windowontheAside

I too am so disappointed by this. I've been through LHR several times since the changeover and although my initial impression was very poor I had hoped that sorting out teething problems following customer feedback might lead to obvious improvements. From Nicci's description that is not going to happen.

As someone who has a 2-3 hour drive to LHR, the lounge food offering is important to me. Almost whatever time of day I fly, it's at least 3-4 hours since I last ate and in flight catering is pretty poor in Y so I expect to eat at Heathrow. Most of my flights are afternoon/evening so I am often there in what is now the 'afternoon tea' slot.

Afternoon tea is surely a marketing gimmick these days. How many British folk have it as part of their daily routine? By all means have it as an option for tourists and travellers looking for occasional treats (although how many of those are in the Flounge??) but then, as others have said, do it properly. But for the busy business traveller who will arrive at their destination too late to eat a decent meal, please think again.

If I can only eat carbs in the lounge - and uninspiring ones at that, I'm not sure why I would continue to use it. Shopping around for flights rather than only flying BA would probably pay for a decent meal in whichever terminal I happen to be using.

Think again, BA. Please.

klmml

The experience I had a couple of weeks ago when I was last in T3 GC was:

• Arrive in lounge early afternoon.
• Work for a couple of hours.
• Decide to get a bite to eat while finishing off some work, head to the buffet (I usually sit at the window on the high chairs so I can't see the staff take away the buffet).
• No hot food! Swear quietly to self, pack up stuff, walk back to the giant T3 waiting area and get something from Pret a Manger.
• By the time you have sat down with your sandwich your flight, er, bus, is boarding and probably it's time to go.

Well, you live and learn.

qwest01

For me I would beOK with Sandwiches and cake for a decent afternoon tea between 4 and 6 pm but last week in T5GC South at 14:45 when I arrived, already the hot food was GONE and the sandwich trays were already empty. Not even one packet of crisps of any flavour was available also. So a G&T and a bit of cake - c'mon BA get into the real world - as you announce on the flight - we appreciate you have a choice of who you fly with - too damn right I do!

As for the pic of the toast with nothing to go with it - it was not even browned - get it right BS - toast should not look like a slice of in toasted bread!

vscxfan

All points well made - and BA's contrived "response" even more depressing given that the BS staff roaming T5GF last week claimed 1) the salad items had been rationalised to ensure all were fresh (but the tuna and olives always were anyway), 2) the four varieties of pawed over, disintegrating biscuits in the jars (he was surprised when I showed him there were only two) were chosen for being "from an organic Scottish supplier", 3) the two varieties of unidentified and unidentifiable gloop were proving very popular (presumably with staff - I certainly didn't see any passenger hungry enough to attempt to serve them with a slotted spoon); and 4) that lots of "foreign passengers in transit" (surely a minority in BA's flagship lounge?) were delighted with the delicious cakes offered at afternoon tea (presumably not Europeans who may have come across the odd patisserie or konditorei).

Ordering from the menu was no better - the soup no longer comes with roll and butter and the Caesar salad is now served in a tiny, shallow bowl.

Not only does BA clearly take its frequent and/or premium customers for granted, it patronises us by claiming to listen when it couldn't care less.

trueblu

As has been mentioned, this is not Nicci responding, this is a corporate PR statement posted from Nicci's FT account. I don't personally blame her -- as an employee, she has to do the bidding of her paymasters or quit, I suppose. However, it is disappointing, since she has been a great asset to the BA brand, and I think this post will weaken her 'customer champion' status.

I typically fly less than 10 times a year, almost always long-haul with connections, so I haven't been through the Flounge since the changes. I last went in April, and I have to say, it was great. As an ex-pat, I do like the afternoon tea -- clotted cream is not available where I live. So if I were asked: "do you think an improved afternoon tea would be welcome", I would surely say yes. But NOT at the expense of inedible slop (which is what the buffet now appears to offer).

Going forward: flying direct to LHR, I will probably still choose BA. But if connecting to Europe or Africa, I welcome QR's entry to OW, since the Flounge, something I've enjoyed immensely since becoming OWE, has been 'enhanced' to mediocrity by all accounts.

One thing is certain however. The carefully worded response makes it abundantly clear that BA has no intention of listening to feedback. The many instances of 'it will remain like this', 'no plans to change' etc. mean -- we've done the calculus, and it's a net profit for us. The 'we are listening' will mean a teeny improvement to the Flounge buffet -- could well be the sprig of parsley as alluded to above. But yes, the days of this being a cut above the rest (and not by any means all of the rest, even then) are well and truly over.

tb

FrancisA

I think a number of misapprehensions and a number of questions that require clarification (hopefully official clarification from BA) are creeping into this thread.

My understanding is that no hot food (buffet and to-order items in the case of the GF) are available between 3pm and 6pm in any lounges (other than the CCR?). This is afternoon tea time with only sandwiches and cakes available. [As a savings exercise this would make sense as you could get rid of a whole shift of chefs and kitchen staff and operate on breakfast/lunch/dinner shifts with no need for any afternoon cover.]

Most people have said that they would like hot items available all day. Some would prefer to eat cold items, perhaps even as a form of afternoon tea. I have not seen a post by the latter group that says that hot items should not be available in the afternoon to those who would prefer them.

On the subject of the sandwiches, this is not the offering of old. In all lounges (GCs and GF), there are now only three varieties. At least one is on white bread. I can't remember the varieties, but they look like two thick slices of bread stuck together with non-descript gunk (which is supposed to be the filling).

Breakfast remains a hot meal, but is being cleared away at 10am or earlier (in the GC only or GF as well? I am not clear). This leaves 10am - 12pm without any substantial food offering.

Some of the new items are well received in terms of quality - most have said the biscuits and cakes are nice. The main issues are around packaging and hygiene and these have not been addressed.

BA also seem intent on reducing all catering outside the CCR to the same common items. The only difference between the GF and GCs now is to order menu items at certain times of the day. The slop and gloop buffet offerings are now the same in all lounges as are the biscuits, cakes and snacks.

BAEC's ethos was that silver offered J service on the ground and gold offered the equivalent of F. Both now seem to offer the equivalent of CE, including afternoon tea and no hot breakfast mid-morning. [After the previous removal of distinctions between silver and gold, it seems that BA are rapidly moving to a situation where gold offers no difference at all and if you want F benefits, you need to pay for F.]

If BA did actually listen to its feedback, it could remedy this situation by offering choices and variety appropriate to the time of day.

To do this it could offer:

- an all-day hot buffet with solid and sauce-based items;
- a variety of to-order items in the F lounge at all times and some better/different buffet items
- Better selections of some items (e.g. sandwiches, crisps).
- Some improvements to presentation of otherwise well-received items (e.g. biscuits)
- General improvements to presentation and hygiene

I hardly think this is that radical and if handled carefully this does not need to be that costly. Indeed, it could probably be done for no cost, if there was sufficient goodwill to focus on getting it right.

Come on BA. Many are clearly very unhappy about the changes, and the communication of the changes and the intent behind them. There does seem to be much goodwill and willingness to give BA a chance. Many seem willing to accept some reduction in service from the previous LHR levels. If BA listened to the feedback offered here and elsewhere, it could easily and quickly fix this problem. However, as things are playing out at the moment, this could easily turn into a disaster, which will be very difficult to rectify later.

travellingblade

There is not much more I can add other than what has been said but I will do it anyway

On the plus side, I think the catering has improved at the UK outstations and the choice and quality seems better in my experience so far.

However, I fully agree with everyone else on the buffet at T5 (not been through T3 or LGW since the changes). It should be available all day in all lounges and it should be good quality. How can taking it away for periods of the day be described as 'improved choice and variety'?

As a final point though, I do cringe when I read some of the FTer comments here. Referring to the food as "slop" and "gloop" amongst others is not helpful. It is far better to give constructive feedback to BA and BS otherwise they will just entrench their position. What was the REAL problem with the food? Was it tasteless, too salty, too watery, not enough meat, poor quality meat, too spicy, not spicy enough etc. Unless we provide specific and targeted feedback nothing will change.

vscxfan

BA also seem intent on reducing all catering outside the CCR to the same common items. The only difference between the GF and GCs now is to order menu items at certain times of the day. The slop and gloop buffet offerings are now the same in all lounges as are the biscuits, cakes and snacks.

BAEC's ethos was that silver offered J service on the ground and gold offered the equivalent of F. Both now seem to offer the equivalent of CE, including afternoon tea and no hot breakfast mid-morning. [After the previous removal of distinctions between silver and gold, it seems that BA are rapidly moving to a situation where gold offers no difference at all and if you want F benefits, you need to pay for F.]

In its determination to ignore or disparage anything VS does, BA clearly hasn't noticed that the better the quality and quantity of catering - and as a result ambience - in the Virgin Clubhouses and Arrivals (not just at LHR or LGW but across the world where many potential BA pax originate) the more is consumed there and the less in the air - actually saving money, exceeding pax expectations and drawing attention to what GF and BA CW don't do.

Even within OW, BA's dated and shabby CW hard product is now outshone by AA and IB as well as CX; and the best food I've had access to recently as a BA Gold/OW Emerald was in the IB lounge at MAD T4S and AA Flagship Lounges at JFK & LAX. The idiot who thought he'd save money by converting T5 GF from a restaurant into a 3-Star hotel lounge at tea-time obviously doesn't care about the consequences of insulting your best customers.

RobDBA

But slop and gloop describe the look of the buffet perfectly, that is the problem, I'm sure BA know what is meant by it. It looks so bad, so much like slop, that many people are not finding it appetising enough to actually eat in order to give more feedback on it. I had a small amount of some of it and can only describe it as tasteless gloop. This was the one main thing Nicci's message said they understood the problems and would work on so I think the message has got through.

I think you are right that it is helpful to give some more constructive criticism, but that doesn't mean the headline of the fact that it looks like slop should be lost.

thegreatmrsj

My message is not to the messenger (thank you Nicci for facilitating the posting of the BA speak) but at the writer and the alleged "thinker"

Currently I often fly from Edinburgh on lunchtime flight connecting to an early evening longer haul flight. Whilst the long haul flight is in J I prefer to use on board time to sleep.

Therefore my pattern has been to eat properly around 1600 before the boarding call which comes about 1730.

Given that I am only given the dwarf sized bag of snacks on the EDI flight (and I do not have a lot of time to spend in the EDI lounge having had a drive in to the airport) I am now looking at going from 0930 to boarding with the dwarf bag and twee tea and will have to eat on board the plane.

I do have an alternative, the bearded one still offers me the kind of options I prefer.

I agree I too am a sample of one, but if the catering does not change and the hot buffet return, the bearded one will get many more of my 2014 bookings

Shuttle

Everything to be said has already been said, but I'll post in order to add one more voice to the weight of feedback.

I fly primarily domestic on a flexible ticket, usually on an early evening flight, which means I'm queuing to board by the time the buffet is being put out. Domestic catering has been effectively eliminated (micro crisps don't count) and the quality and choice of drinks has been degraded to the point I won't drink the wine, which if you knew me is a pretty crushing indictment on how bad it is. Still the ticket prices increase, even though fuel prices are fairly constant - a flex ticket to abz now costs £575 and I resent BA begrudging me the £2.50 or similar trivial amount they are saving thanks to the cutbacks (which is what they are).

My 'emotional relationship' with BA over the years had had its ups and downs, but I've always been loyal and a positive advocate... however I am beginning to wonder why.

Shuttle

SpurMan

As Shuttle said, it already been all said, but another one here for the weight. And to add a point for the 1% of the population with Coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, and the 10% of the population who have other dietary needs.

The removal of the hot buffet between 3 & 6 is bad. Really bad. For anyone to think that afternoon tea will suit everyone, or that sandwiches are a suitable alternative is clearly deluded, and I am not having a go at Nicci, since it is obvious that the statement was written for her to post.

So, for a Coeliac (I am gluten sensitive, so don't risk permanent damage to my gut, so can risk a sandwich with only chronic gut pain, and other nasty reactions later to show for it), what is there: Afternoon tea sir?. Nope, has gluten in it. How about some sandwiches then, or a piece of cake?
So, soup, fruit or 'ambient snacks'. Of which the soup being in industrial quantities will almost certainly use flour as a thickener, making that a no go, biscuits are obviously out of the question, and so I would be left with salad (if available under the ambient snacks label) or a bag of crisps which are probably not there having all gone already! BYO food for me, except of course I could not get it through security.... Thanks BA (BS). The hot buffet used to have at least one, if not too good choices which were gluten free. Never thought I'd say it, but bring back Compass!!

This is very sad, as the outstations I have been to recently (GLA and EDI) have been improved, especially GLA.

I will get gold this year, but will not be renewing it, using my VS miles I have accrued to try out their service to the US, and some DL miles to do the same. I will no doubt do the domestics and EU flights with BA (only ET ones, I may well defect to LX for Swiss flights in Business), but will use the soft landing, assuming this is not removed, sorry 'enhanced' like AA have done.

BA, you really have come a cropper with this. It will put people off to a massive extent. Can't expect people to agree to a massive downgrade in service and quality in what are the flagship lounges at what is BA HQ

clearedforlanding

Absolutely dismal. I now feel no need to pick LHR T5 to fly out of as against any other. Amazing how something like this can make you seriously reconsider the whole point of 'status' and 'loyalty' to an airline. I look forward to trying the VS clubhouse and several other offerings over the next few months. Not that this will matter to BA - as others have said, the majority of people will not be able to change airlines/avoid flying them.

Like many - my outrage isn't with Nicci and I thank her for being the brave messenger on this. However, the way that customer feedback with BA is twisted into justifying such changes is really quite something. "Our customer research clearly showed that customers wanted something appropriate for the time of day, improved choice and variety" - and so we decided to cut out the all day hot food?! Yes, because that's entirely what customers suggested!

BA know full well the changes are not being received well. Having to justify changes by reporting a statistic on cake consumption is desperation. I am not surprised it has gone up - there is nothing else appealing to eat.

Then again, I don't know what else we were really expecting here. Changes in a catering contract are rarely ever anything more than a veiled cost cutting exercise. Apart from the lacklustre staff, the lounges were absolutely top notch before.

Flying Doctor

OK,

So I actually went through T5 this morning on my merry way to Italy. I went in the GF lounge and I took a colleague of mine.

The food was hot, fresh and well presented I have to say. Even the scrambled eggs looked fine - none of that skin on them that occurs if they have been around for hours. Given some of the descriptions on here I did wonder what I would find but it was actually quite nicely presented.

I wasn't the only only who had a bit to eat - there seemed plenty of others quite happy with the offering. My colleague also commented that it was nice and went and helped himself to some more.

With the afternoon tea thing I really just don't get why you all want to eat at 3pm. At this time I have usually just had a sandwich and a huge meal would just make me sleep - I don't want it. Afternoon tea works for me as it is light bites and sandwiches which are perfect with a glass of wine or bubbly. The key for me would be the quality of the food but the breakfast I saw today was actually a step up from what I previously remember in the GF lounge.

FD.

bookish

Can we get some healthy food beyond jaket potatoes, fruit, and salad? Maybe more fat free and low calorie options?

Everything (the curies, goulash, and pasta dishes) in GF at the moment looks like an oil slick.