British Airways engaging in sharp practice on Airmiles site to stop non-BA bookings?

peterbaker

For the first time in a while I wanted to check out spending some airmiles this evening.

I can only book British Airways. The website has a deliberate policy now of showing BA flights first and despite what it then says if you click on the "Why am I only being shown British Airways flights? link, which says:

Why am I only being shown British Airways flights?
Airmiles is a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways. We have been part of the British Airways family since 1988 and therefore we offer access to British Airways' full service flights on its extensive global network. This is why we show you British Airways flights first.
If you would like an alternative airline, please select "check other options" and we will offer a list of all available options?

if you then click on the suggested "check other options" link, it appears it has a deliberate programming error in it which makes it unusable :mad:

withabix

Temporary website glitch. Email them.

Airmiles bookings with other airlines are normally easy to do.

peterbaker

I don't believe it. It would be crass stupidity to allow such a glitch to get through BA IT testing if it was not intended.

Let them read it here.

richardw

It doesn't

London Gatwick Apt - Oporto Apt


Flying Economy Class with TAP Air Portugal
OutboundChange outbound flight
TP0335
Departs:Tue 16 Nov 1020:30LGW Arrives:Tue 16 Nov 1022:45OPO
ReturnChange return flight
TP0334
Departs:Wed 17 Nov 1009:55OPO Arrives:Wed 17 Nov 1012:10LGW
Flight price

AdultTotal
1,500 miles
Price per person (return)

You just have to pick a non BA route.

peterbaker

I don't want a non-BA route, I want an intuitive website that gives me choice, not a website designed so I only get shown BA flights unless I am hanging upside down by my heels from the light fitting at just the right angle ...

Edit: That's it, I give up, which I suppose is what they prefer with prospective customers like me. Next stop, Ryanair and Easyjet websites in that order.

richardw

It is far from perfect and if you pick Heathrow to Atlanta you'll get a BA flight and the Delta flights will be excluded, if you pick Gatwick to Atlanta you'll get Delta, because BA doesn't fly the route.

I've found many non BA flights because I've learn't to manipulate the website and have shared this with other MSErs.

Moonchild

peterbaker wrote: »

I don't want a non-BA route, I want an intuitive website that gives me choice

So why would collect miles that belong to a BA owned scheme then? Surely you should expect it? Or am I being nieve in thinking 'why should they push you to their competitors first and foremost?'.

peterbaker

I have been an Airmiles member since the only ones you could collect were paper coupons, never mind all this fangled internet online stuff! I am also well versed in IT, and there is simply no excuse for a company like BA to deliberately field a second rate website with stupid errors in it.

Why would I expect any kind of poor service from anywhere in 2010?? Oh silly me, I belong to an older generation where excellence was once the norm from blue-chips :rotfl:

I completely forgot we live in a world where you turn on the telly and a seriously inconvenienced customer who just found out at the airport that his summer holiday company went bust last night comments "it's just one of those things."