Originally Posted by
Aus_Mal
As a single flyer, with high status, you will generally get first preference, but that doesn't mean others do.
The trouble is the inconsistency. Many crews will ignore CIV status, recognising that many First passengers don't bother with status. Small cabins make it harder as you can see what is going on - I've been in a situation where two sets of two passengers were in the cabin, and the kid in the other couple picked the desert I wanted (and of course BA had only loaded one!). I'm hardly going to pull out my shiny card to deny a kid a desert, but I don't think I'm being unreasonable in wanting BA to load more of each option. Even when you are on the ball, I had a flight where the crew agreed to put a dessert to one side for me to eat later, then come back and say later in the flight they'd given it away by mistake.
I've had situations where I've had to go down to the bistro menu or club world menu - I haven't had to do this on other carrier's F class, and BA won't normally offer any compensation for this. It certainly is worth being prepared - pre-ordering of mains has been a game changer, bring your own food if you want starters/desserts in a lightly loaded cabin, and ask CIHY nicely for the latest service standards to know where to sit and what to say.