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
#2116
#2117
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
If there was - to be extreme - a 97% chance of getting some food or a drink then no, to my mind it is not a "total mess". In fact I am fairly sure the figure is nearer 99%. If you are someone who only eats one sort of food or one sort of drink and always sits in row 24 on a full LHR-MAN then from their perspective I can see the "total mess" label applying. Otherwise it's just pure exaggeration - or Fake News if you prefer - which simply undermines whatever point is being made. There is absolutely a case for saying (e.g.) there are no longer any salads loaded - that would be objectively correct and more likely to give weight to the argument (which I support) for improving BoB from its current position. But just chucking on a "total mess" sobriquet from a flight that S2L was not on (and isn't identified) is doing the cause no good whatsoever, because the hyperbole outstrips the reality.
If I were unlucky enough to be a passenger who hadn't eaten before my flight, I might well consider BA to be a mess. But I suspect that for BA the penny has finally dropped.
#2118
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,776
If the penny has dropped, I can't see why it has taken this long.
It's not rocket science at the end of the day
and there has been ample opportunity to respond to feedback, check out the competition etc.
It's not rocket science at the end of the day
and there has been ample opportunity to respond to feedback, check out the competition etc.
#2119
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,262
Maybe the minimum investment / contract was 12 months and from January it can be reviewed / changes made...
Anyone I speak to outside of FT has a real thing about BoB being rather painful, my brother and his wife went to FCO last weekend, early morning flight, after waiting over 1.5 hour for the cart to reach them, they went off the idea and went without.
Anyone I speak to outside of FT has a real thing about BoB being rather painful, my brother and his wife went to FCO last weekend, early morning flight, after waiting over 1.5 hour for the cart to reach them, they went off the idea and went without.
#2120
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Diamond
Posts: 7,776
Whilst I've never used the BoB service, my experiences have been, initially, not getting really past the first through rows through to very little take up and the trolley being back in the galley quickly, generally in minutes.
It may be down to the 1-2hr routes I tend to fly and the times, but there doesn't seem to be too many apparent issues as no-ne is buying.
It may be down to the 1-2hr routes I tend to fly and the times, but there doesn't seem to be too many apparent issues as no-ne is buying.
#2121
Join Date: Nov 2005
Programs: BA Exec
Posts: 647
Whilst I've never used the BoB service, my experiences have been, initially, not getting really past the first through rows through to very little take up and the trolley being back in the galley quickly, generally in minutes.
It may be down to the 1-2hr routes I tend to fly and the times, but there doesn't seem to be too many apparent issues as no-ne is buying.
It may be down to the 1-2hr routes I tend to fly and the times, but there doesn't seem to be too many apparent issues as no-ne is buying.
Generally, routes popular with leisure travellers tend to be busier - but it does vary.
I recently flew to Keflavik : small CE cabin, large ET cabin, lots of families on holiday = huge BoB take up, extra crewmember onboard. 1 working in CE, 4 in ET. Under previous matrix, only 4 crew would have been assigned to the flight.
#2122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,364
Very well, but I've witnessed several incidents where passengers were unable to pay for items due to payment card issues. I also once witnessed a heated sandwich being taken to a passenger, only to have the sandwich taken away again when payment was refused. Painfully slow BoB services have been common on all my 8 Euro/Domestic flights this year, with obvious stock issues (except for GIB-LHR)...so no, I don't consider a 99% (or even anywhere near it) chance of a successful transaction to be the norm. I guess these are just alternative facts!
If I were unlucky enough to be a passenger who hadn't eaten before my flight, I might well consider BA to be a mess. But I suspect that for BA the penny has finally dropped.
If I were unlucky enough to be a passenger who hadn't eaten before my flight, I might well consider BA to be a mess. But I suspect that for BA the penny has finally dropped.
I do not recognise the catastrophic total mess that is painted by subject2load but neither do I recognise that nearly-faultless airline that is painted by CWS.
The BA I know is very far from being a shamble but very far from being a stellar airline either. The phrase that would best describe it, imo, is mediocrity: nothing extraordinary but nothing catastrophic either.
#2123
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,381
My experiences are mixed. I typically liberate a can of tonic and sometimes bag of crisps from the lounge but feel really guilty about this and onboard will buy 2xgins and 1 can of tonic and if I am feeling indulgent some Percy pigs. Recent flight no problem, even had Sipsmith gin, another flight only 1 Sipsmith gin so opted for 2 Bombay Saphires instead but no plastic stirrers or no wooden coffee stirrers. Not a major issue but cabin crew member embarrassed by the situation on my other October flight sales of Percy pigs declined as the crew member didn’t know if it contained nuts and there was a passenger onboard with an allergic reaction to so sales of nut products prohibited. Wasn’t going to have a DYKWIA moment over the Percy Pigs so just put it down to experience.
#2124
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,837
I certainly don't think it is near faultess, in fact - to abstract some points I made upthread - I think the current contractor for BoB should be terminated, the business brought in-house, the trolley logistics done at the airport rather than 30 miles away, the PoS device replaced with something better (though contactless is now fairly slick), pre-ordering allowed and complementary water cuplets issued to all customers. I think the arguments for reform on that basis are more plausible than trying to pretend it's all gone horribly wrong: BA are selling far more BoB than they predicted, which is a big part of the difficulties portrayed upthread, so I'd rather BA benefit directly and therefore have a vested interested in getting it right. After all, traditionally they're pretty slick with revenue management.
#2125
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
I have to say that I am far from comfortable with the comment by CWS that I am peddling fake news ; and also the veiled implication that ‘anecdotes’ referenced by those who are particularly well-disposed towards BA are somehow far more worthy & reliable than those referenced by others with less favourable experiences of the airline.
In my view, it’s just not good enough to be so dismissive of critical comments, and I even find myself wondering (which I haven’t until now) whether a sense of balance & perspective is perhaps lost when so much time is spent on one carrier, and with close contacts within the management. The fact that I - like so many others here - attach great value to the insights, knowledge, and general guidance provided by CWS, on all manner of topics, does not mean that I’m happy about such an aggressive reaction to my thoughts on BoB.
There is so much else I could add on this, but for now I just feel it right to express my bitter disappointment.
In my view, it’s just not good enough to be so dismissive of critical comments, and I even find myself wondering (which I haven’t until now) whether a sense of balance & perspective is perhaps lost when so much time is spent on one carrier, and with close contacts within the management. The fact that I - like so many others here - attach great value to the insights, knowledge, and general guidance provided by CWS, on all manner of topics, does not mean that I’m happy about such an aggressive reaction to my thoughts on BoB.
There is so much else I could add on this, but for now I just feel it right to express my bitter disappointment.
#2127
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
#2128
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,837
#2129
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
#2130
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Gold, Club Carlson Gold, Hilton Gold, Priority Club Platinum, Best Western Diamond
Posts: 444
I have to say that I am far from comfortable with the comment by CWS that I am peddling fake news ; and also the veiled implication that ‘anecdotes’ referenced by those who are particularly well-disposed towards BA are somehow far more worthy & reliable than those referenced by others with less favourable experiences of the airline.
In my view, it’s just not good enough to be so dismissive of critical comments, and I even find myself wondering (which I haven’t until now) whether a sense of balance & perspective is perhaps lost when so much time is spent on one carrier, and with close contacts within the management. The fact that I - like so many others here - attach great value to the insights, knowledge, and general guidance provided by CWS, on all manner of topics, does not mean that I’m happy about such an aggressive reaction to my thoughts on BoB.
There is so much else I could add on this, but for now I just feel it right to express my bitter disappointment.
In my view, it’s just not good enough to be so dismissive of critical comments, and I even find myself wondering (which I haven’t until now) whether a sense of balance & perspective is perhaps lost when so much time is spent on one carrier, and with close contacts within the management. The fact that I - like so many others here - attach great value to the insights, knowledge, and general guidance provided by CWS, on all manner of topics, does not mean that I’m happy about such an aggressive reaction to my thoughts on BoB.
There is so much else I could add on this, but for now I just feel it right to express my bitter disappointment.