‘Die-hard fan’ of British Air

Many travelers return home annoyed or furious with their recent airline experiences, but I have to share with you my very positive experience with British Airways (800/247-9297, www.britishairways.com).

In taking the reverse itinerary of the river cruise “Eastern Europe to the Black Sea” with Grand Circle Travel (Boston, MA; 800/221-2610, www.gct.com), April 2-18, 2016, I flew to Bucharest, Romania, the day before the cruise-tour began and, following the cruise, disembarked in Budapest, Hungary.

I had used 100,000 American Airlines frequent-flyer miles to book my business-class flights to Bucharest and from Budapest. My return flights from Budapest to London to Boston were on British Air, and I continued on American Airlines from Boston to Los Angeles to Reno.

Though my return schedule had me in and out of five airports, that was OK with me, since, at least, I had been able to use miles for that lovely, lie-flat seat on each of the British Air international flights and for first class on American Airlines on the domestic portions.

Now, on my return, as I walked off the plane in London Heathrow, I noticed an airline employee holding a sign reading “Boston.” Since that was my next stop, I asked if I needed to talk to him. With a smile, he asked my name. When I told him, he handed me a new boarding pass inside a brightly colored envelope and told me to hurry.

Although my schedule showed that I had 1½ hours until my next flight, I began to race-walk through the airport. That brightly colored envelope moved me to the fronts of lines. Attendants opened closed doors for me, and other attendants took down barriers to let me through. All along the way, that envelope was observed and my path was cleared as much as possible.

My route took me on escalators, elevators, a bus and a train and through a passport screening and a security check. I arrived at my gate as passengers were boarding. Without that assistance, I would have missed my flight.

Did my London-to-Boston flight depart earlier than originally scheduled? No, it left on time. When I booked the trip, it had seemed that 1½ hours between flights would be enough time, but it was not. I’m so glad that a British Air agent was at my gate when I got off the plane in London.

Upon arriving in Boston, I breezed through Immigration, as I’m a Global Entry member (www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-
programs/global-entry). Wonderful! 

While waiting for my bag at the British Air carousel, I decided to look at my emails, since I was back in the US. There was an email from the airline telling me that, unfortunately, my bag didn’t make it. Well, no surprise, since I hardly had!

Noticing a nondescript desk with a sign that said “Airline Info,” I walked over and said to the lady, “Well, I guess my bag didn’t
make it.” She asked if I was Mrs. Doescher! 

She gave me directions to a desk to visit after I exited Customs. Same conversation there — “Well, I guess my bag didn’t make it.” “Are you Mrs. Doescher?” 

My paperwork had already been filled out with my name, address, phone number and email address, all of which I had given the airline before leaving on my trip. All that was needed was a description of my bag. Well, before leaving Budapest, for the first time ever, I had taken a picture of my bag. Great!

The end of the story is that British Air had my bag delivered to my home by FedEx, and it arrived exactly on the day and at the time they said it would, two days after my trip ended. I’m now a die-hard fan of British Airways.

I also LOVE Grand Circle Travel and its sister company Overseas Adventure Travel (800/955-1925, www.oattravel.com), with whom I usually travel. I take trips with them yearly and sometimes more often than that.

JAN DOESCHER

Carson City, NV