When British Airways and Heathrow Airport go the extra mile…

During the weekend, I went to Barcelona with a friend. And for the best part of the day – it was grand for both of us.

However, my friend also suffers from fibromyalgia, and as such needed support on our return leg from Barcelona, as pain was settling in for her as we arrived at the airport.

We approached the check-in counter at Barcelona and explained the situation. Wheelchair assistance was sorted out for my friend. After a 10 minute wait, a wheelchair arrived – and she was on her way.

The ground services team at Barcelona kindly got my friend through all the security hoops and got her to the gate on time – and more importantly- got her on the plane too so she was sat down and could relax.

Meanwhile onboard – I know I’ve had more than my fair share of moans of BA, but the airline – or the CSM on the A320 rose to the occasion. And it’s the little touches – like checking with my fellow passenger when she boarded, offering blankets, pillows, a whole row to herself to stretch out and taking the time to listen to her needs. In addition, it was little touches, such as offering food when my friend woke up after a doze.

I admit I travel through rather jaded eyes some days. But seeing the attention to detail is a welcome thing to see.

To me, when a member of the British Airways team steps up like this, it’s something to be celebrated – and held up high as an example of good customer service.

I’ll also add at this point the experience we had at Heathrow Airport – whilst we only booked ground assistance at Barcelona, there was a wheelchair waiting to meet us at the gate Terminal 3. This took my friend to a buggy to take us both to immigration.

With a quick immigration process, we were taken through to arrivals and finally the Heathrow Express where we transferred over to Terminal 5 and headed home.

At all times, the staff were attentive to the passenger needs, happily taking us where we needed to go.

Again – a great passenger experience for someone who needed assistance – with only minimal notice.

And – to be blunt – the best passenger experience I’ve had in a long while.

Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond – Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, with in-depth coverage, unique research as well as the humour and madness as I only know how to deliver.

Follow me on Twitter at @EconomyBeyond for the latest updates! You can also follow me on Instagram too!

Also remember that as well as being part of BoardingArea, we’re also part of BoardingArea.eu, delivering frequent flyer news, miles and points to the European reader.