British Airways Complaint

Jayeire

Not too sure who I should direct this comment to within British airways.

Was coming back from New York on Wednesday last, waiting to approach the check-in desk. I observed the British Black attendant with a heavy scowl upon her face.

As I was called up, motioned more-so as all I received was a beckon with her hand. Not a word was spoken to me as she placed her hand in front of me for my passport and ticket. My original passport had been stolen so I presented her with an emergency passport from the New York Irish Consulate.

After thoroughly browsing at the passport (one sheet in its entirety), she asked "what is this?"
Despite the fact she had looked at the front of the passport which said in english, irish and french that it was an emergency passport.
And despite the obvious fact that the passport she was holding was indeed a....passport.

I informed her that my original had been stolen and that what she had there was an emergency one; to which I received no reply. She scathingly looked a the passport again and began typing.

Withing two minutes I was greeted with "What the HELL is this? What is Lun?"
What she was referring to was the month Lunasa in Irish which was the issuing month of the passport. Again despite the fact that directly beside it was the english translation. I was in shock, and so were the party that I travelled with, that she could speak in such a manner.

I can only imagine if it was me behind that desk, with her passport in a different language and me reacting like that, how she would respond.

No "enjoy your flight sir, thank you for flying with British Airways". No anything in fact after she was so rude about the passport. She treated each of the 4 members of my party in this manner.

Just wondering has anybody else encountered this with BA? I payed enough for these flights to expect to be treated with courtesy.

amcalester

Going through any kind fo check-in with an emergency passport is a nightmare, I've had to do it 5 or 6 times and it always causes trouble I should really stop losing my passport.

Anyway, I'd forget about it and move on. Nothing will come from you making a complaint over such a trifling issue.

Also, I'm confused as to what a British African-American is. The colour of the attendants skin has no bearing on the issue at hand, so why mention it?

Jayeire

amcalester wrote: »

Going through any kind fo check-in with an emergency passport is a nightmare, I've had to do it 5 or 6 times and it always causes trouble I should really stop losing my passport.

Anyway, I'd forget about it and move on. Nothing will come from you making a complaint over such a trifling issue.

Also, I'm confused as to what a British African-American is. The colour of the attendants skin has no bearing on the issue at hand, so why mention it?

I really dont understand at all how they can make such a big deal out of such a small issue. It is clearly a passport, it says its a passport, she read that it was a passport, why ask. Oh I will certainly be following this up, even if it does indeed come to nothing. It is by not complaining and not saying anything that such attitudes become unchecked and acceptable. As I said I paid enough to expect mere common courtesy, that surely is not asking much at all.

I mentioned that the check-in attendant was british african american ( aka a British Black person) because the other three attendants were white, she wasn't wearing a name tag, so that's how I identified her. Which I thought was necessary to see if anyone else encountered a similar incident with her when I did.

Also I'd appreciate it if you didn't attempt to strike up an unnecessary arguement about what you may perceive to have been a form of racism, which was not. The colour of her skin was a means of identifying her to pursue my complaint, nothing more.

amcalester

Emergency passports just bring trouble. I've gone through border patrol in the US, Canada, Ireland, England, Egypt, Jordan and Syria on an emergency passport and it has been a nightmare each time. It took me 3 hours to get out of Egypt and another hour to get into Jordan. The Syrians weren't too keen either but thats besides the point.

If you're unhappy with the service received then you should have a look at BA's webiste and see what it says about making a complaint.

British African American, I don't know what to say to that. Not all black people are African American, you know that right?

Jayeire

amcalester wrote: »

Emergency passports just bring trouble. I've gone through border patrol in the US, Canada, Ireland, England, Egypt, Jordan and Syria on an emergency passport and it has been a nightmare each time. It took me 3 hours to get out of Egypt and another hour to get into Jordan. The Syrians weren't too keen either but thats besides the point.

If you're unhappy with the service received then you should have a look at BA's webiste and see what it says about making a complaint.

British African American, I don't know what to say to that. Not all black people are African American, you know that right?

Three hours! That's absolutely ridiculous! Surprised you made your flight.
Yeah I realised that just there, after looking back at it. How embarrassing.
Its been edited.

When I arrived in London it was the same story with the passport as well, "what happened here?" I was asked. As I attempted to hold back a sarcastic comment.

amcalester

It was a ferry I was getting and luckily the ferry was 5 hours late so it was all good in the end.

Everytime I see a post of yours I'm going to think of British African American and it's going to make me laugh. Thank you for that.

Jayeire

lol anytime. Cringe...

I must develop the skill of rereading a post before actually submitting it in future !!

L1011

What does the race of the desk attendent have to do with anything here?

You've rather destroyed any sympathy here by irrelevantly bringing that up.

dowlingm

Write to the head man. I'm pretty sure he still has an Irish passport...

corktina

Probably she was having a bad day...Ladies have these you know and so do I:D .Just forget it....

-Chris-

Jayeire wrote: »

Also I'd appreciate it if you didn't attempt to strike up an unnecessary arguement about what you may perceive to have been a form of racism, which was not. The colour of her skin was a means of identifying her to pursue my complaint, nothing more.

Excellent, thank you for clarifying this.

@everyone - We don't need to address this further on-thread, it's not a racism issue. It's an aid in description.

BostonB

Jayeire wrote: »

...Just wondering has anybody else encountered this with BA? I payed enough for these flights to expect to be treated with courtesy.

I don't get the point of your question. Has anyone had similar problems with the same attendant? Or are all BA attendants behave the same. Both questions seem unlikely considering they probably have a hundred or more attendants working in NY, or that everyone goes to the same attendant when using BA. It just doesn't make sense.

You got the persons name so all you have to do it report them. If theres more to it than that, I'm not getting it.

mathepac

BostonB wrote: »

... It just doesn't make sense...

It makes sense to me. OP is seeking information on similar experiences by forum members - it was an appaling incident of rudeness and discourtesy to a customer by an unidentifiable black female member of BA's NY-based groundstaff, hence the encourgement to complain to Mr. Willie Walsh, CEO, BA.

BostonB wrote: »

... You got the persons name so all you have to do it report them. ...

OP did not get the person's name as she wasn't wearing a name-tag, hence the prior confusion over the apparent issue of race / skin-colour, used by OP solely as a means of identification.

BostonB

mathepac wrote: »

It makes sense to me. OP is seeking information on similar experiences by forum members - it was an appaling incident of rudeness and discourtesy to a customer by an unidentifiable black female member of BA's NY-based groundstaff, hence the encourgement to complain to Mr. Willie Walsh, CEO, BA.
OP did not get the person's name as she wasn't wearing a name-tag, hence the prior confusion over the apparent issue of race / skin-colour, used by OP solely as a means of identification.

You have the time, date and person narrowed to one person of 4 possibilities. You have 4 people who had the same experience to back up the story. I don't know what more you need?

Someone being rude is hardly unique, and in my own experience hardly representative of BA. I've had a bad experience with an Aer lingus attendent, I don't think of it as being reprentative of Aer Lingus.

Make a complaint and move on.

Jayeire

MYOB wrote: »

What does the race of the desk attendent have to do with anything here?

You've rather destroyed any sympathy here by irrelevantly bringing that up.

Read above comments before posting on a thread please. I explained why.

Fratton Fred

The treatment the OP received is pretty much the treatment i received from every taxi driver, shop worker and hotel receptionist in New York.

Thet seem to hate everyone.