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I think that it is time that I took over the organisation of BA Euro-catering

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I think that it is time that I took over the organisation of BA Euro-catering

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Old Aug 27, 2013, 4:14 am
  #16  
 
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Sorry, but mind has gone nearly blank - all I can think off is Pucci eating a flake

Having said that I have just completed a 4 hour flight (HKGPS) on CX and the food, indeed just about, everything was better than any flight I have had in CE. The starter alone was bigger and better than the so called main course on CE.

For me CE catering started its downhill dash, it was hardly a slide, when they switched from Tanqueray to Gordons.
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 4:18 am
  #17  
 
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I'd prefer if they put CE out of its misery and went single class on short haul. If future aircraft deliveries will continue to have non-converter seats the value proposition will remain atrocious for all bar tier point desperados and those who like throwing money away.

Clearly not a uniformly popular view on here, but to me CE is the ultimate example of emperors clothes.
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 6:25 am
  #18  
 
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I said to myself on TG the other day, this all feels rather decadent: caviar, lobster and DP 2003. Fortunately i stopped myself and said, no, if this were truly decadent they would still be serving DP 2002.

As to CE catering where does one start? Whilst one can dine quite adequately in the Flounge it's not the same at outstations, hence some form of offering is needed. And then it sturck me, baked potatos and caviar works whatever the time of day. Short-haul ovens could cope with this too. This just leaves the fizz. BA did have a rather nice stock of the Bollinger GA 2000 which would compliment this perfectly.

Children may not like it but frankly most would be better off in hold. Allergy sufferers, hmm OK I suppose we should have a simple alternative; nuts? That should cut demand too so we can have proper 2x2 J seating.

All that remains to ensure serenity is equipping the crew with a cattle prod to repell interlopers from whY from visiting the forward lavatory.
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 6:45 am
  #19  
 
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Coming back on 461 from MAD last weekend I was subjected to the afternoon "tea". The sandwiches are an absolute travesty, not only did I not want the filling in any of them, the bread had dried out completely. Had I decided not to have eaten from the reasonable selection on offer in the Iberia T4S lounge I'd have gone fairly hungry!

Then I find out in ET the vegetarian option is (delicious sounding) a sweet potato wrap....
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 6:48 am
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by johnaalex
Sorry, but mind has gone nearly blank - all I can think off is Pucci eating a flake
PUCCI's webcam has been in overdrive the past few days, and strange that you should mention her flake-guzzling habits, but here's one of her better cam sessions, filmed on one of those sultry summer nights the smarter parts of Surrey are famous for, just as the Crew Report Centre is trying to reach her to cover a standby to Lagos:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcbhHOZZXnI

You'll see the botox has done wonders for her décolletage.
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 6:50 am
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by Kgmm77
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I'd prefer if they put CE out of its misery and went single class on short haul. If future aircraft deliveries will continue to have non-converter seats the value proposition will remain atrocious for all bar tier point desperados and those who like throwing money away.

Clearly not a uniformly popular view on here, but to me CE is the ultimate example of emperors clothes.
Perhaps at the right fare*, CE passengers value the combined benefits of baggage allowance, lounge access, and (slightly) larger seat and A few extra TPs. Particularly if they don't have the BAEC status that would afford the extra benefits.

*Of course "the right fare" is relative to the person paying
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 6:56 am
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Kgmm77
Wirelessly posted (iPhone 3G: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1_3 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B329 Safari/8536.25)

I'd prefer if they put CE out of its misery and went single class on short haul. If future aircraft deliveries will continue to have non-converter seats the value proposition will remain atrocious for all bar tier point desperados and those who like throwing money away.

Clearly not a uniformly popular view on here, but to me CE is the ultimate example of emperors clothes.
+1 ^

CE is overpriced **** (insert whatever word works for you), often delivered in a half hearted manner.
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 7:15 am
  #23  
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Oh PUCCI....another thread for the armchair CEOs. Having only flown in CE a couple of times I'd better keep my trap shut.

Truth be told without knowing the costs/loses/profits of CE we will continue to fart in the wind with these type of threads.
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 7:18 am
  #24  
 
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I should have taken a photo of the odd gloop in a tub that was dessert on my TXL-LHR yesterday - oddest thing I have seen in a long time, an odd pinkish layer that was liquid and allowed you to swill the tub and see it move about. I did not even try it...

Agree with gadgetgal on the obsession with mayo etc - big massive dollops of the stuff seemingly everywhere; a nice enough plate with smoked salmon, roast chicken slices etc, destroyed by an over zealous application of the stuff.

Am all for simpler fare etc - and at the same time they can remove the glass on the CE trays, could understand it when there was the cup of water on the tray, but now? Just one more complication and something taking up space
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 7:22 am
  #25  
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As a minimum Extended Breakfast and Afternoon Tee (I am not British) should go away.

Plus I think, I am willing to donate a C redemption ticket on TK to BA person responsible for short haul catering, so he/she would be able to learn how great airline catering could be
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 7:25 am
  #26  
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On timings - My choice would be:

- early to 10.29 = breakfast
- 10.30 onwards = meal (a 10.30 band 3 flight from continental Europe will arrive after 13.30 so basically too late to have lunch).
(no more afternoon tea or 'brunch' which isn't)

On providers, I'd poach Do&Co Austria. I believe littlegirl told us BA use Do&Co, mains in CE are good (better than before and better than CW) but OS is still better, so poach the master so that they can provide the same quality in their British outpost and only let them go after they have delivered!

Chocolate. Lily O'Brien is poor but Cadbury's even worse. This is one of the few things AF do right (Valrhona, what chocolate is supposed to taste like)

Main courses - people can pre-order vegetarian and I'd sooner not be stuck with it if I change my flight at the last minute and can only sit towards the back of the cabin, so I'd rather keeping two options - say one meat/poultry and one fish (since BA seem to do fish better than anything else nowadays) or even one meat one poultry.

Cheese: I agree. I love French cheese too but the real thing, not some pasteurised ersatz which simply doesn't work. Nothing wrong with best of British.

Put small piece of cheese+ fruit plus small dessert on all meals.

Wine: I agree.

Introduce espresso coffee machines onboard like A3 and teh like. Much better than the nonsense currently served.
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 7:57 am
  #27  
 
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Originally Posted by oscietra
PUCCI's webcam has been in overdrive the past few days, and strange that you should mention her flake-guzzling habits, but here's one of her better cam sessions, filmed on one of those sultry summer nights the smarter parts of Surrey are famous for, just as the Crew Report Centre is trying to reach her to cover a standby to Lagos:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcbhHOZZXnI

You'll see the botox has done wonders for her décolletage.
I found the new video in which Mme PUCCI presents her new ideas for the meal service in CE:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3XlDUTp...eature=related
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 8:23 am
  #28  
 
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"Where did this Lily O'Brien nonsense start?"

Probably just found bmi's stockpile.
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 8:45 am
  #29  
 
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Tee-hee. Nope, `Lily O'B' has been around for too long... before any BMI stuff.

DO+CO Yep, very nice...
Breakfast (or Brunch) up to 10.55am
Lunch from 11am (which is of course 12 elsewhere in Europe) till 3pm
Don't really have an answer to the 3- 4.55 slot... just bubbles and something other than dried up sandwiches please.
5pm- finish Dinner.

Cheese... British, Hard... Stilton, Cheddar, Double Gloucester can all be great....
Coffee..... proper coffee please, not coffee bag or instant.

Puds... British... Apple pie & Custard. Plum crumble & Custard. Or even Custard. with Custard. or a simple pot of something... GU do a good range.
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 9:06 am
  #30  
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Right. Where do I start.

1. Extended breakfast, or brunch, or whatever it's called this week. To be abolished with fire, brimstone, prejudice, and a strong hosepipe. Proper breakfast until 1029 or 1059, then lunch thereafter.
2. Lunch and dinner: don't change a good thing as far as the mains are concerned. Desserts: Gü. Top-notch and appropriate to the top class of travel on the plane. Cheese: per above, British and hard.
3. Wine: don't drink, don't give a toss.
4. Afternoon tea. Keep the scones, but have some sort of salad rather than sandwiches, or keep the sandwiches as a choice if you really must. Unfortunately, the combination of ingredients in the sandwiches is not at all to my taste. Ordering a VLML on an afternoon tea service generally results in something perfectly tolerable, such as a stuffed pepper or pasta salad rather than the sandwiches.
5. Anyone who uses the term "appropriate to the time of day" is immediately sacked, bundled onto the nearest 737 (preferably FR), taken up to FL120, and shoved out 1L.
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