Swanhunter

The late bank of departures should be treated like sleeper services. Dine in the lounge, or have a light snack on board. Then go to sleep or keep the noise down. No-one normally eats dinner at midnight so why should it be different on plane?

The KWI serves dinner and breakfast on a 6 hour overnight flight. Insane for the majority of the cabin who want to sleep.

SoggyDollar

That doesn't deal with the smells though - need a face mask as well. Surely BA kitchens could devise something that is less offensive?

BA.MF.CSM

The Sydney route is a funny one.

Majority of customers are leisure in CW. They tend to like the full service, and with the 12 hour outbound flight time, most are happy to be kept amused for while before they bed down. Of course we carry a wide cross section of the general public in CW, and with 56 seats in CW on the -300, it is impossible to please everyone.

Ideally, the lights should have been off earlier, but we have been having real issues of late on the 777 with the level of experience amongst the crew. As CSMs, we are having to 'make do' sometimes with a crew that is legally 'experienced' (3 months online!), but that doesn't really have the required level to run the 56 seat CW cabin efficiently. The crew are trying their best, and it is not their doing that these flights are going out like this.

We have raised the ongoing issue to our management, but as far as it goes with us, we are powerless to change things.

Kind regards

BA.MF.CSM

Tim1975

If the CC are too busy with other tasks to do that, you could even have non-flying staff taking the order before hopping off the plane just before doors close.

BA.MF.CSM

There is not enough time to take food orders on the ground. Especially on late night departures where we also have to distribute washbags before take off. It is pretty tight as it is, especially in destinations where there is a short taxi to the take off runway.

Apart from that, we would be rushing people to have a look at the menu, many of which haven't even opened the thing by the time it comes round to taking the meal order after the first bar.

We try to do our best to keep everyone happy, and it's not the end of the world. You can't tailor 56 individual customer plans in the space of 20 minutes before take off. Sorry.

Kind regards

BA.MF.CSM

WHBM

This is fine for those who are making a leisurely trip, can get to Heathrow hours beforehand, and sit quaffing the champers in the lounge etc, but out in the real world those of us off for a rapid trip to their Australian colleagues are probably still in the office slamming their Powerpoints together at 1830, hammer out to Heathrow, find a huge queue for security where only 25% of the checking stations are manned, and need to go straight to the gate famished after nothing since a quick lunchtime Pret-a-Manger, and therefore want something more substantial than ANOTHER sandwich masquerading as a "light snack".

The same goes for those on inbound connecting flights who have just had a packet of birdseed in the last 8 hours .......

It is true that the "whole lot delivered all in one go" approach of Y has something to commend it, provided the remains are not left in front of you for the next 60 minutes.

matthandy

The other issue is that you have to know that such a service is going to be offered. If you are not aware then you can end up going very hungry. This was the case for me ex. DXB to SIN on EK. I had no clue that the first service would be sandwiches otherwise I would have eaten properly in the lounge.

Swanhunter

I've spent a fair chunk of the last 15 years flying to Asia on a schedule like that. It takes approx 10mins to have a filling meal in the lounge. And frankly on those sort of trips I value a couple of extra hours uninterrupted sleep on board over an elaborate meal. Connecting passengers in Club will have been served something inbound in CE no? And those on domestics will have only had a short hop down...

Arranging the Club meal service to suit leisure travellers seems foolish when the cabin proposition is all about sleeping.

TabTraveller

Unsure if this can work with BA's IFE but the 'online' ordering of food on VX from within their IFE works really well. AA seem to have looked at a similar thing on the A321T as I saw an option for this on their IFE but it doesn't seem to be running yet (at least in F).

It must save a lot of money on printing menus and has to be faster/more efficient than sending CC round to take orders.

Embuexpat

I wouldn't count on that. Recently on LHR/GRU leaving at 21:50 no food or drink had been served by midnight, although I could hear the CC having a lovely chat in the galley. Upon enquiring as to the delay, I was told they were waiting for the main courses to heat up. At which point I gave up and went to bed.

camdentown

This is an interesting discussion. I think I see clear and different preferences from posters here, which is fair enough. Different PAX want different things and also arre arriving at the airport at different times and with differing journeys. For example pax on connecting flights to LHR from the UK and Europe may well have had little substantial to eat for the previous few hours (even in CE!) and would appreciate a good meal. Others, straight in from London may be ready to sleep right after takeoff. The food offering in the Galleries Club lounge is not up to the standard of a decent on-board meal, so IMHO the lounge dining option is not great.
Echoing BA.MF.CSM's comments, its really up to the cabin crew to recognise who of the PAX are hoping for a full dinner and who wants to get off to sleep right away and prepare their service accordingly. I used to see the CC doing this very effectively and managing the individual needs of each passenger. But its much more potluck now if they can do this - I guess its down to lack of experience in newer crews.
I guess I'm a good example of how it can vary - I'm not necessarily decided/ready for sleep or dinner before a night flight and circumstances change. So I really appreciate the flexbility of the CC to do a quick service or a long full dinner according to how I feel at the time. This is something that helps make a great airline and I hope that it continues that way.

WHBM

Surely this is covered in the training ....... ?

BA.MF.CSM

This is covered in training, but it takes practice and it is impossible to give new crew everything they need when they first go out online. Some of the issues are NOT with the crew, it is with decisions that are made higher up. It is out of our control. As was previously commented, we have fed back to our employer about the shortcomings with some 777 departures. We are doing our best.

Kind regards

BA.MF.CSM

Sixth Freedom

In that case then why not postpone the PowerPoint until you get on the aircraft and have a proper dinner on the ground? @:-)

That is what I would do! But then I went to a boarding school with prep after tea so have never had any worries about doing work after an evening meal! I have come across many colleagues who do not seem to eat until they have finished all their work.

jacobitetraveller

its difficult to please everyone

some have had time to dine in the lounge (or elsewhere) and want to maximise sleep
others maybe haven't had time to eat
others have a more leisurely schedule and want to relax with a nice meal and a few drinks
just because its a late flight it should not mean people being almost forced to sleep if they don't want to

personally I think BA get it as right as they can and do their best in a situation where there will always be some who think it should be done another way(to suit their own personal preference)