My family flew to Italy last year on British Air and had horrible service.They pre-odered vegetarian meals and were told "So sorry" when they were not available.Flight atten- <BR>dants were reluctant to help when the person <BR>in front of my sister reclined their seat and <BR>spilled her O.J. all over her.Other passenger <BR>needed water to take meds and they flat denied it to her.Should we chalk this up as a fluke and try them again to avoid the pos- <BR>sibility of a strike on a US carrier?How <BR>comfortable are the planes for economy class? <BR>HEEEEELLLP!

I cannot believe water was denied to someone needing medication! BA is a great airline, good service, nice modern planes ect ect.

Did you write to them? If so, what did they say?

This doesn't sound like BA -- even at its worst. And I am not dismissing what you report. I'd give them another chance on the expectation that that crew was a fluke. <BR> <BR>Question was the problematic flight the one TO London or to Italy? Sometimes the crews on the intra-Europe flights aren't as good as the international leg.

Have you thought about another British Carrier - Virgin Atlantic? Everyone I know raves about them.

I'm also surprised at such extremely bad service on BA. I've flown them a few times and while I've always thought Virgin provides overall *better* service, I still like BA transatlantic and within Europe just fine. I think you must have encountered an anomalous crew--but if worries about a repeat occurrence make it hard for you to enjoy your trip planning, do check out Virgin. They seem to be fare-warring with BA right now from what some folks have said, so you might be able to get a good deal. Frankly, I'd always prefer to fly BA or Virgin to Europe over pretty much any U.S. carrier (have used American and Continental).

Thanks for the replies everyone.The flight was from Atlanta to London-Gatwick.My mother wrote a lengthy letter <BR>but I'm not sure what the response was. <BR>I did not fly,so I'm willing to take a <BR>chance.Convincing my family may be a little harder.From what I've seen posted,BA looks very reputable.Maybe the crew was having a bad day....

Gina and Kate,thanks for the advice. I <BR>will check out VA since we are leaving <BR>from Orlando,Fl. I have heard that some of VA's planes are older than others <BR>(like all airlines)and that some of their viewscreens on the seatbacks don't <BR>work occasionally.I'm willing to give it <BR>a shot!

We flew BA once..many years ago. I thought then the attendants were business-like and very unfriendly. I always go for the lowest fare and that experience would not exclude them but, given a choice, they would not be my first. I think I've flown every major airline and am not hard to please. I'm one of those people who never hit the attendant button (I saw that question the other day!)but I think an attendant who acts like she likes her job is a plus, especially on a long flight. <BR>In closing, I'd forget the strike worries, get the best deal and have a good time!

We fly BA every year, to Europe and within Europe, and never had a crew like those you described (have had them on American & UAL tho!!) I would hope this was an isolated incident because we've always had very polites, most accommodating crews when we flew BA. <BR>(LA to UK primarily). Some are more friendier than others, but never rude or not accommodating. Seems hard to believe someone would be denied water .. very strange indeed - must have had something else going on there that you family was not aware of. Compared to most American flight crews we have found them much better overall. As for the pre-ordered meal, that is not the flight crews problem responsibility really. The orders are submitted to the caterer by the airline and the cater delivers them to the aircraft prior to flt. If the special meals did not make it, it's the cater's fault not the flight attendant and they are correct in saying that they were sorry .. at that point they could not do anything about it except say they were sorry. I have a cousin who was a flight attendant (AA) and she said this happened very frequently and passengers would always take out frustrations on the FA's and it was not their fault. I'd fly BA over most of the US carriers any day.

Aha now we get to the bottom of it. Christine wasn't there so it's all second hand info. <BR> <BR>What absolute rubbish about being denied water. Unless it was asked for during takeoff or landing then you would, of course, have got it. <BR> <BR>How on earth could the person in front spill OJ all over the person behind? Short of throwing it, I cant see that happening. What happened was that maybe a little got splashed on your family and, in the way families like to do when recounting horror airline stories, they exaggerated. <BR> <BR>If you pay for a seat then you can recline all you like - what were they supposed to do? I'm sure they asked the peron in the seat in front to lift their seat up at mealtimes (which I presume your family didnt join in with as they were veggies with no veggie options) but other than that the attendants cant force someone to move their seat. <BR> <BR>Dont post this sort of puerile nonsense again, Christine, this is disinformation at its worst.

Oh, Inky, there you are! I'd (NOT) missed you. You and your continual put-downs. Just go away again please until you can learn to be civil.

Oh Inky. So glad to see you're back and in good form. Now go away again?

Re my pledge on another thread. This was humor folks. Inky is free to state his views of course

tis human nature to exaggerate. Ok so I flew with Ba and none of the attendants did anything but chat to each other and maake jokes, we were kept waiting hours for our food and when we got it it was wrong. Sounds likely? No, because I made it up, it's easy, isn't it Christine?

I have had some awful experiences with BA, but I do think that they aree improving. Given the choice though - Virgin wins every time in Economy.

To Inky: I don't normally agree with you but in this case I think you have a point. I have to re-read Christines's post and it seems quite exaggerated if not ridiculous!! The denial of water to take meds is the one that got me. <BR> <BR>Regards!!

This is so way off base, you will probably think (or confirm) that I am nuts: <BR> <BR>My nickname, since age 14, has been BA - can you guess why? <BR> <BR>anyway, as I work in telecom, for a competitor of (what used to be) Bell Atlantic, or BA, I frequently hear disparaging remarks about BA. <BR> <BR>Now I hear even more bad stuff about BA! another BA trashes my name - I can't escape it! it was bad enough having people snorkle about the A-Team growing up (you have to be my age to get this - sorry!) I am now surrounded by even more people who are hostile to BA. “I’ve had awful experiences with BA!” “BA’s food is terrible!” <BR> <BR>It's enough to give me a complex! <BR> <BR>On behalf of BA’s everywhere, I apologize. <BR> <BR>Tongue in cheekly, <BR> <BR>Beth Anderson, aka, “BA” <BR>

And I can assure everyone that BA's (Beth A.'s) food is wonderful. That is, at least sharing a meal with BA is wonderful. And she never spilled OJ on me or denied me water. She even shared the barbecue sauce.

All of this is very odd: Christine posts with an email address sure to stir up people; she then reports her family's terrible experience, but at the tail end she says "How comfortable are the planes for economy class?" - first clue there's something afoot. She posts last night, and nobody responds so, suddenly, xxx replies this morning with little to offer, but it brings the post to the top. Several hours go by, and still no one responds, then Mike at xxx posts, which looks like a leading question, and brings it all to the top again. Now look at all the posts after that - real names, familiar emails, considerate answers. Now Christine responds with another clue "that some of their viewscreens on the seatbacks don't work occasionally". Two more thoughtful posts...and Inky appears with his/her usual sort of post (has anyone ever seen useful travel info from Inky? If you have, please top it or cut and paste it; I don't want to working under false assumptions). All looks like one person, maybe, trying to stir up the pot?