British Airways Sucks!

We booked a river cruise Amsterdam to Budapest commencing 26 Sep 12.

We had travelled to Africa on Qantas Premium Economy last year & it was brilliant, so decided to do the same to Amsterdam to connect with the cruise.  The best flight link-ups were with BA & we were advised by our Flight Centre agent that BA's World Traveller equivalent to Premium Economy was as good as Qantas' - RUBBISH!!

On arrival at Cairns on 25 Sep to book in, I found that, despite being ticketed as a couple, we were seated separately.  Although I got this sorted out for the first leg of our trip to Singapore & although the seats were fairly similar to Qantas', we were very disappointed with the service & food in BA's World Traveller section.  It was abysmal & we would have been better saving a lot of money going Economy.

At our stopover in Singapore, I was told nothing could be done about seating us together & my best option was to see if another passenger would swap seats with one of us after take off.  Fortunately I was able to do this.

The fun really started in London.  Jan had been taken ill during the last hour of the flight after eating the awful breakfast & I had to arrange a wheelchair for her, then pass through the increased security operating that day.  On presenting for our connection to Amsterdam we were told we were double booked & had been taken off the flight.  It was obvious that BA has a policy of double booking connections from overseas flights, no doubt reasoning that they will often be late.

We were told the duty manager would attend & arrange another flight & eventually a sandy haired, ineffectual twit turned up, offered us some compensation & booked us on a flight.  He said we could bypass having to go through security again by using a tunnel instead of the train connecting gates B with gates A, but didn't bother to tell us that I couldn't get the wheelchair down to it.  Jan barely managed the walk & when we arrived at gate A10 all the way from B33, the pratts there told us in a couldn't care less attitude that it had closed a couple of minutes before, upon which I blew my top.  Heathrow is a dump of a rabbit warren & best avoided.  If you have to go to UK, use Gatwick.

We eventually managed to get another flight 2.5 hours later.

Fortunately the connection to our tour went well & put us on board without having to go to a holding  hotel first, so Jan was able to go straight to bed.  The tour with Avalon was excellent & exceeded our expectations - more on that in a later blog.

We then had the unenviable return flight with BA until we connected with Qantas in Hong Kong.  Their Premium Economy is FAR superior to BA's World Traveller, both in terms of seating, food & service.  (I will also note here that I hadn't been in HK since they opened the new airport & we found it smaller, more relaxing & easier to get around than Singapore.  We will transit there in future if possible.)

So, if you plan on long trips, do NOT use British Airways World Traveller.  It simply is not worth the extra over Economy & the food & service is certainly well behind Qantas.

History Repeats!

I haven't posted for some time but came across some quotes I couldn't resist passing on.

I've posted before on Abe Lincoln's fiscal policy, which modern America has long forgotten, but I had not been aware of Thomas Jefferson's comments.

He seems to have been wiser even than Lincoln, but again, his wisdom has been forgotten or buried by corrupt politicians & businessmen in all countries, especially bankers.  Hence this current global financial crisis.

Here's a selection:

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.
Thomas Jefferson

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
Thomas Jefferson

 
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.'

Yet, only a few years later in 1838 the banker A B Rothschild said:

"GIVE ME CONTROL OF A NATION'S MONEY SUPPLY, AND I CARE NOT WHO MAKES ITS LAWS".