DME food service "enhancement"; no more hot meals
#16
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Moscow / Aylesbury / Leeds
Programs: BA-GGL, SU-G Agean, G,, Hhonours D, Starwood G, IHG G,
Posts: 1,531
Oh forgot to say at British Business Club tonight the BA Rep was informed about peed off people and both they and the RBCC are making complaints on behalf of their members.
World Traveller is not a stale cheese sarnie product!... Er yet as it may be enhanced soon
World Traveller is not a stale cheese sarnie product!... Er yet as it may be enhanced soon
#17
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: BA Exec Club Gold, *G, EK Skywards Silver
Posts: 1,000
It actually is worse, as the overnight is a mix as well. Tge 767 runs 6 nights and the 321 on tuesday night. I got it and the crew were actively making the point that due to having to carry both in and out there was no room for hot food and stating that they had made the point that a club world / world traveller service should not get a worse package than Euro Traveller / Club Europe and should not differ on one night a week as well as one flight a day. They confofmed this is a may-oct thing and reverts back to 2 x 767 and a 747 from October and were handing out complaints cards and asking everyone who made a comment or chatted to them to get on to BA and complain as its us they listen to and not crew.
#18
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Moscow / Aylesbury / Leeds
Programs: BA-GGL, SU-G Agean, G,, Hhonours D, Starwood G, IHG G,
Posts: 1,531
I did 6 years with these exact aircraft too and from DME when BMI were able to do it, so that answer does not compute, though this is what the staff said. Anyways if you want to avoid this dont fly tuesday evening.
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mostly UK
Programs: Mucci Extraordinaire, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold (ex BD)
Posts: 11,203
#20
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Mucci de la Cuisine Arienne du Rseau Courte Dure de British Airways
Posts: 4,704
It actually is worse, as the overnight is a mix as well. Tge 767 runs 6 nights and the 321 on tuesday night. I got it and the crew were actively making the point that due to having to carry both in and out there was no room for hot food and stating that they had made the point that a club world / world traveller service should not get a worse package than Euro Traveller / Club Europe and should not differ on one night a week as well as one flight a day. They confofmed this is a may-oct thing and reverts back to 2 x 767 and a 747 from October and were handing out complaints cards and asking everyone who made a comment or chatted to them to get on to BA and complain as its us they listen to and not crew.
Obviously the cabin crew are not happy with this situation either.
Can I ask, were you not advised about this ahead of time as we have been told that customers will be aware of the catering change on these 321 flights?
#21
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lewes
Programs: HiltonH. Gold Starwood Gold BA BLUES! Mucci.
Posts: 4,833
A reminder that current fleet plans see the departure of ALL 767s next year.
As a lot of us know, 767s operate a lot of B4 routes too (lunch and dinner return)
I.e IST, ATH, LCA ... And these flights will be operated by Airbus too.......
A cold sandwich on a flight that can take four hours on the return is just shabby..... But a similar enhanced B3 catering also operates on one of the canary island flights that is return catered from LHR too.....
Amazing that BMI used to be able to offer a full service on these aircraft and BA are claiming they can't....
As a lot of us know, 767s operate a lot of B4 routes too (lunch and dinner return)
I.e IST, ATH, LCA ... And these flights will be operated by Airbus too.......
A cold sandwich on a flight that can take four hours on the return is just shabby..... But a similar enhanced B3 catering also operates on one of the canary island flights that is return catered from LHR too.....
Amazing that BMI used to be able to offer a full service on these aircraft and BA are claiming they can't....
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,354
I indeed did not think of that, and it feels scary! But I believe that those (definitely IST and I think also ATH and LCA?) are catered locally for return flights at the moment so hopefully that will remain so (I hope....)
#23
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Provincie Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, Belgi
Programs: MUCCI Gold
Posts: 2,511
Hmm. I'm sure no-one at BA is watching to see if the grumbling leads to a tangible reduction in the number of bums on seats, or reluctant acceptance of the new catering arrangements which could be fiscally rewarding for BA if adopted elsewhere...
#24
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lewes
Programs: HiltonH. Gold Starwood Gold BA BLUES! Mucci.
Posts: 4,833
It is only fiscally rewarding for the airline if it maintains custom and more importantly, yield.
If you are flying easyjet and can grab either the front row or exit seats -then it is fine, and at least you at least have the option to buy something, cold or hot, and prices can be half what BA want to charge for DME.
If you are flying easyjet and can grab either the front row or exit seats -then it is fine, and at least you at least have the option to buy something, cold or hot, and prices can be half what BA want to charge for DME.
Last edited by Skipcool3; Apr 23, 2014 at 2:39 pm
#26
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GGL / GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson Premium, IHG Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 5,846
Should BA be proactively calling all customers booked on these services? In English and Russian?? I've just done a dummy booking on ba.com on these specific A321 services in WT in both directions and nothing is mentioned.
In decades of flying BA in all classes, with all levels of status (except Premier!) during these years, the only comms I have had from BA in advance of my flights has been one SMS informing me of a delay and one SMS informing me of a cancellation... never anything about the service offered on my flights..
Last edited by ThatT1Feeling; Apr 23, 2014 at 6:53 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: MAN and LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC LT Gold, HH Dia, MR LT Plat, IHG Diamond Amb, Amex Plat
Posts: 13,758
It is only fiscally rewarding for the airline if it maintains custom and more importantly, yield.
If you are flying easyjet and can grab either the front row or exit seats -then it is fine, and at least you at least have the option to buy something, cold or hot, and prices can be half what BA want to charge for DME.
If you are flying easyjet and can grab either the front row or exit seats -then it is fine, and at least you at least have the option to buy something, cold or hot, and prices can be half what BA want to charge for DME.
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,354
Minimum step would be a written warning when booking on the BA website along the lines of the "sleeper service" warning.
I tend to agree with Land-of-Miles though that only corporate customers or 'voting with one's feet' matter.
I tend to agree with Land-of-Miles though that only corporate customers or 'voting with one's feet' matter.
#29
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BAEC silver
Posts: 775
How do Aeroflot compare? They often fly the A321 into LHR. How also AF/KLM and the likes if LH? I know AF offer hot meals on their A320/1 services having used them in the past on the CDG-DME route.
When BA fails to listen to former BMI staff with such expertise as packing a galley efficiently, it only goes to show what an ancient corporate dinosaur they still are.
Somehow I doubt a poxy Avios offering is going to fix this problem for BA.
How do charter airlines operating a321 with an all Y config cope with offering a round trip meal product, full paid bar service and gift rounds? BA have no excuses to pull out of the bag other than cost control.
When BA fails to listen to former BMI staff with such expertise as packing a galley efficiently, it only goes to show what an ancient corporate dinosaur they still are.
Somehow I doubt a poxy Avios offering is going to fix this problem for BA.
How do charter airlines operating a321 with an all Y config cope with offering a round trip meal product, full paid bar service and gift rounds? BA have no excuses to pull out of the bag other than cost control.
#30
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold; Marriott Plat
Posts: 146
I did post a detailed complaint to BA, in which I asked a number of specific questions about their decision to offer this as a meal, and to use the A321 on this route, and just received the following very underwhelming response:
This was followed by a couple of standard paragraphs about how seriously they take customer feedback.
Looks like I'll need to think twice before flying an A321 anywhere on BA again.
Thank you for your email dated 22 April 2014. I apologise for the delay
in our response. We are sorry we were unable to provide you with the meal
service you would expect on your flight to London Heathrow due to
operational reasons. I can understand how disappointing this must have
been for you. Please accept our apologies.
in our response. We are sorry we were unable to provide you with the meal
service you would expect on your flight to London Heathrow due to
operational reasons. I can understand how disappointing this must have
been for you. Please accept our apologies.
Looks like I'll need to think twice before flying an A321 anywhere on BA again.