A Cautious Return to British Airways

Here's the thing: I used to love British Airways. In 2001/2, I was working for a Canadian company based in St John, New Brunswick. I flew out there from London every couple of months. Rather than take Air Canada's more direct routing, I flew the intercontinental leg with BA, via Toronto Pearson airport, because I liked BA. I flew regularly enough, I'd often get upgraded. From Toronto, I'd take a regional Air Canada flight to St John (YSJ).

And then...That Day. I was travelling for a rather critical first-thing-in-the-morning meeting. The BA flight was delayed more than 2½ hours. Arriving at Pearson, I'd missed my connecting flight, the last to YSJ, though I'd allowed plenty of transfer time. So I went to BA's desk to ask what they could do to help. I'd hoped for at least a hotel room, so that I could catch the early red-eye to YSJ the following morning. Were they helpful?

Not a bit of it. Their attitude was: "You didn't book your connecting flight with us, so it's not our problem." Mine was, "You caused my delay. It is your problem." We went round this loop many times, until I gave up and went away. They truly couldn't care less. I couldn't believe how badly they'd let me down.

I told them, then and there, that I would lobby to have BA removed from the company's Preferred Supplier List, and from the PSL of any future company, and would not fly BA again for many, many years to come - perhaps never. They probably heard that every day, and shrugged. But I meant it.

So, world-weary and despondent, I staggered over to the Air Canada desk. Before I'd even spoken, the lady there said, "You look like you've been in the wars!" I told her my tale of woes. She looked shocked. "Well, let's see what we can do."

Much rattling of keyboards. A few minutes later: "OK, Jon," (she'd remembered I prefer that to Jonathan), "I've got you routed through Halifax. You've a four-hour stop, then you catch the early flight to St John. That'll get you there for 8am. And you need a bit of pampering, so you're business class all the way. You'll like that. We've got massage seats. You look like you need it!"

I was beyond grateful. This is just how Customer Service is done. It wasn't even their problem, but they cared, and went far beyond anything I could have expected. I fell in love with Air Canada at that moment.

And I kept my word. I haven't flown BA, since. In the intervening 13 years, I've been Director of several companies (CEO of most). I've been consultant to many others. BA was removed from the PSLs, as promised. Given my flying pattern, BA's lost approaching £100,000 of my own flights, and probably over £1M more from being off the PSLs. This is the cost of one bad customer experience.

However...I'm at a conference in Vegas soon. The only airlines with direct flights are BA and Virgin Atlantic. I've always loved Virgin - I think I've probably around 100k unspent Flying Club miles - but...BA had a flight sale, undercutting Virgin by 50%, and I couldn't ignore that any longer. At last, I booked. (Sorry, Sir Richard!)

I actually want to give BA a chance for redemption. It has an excellent flight network - and oneworld even more so. It's time. Despite the BA2276 fire - a one-off incident, I hope! - I'm looking forward to it. With some trepidation, I'll admit, but I want to be pleased. I want to be impressed. Above all, I want to see good customer service from British Airways, to give me confidence to fly with them again.

I'll report back.