tdng

Dear All,
I'm flying an LHR-KBP return during early November on BA in ET with my other half and I remember recently reading here that there were some catering issues due to supply problems returning from Kyiv in economy. This meant that there was only a sandwich available as opposed to a hot meal. Can anyone one let me know if this is still the case? Unusually, the price difference between BA and W6 is pretty close so I persuaded Mrs. tdng to go BA citing the meal (which I realise isn't anything to write home about) and the lounge access (nothing too special in KBP I hear) as worth the premium.
Thanks

heartybob

Yes, the "problem" that you describe does still exist at the moment, but my understanding is that it will be resolved "next month" according to BA. How it will be resolved I do not know, but the ET hot meal for the KBP-LHR sector used to be locally catered in KBP until the supplier's licence to operate was revoked.

As to the KBP lounge, it is quite spacious and not so bad compared to some airport-operated lounges that BA uses, and you're far more likely to find somewhere to sit in the lounge than anywhere else in the airport. But if you go into the lounge expecting Terraces standards then you will be disappointed.

Also the terminal is quite small so you can safely stay in the lounge until at least the fifth "will the last remaining passengers for British Airways flight 883 please go immediately to boarding place"

mcg1000

What about catering in CE on BA 883?

FrancisA

As said already, KBP lounge is not bad at all. It has a pretty good selection of premium spirits (e.g. Remi Martion VSOP) served by a barman. There are far, far worse third party and BA operated lounges.

tdng

Thanks for the info. I doubt the lounge could be worse than FAO where I was this weekend. I will wait to see it before passing judgement. Fingers crossed the food gets resolved too.
Last time I went to KBP on BA, we were bussed (at the KBP end). Is this standard or do BA normally get a stand at the terminal?

heartybob

It gets worse - in place of the full cooked breakfast in ET on the 882 this morning, "breakfast" comprised a "breakfast roll" and a small tub of orange juice.

The "breakfast roll" was an unbelievably small bridge roll about the size of my thumb stuffed with a couple of chunks of hard boiled egg, a minute slice of wafer-thin crisped bacon and a smear of mayonnaise.

ATM terminal B is being renovated and there is only one operational jetbridge so chances are that you will be bussed from aircraft to terminal.

However, once the airport operator overcomes the unforeseen difficulty of not owning the land between the new terminal E and the main airport road, which has made it quite difficult to construct the access road and car park, the situation may improve

mcg1000

Terminal F (not E) was opened by the President this week: http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/83206/

Operations begin on 1 October. It looks, at least according to this picture (http://www.segodnya.ua/news/14175646.html) exactly like the current terminal.

Andriyko

The hot breakfast disappeared a long time ago from LHR.
I think that BA simply changed the product without advising its customers about it. OK, I understand that BA is experiencing some problems with its caterer at KBP (although PS is still managing to serve hot food on its flights to LON), but what is the deal with flight from LHR? Does BA have explanations for that? Why not serve hot breakfast from LHR?

heartybob

Your post prompted me to look up my last LHR-KBP on ba97 and I was surprised to find it was as long ago as April, but a hot breakfast was definitely served on that flight.

Either way, ba.com still says that a hot meal that is appropriate to the time of day will be served in ET on both sectors.

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect to receive what is advertised.

Thanks for the correction mcg1000 - Terminal F it is.

It's been almost finished for months so I guess someone has finally persuaded the owner of the strip of land to play ball.

mcg1000

Sorry to repeat my earlier question, but is hot food served in Club Europe?

Andriyko

On all of my flights since May it was a sandwich both ways in ET. Sorry to say this but BA must be lying referring to "issues with the KBP contractor". First of all, as I pointed out ealier PS is serving hot food to London (BA could have switched to a new supplier since May!); second of all, issues at KBP do not explain why BA cannot load hot food from LHR (surely there are no issues with its contractor there as the rest of flights are catered notmally).

In my experience, yes (when they do not forget to cater the flight which happened twice to me in teh past 5 months).

heartybob

Well all I can say is that this is the explanation that was given to me by BA - plus 5,000 miles for ET service that was below what was advertised, and 10,000 miles for failure to provide any food at all in CE.

Yes, providing the caterers have remembered to load it.

tdng

Is there any update as to the state of the catering now that another month has passed? I am off there this weekend and wondering.

heartybob

BingBongBoy posted in the catering thread that it was due to return to "normal", whatever that means, from 1 November.

I can't confirm because my last couple of flights to and from LON, including yesterday, have been on PS.

Swanhunter

A couple of week ago it was normal in CE but sandwiches only on the return in ET.