sadeconomy

That's unfortunate. Thank you.

williamn78

How often to Word Traveller menus change, if ever? On my fairly frequent LHR-YYZ trips its been chicken curry or vegetable pasta for way too long...

skyscan

Has anyone got an update on what is served between London - Moscow?

bisonrav

Resurrecting this seldom visited thread, because I have rather stupidly booked myself into World Traveller with the family for a trip out East.


I do occasionally wander back into the World Traveller cabin on a call of nature, and I must admit it always strikes me as looking like I imagine a WW1 hospital ship must have looked, with groaning and twisted bodies wrapped in thin blankets, crammed into every conceivable nook and cranny, or else glassy eyed and hungrily supping thin cabbage gruel or eking out a fun sized mars bar.


Every now and then one of them breaks through into the one of the better cabins, presumably in a search for food, where they are thankfully swiftly rugby tackled by one of the attendants and dragged away from the upmarket grooming products in the toilets dedicated to the better class of passengers.


But (oh the humanity!) I am booked in WT for a flight to Singapore, and I am hearing terrible tales of the reduced rations in steerage, presumably intended to starve the passengers such that they fit into the new seating arrangements. I have a hungry but fussy 2 year old, and a Malaysian wife (eating is the national sport in Malaysia), and so I need to know a few things, viz:


1) What is the likely childrens' menu?
2) Any ideas as to the probable main meal options to/from SIN? I'm hearing chicken curry is quite likely, plus presumably a veg option (omelette?).
3) What do WT serve as the second meal?
4) The paid options look like the business class menu, is that what they are?
5) Anything worth having from the "special dietary requirements" list?


I'm guessing I won't have much luck bringing both wife and boy into the lounge, as he's just over two now. So I may be looking to lend the missus out to someone going into the Concorde room should there be anyone. It's BA011, 3rd November, about 7pm departure.

crazyanglaisy

As a frequent gruel-consuming, mini mars bar-nibbling, stunted groaner on this route, I can go someway to answering three of your questions.

1) I do not know.

2) Curry and pasta feature heavily, this is correct. The pasta dish is usually the vegetarian option. The curries are always the best option IME, though I wouldn't spend too much time thinking about it as they are nothing to look forward to. The 'starter' on the tray is almost always some kind of coleslaw: cheap, mass catering of the worst kind. Dessert has always been a chocolate pot in recent times, usually with caramel or something similar in the bottom. This is quite comfortably the best part of the meal and is really very nice. After the dessert, it's the bread roll and butter that I appreciate most. If you're a red wine drinker, always choose the Tempranillo over the Cabernet (after a couple of mini G&Ts before dinner, it's just about drinkable).

3) The second meal is breakfast, and has no redeeming features whatsoever, as far as I'm concerned. It has been radically cut back to a small tray with a watery, flabby English breakfast that features edible (if worryingly grey-coloured) bacon and the worst scrambled egg known to man. The other option might well be a cheese omelette. I've never dared try this having been so badly scarred by the egg that's served in the other dish. It truly is the thing of nightmares. Oh, and you'll also get a raisin danish. I tried it just the once and will never do so again. Moist would be the antithesis of an appropriate descriptor. Sadly, what was easily the best part of the meal - a yogurt or muesli pot - was removed sometime last year. I'd just drink tea, if I was you, and grab some kaya toast or roti prata for you and the family when you arrive at SIN airport before going through to collect your bags. This will also alleviate your wait at the woeful immigration queues that are common for BA11, especially if you're at the back of the upper deck. Frustratingly, this flight typically arrives into T1 just after a Lufthansa A380, and you can be waiting for half an hour, if not longer.

4) The paid options that you can pre-book in WT are not the same as the business class options. It's a different menu. I tried the 'Taste of Britain' once and was very impressed indeed. Much better (in quality if not presentation) than any Club World meal that I've been served. I'd highly recommend it, if you're planning on eating meals on board and not in a lounge/restaurant beforehand.

5) I do not know, but I doubt it would make an awful lot of difference.

For me, surviving in Y on the SIN flights just comes down to appropriate preparation. Stock up with water and juices at Boots after security; do the same with a range of snacks to keep you going through the night, or bring these with you from home. A decent eye mask and ear plugs will make a huge difference too, though perhaps less so for your 2 year old. Last but not least, approach the experience in a positive, upbeat frame of mind and your quality of life onboard will be much more tolerable. I've learned this one the hard way

If it'd been a month later, I would have been very glad to have whisked your wife away to the CCR prior to your flight! Unfortunately, I'll be on the other side of the world in early November.

bisonrav

Thanks, I think I'll set up a couple of tastes of England and we'll take pot luck with the main for the baby - worst case we'll send him off scavenging into First, he's very charming and being small and fast moving can easily evade rugby tackles. He'll eat the salted caramel chocolate pot anyway.


I should say we do this in Y at least every year, but usually on Malaysian to KL and Kuching (first stop Foody Goody for a spot of proper Sarawak Laksa, a Kopi C and then home to nap). The concern is more about the baby than us actually, as 12 hours is a long stretch if he doesn't get a decent meal. I know even from WT+ that BA are cutting back on food onboard.


Despite the tongue-in-cheek comments, I don't mind flying Y when I'm paying myself. As you say, if you approach it with a positive frame of mind there's a certain masochistic enjoyment in the privations, and as long as you fit in the seat OK and have your bag stowed, you get there just as fast as class F, breathe the same air, and see the same films.

bisonrav

Just off the flight in WT to SIN with preorder. They got the order wrong, ordered two pork one beef got two beef one chicken. Food ok, not worth 20 quid.

wondering whether to complain about the cock up but we ate it anyway so probably won't.

nbevan

Thought that my £18 premium meal LHR-MEX was good value in an exit row seat, compared to WT+. Flight crew announced refreshments before landing, which sounded pretty dire for a 12 hour flight, but they must have been reading the wrong script, as we got the unhealthy mid flight snack (chocolate bar and crisps), and a meal before landing. This was served from the rear, so no choice left at the front of economy, but the vegetable pasta was quire enjoyable.

bisonrav

So on the return leg from SIN, Due to no pre-order option, I tried the standard WT menu and was pleasantly surprised. Nice beef casserole, with a smoked salmon starter, and a full English as the second meal which was perfectly acceptable. I was very happy with both, and mentioned to one of the FAs that this seemed to be an improvement on previous WT (last one of these would have been to India probably a couple of years ago), and she agreed. I got the impression that they'd had a lot of stick on this subject. I can't say the £18 for a preselection was money well spent.

rockflyertalk

Has anyone gotten wind of the what the improvements might be in WT supposedly coming in January 2018?

I know many may not frequent this part of the plane but it would be a shame not to start a debate on how BA may improve or enhance WT catering, after all BA's improvements (or not to some!) are always well discussed on here.

williamn78

It'll probably (hopefully?!) be reinstatement of pretzels, cheese and a proper bottle of water?

xenole

Is there anything different food on Xmas day in WT? Got an ex-EU flight to/from BOS booked so I won't get offered anything upgrade wise (probably), but it was dirt cheap and quite survivable.

Superjeff

I've flown it in WTP, but cheapskate that I am, had the kids in WT. Choice of two breakfast options IN WTP (omlette with asparagus and veal sausage or scrambled eggs) - both edible. In economy, pretty much the same, but smaller portions.

the 789 was very nice in WTP; connecting from a 772 to the 789, however, you could notice the difference between Y seats on the two airplanes. Y looked absolutely painful on the 789.

Superjeff

Don't expect anything other than the normal; if you're lucky, the cabin crew will feel some holiday spirit so they may be a bit nicer than usual :-)

xenole

Choice of Turkey or curry on BOS-LHR yesterday.
Some crew wearing hats or antler things. Usual souless Y experience though.



WT+ meal was nicer the other day as the stuffing was better.
Boiled potatoes rather than roast in the WT meal.

About an hour before landing, snack basket with Nutrigrain or Soreen malt loaf bars.