Silverjet flights NY to UK

[soletread]

Hi Everyone

 

I was just wondering if anybody who booked a transatlantic crossing before May this year and since the failure of Silverjet can give me your comments on Cunards handling of the situation.

 

My wife and I are seasoned cruises and booked our 9th cruise but our first with Cunard in April for a November 2009 TA westbound

 

We choice Silverjet for our return home from NY for a number of reason

 

1) Luton airport much nearer home than Heathrow

2) A business class fight at a very competitive upgrade price

3) Additional lugagge allowence always helpful with formal clothes and winter wear required

4) I hate BA with a passion following a number of bad experience and BA are the prefered patner for Cunard.

 

When Silverjet went out of business in May I got straight in touch with my agent to find out what would happen with our flights.

 

We were told by Cunard:

 

1) They were dealing with stranded passengers and would be in touch at the end of July ( fair enough)

2) We would be offered a like for like flight anyway, but these would not be booked till November

3) If we were not completly happy we had the choice to cancel with full refund

 

However having heard nothing since then I contact the travel agent at the weekend who called Cunard to be told

 

1) They could give me no further information

2) Flights would not be booked or confirmed till December anyway

3) It would most likely be a BA world Traveller plus seat to Heathrow

 

Now by no means is that a like for like offer

 

I have a contract with Cunard as a booked package and I see no reason why they should not honour a like for like. I understand there may be cost incurred but it is not my fualt Silverjet collapsed

 

They could in fact place us on a Continental Flight to Birmingham, once again local and in the 2009 boucher

 

I have written a letter to Cunard as has my agent as the communication has been very poor I had a chat with the guy from Cunard on the phone from the agents office on Saturday and he was damn rude to be frank ( all a bit take it or leave it sunshine)

 

I must say If the pre-cruise level of communication and service reflects the onboard experience I am questioning whether I should re-think the cruise if they offer me a full refund

 

Can anybody give me there own personal experience of pre-cruise service with Cunard or any similar experiences relating to the issue on Silverjet flights?

 

Thanks

[sw18]

In retrospect Cunard were probably stupid to have offered Silverjet flights in the first place...the airline had a flawed business model, as soon as oil prices started to fluctuate there was no hope (even after MaxJet & Eos went down), they weren't a credible option to the business community with a poor schedule & no back up. Relying on dumping seats to tour operators at litlle or no yield only hastened their fate. The 2 aircraft they flew were unsuitable for the business & were being phased out by their previous owners Britannia Airways as they were uneconomic having flown high intensity holiday charters since the early 80's & had become maintenance hungry....very much the wrong aircraft for the job.

 

BA on the other hand have little need to offer a SilverJet type product in the London/NYC market & offer 10-11 flights a day from Heathrow/Gatwick to Newark/JFK & are very much geared to the high yielding business community - apart from the slack business periods they will be discounting very little on the route....especially in the premium cabins....even with the economy the way it is at the moment.

 

Cunard will be paying BA significantly more for your flight seats than they would have been giving Silverjet,so no the offer is not like for like at all.....

 

I've worked in travel & the airline business for the last 21 years & no all Business/all First Class carrier has lasted.....even BA's "Open Skies" subsidiary is failing dismally on the Amsterdam-NYC route with unsustainable average load factors of 30%, as business travellers do not want to rely on a one flight a day operation with little flexibility. The hard fact is that on a prime business route like NYC, leisure passengers are at the bottom of the stack with little yield - this is not unique to BA either, the other big transatlantic players are no different, Virgin, Air France/KLM, Lufthansa, American, Continental.......

[ovccruiser]

I may be wrong, but I thought the Silverjet deal was with the TA and not a Cunard deal. I have cruise/flew with Cunard on numerous occasions and they have used Continental from Bristol, Virgin Atlantic and BA from Heathrow.

[ocngypz]

Silverjet? They were not a preferred partner. Sounds more like a custom air request by the agent.

[capnpugwash]

I have travelled with Cunard a few times by air and have only ever been offered BA or Virgin, I was, of course free to choose another carrier as it seems the OP may have done. The responsibility fo that decision would sit squarely across my shoulders. Regarding the comparison of seats, the WT Plus seats of BA are fine for such a short flight and I say that at 6'5" in height. Cunard only have the money that you have paid them, out of which to provide your transportation and they can't work miracles. Why not consider paying a little extra and making the trip a back to back crossing. No flights ot airport crap. That is what I do now.

[Seachase20]

Slightly off your question, but just wanted to say, I would in no way let shoreside Cunard operations influence whether or not I would travel on the ship. The two are totally different animals. You will find the ship's officers and crew far more efficient and helpful than the idiots hired to work in the shore offices, who once told me with not a little puzzlement, that they didn't know they had a ship that called at New York! Persevere and I am sure once you arrive onboard you will have a wonderful, wonderful time!

[cinta]

We flew back from NYC in january on Silverjet. We had booked with Cunard. After our booking Cunard started offering flights with Silverjet in the new brochure (winter 07/08 I think). It was only £50 more than BA's world traveller plus, so I contacted Cunard & got them to change our flight.

That brouchure was the only time they offered it.

 

Sharon

[capnpugwash]

We flew back from NYC in january on Silverjet. We had booked with Cunard. After our booking Cunard started offering flights with Silverjet in the new brochure (winter 07/08 I think). It was only £50 more than BA's world traveller plus, so I contacted Cunard & got them to change our flight.

That brouchure was the only time they offered it.

 

Sharon

 

Sorr

[capnpugwash]

We flew back from NYC in january on Silverjet. We had booked with Cunard. After our booking Cunard started offering flights with Silverjet in the new brochure (winter 07/08 I think). It was only £50 more than BA's world traveller plus, so I contacted Cunard & got them to change our flight.

That brouchure was the only time they offered it.

 

Sharon

 

Sorry Sharon, apologies to Soletread et al, still prefer the btb option over flying

[cinta]

Sorry Sharon, apologies to Soletread et al, still prefer the btb option over flying

I agree with you totally. We did one on QM2 this June. It was the best, & as much luggage as DH could drag behind him! I took 13 pairs of shoes :D:D

 

Sharon

[capnpugwash]

I agree with you totally. We did one on QM2 this June. It was the best, & as much luggage as DH could drag behind him! I took 13 pairs of shoes :D:D

 

Sharon

13 pairs of shoes for 12 nights. Perhaps a record........ lol

[NomDePlume]

13 pairs of shoes for 12 nights. Perhaps a record........ lol

 

Going out on a limb here, you understand, but I'm guessing she wears shoes in daytime as well... :p

[capnpugwash]

Going out on a limb here, you understand, but I'm guessing she wears shoes in daytime as well... :p

 

I had overlooked that. :) But 13 pairs..:eek::eek:

[NomDePlume]

I had overlooked that. :) But 13 pairs..:eek::eek:

 

Nothing wrong with a baker's dozen...

[Norfolk Brit]

I had overlooked that. :) But 13 pairs..:eek::eek:

 

I can beat that:eek:.

Mary

[cinta]

13 pairs of shoes for 12 nights. Perhaps a record........ lol

Oh, but one was a pair of trainers :D

[garigoun]

Oh, but one was a pair of trainers :D

 

Were they just training to be shoes?

Gari

[cinta]

Were they just training to be shoes?

Gari

:D very funny Gari :D

[soletread]

Sorry omcorrect it has featured in the last 3 brouchers including the most recent

 

The upgrade to Silverjet business was in fact £499 a passenger

 

I would not be making a fuss over a £50 charge to upgrade

 

BA world Traveller plus was a charge of £499 as well hence Why I think this is the offer we are being made

 

On the surface it seems fair enough but it goes back to my original point I am not being offered a like for like

 

If Cunard were not willing to honour the business class option and additionally charge of £499 then should not have offered it?

[soletread]

Slightly off your question, but just wanted to say, I would in no way let shoreside Cunard operations influence whether or not I would travel on the ship. The two are totally different animals. You will find the ship's officers and crew far more efficient and helpful than the idiots hired to work in the shore offices, who once told me with not a little puzzlement, that they didn't know they had a ship that called at New York! Persevere and I am sure once you arrive onboard you will have a wonderful, wonderful time!

 

Thanks for the reassurance

[soletread]

We flew back from NYC in january on Silverjet. We had booked with Cunard. After our booking Cunard started offering flights with Silverjet in the new brochure (winter 07/08 I think). It was only £50 more than BA's world traveller plus, so I contacted Cunard & got them to change our flight.

That brouchure was the only time they offered it.

 

Sharon

 

Sorry have to correct you there Silverjet flight upgrade option has featured in at least 3 editions in fact its still listed in the latest broucher

 

My point is the broucher offer a number of upgrade options

 

Silverjet £499 pp (Business Class)

 

BA World Traveller Pluse £499 pp (Glorified Economy)

 

Now excuse me for being a sucker for a deal that as it turned out was too good to be true but when deciding to upgrade it was a bit of a no brainer

 

A BA flight to Heathrow basically with a little extra leg room and all that Flying with BA means and don't even get me started on why I don't like BA

 

or a full flat bed over night flight back to Luton already half way home for me in the Midlands

 

My point in starting this thread is I booked a package with Cunard as their AS YOU LIKE IT package offer

 

I understand they cannot now offer me a Silverjet flight but I have a contract for a flight in Business class and they are not offering me a like for like.

 

Its all about servicing customer expectations

 

My main disappointment has been the general lack of interest from Cunard pre-sail office and poor communication

[soletread]

I have travelled with Cunard a few times by air and have only ever been offered BA or Virgin, I was, of course free to choose another carrier as it seems the OP may have done. The responsibility fo that decision would sit squarely across my shoulders. Regarding the comparison of seats, the WT Plus seats of BA are fine for such a short flight and I say that at 6'5" in height. Cunard only have the money that you have paid them, out of which to provide your transportation and they can't work miracles. Why not consider paying a little extra and making the trip a back to back crossing. No flights ot airport crap. That is what I do now.

 

Would love to but as member of the working world trying to build my own business I have neither the time or the money for such luxery at present

 

Maybe in the future I do all I can to avoid airports for my holidays as I fly extensively for business reason through out the year

[cinta]

Sorry omcorrect it has featured in the last 3 brouchers including the most recent

 

The upgrade to Silverjet business was in fact £499 a passenger

 

I would not be making a fuss over a £50 charge to upgrade

 

BA world Traveller plus was a charge of £499 as well hence Why I think this is the offer we are being made

 

On the surface it seems fair enough but it goes back to my original point I am not being offered a like for like

 

If Cunard were not willing to honour the business class option and additionally charge of £499 then should not have offered it?

It realise it must have gone up in price, but in January worldtraveller plus was £349 & silverjet £399. We were very lucky!:)

[cinta]

It realise it must have gone up in price, but in January worldtraveller plus was £349 & silverjet £399. We were very lucky!:)

I am dozy! Checked with my hsband, the BA world traveller plus was £249, silverjet £299. A better deal than I thought.