Jan 11, 2017, 7:34 am
Last edit by: KARFA
This thread is an information based guide for the implementation of buy on board for shorthaul, focusing specifically on information for what is available for purchase and how to buy items from the menu. The first post has the current menu and an FAQ, by all means ask other questions if not already answered. This thread is not concerned with the rights or wrongs of the decision to introduce buy on board.
There is a separate thread for experiences, anecdotes, reactions and related comments, which is to be found here:
Buy on board: Experiences and reactions from BA's shorthaul economy services
If you have an opinion about the concept of Buy on Board, the right thread is:
Buy on board: Implemented on BA short haul - opinions on the concept
Photos of current BoB menu (January 2021) can be found in post #189
Menu archive:
January-March 2020 menu post 153
October-December 2019 menu post 5 (separate thread)
May-September 2019 menu post 150
January-April 2019 menu post 144
September-December 2018 menu post 125
May-September 2018 menu post 115
January-April 2018 menu post 112
Autumn/Winter 2017 menu post 94
Summer 2017 menu post 91
January 2017 menu post 43
There is a separate thread for experiences, anecdotes, reactions and related comments, which is to be found here:
Buy on board: Experiences and reactions from BA's shorthaul economy services
If you have an opinion about the concept of Buy on Board, the right thread is:
Buy on board: Implemented on BA short haul - opinions on the concept
Photos of current BoB menu (January 2021) can be found in post #189
Menu archive:
January-March 2020 menu post 153
October-December 2019 menu post 5 (separate thread)
May-September 2019 menu post 150
January-April 2019 menu post 144
September-December 2018 menu post 125
May-September 2018 menu post 115
January-April 2018 menu post 112
Autumn/Winter 2017 menu post 94
Summer 2017 menu post 91
January 2017 menu post 43
Buy on board: Information guide for BA shorthaul economy services
May 1, 2018, 5:39 pm
#121
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,683
Glad that BA kept the mushroom and cheese toastie in the menu. I really like it, and it seems to be a popular choice among passengers. Thank you for posting KARFA.
May 2, 2018, 2:16 am
#122
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,394
Perhaps you’re right. But, either way, I am of the view that - as regards the menu content itself - any periodic changes are ultimately a peripheral issue.
Far more important is the matter of adequate supplies being loaded, so that all passengers who wish to make use of BoB are actually given the chance to do so. Sadly however, the same probems seen when BoB was first launched, well over a year ago, continue. As highlighted just a couple of days ago by FT member ThatT1Feeling ........
”No hot food available CPH-LHR last Thursday evening.
It was a rammed-full A321 with only 5 or 6 rows of CE - so about as many ET pax as BA can get on a shorthaul service (other than the 767s), and apparently all of the hot food was consumed on the outbound flight. Could have been a real moneyspinner for BA if they'd been a little more brave about how much they loaded onto the flight.”
Far more important is the matter of adequate supplies being loaded, so that all passengers who wish to make use of BoB are actually given the chance to do so. Sadly however, the same probems seen when BoB was first launched, well over a year ago, continue. As highlighted just a couple of days ago by FT member ThatT1Feeling ........
”No hot food available CPH-LHR last Thursday evening.
It was a rammed-full A321 with only 5 or 6 rows of CE - so about as many ET pax as BA can get on a shorthaul service (other than the 767s), and apparently all of the hot food was consumed on the outbound flight. Could have been a real moneyspinner for BA if they'd been a little more brave about how much they loaded onto the flight.”
May 8, 2018, 3:50 am
#124
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: BAEC - Gold
Posts: 47
Is it just me or are BA increasingly running out of BOB flights? Had a few instances of this in recent history e.g. LHR-PRG this weekend, 7.30am flight sat in middle section of the plane and they had already run out of cider, most lager options, had no regular tonic water and only 2 cans of slimline...(don't judge me for the early drinking, was a stag!). Given it was first flight of the day leaving their home base you would have thought they would be better stocked? Despite the route, it was mainly couples on board so not a particularly raucous flight with people ordering copious amounts of alcohol! Similar issue on the way back (although less severe), and a friend had a recent Y class trip to Vegas they ran out of alcohol completely after 1.5hrs on board, BA's rather passive aggressive response was "we are sorry you could not get your second free alcoholic beverage". Is it a concerted effort to reduce air rage, alcohol related diversions etc, or can they stock less with new aircraft configs? Given they are now charging for it, and cans of beer are hardly perishable, I would think they would stock more....never really had the same issues on European trips with EZY and the likes
Sep 7, 2018, 2:43 pm
#126
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: BA Gold. KrisFlyer Gold
Posts: 732
As I flew back on a domestic flight this evening, the most striking thing to note about the new Sep-Dec 2018 Menu is that BA have taken the opportunity to devalue Avios. By my back-of-an-envelope calculations, the value proposition has slipped from ~ 0.75p / Avios to ~ 0.65p / Avios for pretty much all the items on the menu. Most depressingly, the Wasabi peas that i almost always accompany with my can of Tribute lifted from the lounge have increased from 200 Avios to 230 Avios. Increases on hot drinks look to be even more significant. That's enough to have me rooting around in my hand luggage looking for my credit card (about to be replaced, thanks BA).
What with all the seemingly endless amount of IT cockups, here's hoping that this is about as far in devaluing Avios as BA will dare to go right now.
What with all the seemingly endless amount of IT cockups, here's hoping that this is about as far in devaluing Avios as BA will dare to go right now.
Sep 8, 2018, 10:00 am
#127
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: Executive Club: Gold - Flying Blue: Gold
Posts: 1,382
It seems the bacon roll has vanished. So there isn’t any breakfast option except porridge and only one hot option. For the rest, all food options are bread. The menu looks a little underwhelming to be honest especially for those in Band 4. What happened to « you’ll change your mind about airline food? ». AY, OS, SN and even EI (delicious full breakfast) do it better!
Sep 8, 2018, 10:13 am
#128
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,499
And no salad... just sandwiches or sandwiches.
Sep 8, 2018, 5:50 pm
#133
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Programs: BA Gold, Accor Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 551
The BoB menu just keeps getting worse. I'll continue to refrain from making any purchases unless I'm really peckish on board.
As others have said, there's no healthy options. The lemon chicken and harissa salad was really good when they first implemented BoB, not that they used to stock many but nevertheless. They continue to hike up the prices and avios cost too. The one I noticed straight away is the + Ł0.15 hike on the soft drinks.
It'd be a good service if they served genuinely good stuff, but they're worsening the service and increasing the price.
As others have said, there's no healthy options. The lemon chicken and harissa salad was really good when they first implemented BoB, not that they used to stock many but nevertheless. They continue to hike up the prices and avios cost too. The one I noticed straight away is the + Ł0.15 hike on the soft drinks.
It'd be a good service if they served genuinely good stuff, but they're worsening the service and increasing the price.
Sep 9, 2018, 3:23 am
#134
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Brentwood
Programs: BAEC silver, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 110
A bit sad I won't be offered the choice of Sipsmith gin or Adnams beer on my band 4 CE next week. Yes I know I could cough up the avios/cash.... Very glad not to be stuck with the BOB food selection. Even worse is that M&S do some really decent stuff but the choices for BOB are so poor.
