I suppose Offloading and demanding to go on the next plane is an option for some ;)

Indeed. Imagine waking up this morning acutely aware that you were going to have to churn out this nonsense for hour after hour after hour, knowing that people are raising valid complaints that you most likely agree with yourself. Not a job for me!

That really is one of the most stupid lies I've seen. And from a legal perspective it's also complete bollocks.

It clearly, 100% was included in the fare.

Well this is potentially misleading, seems to imply free booze but paid food:

https://s21.postimg.cc/6aqg9cebb/ba_bar.png

Also my e-ticket for a flight from Tenerife in March is still showing "brunch or snack". Wonder if that will change?

And they can't even tell the difference between "complimentary" and "complementary". ;)

A good day for BA to release bury other enhancements.

British Airways Express ..

And to follow my previous post up, they obviously can't spell Stansted either. ;)

I've got a request in to customer relations, via GGL, asking to cancel two of my ET bookings as I'll be going elsewhere. Currently awaiting a response.

That's the only way things will change.

It takes a particularly extreme numpty to be marketing this as an upgrade. It's a downgrade, nothing less. Offering a wider choice is neither here nor there, when every single option including soft drinks and water has to be paid for. It's merely falling into line with EasyJet, who must be rubbing their hands with glee at this announcement and the increase in business they'll enjoy off the back of it.

And the good news of improvements to come in CE catering? :rolleyes:

Last time I flew BA short haul (last month) to BCN it was a choice between BA and EasyJet. Accounting for all other fees for baggage, comparing flight times, departure airport and travel, etc etc, the EZY return price was £40 less per person. We just about justified flying BA for lounge access thanks to status, and getting at least something on board. This is the problem with this kind of price point. There's now a perception gap; BA is no longer a 'full service' airline and has gone down the LCC route with BoB. Therefore I might as well fly with an actual LCC.

I can't believe people are giving this the thumbs up in any way. BA reduced their complementary in-flight service on SH to almost nothing. In order for passengers to show gratitude they're now offering more but charging for everything? Talk about Stockholm syndrome.

I see they've already added the line "Are you contacting us about Short Haul Buy on Board Catering?" to their web contact form, I guess they are expecting a few messages about it!

Be very afraid!

That means he sees loads more potential for cost-cutting.

BA - it's a much-too-high-cost airline, says Cruz

Sorry, can't seem to get it to work (prabably as it requires login)?

https://www.facebook.com/britishairways

I just complained to the ASA over BA's use of the word "upgrade."

That doesn't surprise me to be honest. I can just imagine the local outcry if Lufthansa tried to start selling food to the locals on board. It would not go down well with the passengers at all! ;) :D

Any insights on how CC will be compensated for this?

I can't imagine they'll be paid commission on top of existing pay deals as that would make them better off. So no commission? Or a future 'enhancement' of their existing deal?

Well done. I will be following you. Now that BA and Easyjet/Ryanair are equivalent, we should lobby our politicians to open up slots to low cost carriers at Heathrow. BA is high cost, low service and an airline which survives because of their slot advantages.

But to keep the comparison valid, you have to add in the extra £20 for the stuff-on-BA-that-previously-was-free-but-now-isn't. [that extra £20 was factored in to the LCC cost for comparison purposes because, as you rightly point out, they already charge for food and drinks. It must now be factored into the BA price differential, as they have said they are not reducing their fares]

I think my blind mate might be a bit annoyed he'll not be able to hand over cash, the amount of which he can be sure of (unlike a card transaction).

Can anyone with a reservation in First, but with a Domestic connection after this loco launch, share their 'Bespoke' email with us. Id like to see how the explanation to their F pax affected has been handled.

Oh don't you worry, it will continue worsening: wastage will lead to reduction of offer, insufficient profit will lead to price increases. The script is all written but BA just think we are sufficiently idiotic not to know how this will develop.

Well this will be just hilarious on JER flights. On busy flights the crew barely get through the cabin as it is. I wouldn't bank on getting a g&t if you're in row 22...

The suggestion that they are not going to lower their fares is bonkers. I am currently looking at flights next week Jer-Lgw. EZ are much cheaper, at a comparable time. I have a PP card so have lounge access anyway. How on earth are BA now intending to compete at LGW??

They could have; but that would have made the job of the already-embattled staff even harder, faced with irate passengers being refused free F&B when others around get stuff for free.

I'm sorry, Sir. Yes, that gentleman got a free G&T and that lady got a free sandwich and coffee, but you see, they bought their ticket before 29 September 2016, so not only did they get a cheaper price for the flight, they also got free onboard catering. You, Sir, only booked last week, so although you paid twice as much as they did, you have to pay for your food, Sir!

They better chain all the alcohol bottles to the walls too!!!

Club Europe always had a different "menu" than Euro Traveller.
Longhaul always had a different "menu" than Euro Traveller.

You previously did not have the choice of selecting from the "menu" of a different cabin - and that won't change.

And there won't be a BoB offering on longhaul anyway, so there is no way anyone on a longhaul flight could "pick from the BoB menu or the standard hot/cold menu" anyway.

The catering provided for Club Europe and for Longhaul is in no way affected or changed - just because people behind the curtain on shorthaul will start to be plied with chargeable M&S items.

BOAC and BEA maybe?

I was thinking more along the lines of implementing this at d+355 when all tickets purchased in SH Y would be in scope for BoB

I once selected from the WT menu when they ran out of everything in the WT+ cabin :eek:

And in that screengrab from the BA website, they can't spell "Stansted".

What a day to be alive!

Good riddance to you BA. I'm so happy I moved away from the UK and now don't need to deal with your crap and pathetic offering.

What next? Making CCR accessible on international tix only, or perhaps increasing the minimum number of flights on BA metal for requalification.

I feel sorry for the staff.Though I suspect all the good ones will have left, or be in the process of leaving anyway.

Wait and see on Club Europe - "Passengers in Club Europe – the airline’s short-haul business class service – will continue to enjoy a complimentary menu, which is being improved and revamped."

What sort of "improvement" is on the way for CE?

Yep, I also spotted and commented on that one too! :D

Even though it was expected, it makes me sad...

What?

And throw away a good 255 days of M&S profiteering???? :eek:

:D:D:D

In that case, you should have been allowed to select from the leftovers of the J cabin....:D

What I find most astonishing is that this is being applied to Band 4 flights. 4 hours, maybe more, from boarding to gate to ATH and RAK on what can be fairly high cost flights and BA seriously expects the only free offering to be potable water from the galley? :o

On the ATH route, contrast this with what A3 currently serves, in Y - for free - in this post. I'm sure there are other airlines that offer a similar level of sustenance to various destinations. With the improved lounge offering for Star Alliance at LHR, where the UA lounge is as good as GF albeit a little less convenient for all gates, I'd expect my short and medium haul travel on BA to decrease in favour of Star airlines. Grief, even SK gives free tea, coffee and (mineral) water in Y. It says something when BA has managed to fall behind them ...

If I were a competing airline out of LON and offering free food and drink, I'd be shouting it from the rooftops right now.

Pretty unlikely they actually believe it, they have the choice between being honest "we can't compete and/or make any money unless we do this", or trying to find some spurious justification as to why it's supposedly a good thing - aka polishing the doggy doo.

Those of us who are experienced travellers and/or have half a brain might prefer the honesty, but for many corporate organisations the mentality is "admit no fault or weakness". That usually leads to this kind of justification being trotted out, however nonsensical.

At least they've made the decision easier when booking flights within Europe now. No point even considering spending extra for BA anymore.

I'm a little surprised how this has just made a mental switch flick, but yeah. I enjoy BA for service, lounges, and convenience of LHR. When travelling to obscure places I've often chosen to use BA + ground transport at the far end, rather than flying to a closer airport (which would typically need more ground transportation at the UK end instead to get to LGW/STN/BRS). Now, not much point in that, might as well use FR/U2/etc and go direct.