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
Jan 14, 2017, 8:13 am
#331
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: UK
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Posts: 1,251
Really? One of the differentiators between CE and ET is the service element. If this goes away then why pay more for CE? In my experience the cost differential between ET and CE is usually more than 1 or 2 BOB beers.
Lounges - you can use Priority Pass for Lounge access in T5 now and can usually get it at remote stations too.
Luggage - status will get you extra bags to match CE allowances.
As other aspects of the CE trip can be countered (or equalled) with status and/or paid lounge membership, I would put forth that maintaining the service differential between CE and ET is more important now than it ever has been in the past...but perhaps BA don't want to continue to offer the CE cabin as removing it would give them additional seats to sell?
Lounges - you can use Priority Pass for Lounge access in T5 now and can usually get it at remote stations too.
Luggage - status will get you extra bags to match CE allowances.
As other aspects of the CE trip can be countered (or equalled) with status and/or paid lounge membership, I would put forth that maintaining the service differential between CE and ET is more important now than it ever has been in the past...but perhaps BA don't want to continue to offer the CE cabin as removing it would give them additional seats to sell?
Jan 14, 2017, 8:25 am
#332
Join Date: Apr 2016
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Jan 14, 2017, 8:48 am
#333
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
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Jan 14, 2017, 9:07 am
#334
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Now ET & CE drinks are segregated. They won't give away BOB drinks to CE pax because they are from a different stock.
...but perhaps BA don't want to continue to offer the CE cabin as removing it would give them additional seats to sell?
Jan 14, 2017, 9:10 am
#335
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 5,380
No I think you are right - I think it is to report back experiences, so one or two of my posts may have been OT too. The other thread is for discussion of the policy.
Jan 14, 2017, 9:12 am
#336
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: BA LifetimeGold GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,140
On my short but full SH flight the captain announced that some turbulence was to expected and that hence there would be no hot drinks and no BoB. CE passengers only got their salad and a cold drink. I think the captain saved the situation for the CC, no turbulence occured during the short flight.
Last edited by Prospero; Jan 14, 2017 at 10:02 am Reason: Inflammatory remarks
Jan 14, 2017, 9:34 am
#337
Join Date: Sep 2013
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Posts: 6,399
Sounds like it !!
Captain could have at least had the decency to throw the aircraft around a bit to make the story more convincing (all within safe parameters of course ....)
Jan 14, 2017, 9:45 am
#338
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The problem, I believe, is that before, the CE & ET drinks were pooled---BA expected to give out two beers to CE, but 100 to ET. If on the off chance you want more than two as a CE pax, it is easy to dip into the ET share.
Now ET & CE drinks are segregated. They won't give away BOB drinks to CE pax because they are from a different stock.
Now ET & CE drinks are segregated. They won't give away BOB drinks to CE pax because they are from a different stock.
Jan 14, 2017, 9:51 am
#339
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,212
Today's BA446 LHR-AMS
A321 with curtain set behind row 7. I'd estimate about 50% load in ET. Service was pretty snappy but not a lot of takers which isn't surprising given the time of day/length of flight. Maybe ten or so at a rough guess. Service took about 8 mins from trolleys out to trolleys in.
Timings:
- Pushed back 1426
- Take off 1450
- Service started at 1457
- Complimentary waters distributed 1505
- Service complete 1505.
- Crossed over the coast of Suffolk 1509
- Rubbish collection 1515
- Passed thru heavy turbulence 1525-28
- Ten min to landing 1526
- Crossed coast at Zandvoort 1528
- Cabin secured 1531
- Touchdown 1537
- Parked D26 1543
I'll review the actual product on the return. I skipped breakfast this morning, had lunch in the lounge so was not hungry during the flight
A321 with curtain set behind row 7. I'd estimate about 50% load in ET. Service was pretty snappy but not a lot of takers which isn't surprising given the time of day/length of flight. Maybe ten or so at a rough guess. Service took about 8 mins from trolleys out to trolleys in.
Timings:
- Pushed back 1426
- Take off 1450
- Service started at 1457
- Complimentary waters distributed 1505
- Service complete 1505.
- Crossed over the coast of Suffolk 1509
- Rubbish collection 1515
- Passed thru heavy turbulence 1525-28
- Ten min to landing 1526
- Crossed coast at Zandvoort 1528
- Cabin secured 1531
- Touchdown 1537
- Parked D26 1543
I'll review the actual product on the return. I skipped breakfast this morning, had lunch in the lounge so was not hungry during the flight
Last edited by Prospero; Jan 14, 2017 at 10:00 am
Jan 14, 2017, 10:04 am
#340
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
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Posts: 5,163
Jan 14, 2017, 10:27 am
#341
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: BA Executive Club Bronze
Posts: 155
Interesting!
So that was an A319 on one of the shortest routes. Despite not doing an Avios payment before, I'd imagine the crew had done this a few times already and did get the service completed fairly swiftly, albeit with not many items sold. How full was the flight, would you say?
The menu has a little marker on it, for items which are not sold on short flights (undefined). Bacon rolls are in that category, and given that it can take 15 minutes to organise, I imagine bacon rolls won't be on the Domestics. Though INV may get lucky!
So that was an A319 on one of the shortest routes. Despite not doing an Avios payment before, I'd imagine the crew had done this a few times already and did get the service completed fairly swiftly, albeit with not many items sold. How full was the flight, would you say?
The menu has a little marker on it, for items which are not sold on short flights (undefined). Bacon rolls are in that category, and given that it can take 15 minutes to organise, I imagine bacon rolls won't be on the Domestics. Though INV may get lucky!
There are, ex-LHR: AMS / BRU / CDG / LBA / MAN / NCL / ORY / RTM
Ex-LGW: JER / AMS
Hope that helps.
Jan 14, 2017, 10:36 am
#342
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Jan 14, 2017, 10:45 am
#343
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Original Poster
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Many thanks, I've updated the Information thread accordingly. It's just two items affected, the hot bacon roll, and the mozzarella and tomato focaccia, while presumably the porridge is available hot on all services.
Jan 14, 2017, 10:46 am
#344
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: BA Gold. KrisFlyer Gold
Posts: 732
I've now done 2 LBA and 2 MAN sectors in the last 4 days, and hasn't exactly been plain sailing. I estimate:
- Flight loads all in the 80-100% range
- Between 8 and 25 BoB transactions across the 4 flights
- About 33 - 50% of passengers left unserved due to time constraints
I had a quick chat with the cabin manager on the MAN flight about how things were going, and he shared two main concerns with me:
i) over half of passengers have been trying to pay with cash, despite the announcements, which slows things down as they go scrabbling around in their bags and overheads for wallets and purses, or when transactions need to be abandoned with associated apologies and
ii) that he is fully aware of how to use the new software features, but is slowed down by out-dated, counter-intuitive, clunky technology that wastes a lot of time during the payment process.
Room for improvement clearly seems to be the bottom line.
- Flight loads all in the 80-100% range
- Between 8 and 25 BoB transactions across the 4 flights
- About 33 - 50% of passengers left unserved due to time constraints
I had a quick chat with the cabin manager on the MAN flight about how things were going, and he shared two main concerns with me:
i) over half of passengers have been trying to pay with cash, despite the announcements, which slows things down as they go scrabbling around in their bags and overheads for wallets and purses, or when transactions need to be abandoned with associated apologies and
ii) that he is fully aware of how to use the new software features, but is slowed down by out-dated, counter-intuitive, clunky technology that wastes a lot of time during the payment process.
Room for improvement clearly seems to be the bottom line.
Jan 14, 2017, 10:56 am
#345
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: Executive Club: Gold - Flying Blue: Gold
Posts: 1,382
- take orders
- search for items and serve
- complete the transaction
- hand the receipt
So if things improve any sale could take 2 minutes. So that's max 15 orders. Per trolley.