I'm just back from an open-jaw trip to the US - in one direction, outbound to BOS, I had the new service, and on the return from DFW I had the old service, so I've experienced both offerings within a short space of time.
I can honestly say that the new service is an improvement on the old visually - the quality of the new starters and deserts/cheese is
markedly better. The main that I had on LHR-BOS was decent (after the crew brought me one which hadn't gone cold!) and I felt had a difference in style to the "old food".
Out of DFW on the old menu the starter was okay, while dessert was just plain crap and I wish I'd had the cheese. Main was good, one of the better ex-US mains I've had in a while, and would not have been out of place on the "new" menu.
On the DFW-LHR we also had the breakfast card option - and like others report here, the execution of that, even with the older catering, felt a bit hit and miss. The lights were still cranked up full in the cabin quite early, and this was on a refit 744 which has the more flexible mood lighting system.
Also, why no option for water with breakfast? Even though I actually wrote "+ water" on my breakfast card, it got ignored by the crew, and I was just brought coffee. I know, I'm evidently "weird" for not drinking OJ at breakfast like other humans - but when flying J shouldn't my weirdness get accommodated? Even when breakfast was run from a cart, I still used to get "huffed at" by crew for not wanting juice and asking for water because it wasn't on the cart.
My 2p worth would be:
- The starter and dessert trolleys I quite like. They tempt the passenger.
- Give BA and their caterers a chance to smooth off the rough edges - my experience was in week 1 of a roll out.
- Give the crews a chance to get used to the new routine.
- Look again at the service flow and find opportunities to speed things up.
- Look at tightening up the service time between putting down the tray and delivering the starters.
- No-one likes staring at a dirty dish once they have finished eating, or empty glasses.
- There's a need to have a crew member on each aisle acting as "patrol" for people finishing a course, running out of a drink, or waiting for their main. This is especially important for folk in non-aisle seats where it's less obvious. If BA are looking to create a restaurant-like feel, the emphasis needs to be on the passenger not needing to ask for a top-up or remind crew that they have a plate to be cleared.
- On the 86J 747 main-deck there's a chance to set up a "service station" mid-cabin by 3 doors to speed service up there.
- Consider a hot "express" option - something hand-held such as a hot sandwich, or "soup and dessert" - so that someone who wishes to get work done onboard can maximise that time, not have their table blocked with meal service for 2-3 hours, and make it clear that such a service is an option available to them.
- Load enough bread for 2nd and 3rd bread runs.
- Find a way of putting the proper cruet on all flights, not just JFK, or it's just going to be another inconsistency for people to pick at.
- Give more guidance to crew on recommended lighting settings for various phases of service on aircraft with modern lighting systems, especially with respect to breakfast now it's being hand-run