I thought it said Mitties, then I would agree You mean hand over mmoonnnnney? I can only speak for myself, but times are tight and as a poor boy from a poor family with the fall of the � my ex-EU tickets have gone up some 20%! Every penny helps the TP count. It's not easy staying Premium.

All joking aside. This thread is another indication of cost cutting. My history of using BA is not long at all post-bmi but even in this short time I can perceive the cuts. There was definitely a time when GF was top 3 Gold lounge in Europe if not the best. In fact all the lounges were really very good. Gone is the decent order food-including desserts, the cuts to the buffet in both quantity and quality, decent champagne.

Its an irrefutable fact that with the move to BS the financial savings were huge and that is the simple reason why the regulars perceive the falls in quality. Less money for food = worse quality food (and also quantity). The savings that BS were able to offer BA in their lounge tender amounted to �7 million per year saving almost 40%. Its a huge amount, huge, and explains so much. We can debate if BA overpaid Compass but we do not have a like-for-like product. Its worse! I am not the only one here who is aware of this fact and it explains everything of why people like myself perceive this very well.

I agree with you entirely on both counts. If what BA offers is not up to your personal standard, fly with an airline that is.

If it's anything like the one from about 2-3 years ago, then yum. That one was made with red leicester cheese. Om nom nom.

Gosh, aren't we a bunch of ungrateful so-and-so's. An attempt at a more positive contribution, then. There's been a chicken curry variant for as long as I can recall and which is invariably good to very good. So if you like curry go for that. There are also occasionally more than passable salads but not, I think, the current one. Otherwise, tread carefully. Or fly around the world again and again until you get a CCR card. The food there is markedly better.

Ungrateful? No no -I dont see it that way.. it could be argued BA are actually being the ones "ungrateful".its a case of managing expectations and hence I, will indeed, on occasion,(different view points and all of that) bring my sushi purchased, as an example, to the lounge for eating and quite happily ignore the BA offerings - i can just see the dragons running around now exclaiming loudly - "but Nivsy - you cannot possibly bring edible food into Flounge - that's unethical - people who work hard or pay lotsa dosh to reach such status might think its a BA offering - and that would be totally unacceptable"...just sayin....and ofcourse in typical British fashion - proudly proclaim "well we can at least do a decent curry if nothing else"....

A good point. Managing expectations? The First Lounge is a "sanctuary" and "oasis of calm" .

And I am still waiting for those highly connected and informed regulars to confirm my post about the budget being cut and there lies the responsibility for the fall in quality and quantity. This seems like an uncomfortable factoid...? It's as good as it was? Is that the "official" line from those here?

No reply says a lot.

Well in my case it simply means I don't know. I'm not privy to BA's procurement deals, but given it was a competitive tender what you suggest is not unreasonable. Equally these things can be complex (e.g. factoring in or out the cost of supplies) so comparisons could require textual exegesis of the contracts concerned.

All it needs is everyone to order it once...

The burger of a few years ago was great. The current offering is awful. And the cold chips, that always come with, are a disgrace...

The burger is okay, with cheese and bacon added.

Now the chips... they're atrocious. BA really ought to provide either real chips, or just put some crisps on the plate. Though to be honest, one time the chips were only just bad when I had the burger. Funnily enough, people here complain that they don't get enough of them.

It's disgusting, done too well, meat is tough and the chips dreadful. On the other hand the dandan noodles in CX F are delicious.

Actually, the last time I had the burger, it was better than most burgers I've had here in Switzerland. Then again, those were burgers in Switzerland. But it led to a discussion here on how dangerous the burger was, as it had a bit of pink in it and it was juicy. I survived though.

I count my blessings that my connections at BA have helped me understand situation with the budget and that senior management have given me truthful answers as explanations for the differences we have all noticed. When I say no replies I am referring to the fact (and it is just that, a fact) that the quality and quantity of food served in GF has fallen over the years since the shift to BS. One doesn't need any understandings except common sense to put two and two together.

Your connections were rather wide-of-the-mark with the information they gave you in this topic: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...l#post27400648.

With thier track record, I wouldn't rely too heavily on what they tell you.

In a previous life I worked in global procurement (for too long) for a large multinational. It is very common for a company to focus on price rather than value depending on the message from the top. It certainly seems the case with LHR lounges.

I must say it's nice you follow my posts so closely! Lets wait and see shall we? Premium relationships are built over time as I am sure you understand indeed and BOB was a very long held project before even rumours were posted on here.

For the third time at least. I do note no comment from you or others that the quality has reduced in the First lounge (and other lounges) which is the purpose of this thread. Hence, I take it you do not think it has? It's just as premium and wonderful as always, putting aside whether or not the budget decreased. In fact, let's pretend BA are now paying BS the same or even more. The quality and quantity has not reduced and the countless examples posted by myself and others are wrong. Quality is perhaps more opinion and taste based than not but quantity can be measured in absolute terms. Such as the afternoon tea sandwiches taking up the space of the salad bar and stay in all evening. The lack of dessert on the menu.

Would you kindly set out your position on this?