LeisureFirst

Flying BA117 eleven days ago in F, I noticed a rather unwelcome menu change. The main menu consisted entirely of breakfast dishes, there was just one item on the "bistro" section (pumpkin tortellini, iirc) , and then there was afternoon tea was served about 10am New York time, an hour before landing.

I've flown that flight in F at least twice before and my recollection is a mixture of breakfast and lunch dishes, although I do recall a disappointing lack of proper puddings even on the last occasion. It seems very odd to go straight from breakfast to afternoon tea, and as most people on that flight will have been awake for around four hours by the time the first meal is served (and may well have had quite a few plates of eggs benedict in the CCR) I would have thought some lunch options would be welcomed by most.

They also had a rather delicious dessert wine, which I chose to have when they brought round the nuts after take-off as I couldn't see when else I was going to fit it in. To top things off, they didn't offer me afternoon tea apparently because I'd eaten a bistro dish after my snooze shortly before afternoon tea was served, although they did correct this with a very hurried serving of tea during the descent.

As for new F: not bad but too dark. The new cabin windows look nice, but you lose the wonderful sense of being flooded with daylight that you had in the old F 747 nose.

origin

It leaves the UK around Breakfast time. Okay 8.30, but some medication needs to be taken an hour before food. Some people arent hungry when they wake up.

However the flight arrives at JFK at around 11:10 am. So its a good hour or more before lunch. So some people would prefer a coffee etc then. They can then have a better meal when they arrive at the destination, either the airport or hotel etc.

I know that its still being a long flight and there are changes to the time zones.

badoc

I have done the same flight and had very much the same experience. I also agree with the NF - great for night flights but quite dark during the day. I think cutting out a window per seat was a mistake.

What I did have for my breakfast was the most divine smoked halibut dish, that I have never seen since. It was delicious.

Sixth Freedom

I thought that the done thing for this flight was:

1. Spend all night partying the night before;
2. Crash onboard (the flight departs at 3.30am NYC time after all) for five or six hours sleep;
3. Wake for breakfast an hour or so out of NYC; and
4. Arrive in NYC entirely on NYC time.

ExpatExp

I do! In fact, that's often my normal meal schedule here in London. I love a hearty breakfast, and I love afternoon tea. Lunch, however, just never seems that special. Whenever I have a longhaul flight in BA F, departing in the morning, then I ask for a big breakfast and then nothing until tea.

LeisureFirst

Actually, that's almost a good idea. Spending all night partying the (six) nights before is something that applies to the return, but even on the outbound I'm so busy with emails, packing etc that I only get about 3-4 hours sleep and then sleep quite a lot onboard, achieving your points 2 and 4.

Given that I'd already had quite a big breakfast in the CCR, afternoon tea would have been about the right amount of food just after take-off. And a big breakfast just before landing would also have hit the right note. I wonder how the crew would have responded to the request to take the meals in the opposite order - theoretically it should be possible.

In the past, as I recall, I've definitely had a second main lunch dish prior to landing (and probably prior to afternoon tea).

LeisureFirst

A big problem is that the inner window, which covers two of the outer windows if you see what I mean, has a lot of shading around it even when fully open which limits the light reaching the rest of the cabin. It looks cool but on balance I don't like it. But then I'm a huge photophile - being flooded with daylight is bliss as far as I'm concerned, and I can always use eyeshades if necessary to sleep.

orbitmic

Do remind me to avoid that flight! I agree with the OP, in this context, would much prefer at least one or two lunchy choices.

LeisureFirst

Well breakfast is essentially just one course (I think in F it was two, although the first course was rather light) and it wasn't very remarkable - I could do a better fry-up myself rather quickly with ingredients in my fridge as I write. The Eggs Benedict in the CCR were better, frankly, and they are not that good. Flunch is usually four courses, and some airlines routinely serve a six-course meal in F (and would serve two 5-6 course meals on a longer flight). And BA's Fafternoon tea is not very special. There's a lot of guff in the menu about the Dorchester and Her Grace The Duchess of Bedford, but the sandwiches and scones are something one could rustle up from Tesco in about ten minutes. I notice the BA UK home page has something at the top currently describing First as "dedicated service, exceptional comfort and understated British elegance" - I think there's been a bit too much emphasis on the understated part.

I still like travelling in F - don't get me wrong. Service and food are definitely a notch or two above CW. But it's a bit disappointing to realise that on that particular flight all of the food could be rustled up in my own kitchen at minimal cost in very short order. The wine was a good quality business-class standard though -and the fizz was better.

BA304

It's an early flight so ideal lounge time for me would be the bare minimum to allow for any delays at security/getting to the airport. I'd have a bowl of muesli at home and then wait for breakfast on board with maybe a quick bite in between.

HIDDY

Unless you have an urgent need to arrive in NYC early I don't think I would be choosing that flight to go out on.

TWAB747nomore

I would prefer a light Breakfast and a hearty lunch on my flight ....... But no compliants about afternoon tee. It would be nice to also have a heavier option available for those who wanted it

vla

I was a student in France and a regular Fluncher. I assure you, it is absolutely not.
http://www.flunch.fr

LeisureFirst

There are two reasons. I like the arrival time - I get to the hotel around 1pm and most hotels will usually find a room at that time (and on this occasion I had a guaranteed midday check-in) which gives me an almost full day in the city. And it used to be the case (or so it seemed) that it was the first flight of the day into T7 and hence no queue at immigration. However it now seems there is a flight from Tokyo arriving around 15 minutes earlier (although JFK immigration was still not as painful as many describe - about a 20-minute wait which is no worse than LHR was for UK citizens on the return).

BA1321

I'm disappointed to read this about the menu choices, as I'll be taking this flight next week. My first NF, and I was hoping for the full experience on board as my inbound flight from BRU will leave little if any time in CCR.

When I took an early TATL flight on CO ex-MAN a couple of years back, the menu was presented in BusinessFirst as brunch - with one omelet/breakfast style dish and the rest normal lunch dishes. Full appetizer, salad course and dessert served too, very civilised.