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Allegations of discrimination against British Airways

Singh claimed that a staff member at check-in desk 19, counter 3, was ridiculing a group’s culture and traditional clothing in front of customers...reports Asian Lite News

Recent social media posts have raised concerns about British Airways’ customer service practices after accusations of discriminatory behaviour and questionable policies came from the high-profile individuals.

On Saturday, Ashwini Bhide, a senior civil servant (IAS 95 Maharashtra), took to X, to express her dissatisfaction with British Airways. Bhide, known for her work on Mumbai’s Aqua Line metro, accused the airline of downgrading her from premium economy to a lower class at the check-in counter, allegedly citing an overbooking situation. She claimed that not only the false reason was given to her, but she also said that no compensation was offered.

This practice is said to be commonplace at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai. “Are you cheating or following discriminatory/racist policies @British_Airways? How come u downgrade a premium economy passenger at the check-in counter on false pretext of overbooking without even paying the price difference, forget about compensation? I’m told this is a common practice by BA @CSMIA Mumbai,” Bhide wrote on X. British Airways responded to Bhide’s tweet, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused. However, no further details or explanations were provided. Another incident was brought to light on Sunday when Jyoty Singh tweeted about an alleged cultural insensitivity incident involving a British Airways staff member at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Singh claimed that a staff member at check-in desk 19, counter 3, was ridiculing a group’s culture and traditional clothing in front of customers.

When confronted, the staff member reportedly defended her actions, stating that it was her opinion. “Hi @British_Airways your staff member at terminal 3, check-in 19 (desk 3) at @Schiphol. Amsterdam was ridiculing a group’s culture and their traditional clothing in front of customers. When confronted that’s unkind and unprofessional she said that’s her opinion & we need to deal with it,” wrote Singh. British Airways responded to Singh’s tweet, acknowledging the incident and asserting that such behaviour is not consistent with their values. The airline promised to internally assess the matter, ensuring it does not align with their standards. “This is disappointing to hear and isn’t consistent with our values, Jyoty. We appreciate your comments and can assure you this will be taken onboard and assessed internally. And we won’t be doing a thing about it because our PR team doesn’t actually make any decisions and our HR team doesn’t actually care. All the best! “the airline’s tweet read.

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British Airways fined $1.1m by US  

British Airways’ owner IAG raises profit guidance as it sees capacity at 97% of pre-pandemic level…reports Asian Lite News

British Airways (BA) has been hit with a fine of $1.1m (£877,000) by United States government.

The US Transportation Department issued the punishment for failing to provide timely refunds for flights to and from the US that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It said it had received more than 1,200 complaints saying the airline failed to provide timely refunds since March 2020.

The fine is “a strong deterrent to future similar unlawful practices” by BA and other airlines, the government department added.

Customers were unable to get through to customer service staff when contacting the airline because of inadequate customer phone lines, it said.

BA responded: “We’re very sorry that at the height of the unprecedented pandemic – when we were unfortunately forced to cancel thousands of flights and close some call centres due to government restrictions – our customers experienced slightly longer wait times to reach customer service teams.”

British Airways’ owner IAG raises profit guidance as it sees capacity at 97% of pre-pandemic level.

“During this period, we acted lawfully at all times and offered customers the flexibility of rebooking travel on different dates, or claiming a refund if their flights were cancelled.”

The United Kingdom’s flag carrier airline is being credited $550,000 (£438,793) toward the penalty because in 2020 and 2021 it paid more than $40m in refunds to customers with non-refundable tickets.

Since the start of the pandemic more than five million refunds have been issued, BA added.

Other airlines have also been fined by the department for not issuing timely refunds by the US Transportation Department. Chilean airline LATAM was ordered to pay $1m after it and affiliates delayed refunds.

In the UK the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation to see if airlines breached legal rights by failing to offer cash refunds for flights that consumers could not lawfully take due to COVID-19 lockdown rules.

The CMA concluded the law didn’t provide passengers with a sufficiently clear right to a refund in the unusual circumstances of the pandemic and closed its examination.

BA is owned by IAG (International Airlines Group) who also own Vueling and Aer Lingus.

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Tech issues force cancellation of 43 British Airways flights

British flag carrier apologised for the cancellations and said it was fixing the “technical problems” which caused difficulties with online check-in…reports Asian Lite News

IT issues have forced the cancellation of 43 British Airways flights scheduled to depart and arrive into London’s Heathrow airport.

The flights were cancelled as of 5 p.m. on Thursday evening, the BBC reported citing aviation data firm Cirium as saying. About 800 flights in total were scheduled to fly from the UK on Thursday.

In a statement, the British flag carrier apologised for the cancellations and said it was fixing the “technical problems” which caused difficulties with online check-in.

British Airways added that affected customers had been contacted and offered options, including a refund or rebooking onto an alternative flight with the airline or another carrier.

In recent years, the airlines has suffered several IT failures, including one in December 2022 that saw dozens of long haul flights being cancelled in the week before Christmas, the BBC reported.

A major outage in 2017 had stranded 75,000 passengers over a holiday weekend. Passengers also faced delays due to an IT issue in February this year, days after flights had been cancelled due to Storm Eunice.

The latest incident also came as security guards at Heathrow Airport began a three-day strike over pay on Thursday. The airport has however, said that operations will not be affected.

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Iraqi Airways receives its first A220-300

Iraqi Airways, the national carrier of Iraq, has taken delivery of its first out of five A220-300 aircraft from Mirabel, Canada…reports Asian Lite News

Upon entry into service, Iraqi Airways will become one of the first airlines to operate the A220 in the Middle East region.

With the A220, Iraqi Airways will benefit from the aircraft’s exceptional technical, economic and environmental performance. Iraqi Airways’ A220-300 features a modern and highly comfortable dual-class cabin that seats 132 passengers; 12 in business class and 120 in economy class. The state of the art aircraft will play an integral part of Iraqi Airways fleet renewal and modernization plan.

The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines. Featuring a 50% reduced noise footprint and up to 25% lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, as well as around 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards, the A220 is a great aircraft for regional as well as long distance routes operations.

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As of the end of November 2021, over 180 A220s had been delivered to 13 operators, from  Asia, North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East – proving the great versatility of Airbus’ new generation single-aisle family member.

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Etihad to host global cabin crew recruitment drive

Successful candidates will undergo a comprehensive training programme in Abu Dhabi, which includes all aspects of cabin safety and service delivery…reports Asian Lite News

Etihad Airways, the award-winning national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is hosting a major recruitment drive, seeking up to 1000 individuals with outstanding hospitality experience to join the airline’s World Leading Cabin Crew.

The international recruitment days will take place in 10 different cities across the UAE, Middle East and Europe, including Egypt, Lebanon, Russia, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.

Applicants interested in attending the recruitment days and joining the airline’s award-winning team of cabin crew should register in advance by visiting etihad.com/cabincrewrecruitment.

Employees laid off due to the pandemic are welcome to apply through the airline’s alumni programme, which is currently advertising the positions available.

Captain Jihad Matta, Head of Crew Performance and Support, Etihad Airways, said: “I am pleased to say Etihad is in a position to be able to start hiring cabin crew again. The last 18 months have been incredibly difficult, however there is much to be positive about as travel restrictions ease and we ramp up operations to meet growing demand. A critical part of this is rebuilding our cabin crew team.”

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“For those interested in joining, this is an amazing opportunity to be part of something special, where no two days at work will ever be the same and you will be supported to grow your career every step of the way.”

“In each of these cities, we will be looking for candidates who have a passion for delivering exceptional customer service and creating memorable moments for guests. We are looking for individuals who will help grow our business and who will be united with us in our mission of bringing the world to Abu Dhabi.”

Alongside providing candidates with comprehensive information about living in Abu Dhabi, ranked as one of the safest cities in the world, and the dynamics of working with guests at 30,000 feet, the airline will also conduct an in-depth assessment process.

“We hope to attract diverse, talented men and women globally, to inspire and help them kick-start a tremendous career opportunity and life experience in the UAE,” adds Matta.

Successful candidates will undergo a comprehensive training programme in Abu Dhabi, which includes all aspects of cabin safety and service delivery. The training will be conducted at Zayed Campus, the airline’s training academy, and at the end of the programme, individuals will officially be awarded their wings.

Cabin crew are provided with tax-free income, company medical insurance, concessional travel benefits, transport, uniforms, fully furnished company accommodation in Abu Dhabi, and discounts on food and beverage and leisure activities in the fresh and vibrant surroundings of the capital of the UAE.

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British Airways orders pilots to avoid Afghanistan airspace

The panic has gripped Kabul on Sunday as Taliban terrorists have started arriving in the city, inmates broke out of the main prison on the east side of the city…reports Asian Lite News.

British Airways has ordered its pilots to avoid Afghan airspace as Ashraf Ghani’s government collapsed and Kabul fell to the Taliban.

“British Airways has ordered pilots to avoid Afghan airspace because of deteriorating security there,” British Airways’ spokesperson told ANI.

The panic has gripped Kabul on Sunday as Taliban terrorists have started arriving in the city, inmates broke out of the main prison on the east side of the city.

Afghanistan’s government has collapsed with President Ashraf Ghani leaving the country and the Taliban’s entry into the capital, the New York Times reported.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan former President Hamid Karzai along with Abdullah Abdullah and former Mujahideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar have formed a Coordination Council in order to prevent chaos and manage affairs related to a peaceful transfer of power.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Sunday said that Taliban terrorists have been asked to enter the capital city of Kabul.

Mujahid, in an interview with Tolo News, also said that the security situation will remain under control in the city. (ANI)

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British Airways sends emergency aid to Delhi

Presently, British Airways is working in partnership with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which is organising the UK’s humanitarian response.

British Airways on Thursday said it has flown a Boeing 777-200 aircraft loaded with emergency aid to Delhi to support India in its battle against the coronavirus.

The airline commissioned a special project team to organise the flight (BA257F) that transported 27 tonnes of medical aid which landed in Delhi on Thursday morning.

The 1,349 items of aid were carried on an aircraft specially chartered by British Airways and supported by volunteers from the airline to ensure life-saving supplies reached India urgently.

“The aircraft loaded with more than a thousand items from the High Commission of India and charities including Khalsa Aid International and the largest Hindu Temple outside of India, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, in Neasden, London,” the airline said in a statement.

“The load includes hundreds of urgent life-saving oxygen cylinders and shipments of oxygen concentrators, respirators and blood oxygen saturation monitors. British Airways is also donating care packages for families in need.”

Presently, British Airways is working in partnership with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which is organising the UK’s humanitarian response.

Since the pandemic’s start, both the IAG Cargo and the British Airways have maintained a vital air link between London and India.

The latest aid on the scheduled flights was ferried as a special charter which was fully funded by the two companies.

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