On the BA15 to SYD last week, departed T5 at 2145, meal service in CW completed at 0100 and lights out at 0115. Sequence was post-take off drinks trolley, meal orders taken at 2300, starter (salad with a separate side salad - lots of green leaves!), entree,dessert etc etc.

Talking to the poor yawning chap next to me, who'd started his day (like many of the ex Europe connecting passengers) at 0500 UK time, I did wonder whether this drawn out process was actually appreciated by the customers. Of course, if is really is only a minority who wish to get heads down at a reasonably normal time, there are options - get to LHR early, dine in lounge and don ear plugs & eye mask to muffle the general clattering & whooshing up & down of dividers which accompany the performance. My question is whether it is actually a majority who still want the full drawn-out and much enjoyed daytime service ("we've paid for it so we'll get it"), or whether a quick taking of orders (which in our case didn't happen until an hour or so after takeoff) before drinks and a fewer-stage delivery process might be more appropriate for late evening departures?

This does seem to me to be a specific CW issue - in F, things obviously happen a lot quicker and in an already darkened cabin for late starters, and in Y, the whole lot is conveniently plonked on one tray, within seconds of the "chicken or beef?" query.



Ditto on the onward BA15 SIN/SYD where you're almost half way to the 0300 (SIN time) arrival in Oz before the cabin is darkened and then of course the process begins all over again for breakfast 90 mins before touchdown.