No food in CE LHR-DUS
Aug 20, 2016, 2:25 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Tonbridge
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 2,034
No food in CE LHR-DUS
I flew to DUS recently in CE on BA940. There were 3 rows of CE with 11 pax in total.
My attention was mainly occupied by entertaining my 10 month old child, so when hot towels only appeared halfway through the flight it didn't immediately strike me as strange.
When the drinks trolley arrived I thought it had taken a long time, and that food would be served at the same time, but no. Only drinks, not even a snack.
At that point the captain gave a flight update and said we would be landing in 20 minutes. Still no food appeared.
At 10 minutes to landing the crew member came to clear glasses and I asked what happened to the food? They looked very embarrassed and said sorry it was their fault, they had been left on their own at the front and it was their first time and they hadn't managed to get the food out.
I felt rather sorry for them, however their name badge said Customer Service Manager. How can someone in that position not be able to complete the meal service? I think it's only a simple salad?
The thing I found particularly poor was the lack of proactive service recovery. It seemed like they simply hoped nobody would notice!
My attention was mainly occupied by entertaining my 10 month old child, so when hot towels only appeared halfway through the flight it didn't immediately strike me as strange.
When the drinks trolley arrived I thought it had taken a long time, and that food would be served at the same time, but no. Only drinks, not even a snack.
At that point the captain gave a flight update and said we would be landing in 20 minutes. Still no food appeared.
At 10 minutes to landing the crew member came to clear glasses and I asked what happened to the food? They looked very embarrassed and said sorry it was their fault, they had been left on their own at the front and it was their first time and they hadn't managed to get the food out.
I felt rather sorry for them, however their name badge said Customer Service Manager. How can someone in that position not be able to complete the meal service? I think it's only a simple salad?
The thing I found particularly poor was the lack of proactive service recovery. It seemed like they simply hoped nobody would notice!
Aug 20, 2016, 2:34 pm
#3
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,803
Mouth wide open moment. A CSM struggling?!
I'm not sure whether to complain or not, I guess you should, though you'll be lucky to get 5 or 10k TPs, best to do this by telephone. My hesitancy is that if the CSM is asked about this it won't look good. You should have asked to fill in the iPad form, but I can imagine why that option wasn't offered......
I'm not sure whether to complain or not, I guess you should, though you'll be lucky to get 5 or 10k TPs, best to do this by telephone. My hesitancy is that if the CSM is asked about this it won't look good. You should have asked to fill in the iPad form, but I can imagine why that option wasn't offered......
Aug 20, 2016, 2:38 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: London Heathrow
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 173
From a fellow CSM this is simply unacceptable. It is a cold meal on the DUS and does not take any time at all to deliver, along with a drink. We are all told the flight time and plan accordingly.
I can only apologise and say it is not normal and should never have happened. I'm tempted to say it was even incompetent and it frustrates me greatly!
Regards
D1L
I can only apologise and say it is not normal and should never have happened. I'm tempted to say it was even incompetent and it frustrates me greatly!
Regards
D1L
Aug 20, 2016, 2:39 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,338
Is it possible that a CSM would be doing a meal service for the first time on their own? Seems very odd!
Aug 20, 2016, 2:42 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Tonbridge
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 2,034
With 10 minutes to landing there wasn't much time for filling out forms. The CSM said they would make a note of it in their report. With a 10 month old in tow I didn't want to hang around after we landed.
I was surprised there weren't more people complaining. I guess the other passengers were either not familiar with what should have been served (and probably won't be rushing back to BA!) or regulars that weren't very bothered about the getting the meal.
I was surprised there weren't more people complaining. I guess the other passengers were either not familiar with what should have been served (and probably won't be rushing back to BA!) or regulars that weren't very bothered about the getting the meal.
Aug 20, 2016, 2:50 pm
#10
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 4,771
Back to the subject, you need to make sure BA is aware of this, inexcusable really.
Aug 20, 2016, 2:59 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: QF Platinum & Lifetime Gold
Posts: 1,340
Aug 20, 2016, 3:03 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: London
Programs: BAEC, AA, Emirates, Hilton, Hyatt, Taj Hotels
Posts: 2,345
I guess we all missed this then:
Meals in Club Europe on shorter intra-European routes will no longer be proactively offered. Meals appropriate to the time of day will still be available on request only. Consequently, fewer meals will be loaded* thus providing further savings in operating costs enabling us to achieve important on-going cost saving goals in FY16. This change follows feedback from passengers who didn't notice that food wasn't offered on shorter journeys.
* Please accept our apologies if due to the demands of other passengers no meal is available for you.
All clear now?
Meals in Club Europe on shorter intra-European routes will no longer be proactively offered. Meals appropriate to the time of day will still be available on request only. Consequently, fewer meals will be loaded* thus providing further savings in operating costs enabling us to achieve important on-going cost saving goals in FY16. This change follows feedback from passengers who didn't notice that food wasn't offered on shorter journeys.
* Please accept our apologies if due to the demands of other passengers no meal is available for you.
All clear now?
Aug 20, 2016, 3:10 pm
#14
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,803
Aug 20, 2016, 3:42 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Cymru
Programs: BAEC, HHonors
Posts: 60
What is considered a reasonable time to wait for the trolley to appear in CE?
On a recent LIN - LHR, clear weather, no turbulence, the 2 staff members disappeared behind the curtain to rattle some plates and make a few other clattery noises. They appeared with the afternoon tea trolley 47 minutes after takeoff. Needless to say, it was almost an hour in the air before the bar trolley arrived.
My experience in CE is usually to NCE, where I am usually offered something within 25 minutes of wheels-up. Is NCE a statistical outlier or was I unlucky on the recent flight?
On a recent LIN - LHR, clear weather, no turbulence, the 2 staff members disappeared behind the curtain to rattle some plates and make a few other clattery noises. They appeared with the afternoon tea trolley 47 minutes after takeoff. Needless to say, it was almost an hour in the air before the bar trolley arrived.
My experience in CE is usually to NCE, where I am usually offered something within 25 minutes of wheels-up. Is NCE a statistical outlier or was I unlucky on the recent flight?