Tips Dealing with BA, changing flight without penatly

[Mr.Haggis]

Best advice for dealing with BA is to avoid them at all costs. I'd rather walk it to the UK than try to take another BA flight. They are purveyors of the finest hassle.

[PLamHK]

Am booked on BA00032 in early Feb2025.

Then I'm afraid I have no idea - I guess you somehow need to communicate that screenshot to them and insist on not paying any change fee. But unfortunately you don't have much leverage here.

As an aside I went looking on the BA forum on FlyerTalk to see if that offered any help. I didn't find any, and moreover it became clear that BA is descending ever faster down the hill to being indistinguishable from RyanAir (except for the older planes and grumpier cabin crew).

[Mr.Haggis]

moreover it became clear that BA is descending ever faster down the hill to being indistinguishable from RyanAir (except for the older planes and grumpier cabin crew).

Unironically, RyanAir are actually more reliable and transparent than BA. They are innovative and competitive (see their inbuilt stairs on their 737s to cut costs on ground services and enable them to park on cheaper parts of the apron) and have a humorous and responsive social media marketing team. There is a reason why people still choose to fly with them despite their meme status.

They don't pretend to be something they aren't, and the experience of their service is reflected in the price of the ticket which is more than can be said about BA, who charge premium fares for business class tickets on long haul journeys wherein which you still need to step over the feet of other passengers to get to your tired seat.

[rani]

Then I'm afraid I have no idea - I guess you somehow need to communicate that screenshot to them and insist on not paying any change fee. But unfortunately you don't have much leverage here.

As an aside I went looking on the BA forum on FlyerTalk to see if that offered any help. I didn't find any, and moreover it became clear that BA is descending ever faster down the hill to being indistinguishable from RyanAir (except for the older planes and grumpier cabin crew).

Thanks for checking on FT! Will msg them tomorrow and will keep you posted.

[PLamHK]

Unironically, RyanAir are actually more reliable and transparent than BA.

Last year I had a choice between RyanAir and BA between Madeira and London. Even after I added in all the extras (luggage, legroom seat, etc) Ryanair was still about one-third of the price of BA in economy. I was a bit worried, but needn't have been - nice new plane, decent legroom, on time, no hassles.

[Peaky]

As long as I've got headphones in (and don't need to listen to them selling scratchcards and other shit) i agree I'm happy enough to fly with any of the cheap airlines. I get most of the pain out of the way paying for an exit row, luggage, priority, etc.

Flew BA in premium economy back from London recently. Glad it was a points redemption as if I'd paid what they charge I'd be fuming. Their quirky/older crew members are an interesting experience, but I'd take them any day over the younger recruits on this flight who (apart from a china based crew member who didnt really speak english but tried hard) were all utterly awful.

It's only their “ownership” of their transatlantic slots that keeps them in business.

[rani]

Called the local # today. Was painful was on the phone for 40 mins. Paid $680 for fare difference which is fine, but they wouldn't waive the service fee of $1480. Was told to put in a claim with screenshots of the website.