thadocta

Pffft, I just get the train, often cheaper and decent catering, and you don't have to put up with LHR security.

As far as the flight goes, I just had a nice spaghetti bolognaise, with a half bottle of red, on a 50 minute flight MEL-SYD on QF, on a Y fare that cost AUD79, so it is possible to provide something on these short flights.

Dave

Dan72

BA manage to turn a profit out of their international operations, so it shows that can be done too...

Of course, we know a meal can be served on these short flights and many have fond memories of the superior service (but less so the prices) that went before.

The reality is the Australian domestic market is not as competitive as the UK's (how's the train between SYD and MEL?), in much the same way that QF's international operations are more vulnerable to the lower cost competition of Asian and middle-east carriers.

thadocta

Like I said, take the most appropriate - SYD-MEL, two trains a day, vs around 30 flights. LON-EDI, I suspect it is somewhat the reverse. So LON-EDI, do what I do, catch the train, go from Euston, it isn't that bad.

As for the on-board offerings, if BA don't want to offer it, that is their business, but to say it can't be done is ludicrous. If they can provide a full breakfast in the mornings, they can provide a full dinner in the evenings. QF have proven that (and we don't get a full breakfast, we only get Corn Flakes (or some other cereal) and coffee!

Dave

BA304

It is a shame that in trying to be a "full service airline" BA actually ends up offering a worse service than the competition since there is no option to buy onboard.

The same goes for the band 1 flights.

Dan72

No. It's ludicrous to suggest anyone is saying here it's not possible to serve food on these services. We know they can, they've done it before, and did so on a par above spag bol and red wine. The point is that it's just not economically viable in the very different market that is the present UK domestic air market.

thadocta

Forget UK air market, look at the UK market. Between the English capital and the Scottish capital, their are multiple operators, BA is a very small player in that market, and for non-connecting passengers (O/D) BA is almost certainly a non-player.

But to downgrade the product they offer, whilst claiming to be a full-service carrier, to a service which is below what an LCC would offer, demeans them to a level which they should not be at.

Dave

Paralytic

I'm not so sure about that. Early morning and early evening flights to both LHR and LCY are full of what look like non-connecting passengers with London meetings.

rossmacd

And the reverse is also similar - London based people travelling to EDI/GLA for meetings during the week.

I regularly see the same people on the 19:55 and 20:55 departures on a Sunday evening on BA heading only to London for a week of work. More often than not, I see the same faces returning on Thursday or Friday evenings.

thadocta, I believe your statements are unfounded.

Prospero

It is clear that BA needed to reduce operational costs on its Anglo-Scottish routes, as has previously been discussed at length in the this forum. I think BA did the right thing to preserve the breakfast offering on flights departing before 10:00am and placing greater reliance on the lounge F&B offering to BAEC Silver and Gold card holders and those customers travelling on full fare tickets.

My issue with this approach is that it was never executed in a equitable manner. Customers originating from London do relatively well at breakfast but are sold short on their evening inbound with only the most basic food provisions laid on in the ABZ, EDI, GLA, MAN and NCL lounges and naff all served on board. Those originating from regional outstations fair slightly better and can expect fresh fruit, yoghurt, cereals and danish pastries in the lounge by way of supplementing the hot brekkie served on board, and in the evening can choose from the selection of hot dishes in the Galleries Club.

Where the cost savings in onboard F&B are more acutely felt is when travelling between the regions and continental Europe on premium tickets. Outbound grub invariably comprises of hot brekkie on the morning shuttle and shoddy late breakfast in CE; Inbound comprises crappy afternoon tea in CE plus dormans n gin on the late shuttle. Granted, a fuel stop at the T3/T5 Galleries Club helps time permitting.

As a side note, the Northern Foods domestic brekkie ex T5 is infinitely better than the Alpha equivalent loaded on ex EDI flights

JamieT

The exEDI Cityflyer flights have a slightly different hot brekkie from the mainline services and that is also much nicer IME.

HIDDY

Surely long enough to sort out something to eat then?

I've no sympathy' for you lot who would rather blame British Airways for your day of enforced hunger rather than sorting out a bite to eat for yourselves.

Come on....get a grip and manage your working day better.

layz

I hate the new East Coast complimentary first class catering, OK, it's more substantial than what BA give you but for the journey length it falls short of ideal. I much preferred it when EC had a restaurant where you could choose to buy a full 3 course meal if you were hungry.

Oh yeah and EC are now very tight with the booze now that it's complimentary. On a 3 hour trip London - Newcastle I was able to get a whopping two little cans of beer, they were very strict - only one can per bar run and you can't request one outside of service. The most I've managed to get on that route is 3 cans

So I actually find flying more attractive now. Point to point no real saving, but I can get something to eat on the ground.

Jrichardf

If flying from LCY to EDI on a Saturday at 9.35am, do you still get a hot breakfast. Or is that just a weekday thing?

LTN Phobia

On reflection there's a lot of truth in this comment.

When I had an office-based job and was often working 5 am till the time to catch my flight in the evening, colleagues knew that I was working long hours and they just fetched me food and dropped it off in my office. I never even had to ask. I'd happily do the same for anyone with less time than I have on my hand. It's not that I am claiming that it's healthy to eat at the desk, but I always managed to at least eat something if I wanted to eat even when I was working ungodly hours. If the colleagues didn't fetch me food, I would have gone to fetch it myself or ordered a take away delivery.

I still want food on board though, simply because I feel like it. No justification - I just want it, and I am even happy to pay for it

Maybe my biggest justification for wanting food on board is because I see it as part of the in-flight entertainment.

edi-traveller

You'll get it at weekends as well.