If true, its most peculiar, as its completely right.

After filling out the survey, the BA manager (not BS) was sent to see me, I explained my concerns, that the food is unrecognisable to five years ago when I first started with BA which was a big step up to the competition and very good. I said the unmistakable penchant for cost cutting really shows, a sea of carbs (even the salmon flakes are gone...bring on the tuna mayo ) , no menus in the rest of the lounge. I was most shocked that afternoon tea is seemingly non-stop, taking up the space of the salad bad. The "tapas" is an abomination of cheap ingredients.

He agreed with me. Complaints are up, what a surprise? (I thought it was all hunky dory on FT?) and they are seeking to address it. Of course, that is only going to happen one way, to spend more and this is not on the cards. WW is on a cost-drive I was told. So, no improvements at all likely then, unless BS is feeling generous!

Please remember, the reason why the food is crap across all three LHR lounges is that when BS bid for the contract it was at a very significantly reduced cost to the previous company and they have struggled to provide a decent product on this amount. In my perception, the catering levels all moved down one, CCR became like GF. Any expanded options, like the CCR lounge menu, has actually reduced cost because its mostly carbs and the same crap they serve in GF.

On my flight I was seated along from a SCH. Firstly, she reminded me that people actually pay real money to fly BA (I really felt sorry for her... £15k for three to HKG in CW should give her a CIV of 200 by FT standards). But she wasn't happy at all. She was sick and tired of the cost cutting, cremated CW meals, legacy cabin configs vs competitors. The lack of hot meals in GC outside meals times. She was shocked she would have to pay for her white wine on domestic. We both agreed that relying on new pax who think the likes of GF is absolutely amazing because it has free-flow champagne is a fools game. A transactional model only works if the product can stand on its own. On a decent airline, you don't need status to get the meal choice you desire... Based on her flying patterns, she must be a very profitable SCH that BA are about to lose. But heck, who cares as they can squeeze in some more cheap seats to make up for her .

There is one positive for this lady. I explained that in recent sales she could fly on the new AF Premiere for cheaper than her tickets to HKG in CW. "You and your husband would occupy half the F cabin" I said. She didn't believe it only had four seats. Hopefully she will get to experience what a real quality carrier is like.