corporate-wage-slave

Iberia have an excellent longhaul business product, though their network isn't extensive outside Latin America. I'm not sure I personally agree that the hard product is better, but that's because I prefer the window privacy of CW and I personally find the CW bed more comfortable than alternatives, though I recognise we all have different preferences there. Your original post focused itself on food, and Iberia have a really good cuisine service, particularly if you enjoy Latin cuisine, which I certainly do. However, in line with that, while you can certainly have cheese and dessert, it's only because cheese is one of the starter options!

I don't think the late BA IAD service has scones, but the earlier service should have (and I'm not aware of any changes there). Most people around here enjoyed the tapas option, as far as I could tell.

Indeed on the "enhancement" side, the only real one of note in CW has been the temporary reduction of starters, which ends next week. I've rarely been able to have an ice cream from the Kitchen thanks to the handling arrangements and silly mini fridge. The rest of the Kitchen arrangement is still a mix of fruit, nuts, yoghurts, sandwiches, wraps, chocolate, crisps, water, biscuits, plus pot noodles on the longer sectors, which is very similar to IB and indeed AA. As a general point, the Club World and Europe product have so far been spared the recent round of enhancements, on the whole.

I'd have to say there's an element of cause and effect there surely?

HIDDY

According to what I've read on this forum they've been enhancing the food away since before the turn of the century. I noticed in 2004 some were complaining about the quality of the curry while others were in uproar about their 'second meal' sarnies coming wrapped. It's now 2016 and food is still being served in CW.

As for IB food. I like it but you may find the quantities small. I do and I'm not a big eater.

T8191

IAD used to have scones, I'm almost sure.

As for the rest of it ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27118624-post483.html

HIDDY ... I must dig out some old IAD menus, which may be scanned to my hard-drive.

Edit ... here's one.

corporate-wage-slave

In days of yore, yes there were scones on both service, and not much choice about it either, but various people here moaned about this being rather late in the day for Tea time options. So a few years back BA brought in an improved second service, which led to tapas options instead of scones for the late service, but scones remain (I believe) as an option on the early service. I can't see this as a downwards step. Incidentally, looking at your 2008 menus I'm still strugglng to understand why you don't like the more contemporary version now offered on the route. I definitely prefer today's options.

T8191

Yes, c-w-s ... remarkably similar, isn't it! Although perhaps, westbound, a little better than these days. Look at that Starter, for a start! it's the bloody salad starter with a side salad that bugs me! And something other than the "Wrecked Fillet Steak"

Anyway, I digress somewhat. It was just interesting to be able to look back.

denhaagflyer

Sorry, but I do not think that this is true. If I remember correctly, at breakfast there used to be a choice of fruit or yoghurt (for Asian flights back to LHR). This choice has been gone. Also, there have been informal cut-backs. On the KUL-LHR flight no olive oil was loaded in spite what it said on the menu; the CSD then found a couple of bottles in a drawer somewhere (well, I am still here to tell the story, so seems there were not too old). Also, on this particular flight, the Club Kitchen did consist only of biscuits (plus whatever was left of the wine bottles).

HIDDY

Just what is it you have against salad?

I thought a side salad was served with every starter?

rossmacd

Yes, if you compare to the ransacking of the WT/WT+ product then this is a fair comment, However, the CW product has drastically been enhanced - whether this is branded as a "trial" or not (come on BA, we are not that stupid - you've already made your mind up).

Cannot wait for my next QR flight in 3 weeks

T8191

I'm realising I need to scan, and shred, some old trip files. Then I might be able to compare the A380 IAD run from last June.

T8191

Grass, grass and more grass, HIDDY. I need something to chew, that has flavour, like smoked salmon or ... a whole load of other things. Just a 2nd plate of salad [which AA seems to favour] doesn't make it a Starter.

Tobias-UK

Tell me about it, I flew LAS-MIA earlier this week. The starter was A Salad of Tomotoes and Mozerella followed by A Salad of Greens with Cheese Crumbles, followed by a cold Chicken Salad. I refused the meal - absolutely boring. Travelling MIA-JFK a couple of days later cold Chicken Salad.

T8191

Thanks for that, Tobias-UK ... glad I'm not the only one who is unhappy.

Chucking endless salads at me is CHEAP and largely BORING!!! FFS, 3 slices of tomato and 2 slices of Mozzarella has no taste to start with. Add a tasteless side salad and you have just skipped the first 2 courses of your 'Fine Dining' experience.

CHEAP

MikeBOS

Not true on shorter L/H flights, e.g. LHR-East Coast US. Club Kitchen now just has fruit, Cadbury bars and crisps. No sandwiches, wraps, biscuits, nuts or yoghurts. It is a shadow of what it was only a few months ago.

corporate-wage-slave

That also can come with lasagne instead of chicken salad, but I think that's vegetarian too. I got this a few days back on a 5 hour flight, and it made me morn the absence of CE meals.

orbitmic

Fully agree that IB has a significantly better product, in my view both hard (I respect c-w-s's disagreement, but to me IB is much better, both because I like the single window seats best which are also very private, but also because virtually all seats are good, whilst on BA, pretty much only window seats (so between 1/4 and 1/3 of the total) are. Food is much better (and I disagree that portions are small, it is simply many more courses: olives or proper bowl of almonds, starter, soup, salad, main, cheese, and dessert). Only the wines are better on BA in my view but I love IB's PX.

More interestingly, however, the new AA transatlantic menus from September have been posted on the AA forum, and both in J and F, they show very significant improvements. I obviously haven't tried them yet (well, September) but on paper, they look quite nice and in my view nicer than CW menus. In F, I personally still like the look of the first meal on BA a little bit better, although the LHR menu which for some reason is different looks quite nice, but certainly prefer the look of the second snack in both J and F on AA (although it is quite personal, I really dislike the afternoon tea. I'd happily have it once a year, but several times a month is excruciating).