Catering in ET on LGW-DLM?
 

I'm off to the Turkish coast later this year with the family - booked BA because their price including baggage was keen, especially with the ability to dump a shedload of Avios on it to bring the cash figure down. [They dropped their price since booking but that's a rant for another time]

Flight leaves at 1450 so I guess that's the dreaded Afternoon Tea service. I understand that this is a Band 4 flight, according to Prospero's excellent catering guide.

Any recent real-life experiences from the community on what gets offered up on these longer routes? Particularly interested in hearing what the child meals are like (kids are 3 and 6) - and if the sullen teenager (13) will get an adult offering...

TIA

OB

There will be a hot meal in CE, a choice of two dishes (pending availability). The CHML will most likely be chicken nuggets, mash and peas/beans. If you don't order a special meal such as a CHML your 13yo will be offered what's on the regular menu.

In ET it'll be a deli box with a sandwich/wrap, cheese & biscuits and a pudding. No SPMLs available in this cabin.

I did DLM (and BJV) last year so it is as Yesitsme has described. If you want to see some recent-ish photos of what the ET meals look like:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/25888044-post1654.html

And the rest of the thread has equivalent photos for CE, though in both cases we can assume that the precise contents will change (it probably won't be turkey to Turkey!). They do have a Vegetarian box, which may help the picky eater, but there's great food in Turkey so maybe she can just wait until she gets there!

(my bolding).

CWS - Does that mean that the CE meal doesn't suffer from the usual LGW related shenanigans of being 'lesser' than the LHR one on this route? (Forgive me - am sending father in law to BJV this summer in CE and wanted to know ... apologies to the OP for taking this gently off track).

Since you get - for some strange reason - an extra lump of cheese on LGW, then no it's not lesser than LHR, in my opinion. Having just had a few weeks of AA First catering (same unimaginative meal options 6 times over....) I am delighted to be back on CE catering, since both LHR and LGW CE have some really tasty options out in band 3 and 4. No real difference between them, LCY is still generally fractionally better for their very few longer trips (and a lot better in ET).

I hope your father in law enjoys Bodrum, which I did. I slightly preferred DLM since it's a lot smaller, more relaxed and somewhat posher, but both locations are good destinations in my book.

Thanks both

Yesitsme - do you happen to know at what passenger age they load adult as opposed to CHML? The 13yo likes his grub. (We're in ET)

c-w-s is there anywhere you haven't been?!?

I think you misread - CHML only available in CE, not in ET.

I'd say go and stock up in Boots at the airport. My kids inevitably find something not to like in the ET sandwiches, and given the fillings contain a handful of dominant ingredients, it's not exactly difficult.

Child "Daddy, can I have the cheese sandwich"
Me "Yes"
Read the side of the box to find it's cheese with pickled larks tongue. On granary bread.

Thanks.

His first time in business class (it is easy for us 'regulars' to forget that for some any business class is a real treat), so good to know what awaits him - want to make him vaguely briefed in what to expect, so he can definitely ask for things!

Noted on Bodrum - father in law's heading the opposite way from town to somewhere a little more remote, relaxed and away from the 18-30 crowd!

No special meals available in ET. Even if you were travelling in CE you'd need to pre-order any special meals, including CHML, as they're not automatically allocated.

Do you fly CE regularly from LGW or are you relying on what you have read?

In my opinion the LGW CE catering has been better than the LHR CE catering for a number of years.

LHR has caught up a bit recently, but is far from superior to LGW.

Perhaps you could be more specific about these LGW shenanigans, as it sounds nothing like the product with which I am familiar.

Infrequently. On both CE (from LHR) and from LGW (in both ET and CE). More an ET from LHR/LCY man, due to company policy and the routes I need.

I don't rely. That's why I asked a question. In fact to one of the more experience travellers on this board, whose opinion I value greatly.

You mean like Band 4 routes being return catered? No hot meals on some flights? I wasn't certain, I asked a Q and got a more than adequate answer.

The reason I asked the question is that you seemed to be drawing a conclusion that LGW catering was consistently inferior, when the reverse is nearer the mark. Left unchallenged these things do have a habit of becoming accepted wisdom and then putting off infrequent travellers needlessly.

Return catering is not an LGW exclusive phenomenon - it can happen ex-LHR too, even on LH routes. It is route specific though and due to specific facets of the particular route.

My point is more about not over generalising or treating LGW as the poor relation. In some aspects it clearly is, but SH catering isn't one of them.
Indeed I would struggle to think of a better meal on band 4 ex-LHR than the ones I had on LGW flights to and from MLA a couple of weeks back. However, I've also had duff meals from both LGW and LHR before now.

Anyway, glad to hear that your question was adequately answered.