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-   -   Buy on board: Implemented on BA short haul - opinions on the concept (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1793630-buy-board-implemented-ba-short-haul-opinions-concept.html)

stu1985 Sep 29, 2016 4:11 am

Just came across a job advert......anyone interested?

"Lounge Warden
Location: Vacancies at all BA lounges worldwide


British Airways, the iconic UK brand, is currently recruiting Lounge Wardens to supplement our existing members of lounge staff in our luxurious and calming lounges at locations across the world. These vacancies have arisen as a result of our recent upgrade to our on-board menu whereby passengers now have to buy mouth wateringly scrumptious sandwiches, Percy Pigs and drinks.

Your main duties will involve hovering around the crisps, nuts and savoury offerings in our lounges as well as paying close attention to how many cans of drinks lounge customers are taking from the fridges. When flights are announced in the lounges, you will take a pro-active approach to tidying unopened cans of drinks and unopened packs of crisps and placing them safely back out from the reach of over zealous passengers. You will also be on the look out for customers who seem to be carrying overly heavy hand luggage which may contain lounge items and will inspect such items before customers leave the lounge.

Salary: negotiable but dependent on how much pilfering you prevent."

irishguy28 Sep 29, 2016 4:11 am


Originally Posted by wb1969 (Post 27278585)
I honestly believe that the only way BA brand can now survive is if they split off their shorthaul network and rename it, like Cathay and Dragonair, Singapore & Silk Air, Thai & Smile. To keep things as they are will only cause long term damage to the brand and reputation of BA.

They could just contract all that flying out to the likes of Ryanair.

tom139 Sep 29, 2016 4:11 am

Yes I've had the miles credited for my upcoming Euro Traveller sectors and the 28 day cancellation rule is penalty free.

Can I help you Sep 29, 2016 4:11 am

I'm loving the internal forum, such a happy place full of positive employees proud to work for a great British airline. :D

windowontheAside Sep 29, 2016 4:13 am

Most of my thoughts have already been voiced here, but two things remain.

1) Will they go contactless for payment? THe current credit card system seems pretty inefficient - I'm not a frequent on board purchaser but transactions seem to take ages with manual entry of credit card details more often than not.

2) I see soft drinks are going to 330ml - so that's an end to the mini cans of Coke etc? Or will they carry some smaller ones too for mixers? If they're scrapping the mini cans, would that also affect lounge supply? I hate the small cans.

babats Sep 29, 2016 4:13 am


Originally Posted by Beaulieu (Post 27278435)
Virgin Trains on the east coast have conveniently just re-launched an earlier offer from Edinburgh (and Aberdeen line stations) to London for flat fare advances... :D Quite timely really!

https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.co.../plane-relief/

Personally I've been taking short haul flying away from BA and this is probably going to reduce it to nearly nil even in Club Europe I expect.

What a brilliant marketing opportunity

mec72 Sep 29, 2016 4:13 am

"You will be able to select from the seasonally inspired menu [...]"

... which means ploughman sandwich in the winter and crisps in the summer...?

"[...] and buy your food and drinks in one easy transaction."

... because on FR or EZ you need to pay for each item separately...? Am I missing something?

These and other changes are annoying, but the style in which they are presented is even more so - does BA's marketing agency really think that BA's customers have an IQ of less than 70?

Eskimoboy Sep 29, 2016 4:16 am

Very disappointing.

I'll particularly mourn the loss of my free Gin and Tonic!(and the thai street food nuts they give out currently).

I can't stand M&S sandwiches so won't be doing any BOB. I guess the proof of whether this is a good move or not will be borne out in the medium/long term. It seems a bit crazy to try and compete with the LCCs by becoming an LCC yourself but there you go, I've no doubt they know more than me about running an airline.

In one respect it liberates me to look at alternate options flying short haul in the UK and Europe. Probably for too long I've been lazy and just paid to fly BA even if it's quite a bit more than the competition, just because i'm used to it and don't need to faff around bringing money for a drink etc. In fact I can't remember when I last flew short haul that wasn't BA (Maybe the old BMI days). So it gives me an opportunity to dip my toe in the other LCCs and see how I get on. I'm under no illusion that i'm not remotely important to BA and that they won't miss me though ;-)

It does grate that they try and sell it as an upgrade. though And play the old customer feedback
card. I guess that was the endgame from the start, keep reducing the free food options until people complain and then make money on BOB.

Eskimoboy Sep 29, 2016 4:18 am


Originally Posted by shefgab (Post 27278598)
Much like Brexit, I was hoping that this wouldn't come to fruition :(

The whole idea of BoB is dissapointing, but even more so that even water will be charged for. The lack of free catering for BA Gold is also upsetting. Will BA improve their lounge offerings to enable status pax to BoB (bring on board)? IB lounges have loads of sandwiches and salads that are "good to go". I shall certainly be taking some drinks for the plane (mini cans galore!).

Over the past few years I've been flying more and more with Ryanair, but am happiliy paying up to £30-50 more for BA on a shorthual flight. The chances of that happening now are very slim.

After years of enhancements, taking the line "this is what our pax want" is just another kick in the teeth. Of course people are going to want "upgraded" catering when you swap a meal tray for an all day deli bag, then a lunch box, then a wrap, then to a single mini bag of crisps :o I think they'd find that most people would rather "free" than "paid for", not that they'd ever ask.

I'm the same in that I've been happily paying £30-£50 more than the competition to fly BA on shorthaul (which now I type it makes me sound a bit of an idiot!)

Kgmm77 Sep 29, 2016 4:18 am

As always with these things, my thoughts immediately move to "what's next?". What else can they unbundle & monetize? Lounges seem an obvious target.

Then they can move to Long Haul. IFE is surely ripe for a charging structure? (Although given how frequently it falls over maybe not...).

At least this should put and end to people referring to "LCCs" as a derogatory term referring to most airlines other than BA. At this point BA shorthaul operations are just a bloated, operationally ineffective poor mans Ryanair or Easyjet running 5 years behind the competition.

Caciucco Sep 29, 2016 4:18 am


I wonder how this will effect existing bookings which were sold with drinks and food included?
They could just bung the existing flights the equivalent avios compensation for a bottle of wine/drink and a snack or whatever, perhaps.

BABroadie Sep 29, 2016 4:20 am

"Upgrading our food offering"
 
Hilarious BA. This is an insulting email

Sam Bee Sep 29, 2016 4:20 am

Does anyone know if airlines in the UK legally have to provide free water - or is that myth?

Secondly why LCY/STN next summer - is that due to staff or catering contracts - or just to see what the reaction is out of LHR/LGW before hitting key business corporate contracts.

Finally does anyone think that Mr Cruz is being set up as a fall guy here?


Originally Posted by IAMORGAN (Post 27278406)
For joe public without ffp I'm not sure why BA is better any more really. You have a leather seat, slightly better airports (TXL instead of SXF).

I certainly will be looking harder at LH now.

Oddly that's a bit of a regular route - my preference used to be U2 from Southend, but that's died a death. But if you fly that route, of course you don't have LH flying it - only Eurowings or BA into TXL.

And of course TXL will close at some point, so every airline to Berlin will use the same airport - 4U/BA/U2/FR. And of course SXF is accessible by public transport unlike TXL.

With todays news just booked LCY-TXL outbound as the timings suit - always fly back TXL-LHR on BA, but Norwegian back for the first time. I hear good things about them. Free wifi, and a more interesting selection of BoB http://www.norwegian.com/globalasset...short-haul.pdf

So my first switched flight! I can reach LGW from North London just as quick as LHR, so no great loss. I see this as a great opportunity to experience new airlines!

irishguy28 Sep 29, 2016 4:21 am

Will we be able to spend Avios at M&S now, too?

Pyros Sep 29, 2016 4:22 am


Originally Posted by Eskimoboy (Post 27278624)
I'm the same in that I've been happily paying £30-£50 more than the competition to fly BA on shorthaul (which now I type it makes me sound a bit of an idiot!)

I'm the same. Used to pay extra and rationalized it by lounge access, etc.

At this point it makes sense for me to simply get an Amex Plat for lounge access (no more TP runs to maintain at least silver) and stick with LCCs. Even when you add all the additional charges (seat selection, early boarding, etc) it would still be cheaper than BA. Massively increases flexibility too...


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