Re Caught in the BA Computer failure

["Dave Farber" <dave () farber net>]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Hasan Diwan <hasan.diwan () gmail com>
Date: Tue, May 30, 2017 at 8:39 PM
Subject: Re: [IP] Caught in the BA Computer failure
To: dave () farber net <dave () farber net>


Prof Farber,
[for IP, if you deem]
Terminal 5 has been a disaster since its inception. When it first opened,
the baggage system failed[1]. Now Mr Kobrin's experience, which exemplifies
the epitomy of British customer service. Heathrow is a disaster. I've taken
to flying into Paris and take the TGV up to London and (surprise) I'm in
central London before I would have had I landed at Heathrow and taken
Heathrow Express into town. -- H
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtD0pQC8OJ0

On 30 May 2017 at 14:03, Dave Farber <farber () gmail com> wrote:

> Begin forwarded message:
>
> *From:* "Kobrin, Stephen J" <kobrins () wharton upenn edu>
> *Date:* May 30, 2017 at 4:20:02 PM EDT
> *To:* Dave Farber <farber () gmail com>
> *Subject:* *BA Computer failure*
>
> We were caught in the midst of the BA calamity at Heathrow on the 27th,
> catching a connecting flight back to Philly just as the computers went
> down.  The crisis was handled abysmally as BA gate personnel disappeared
> immediately and thousands and thousands of people milled around Terminal 5
> with no information and no one to ask.  We found out that all flights were
> cancelled from the Captain who told us that he heard it on television.  It
> was absolute chaos, with multiple lines hours long with no one sure what
> they were waiting for.  No one know where to go or what to do and there was
> no one to ask.  One thing you never think about is that the way from
> security to the departure gates is a one-way street.  We were lucky enough
> to run into a friendly crew that got us back, only to face a two hour plus
> wait at immigration.  We were in Heathrow from about 11:45 to 4:30 and
> never found a BA agent who knew what was going on.  When we got to baggage
> claim, there was one person who announced that no baggage would be
> “repatriated.”    We were relatively lucky as we knew enough to call a
> hotel immediately and not stand in lines.   I did get through to BA that
> night and rebooked for Monday.  We got back but our bags did not.
>
>
>
> This was a management failure from the top down.  The CEO hid away in some
> sort of war room recording apologies.   The contingency plan seemed to be
> to flee and apologize.   Again, there was no information provided, no idea
> of what to do or where to go and no one to ask.  While it is hard to
> understand the lack of a backup for a system failure, BA is not the first
> airline to run into this issue.  What is beyond all explanation is the way
> the crisis was handled, or not handled, on the ground.  Basically, it was
> leave the victims to bind their own wounds.
>
>
>
> I would not fly BA again on a bet.  We both love London and had planned to
> visit for a week or so this winter, but neither of us can stomach the idea
> at this point.
>
>
>
>
>
> It takes some effort to make American airlines look good.
>
>
> Steve
>
>
>
> Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now>
> <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/659737-d7f51c21> | Modify
> <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;>
> Your Subscription | Unsubscribe Now
> <https://www.listbox.com/unsubscribe/?&&post_id=20170530170312:603C8F7A-457B-11E7-8794-990DB16832FC>
> <http://www.listbox.com>



-- 
OpenPGP:
https://sks-keyservers.net/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xFEBAD7FFD041BBA1
If you wish to request my time, please do so using
http://bit.ly/hd1ScheduleRequest.
Si vous voudrais faire connnaisance, allez a
http://bit.ly/hd1ScheduleRequest.

<https://sks-keyservers.net/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xFEBAD7FFD041BBA1>Sent
from my mobile device
Envoye de mon portable



-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/18849915-ae8fa580
Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-aa268125
Unsubscribe Now: 
https://www.listbox.com/unsubscribe/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-32545cb4&post_id=20170530222732:B0B19DBA-45A8-11E7-B7C2-CC2AF75F8240
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com