In the same week as I begin to question my allegiance to Seat 12D, The Telegraph has published an article that nominates 6A as the best seat on any typical passenger aircraft. Now while the past few days has challenged my perceptions of what 12D means to me, my second choice would be thoroughly unlikely to be 6A! That's just odd. Firstly, no extra leg room, secondly, a window seat? Really!
My content love for 12D had it all, your own personal emergency exit and therefore life raft / slide as well as additional legroom, as well as the fact that when you stand up, you don't hit your head on the baggage lockers. Its also slightly further forward than half way and one of those seats where the most efficient hostess will get to for the drinks order before the less efficient members of cabin crew make it up the aisle! Its perfect.
However, on Friday, a very thorough flight attendant named Fiona decided to enlighten the exit rows as to what actually happens when deployment of the over wing exit become necessary and given that in direct opposition to my beliefs and opinions, you don't get your own life raft or slide, no no! All you get is a four foot drop onto the wing and then your on your own! You're in the hands of god if a water landing is required and should you end up crashing into a mountain, the drop may increase to significantly more than 4 feet....
So back to the drawing board I am afraid, but until I figure out my new favourite seat, 12D will have to do! After all, we're always in safe hands with BA! I am just glad that Fiona brought this to my attention.
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Monday, 12 March 2012
Only thing wrong with the airline is the passengers!
It's been a long day, it started out badly with an early morning workout! See here for details!
The Gatwick express people are obviously experiencing train fraud because between buying my ticket and the airport I had to go through 3 individual ticket inspections! Seems a bit heavy handed.
Anyway, I'm tired and as a result a bit grumpy, i don't have time to pop in to the caviar bar for some Smoked Salmon and Champagne before my flight and I'm feeling a mood coming on!
As soon as I get to the gate, I'm put on the back foot by the fact the plane is already boarding normally I like getting on early to watch my fellow passengers gamble onto the plane and not get aggravated by their general inability to put a bag in an overhead locker whilst holding everyone else up. Being on the back foot continues with an irritatingly pedantic BA customer service person called Zoe asking me to demonstrate that my wheelie bag fits in the gauge. Now I have travelled 100's possibly 1000's of times with this bag. It fits. But with last minute rubbish, the stuff I will be taking out to use on the plane, it gets a bit tight! After 5 or so minutes of me getting all hot and bothered she is eventually convinced that it fits and I have to juggle various assorted pieces of junk down the jet way that starts with 2 flights of stairs.
With the irritation mounting I get to my row, no one else has turned up so I get the opportunity to refile my belongings before slipping the bulging but still small enough to fit bag in the overhead locker.
I sit in my favourite seat, 12d, and before long I am joined by my first aisle companion. Now row 12 is an exit row, one with the extra leg room, so I am somewhat irritated that this huge blonde woman in 12e expects me to get up to let her sit down but I pull my legs in and she manages to squeeze in, as I get a rather uncomfortably close view of her pants I decide I should have gotten up. Then Mr Window joins the party. Unable to squeeze past said huge blonde, I have to get up too to let everyone get themselves organised.
On sitting back down my attention is drawn to the situation unfolding in front of me. 11d and 11f are a gigantic couple! Bigger than huge blonde. But the wee guy in 11e is a sweetie and offers them the opportunity to be sat together. Like the aisle straddlers from my previous blog but much worse! The woman responds with 'well no because I like the aisle and he likes the window and usually we're lucky not to have anyone in between us'. Enough said but now 11e is stuck, with not an armrest to his name sandwiched between these two selfish gargantuans!
What is the world coming to? Even now when I look at the row in front 11d&f are head and shoulders above the headrest and little 11e only has a wee tiny tuft of ginger hair poking up! Is it acceptable for people to have eaten themselves into a position where the cannot comfortably sit next to their other half on a plane? I really don't think so and their size causes a bigger problem to fellow passengers that a slightly over stuffed piece of hand luggage.
Finally the aisle clears and I take the opportunity to ask the flight attendants at the front of the plane to hang up my jacket. They kindly oblige and I return to my seat and begin to look forward to my wee gin and tonic! You don't get this kind of service on SleazyJet!
Sally and Danielle drop of the beverages and snack. Since having these braces fitted the soft BA cookies are the only cookies I can eat and although they don't go with a g&t, the bubbly and professionalism of the in flight drinks service is enough to make me forget all about that Zoe one from the terminal! After a quick bout of paranoia that Huge Blonde saw me writing this and was preparing to douse me in her bloody Mary I was somewhat relieved to see her drink up!
Another flight has all but passed where I feeling somewhat smug about how much I love this airline... but the passengers! Bloody hell! They are enough to drive you to absolute distraction. As I settle in to my 'Business Life' and flip to the agony aunt Deborah page, I receive an unceremonious hip to the face, a BA attendant has had to squeeze past some random Santander employee (his suit is bearing a tag with the banks logo) who has decided to do some networking on the plane! Hilariously he keeps getting driven up and down the aisle by the hostesses with rubbish carts and eventually Retreats back to his seat! I will be glad to get home after this one!
The Gatwick express people are obviously experiencing train fraud because between buying my ticket and the airport I had to go through 3 individual ticket inspections! Seems a bit heavy handed.
Anyway, I'm tired and as a result a bit grumpy, i don't have time to pop in to the caviar bar for some Smoked Salmon and Champagne before my flight and I'm feeling a mood coming on!
As soon as I get to the gate, I'm put on the back foot by the fact the plane is already boarding normally I like getting on early to watch my fellow passengers gamble onto the plane and not get aggravated by their general inability to put a bag in an overhead locker whilst holding everyone else up. Being on the back foot continues with an irritatingly pedantic BA customer service person called Zoe asking me to demonstrate that my wheelie bag fits in the gauge. Now I have travelled 100's possibly 1000's of times with this bag. It fits. But with last minute rubbish, the stuff I will be taking out to use on the plane, it gets a bit tight! After 5 or so minutes of me getting all hot and bothered she is eventually convinced that it fits and I have to juggle various assorted pieces of junk down the jet way that starts with 2 flights of stairs.
With the irritation mounting I get to my row, no one else has turned up so I get the opportunity to refile my belongings before slipping the bulging but still small enough to fit bag in the overhead locker.
I sit in my favourite seat, 12d, and before long I am joined by my first aisle companion. Now row 12 is an exit row, one with the extra leg room, so I am somewhat irritated that this huge blonde woman in 12e expects me to get up to let her sit down but I pull my legs in and she manages to squeeze in, as I get a rather uncomfortably close view of her pants I decide I should have gotten up. Then Mr Window joins the party. Unable to squeeze past said huge blonde, I have to get up too to let everyone get themselves organised.
On sitting back down my attention is drawn to the situation unfolding in front of me. 11d and 11f are a gigantic couple! Bigger than huge blonde. But the wee guy in 11e is a sweetie and offers them the opportunity to be sat together. Like the aisle straddlers from my previous blog but much worse! The woman responds with 'well no because I like the aisle and he likes the window and usually we're lucky not to have anyone in between us'. Enough said but now 11e is stuck, with not an armrest to his name sandwiched between these two selfish gargantuans!
What is the world coming to? Even now when I look at the row in front 11d&f are head and shoulders above the headrest and little 11e only has a wee tiny tuft of ginger hair poking up! Is it acceptable for people to have eaten themselves into a position where the cannot comfortably sit next to their other half on a plane? I really don't think so and their size causes a bigger problem to fellow passengers that a slightly over stuffed piece of hand luggage.
Finally the aisle clears and I take the opportunity to ask the flight attendants at the front of the plane to hang up my jacket. They kindly oblige and I return to my seat and begin to look forward to my wee gin and tonic! You don't get this kind of service on SleazyJet!
Sally and Danielle drop of the beverages and snack. Since having these braces fitted the soft BA cookies are the only cookies I can eat and although they don't go with a g&t, the bubbly and professionalism of the in flight drinks service is enough to make me forget all about that Zoe one from the terminal! After a quick bout of paranoia that Huge Blonde saw me writing this and was preparing to douse me in her bloody Mary I was somewhat relieved to see her drink up!
Another flight has all but passed where I feeling somewhat smug about how much I love this airline... but the passengers! Bloody hell! They are enough to drive you to absolute distraction. As I settle in to my 'Business Life' and flip to the agony aunt Deborah page, I receive an unceremonious hip to the face, a BA attendant has had to squeeze past some random Santander employee (his suit is bearing a tag with the banks logo) who has decided to do some networking on the plane! Hilariously he keeps getting driven up and down the aisle by the hostesses with rubbish carts and eventually Retreats back to his seat! I will be glad to get home after this one!
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Flight Mode 2 - Plane Pal Fail!
BA 2959, 3.10pm,
January 15th
Ok so I totally forgot to check in yesterday for my flight and now I'm awkwardly sitting in the same row as rob and Yvonne but on the wrong side of the aisle.... In the middle seat! Could this be any worse!?
My plan was scuppered by a couple, the type of couple I like to refer to as aisle straddlers. You know the type who don't love each other in a romantic or impassioned way anymore. At least not enough to make them want to either sit next to one another, or even make 'the middle seat sacrifice'. This is a sacrifice that the man should usually makes to give the grade A real estate to his wife or girlfriend. Rob always sits in the middle seat! It also says a lot about a couple when neither of them want a window seat! Yvonne likes the window. These two are not like rob and Yvonne, and the lady smells like old biscuits and laundered wool. I don't like it.
January 15th
Ok so I totally forgot to check in yesterday for my flight and now I'm awkwardly sitting in the same row as rob and Yvonne but on the wrong side of the aisle.... In the middle seat! Could this be any worse!?
My plan was scuppered by a couple, the type of couple I like to refer to as aisle straddlers. You know the type who don't love each other in a romantic or impassioned way anymore. At least not enough to make them want to either sit next to one another, or even make 'the middle seat sacrifice'. This is a sacrifice that the man should usually makes to give the grade A real estate to his wife or girlfriend. Rob always sits in the middle seat! It also says a lot about a couple when neither of them want a window seat! Yvonne likes the window. These two are not like rob and Yvonne, and the lady smells like old biscuits and laundered wool. I don't like it.
The Middle Seat
18th November - Checked in once again on BA and I am in my favourite row but least favourite seat, 12E. It's just not as good as good as 12D but if something goes wrong I can ensure that I can assist the window seat person with the opening of the over-wing exit.Assuming he's not a pain the proverbial!
Then finally, he arrives, the man in 12F. Now I'm not sure what it is with men who see a shared arm rest as a nucleus of competitive rivalry, but you get them! I've sat next to a few on BA flights, but this one was just peculiar. First of all he's the last one on the plane, and when he does eventually sit down, he goes straight for the arm rest, adjusting his body position to meet the arm rest in way that ensures he can take up as much of the arm rest as possible. Then he gets nudgy! Attempting to shunt my arm over an inch and finally moves his shoulder into the game as well. Fine, it's all yours!
Then as if Arm Rest Battle wasn't enough for him begins the open mouth coughing, followed by my biggest pet hate of all.... Shielding the complementary newspaper! I mean really!!! He wasn't even reading that bit but took such objection that he retreated to the other arm rest! It wasn't long until he was back with a vengeance! Realising all of his posturing was wasted on protecting the article (on Kate Middleton having her teeth micro rotated to stop them from being too perfect) And he had lost valuable, paid for, inches! I could see him floundering, trying to find an appropriate position that would equally guard the arm rest and the paper.
I went back to my free magazine (which I will discuss in another blog) the pages of which, I didn't want to turn unless the man on my left had finished reading but I became distracted by Mr 12F's flying elbow... What the hell??? He was trying to get his phone out of his shirt pocket and for some reason felt that the most appropriate way of doing this was by using the hand that was on the same side as the pocket and waving his elbow about haphazardly until he got it close enough to his pocket to catch his phone.
This is one flight I will be glad to get over with!
Then finally, he arrives, the man in 12F. Now I'm not sure what it is with men who see a shared arm rest as a nucleus of competitive rivalry, but you get them! I've sat next to a few on BA flights, but this one was just peculiar. First of all he's the last one on the plane, and when he does eventually sit down, he goes straight for the arm rest, adjusting his body position to meet the arm rest in way that ensures he can take up as much of the arm rest as possible. Then he gets nudgy! Attempting to shunt my arm over an inch and finally moves his shoulder into the game as well. Fine, it's all yours!
Then as if Arm Rest Battle wasn't enough for him begins the open mouth coughing, followed by my biggest pet hate of all.... Shielding the complementary newspaper! I mean really!!! He wasn't even reading that bit but took such objection that he retreated to the other arm rest! It wasn't long until he was back with a vengeance! Realising all of his posturing was wasted on protecting the article (on Kate Middleton having her teeth micro rotated to stop them from being too perfect) And he had lost valuable, paid for, inches! I could see him floundering, trying to find an appropriate position that would equally guard the arm rest and the paper.
I went back to my free magazine (which I will discuss in another blog) the pages of which, I didn't want to turn unless the man on my left had finished reading but I became distracted by Mr 12F's flying elbow... What the hell??? He was trying to get his phone out of his shirt pocket and for some reason felt that the most appropriate way of doing this was by using the hand that was on the same side as the pocket and waving his elbow about haphazardly until he got it close enough to his pocket to catch his phone.
This is one flight I will be glad to get over with!
Trains, planes and automobiles - No just BA
Every time I fly back to Glasgow I get the same questions from everyone? Are you flying? Why not get the train? Easyjet is cheaper, is BA not an extravagance?
Well, once and for all, here it is... the answer!
When I first started taking the red eye to London on a weekly basis, BA grated on me. The blonde, thin, slightly older ladies and handsome gents wishing me a smug good morning. It was irritating!
Then one week, my company sent me on Easyjet! And I realised why those upstanding, classy, pony club joining, BA staff were so bloody smug! Simply because they have every right to be!
On an airline like Easyjet, customer service comes at a premium and a seat assignment is simply a frill. Don't mean to be inappropriate, but I was of the impression that if the plane crashed, the seat assignment was the one thing that meant your family would get at least a bit of you back! Easyjet don't care.
After a stint on Easyjet, you realise, you want your air hostesses a bit glamorous and a bit classy, not fake tanned brash!
Whether its been Charlie, Lee, Chris, Justine, Dale or the countless other BA staff that I have encountered over the year, its been great!
On one particularly gusty weekend BA cancelled a lot their flights and when mine was one of them, their ground crew did all they could to help. Fair enough, it wasn't enough to get me back home for my mums 60th birthday but the way in which they tried made me feel like a valued customer. On this occasion it was Dale Walsh and Justine at Gatwick who made a real difference.
Again, that weekend, Easyjet made front page news because the roll angle of their flight was inches away from crashing a packed plane onto the runway at Edinburgh airport. BA would never take that risk, because they care.
So what can you expect from BA?
- A good, no... great website on which to book your flights.
- A great frequent flyer club.
- Notifications of when check in is available.
- An excellent and regularly updated mobile app that lets you track your miles, flights, boarding passes as well as check in and book!
- Friendly and helpful ground staff.
- Amazing cabin crew.
- A very entertaining and engaging in flight safety demonstration.
- A cupboard in which to hang up your coat (Easyjet tried to charge me extra when I took it off)
- A wee G&T and a snack.
- The opportunity to meet plane pals like Rob and Yvonne.
- A generally pleasant flight.
So no, I won't get the train.
Stay classy BA!
Well, once and for all, here it is... the answer!
When I first started taking the red eye to London on a weekly basis, BA grated on me. The blonde, thin, slightly older ladies and handsome gents wishing me a smug good morning. It was irritating!
Then one week, my company sent me on Easyjet! And I realised why those upstanding, classy, pony club joining, BA staff were so bloody smug! Simply because they have every right to be!
On an airline like Easyjet, customer service comes at a premium and a seat assignment is simply a frill. Don't mean to be inappropriate, but I was of the impression that if the plane crashed, the seat assignment was the one thing that meant your family would get at least a bit of you back! Easyjet don't care.
After a stint on Easyjet, you realise, you want your air hostesses a bit glamorous and a bit classy, not fake tanned brash!
Whether its been Charlie, Lee, Chris, Justine, Dale or the countless other BA staff that I have encountered over the year, its been great!
On one particularly gusty weekend BA cancelled a lot their flights and when mine was one of them, their ground crew did all they could to help. Fair enough, it wasn't enough to get me back home for my mums 60th birthday but the way in which they tried made me feel like a valued customer. On this occasion it was Dale Walsh and Justine at Gatwick who made a real difference.
Again, that weekend, Easyjet made front page news because the roll angle of their flight was inches away from crashing a packed plane onto the runway at Edinburgh airport. BA would never take that risk, because they care.
So what can you expect from BA?
- A good, no... great website on which to book your flights.
- A great frequent flyer club.
- Notifications of when check in is available.
- An excellent and regularly updated mobile app that lets you track your miles, flights, boarding passes as well as check in and book!
- Friendly and helpful ground staff.
- Amazing cabin crew.
- A very entertaining and engaging in flight safety demonstration.
- A cupboard in which to hang up your coat (Easyjet tried to charge me extra when I took it off)
- A wee G&T and a snack.
- The opportunity to meet plane pals like Rob and Yvonne.
- A generally pleasant flight.
So no, I won't get the train.
Stay classy BA!
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Flight Mode 1 - Plane Pals
Having amassed over 20,000 BA airmiles in under a year by flying back to Glasgow from London, one thing has struck me... The safety demonstrations! This has made me decide to put together a series of reviews looking at how air hosts and hostesses carry out these demos and whether it makes a difference. Having managed to secure exit row seating for most of my flights, i feel that I have thus far wasted the opportunity. However as I now have to return to Glasgow more regularly, I will be making a keen note of their performance.
Safety briefing # 1
Airline: British Airways
Flight number: BA 2966
Time: 18.45
Status: On time
Host / hostess: overwing attendant Charlie (misleadingly female)
Overall grading: C+, no... A+
60 seats available
As air hostesses go, Charlie is stern in her facial expression and looks somewhat unapproachable. I thought it odd that she turned her badge around too!
Her initial delivery of the safety demonstration was reasonable, not exactly lack lustre but not really inspiring confidence. It was very 'the exit is here, here and here and if there was somewhere I'd rather be.... It wouldn't be any of those places.'
However, looks, just like first impressions can be wrong. When she brought the drinks trolley we ended up having a wee chat. Mainly because she was wondering why I was watching the safety demonstration so intently!
I told her about my blog and brand loyalty and that I travel BA at least once a month and she told me about the BA Amex and the benefits of avios, the new miles system. She offered me another coffee, which I accepted and then it happened. A defining moment in anyone's life...
The man next to me said, 'I think we've travelled on the same plane as you before.'
Initially I was a bit embarrassed because it's safe to say that after a few drinks, I'll talk to anyone! And I'll also talk some amount of utter nonsense! But then as we got chatting, for the rest of the flight, I slowly remembered Rob and Yvonne. From Brighton, 7 children, a sister in California and a son who they wouldn't wish on anyone! Great company. And then i find out that we're going to be on the same flight home! I love it! And for some reason I'm secretly hoping that they invite me round for tea! Oh well, just have to wait until Sunday!
Safety briefing # 1
Airline: British Airways
Flight number: BA 2966
Time: 18.45
Status: On time
Host / hostess: overwing attendant Charlie (misleadingly female)
Overall grading: C+, no... A+
60 seats available
As air hostesses go, Charlie is stern in her facial expression and looks somewhat unapproachable. I thought it odd that she turned her badge around too!
Her initial delivery of the safety demonstration was reasonable, not exactly lack lustre but not really inspiring confidence. It was very 'the exit is here, here and here and if there was somewhere I'd rather be.... It wouldn't be any of those places.'
However, looks, just like first impressions can be wrong. When she brought the drinks trolley we ended up having a wee chat. Mainly because she was wondering why I was watching the safety demonstration so intently!
I told her about my blog and brand loyalty and that I travel BA at least once a month and she told me about the BA Amex and the benefits of avios, the new miles system. She offered me another coffee, which I accepted and then it happened. A defining moment in anyone's life...
The man next to me said, 'I think we've travelled on the same plane as you before.'
Initially I was a bit embarrassed because it's safe to say that after a few drinks, I'll talk to anyone! And I'll also talk some amount of utter nonsense! But then as we got chatting, for the rest of the flight, I slowly remembered Rob and Yvonne. From Brighton, 7 children, a sister in California and a son who they wouldn't wish on anyone! Great company. And then i find out that we're going to be on the same flight home! I love it! And for some reason I'm secretly hoping that they invite me round for tea! Oh well, just have to wait until Sunday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)