ajamieson

Well actually there aren't many business class services that would guarantee that sort of service on long-haul, still less on short-haul. If you were in a long-haul business class cabin and said 'yuck' to all that was on offer, would you be entitled to insist on taking an economy meal? No. Anything-you-want service isn't even a promised feature of that many First Class cabins either. You upset the balance of the catering if you want a meal from a different cabin, regardless of the fact the 'meal' happens to be a simple sandwich. Of course, crew will try and accommodate you but out of goodwill rather than your entitlement.

What it is maddening about the bmi short-haul example is that the C 'meal' choice is so crap, the difference from the Y catering so small and the solution to the problem so obvious and so simple that refusal seems ridiculous. But the rule behind it is not an unusual one.

Mr H

The latest disappointment - business class on BD62 LHR-EDI this evening. BD had decided to change the business cabin to a 3-3 layout instead of the usual 2-3. It was full. I asked why the config, and the flight supervisor said it was because they had massively overbooked the flight. She apologised for the inconvenience but assured me I would still get a meal, so it wasn't a big deal.

The meal was OK - shame the glass was filthy, but I did get it replaced after having to ask only twice.

LiviLion

Completely unacceptable. You are losing extra seat width so have not received the product paid for. BD have saved not having to pay IDB/VDB so you should be entitled to some cash back as you have not received the product you paid for.

Oxon Flyer

Agreed, but bmi has some wriggle-room as a "wider seat" is not one of the advertised features of business class :

FlyingOnceMore

That should read 'You would expect'............

Mr H

I'm not unreasonable; things go wrong. For whatever reason, the flight was oversold and people who wanted to travel that weekend would have been disappointed to have been left behind. But my beef is that it is symptomatic of a growing trend with BD for things to go wrong; for services to be less than perfect. This time is was a cramped cabin and a dirty glass; last time is was not being allowed to purchase food; the time before it was offering only vegetarian food and having a broken glass in the box; ... There's a pattern. And on this last flight, the cabin crew tried to pretend there was no problem; the supervisor didn't acknowledge that people might be disappointed with the config and questioned me as to whether my glass was really dirty because they don't put dirty glasses in boxes. That's a poor attitude for any passenger, and for a passenger who is paying over four times the price of some other passengers, it is poor business sense. In a situation like last night, goodwill could have been bought cheaply with an apology to each of the passengers as they took their seats; perhaps a few bonus miles; perhaps a bottle or two to take home; perhaps an extra drinks service. It doesn't take much imagination. But to pretend that the problem is in the passengers' own minds reflects very badly on the airline.

Mr H

Let's give credit where credit is due.

Yesterday I flew BD63 EDI-LHR in C. The service was faultless:

• The cabin crew greeted me by name.
• C cabin was not overfilled and had plenty of rows
• Meal came on a tray - choice of hot meat, hot veg or sandwich from earlier flight
• Drink service followed promptly
• I asked for two drinks and got them with no fuss
• Tea and coffee was shared by two cabin crew so one poured traditional tea called orders for coffee or Earl Grey - which her colleague poured in the galley and brought out
• Hot towel service
• As tray was collected, we were asked whether we wanted another drink (which most of us declined, but it was nice to be asked)
• Sweet basket passed around
• On landing (at a Dublin gate, but slightly early) we were warmly thanked.

What a pleasant change to get a perfect service. It helped, perhaps, that one crew member at least gave a clear indication of having worked with British Midland in the days when the entire plane expected this sort of treatment. Now we just need to improve the quality of what's put on the trays. Does anyone actually enjoy the roast beef?

PlummetAirlines

Cor! We can only dream of such luxuries on the LHR-ABZ route! Hot meals? Must the the Central belt bias again (I kid, I kid! ) But really, why the heck there is such a variation in the service available on 2 routes that can't be that much different from each other?

RAPC

Blimey, meals you say?

On MAN-LHR, we get the meal deal selection of the day, which is usually not available, along with a selection of drinks which are also not available "but you can have a tea or a coffee". I dream of seeing the Ribena bottles advertised in the menu, but to this day never witnessed on board.

Glad to see the C service up to spec on a recent journey though ^

LiviLion

on last nights BD64 I decided to use a GUV as I felt like some hot 'food'. I had it processed in the lounge and was not advised that there may not be a meal as you would expect at 'the home of bmi' where catering is loaded.

Anyway, on the plane there were 18 in C and I heard the crew say only 14 meals had been loaded. There were 4 upgrades (3 GUV's, 1 Crew) so the number of meals matched the number of paid C pax. The doors were closed a few minutes later with no extra meals loaded.

Upon the service commencing I was told as I used a voucher there may not be a meal as other paying pax come first. I suggested this was unacceptable as I had used a GUV for the intention of hot food and could I have my voucher back. No apparently as I was still getting the rest of the C service, seat, drink, etc.

Had I been informed that there may be no meal available then I would have stuck with my Y seat.

Eventually, there were a couple of meals left so at least I got food. Quite nice too, cheese and spinach pasta. My apologies to bmi for being a burden.

So, in summary

1 - Only loading catering for paid C pax is not on, especially at your home airport. I can understand a shortage occassionally at other airports but not at LHR.

2 - GUV's are not free upgrades. They are earned upgrades. Earned by people like me flying lots and getting the required status miles.

3 - Raging at the way I was spoken to in front of the other pax in the cabin.

Anyway, it's bmi's loss as every time something like this happens to me my next flight goes to another airline. Was easyJet the last time. This time I'm going on ba.

starflyergold

The GUV handling is getting more and more obscure. Other airlines with electronic complimentary upgrades handle this much more effective. E.g. American carriers treat their top tier flyers much much better when it comes to upgrades. And what's with the upgrade from Y to Y+ only? Surely we have earned C if it is available on mid haul (now that there is no real long haul left).

You are absolutely right, they are earned and as such there should be no reference made inflight or in front of other pax. I'm not staff and have paid tens of thousands to this company.

On a recent DUB-LHR flight I tried using a GUV but at least the check in staff warned me that there was no catering on board, no not just for GUV users, paying pax too, in C or Y! Not even so much as a kitkat. Somewhere from the presses the staff managed to at least find some coffee for C which in fairness they offered to me too on the provision that I was discreet.

If find that you have a better chance of winning with a Ryanair scratch card than using a GUV on BD.

FlyingOnceMore

We do get Y to C on midhaul, just not on the A330 routes; namely TLV and CAI where there's the three cabins. I do think, however, given that there are two cabin routes equal to, or greater in distance than those two destinations, that we should now be allowed to gamble and use them from revenue Y+ to C as well as revenue Y to Y+

As to using GUV's on shorthaul? well I just won't, unless I happen to find a midhaul config aircraft on my flight. The free sandwich and coffee down the back is much better quality and I get the seat block anyway.

jbfield

Plus the exception of routes to/from Saudi Arabia.

GoldCircle

The whole issue of catering is not a new one at British Midland. In this thread from the archives, the issues are very familiar - as is the text that is still being used by customer relations a decade on.

markdg

Regretfully +1