Jan 11, 2017, 7:42 am
Last edit by: KARFA
This thread focuses on experiences and reactions for the implementation of buy on board for shorthaul, mainly led by impressions taken from flying on board British Airways' shorthaul services.
An information thread exists for your questions, particularly if they are on factual matters, here:
Buy on board: Information guide for BA 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 (September 2018) post #125 in information thread
An information thread exists for your questions, particularly if they are on factual matters, here:
Buy on board: Information guide for BA 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 (September 2018) post #125 in information thread
Buy on board: Experiences and reactions from BA's shorthaul economy service
Apr 18, 2017, 9:36 am
#1486
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,619
Then proceeded to tell us all as we'd landed that the First Officer had just been voted dishiest BA staff member and would be off on a photoshoot to model M&S swimming trunks in the summer. The poor FO was at the door cringing as we disembarked, but the ladies were paying him particular attention.
The CC would have been looking for a new job I suspect!
Apr 18, 2017, 10:01 am
#1487
Join Date: Dec 2007
Programs: BA Gold, UA Premier Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum, OnBusiness, Eurostar C.Blanche
Posts: 106
LHR - FCO / Easter Weekend
I did a LHR-FCO on a BA A320 with a load of 130 pax this Easter weekend.
Shortly after departure I went to the back to use the lav and struck up a conversation with the cabin crew in the back.
I casually asked if they had enough M&S sandwiches on board, even though I had no intention to purchase any.
She laughed, opened the only trolley they had... and pulled out her entire stock (excl. water and hot beverages)
"That's what we got today!"
Looks like someone in Waterside forgot their "Let's-think-ahead" cap, before the Easter holidays hit.
Upon disembarking, I looked back and she held up 3 fingers, as in she sold three items. Wow. Well done, Mr. Alex "Wreck-BA" Cruz.
Shortly after departure I went to the back to use the lav and struck up a conversation with the cabin crew in the back.
I casually asked if they had enough M&S sandwiches on board, even though I had no intention to purchase any.
She laughed, opened the only trolley they had... and pulled out her entire stock (excl. water and hot beverages)
"That's what we got today!"
Looks like someone in Waterside forgot their "Let's-think-ahead" cap, before the Easter holidays hit.
Upon disembarking, I looked back and she held up 3 fingers, as in she sold three items. Wow. Well done, Mr. Alex "Wreck-BA" Cruz.
Apr 18, 2017, 10:08 am
#1488
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
The rest who fly regularly will just stock up before flying to avoid starvation on a 4 hour ('long haul') European Flight.
I did a LHR-FCO on a BA A320 with a load of 130 pax this Easter weekend.
Shortly after departure I went to the back to use the lav and struck up a conversation with the cabin crew in the back.
I casually asked if they had enough M&S sandwiches on board, even though I had no intention to purchase any.
She laughed, opened the only trolley they had... and pulled out her entire stock (excl. water and hot beverages)
"That's what we got today!"
Looks like someone in Waterside forgot their "Let's-think-ahead" cap, before the Easter holidays hit.
Upon disembarking, I looked back and she held up 3 fingers, as in she sold three items. Wow. Well done, Mr. Alex "Wreck-BA" Cruz.
Shortly after departure I went to the back to use the lav and struck up a conversation with the cabin crew in the back.
I casually asked if they had enough M&S sandwiches on board, even though I had no intention to purchase any.
She laughed, opened the only trolley they had... and pulled out her entire stock (excl. water and hot beverages)
"That's what we got today!"
Looks like someone in Waterside forgot their "Let's-think-ahead" cap, before the Easter holidays hit.
Upon disembarking, I looked back and she held up 3 fingers, as in she sold three items. Wow. Well done, Mr. Alex "Wreck-BA" Cruz.
If i was a foreigner flying BA for the first time and coming to the UK for the first time, I would be like since when is the United Kingdom a communist country with food shortages?
Are we North Korea here with half the population starving?
Not only charging for food, but not even loading it on board!
Apr 18, 2017, 10:19 am
#1489
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Harrogate
Programs: BA, KL, DL
Posts: 996
Flying WAW-LHR yesterday, got a chance to speak to one of the cabin crew whilst there was a short delay disembarking. He said they'd turned down around 12 passengers as they wanted to use cash (some had cards but didn't want to use them, and just passed on the food they would have otherwise bought).
Assuming each would have spent £4, that's almost £50 in lost revenue.
All because BA insists on a clumsy, slow, card-only payment system, and refuses to take cash like nearly every other airline.
Assuming each would have spent £4, that's almost £50 in lost revenue.
All because BA insists on a clumsy, slow, card-only payment system, and refuses to take cash like nearly every other airline.
Apr 18, 2017, 10:23 am
#1490
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: HH - Gold, BA - Blue
Posts: 188
We accept pounds, euros, dollars, swiss francs to name a few.
As a side point to the comment by DYKWIA - It's not that payment by exact change is mandatory, however occasionally when people are ordering a coffee or coke and paying with £10/20 notes you run out of change pretty quickly. We then have several options, hint / pursuade / push the passenger towards paying on card or owing the passenger the change.
Obviously we would prefer they then pay by card as there is no guarantee that you're going to get the change needed.
Apr 18, 2017, 10:32 am
#1491
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: UK
Programs: I go wherever the content takes me.
Posts: 5,698
I feel sorry for you paul4040. You were truly a BA warrior and one of the 'core' of BA universe. 
Sad to see someone like you leave the BA travels. But I understand your pain. I have drastically reduced my travel on BA last year. I had wonderful experiences on AA, A3, SK and even Air China besides the other oneworld carriers. I especially like my try on Ryanair which is surprisingly good. Although I would avoid Stansted.
BA should have chosen the middle road of BOB: that is the SK way of free water, coffee and tea. Everything else pay. That would be more friendly and may get better feedback. But they decide to go for the Vueling way. I hope them good luck.
Now I book BA purely on price in order to requalify my AA elite membership.
Sad to see someone like you leave the BA travels. But I understand your pain. I have drastically reduced my travel on BA last year. I had wonderful experiences on AA, A3, SK and even Air China besides the other oneworld carriers. I especially like my try on Ryanair which is surprisingly good. Although I would avoid Stansted.BA should have chosen the middle road of BOB: that is the SK way of free water, coffee and tea. Everything else pay. That would be more friendly and may get better feedback. But they decide to go for the Vueling way. I hope them good luck.
Now I book BA purely on price in order to requalify my AA elite membership.
Apr 18, 2017, 10:46 am
#1492
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,619
As a side point to the comment by DYKWIA - It's not that payment by exact change is mandatory, however occasionally when people are ordering a coffee or coke and paying with £10/20 notes you run out of change pretty quickly. We then have several options, hint / pursuade / push the passenger towards paying on card or owing the passenger the change.
Apr 18, 2017, 1:25 pm
#1494
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,174
My most recent flight was HAM-LHR, and I was, as usual, ensconced in 23F on the A319 - empty row and no ugly wing in the way of the view, you see.
Anyway we were over Walton-on-the-Naze before I was met by the trolley! Chap serving was very polite. I'd resolved long ago to spend precisely £0 with BA on BoB, so declined service. Got the Gold welcome. He was sincere but I vented about the direction BA is going. He sympathised.
And so, it is resolved - that's it. I'm not going to book a single flight more with BA; they're dumped. I'll take my upcoming premium flights for the rest of 2017, then with the Avios earned, splurge on a CX F redemption.
Star Alliance and budget airlines beckon.
Anyway we were over Walton-on-the-Naze before I was met by the trolley! Chap serving was very polite. I'd resolved long ago to spend precisely £0 with BA on BoB, so declined service. Got the Gold welcome. He was sincere but I vented about the direction BA is going. He sympathised.
And so, it is resolved - that's it. I'm not going to book a single flight more with BA; they're dumped. I'll take my upcoming premium flights for the rest of 2017, then with the Avios earned, splurge on a CX F redemption.
Star Alliance and budget airlines beckon.
Apr 18, 2017, 1:33 pm
#1495
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,644
I casually asked if they had enough M&S sandwiches on board, even though I had no intention to purchase any.
She laughed, opened the only trolley they had... and pulled out her entire stock (excl. water and hot beverages)
"That's what we got today!"
Looks like someone in Waterside forgot their "Let's-think-ahead" cap, before the Easter holidays hit.
Upon disembarking, I looked back and she held up 3 fingers, as in she sold three items. Wow. Well done, Mr. Alex "Wreck-BA" Cruz.
She laughed, opened the only trolley they had... and pulled out her entire stock (excl. water and hot beverages)
"That's what we got today!"
Looks like someone in Waterside forgot their "Let's-think-ahead" cap, before the Easter holidays hit.
Upon disembarking, I looked back and she held up 3 fingers, as in she sold three items. Wow. Well done, Mr. Alex "Wreck-BA" Cruz.
But what I don't understand is why they bother offering BoB in the first place if they're not going to load anything
Surely they'd save more money not flying those half full trollies around.
Apr 18, 2017, 1:34 pm
#1496
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Leeds ,Yorks UK
Programs: KLM Flying Blue Platinum for Life.. BA Gold , oh and some other shiny bits of plastic ...
Posts: 4,238
I did a LHR-FCO on a BA A320 with a load of 130 pax this Easter weekend.
Shortly after departure I went to the back to use the lav and struck up a conversation with the cabin crew in the back.
I casually asked if they had enough M&S sandwiches on board, even though I had no intention to purchase any.
She laughed, opened the only trolley they had... and pulled out her entire stock (excl. water and hot beverages)
"That's what we got today!"
Looks like someone in Waterside forgot their "Let's-think-ahead" cap, before the Easter holidays hit.
Upon disembarking, I looked back and she held up 3 fingers, as in she sold three items. Wow. Well done, Mr. Alex "Wreck-BA" Cruz.
Shortly after departure I went to the back to use the lav and struck up a conversation with the cabin crew in the back.
I casually asked if they had enough M&S sandwiches on board, even though I had no intention to purchase any.
She laughed, opened the only trolley they had... and pulled out her entire stock (excl. water and hot beverages)
"That's what we got today!"
Looks like someone in Waterside forgot their "Let's-think-ahead" cap, before the Easter holidays hit.
Upon disembarking, I looked back and she held up 3 fingers, as in she sold three items. Wow. Well done, Mr. Alex "Wreck-BA" Cruz.
Apr 18, 2017, 1:35 pm
#1497
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
I'm sure there's some Meerkat idiot at Waterside who believes they can make this work.
On current evidence, he/she needs to be put against the wall and ....
On current evidence, he/she needs to be put against the wall and ....
Apr 18, 2017, 1:47 pm
#1499
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: UK
Programs: BA Silver, AA Gold, A3 Gold, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,251
From what I can see in Turboprince's photo there was £23.30 worth of stock loaded on that flight.
I could understand this if Turboprince was flying XXX-LHR as there could have been strong sales on the ex-LHR leg, but the sector was LHR-FCO so you'd expect the trolley to be pretty full!
With loadings like that, I can't help think that BA are viewing BOB as a way to reduce costs by removing the free catering as opposed to viewing BOB as a way to increase revenue.
I could understand this if Turboprince was flying XXX-LHR as there could have been strong sales on the ex-LHR leg, but the sector was LHR-FCO so you'd expect the trolley to be pretty full!
With loadings like that, I can't help think that BA are viewing BOB as a way to reduce costs by removing the free catering as opposed to viewing BOB as a way to increase revenue.
Last edited by mrow; Apr 18, 2017 at 1:48 pm Reason: Fixing grammar
Apr 18, 2017, 2:08 pm
#1500
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
From what I can see in Turboprince's photo there was £23.30 worth of stock loaded on that flight.
I could understand this if Turboprince was flying XXX-LHR as there could have been strong sales on the ex-LHR leg, but the sector was LHR-FCO so you'd expect the trolley to be pretty full!
With loadings like that, I can't help think that BA are viewing BOB as a way to reduce costs by removing the free catering as opposed to viewing BOB as a way to increase revenue.
I could understand this if Turboprince was flying XXX-LHR as there could have been strong sales on the ex-LHR leg, but the sector was LHR-FCO so you'd expect the trolley to be pretty full!
With loadings like that, I can't help think that BA are viewing BOB as a way to reduce costs by removing the free catering as opposed to viewing BOB as a way to increase revenue.