (non-cabin crew) need to go through 3 security checks to go from landside to airside. But on that day, the machines at one of the checks failed (mysteriously?). So you had airport staff stuck at security check for an unexpectedly long time. (This also caused havoc as flights were cancelled / delayed, because the experienced staff, who knew the terminal, weren't on hand to help the less familiarized staff. Thus the "staff with lost expressions on their faces" reports in the media and on internet forums.)

                  The other 3:

                  1. Despite promises by BAA, there were not enough staff parking spaces that morning, apparently. It took a few angry phone calls to repair, but by then, the damage had been done.

                  2. A cell in the database with the staff passwords was deleted, causing all entries to shift up and mis-aligning userids with passwords. When staff tried repeatedly to log in, they were locked out after 3 attempts.

                  3. Someone didn't turn off a TEST variable which was used to prevent signals from straying beyond T5 during the testing period. As a result, when luggage from interlined flights showed up that morning, their signals were bounced off the T5 system. The system indicated that the luggage hadn't arrived. (Or something to that effect: I'm an IT-dinosaur .) Given the number of BA flights at T5, plus the staff problems from the failed security machine and the password lockout, flights left without luggage, misdirected luggage piled up, and the "hand luggage only" rule was implemented.



                  The BA rep said that BA tried to signal it's going to play nice (Willie saying, "I'm not going to blame BAA") by not blaming BAA, but since no admissions have been forthcoming, BA has sent signals that it will change its strategy. Two scenarios might play out next:

                  1. BAA owns up to more of the T5 mess

                  2. BA starts releasing facts from its investigation

                  Where's the popcorn?


                  P.S. I know, I know, we did ask why BA didn't play some of the worst case scenarios out for contingency planning. But we didn't really want to be mean to the rep. After all, he decided to show some cojones and keep his appointment with a bunch of impatient consultants, for whom T5's up-and-down-and-up movements; no-power-points-near-the-comfortable-seats-in-the-F-lounge; no-aerobridges-upon-arrival experiences have been a sore disappointment.

                  P.P.S. (not of the SQ LPP variety) This was the BA rep's account. I've got no 'facts' to dispute these.
                  Last edited by jjpb3; 6 April 2008, 01:25 AM. Reason: eek, grammar
                  ‘Lean into the sharp points’

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Originally posted by SQFAN View Post
                    I better brush up my usage of English.
                    Just teasing, sir. Could a mojito (or another drink of your choice) make up for my harsh-sounding language?
                    ‘Lean into the sharp points’

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Thanks for the insight, jjpb3!

                      More info in this article from the FT today which still seemed to put most of the blame on BA:

                      http://www.ft.com/cms/s/51c0ba00-02b...077b07658.html

                      We'll have to see whether BAA's performance improves in the future with the appointment a few weeks ago (before the T5 opening) as BAA CEO of Colin Matthews (an engineer and having worked as director of engineering and technical operations at BA) to replace Stephen Nelson (who has, I believe, a marketing background).

                      (Rather worringly for me, I'm travelling out of T5 on the first day of the next move (if not delayed) - the longhauls on 30 April and unlike the T5 first day flight, this booking (a holiday) wasn't an attempt to experience that!)

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by jhm View Post
                        We'll have to see whether BAA's performance improves in the future with the appointment a few weeks ago (before the T5 opening) as BAA CEO of Colin Matthews (an engineer and having worked as director of engineering and technical operations at BA) to replace Stephen Nelson (who has, I believe, a marketing background).
                        I'm not very hopeful.
                        Originally posted by jhm View Post
                        (Rather worringly for me, I'm travelling out of T5 on the first day of the next move (if not delayed) - the longhauls on 30 April and unlike the T5 first day flight, this booking isn't an attempt to experience that!)
                        The BA rep also told us that it's very likely that the move of the longhauls will be pushed off. Perhaps that's a bit of good news?

                        I told him I booked AA to JFK, instead of BA, in early May because of the uncertainty.
                        ‘Lean into the sharp points’

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Thanks for the insights, jjpb3. Sounds like lots of misaligned stars indeed, to say the least.
                          All opinions shared are my own, and are not necessarily those of my employer or any other organisation of which I'm affiliated to.

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                          • #28
                            Originally posted by milehighj View Post
                            Let me get this straight... She was an outbound passenger. How would BA and the passenger have known that her baggage went missing before she even reached her final destination??
                            I think it is because she is (was) a Premier customer. Their bags are carefully monitored to ensure they make all of the flights.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Welcome to SQTalk, penncare.
                              ‘Lean into the sharp points’

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by jjpb3 View Post
                                The BA rep also told us that it's very likely that the move of the longhauls will be pushed off. Perhaps that's a bit of good news?
                                From mFT today:

                                Originally posted by G-BOAC
                                T4 to T5 move delay: potentially Sept!

                                This is the rumour I've heard as of today anyway. First time I've seen a more concrete suggested date that I can recall hence the post.

                                I guess September would make 'sense' in that would combine Move 2 and Move 3 (T1 -> T3) together I assume?

                                Any theories/input?
                                Originally posted by Teece
                                Where did you hear the rumour, G-BOAC?
                                Originally posted by G-BOAC
                                Reliable source However, do note it is still (AFAIK) very much a rumour/rumbling. Like I said, it is the first time I've seen it connected to a projected date though so I thought it postworthy (in a non-scaremongery - which is now a word if it wasn't before - way).

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