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Buy on board: Experiences and reactions from BA's shorthaul economy service

Old Jan 11, 2017, 7:42 am
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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
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Buy on board: Experiences and reactions from BA's shorthaul economy service

Old Jan 20, 2017, 5:33 pm
  #736  
 
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Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot
I was not particularly impresses with the coffee as there was a lot of ground coffee bits in the coffee even after stirring and it was easy to get more in your mouth at the end of the cup.
Even through the filter in the lid? You took the lid off, didn't you?
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Old Jan 20, 2017, 6:22 pm
  #737  
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Originally Posted by Forever in Seattle
So the crew made 26p each (taking that it was a 3 cc flight) on that flight from BoB? .
I noticed on my two Ryanair flights on the Prestwick - Brussels route the buy on board service didn't do a roaring trade either....to be expected on such a short flight full of tight fisted Scots.

You have to remember BA have lounges. If you have status you'd need to be mad to buy on board.
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Old Jan 20, 2017, 7:30 pm
  #738  
 
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I've done 6 domestics (GLA/INV) now with BoB, and have made a point of buying on each sector (with avios!). My experiences can be summed up as:

- average 10-15 sales per sector
- no major issues with equipment or service (even when it was crews first time and my 4th!)
- coffee is indeed as stated above much nicer than the old coffee BUT is far too grainy and the filter is not good enough.
- New Fodderinghams or whatnot mixers aren't great.
- Lemon melts are gone *cries*
- announcements have not been consistent, and don't always explain that cash is not accepted or avios are accepted, leading to some very confused customers.

Will try to collect more points in the next few days.
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 1:29 am
  #739  
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Originally Posted by The _Banking_Scot
I was not particularly impresses with the coffee as there was a lot of ground coffee bits in the coffee even after stirring and it was easy to get more in your mouth at the end of the cup.
Originally Posted by ShuttleRunner
- coffee is indeed as stated above much nicer than the old coffee BUT is far too grainy and the filter is not good enough.
Originally Posted by JAXBA
Even through the filter in the lid? You took the lid off, didn't you?
[Note quotes slightly out of sequence]

I was wondering about the lid too. As noted up thread, there's a fine mesh over the lid, and you are supposed not to take the cap off after it is filled with water, and the water isn't supposed to near the mesh until the cap is firmly on. There's a separate window for milk/sugar/stirring.

Two crew gave me detailed instructions about this, which presumably came from experience rather than training. If the water slops over the top of the mesh before closing the two lids (e.g. from the second window) you're at risk of getting a mouthful of grounds which will then stick around the wrong side of the mesh. So it's a bit finicky. Drinking without the cap is definitely going to lead to ingestion of coffee grounds.

There are photos in post 197 and KARFA's photo in post 298 show the mesh quite clearly.

If you like you coffee fairly strong you best ask the crew to fill the water to two thirds and/or leave it for a bit to brew, though it is fairly strong coffee anyway. If you don't want it so strong then you want more water and less time. The BoB menu makes a reference to the mesh but doesn't highlight the importance of careful handling and keeping the cap firmly on.
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 2:32 am
  #740  
 
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Originally Posted by Forever in Seattle
So the crew made 26p each (taking that it was a 3 cc flight) on that flight from BoB? There was a thread a few days before the new short haul era of crew overhead saying the can't wait until the end full service, thinking it was going to be great. I bet they take that back now for all the reasons Secretsquirrel.return has mentioned.

If true the perishable food items have to get binned, plus the costs to transport/store/stock the items on the trolley, the numbers don't add up. All the above can't be covered by 11, and logic says you would have to sell a reasonable high % of your stock to cover the supply costs (In a store you can leave a sandwich on the shelf a day or two, and some supermarkets then discount it to finally shift it - you can't send perishable items out over and over until they sell with this BA supply model, so a much higher % must be getting binned). Someone is loosing money here, and thanks to this messy supply arrangement, it is probably not BA, who are no longer have to pay for the ET food drink they did pre 11 Jan. The crew will be made the scapegoats no doubt. I am sure a BA bean counter than only looks and numbers thinks it is great.
This is of course only 1 flight and I think it was short. There haven't been a huge amount of reviews on the longer sectors so would be interested to see what the take up is when the service beds in. I wouldn't expect a big take on domestic / short routes, but wouldn't be surprised if the longer routes rake in in the hundreds of pounds. 4 of those sectors a day at say 200 takings is 80 commission, or 20 each split between 4. Not ground breaking but that adds up over a month to 240 if you fly 3 days a week (obviously my calculations could be way off the mark!). Adding that to a base of 1000 a month for mixed fleet isn't insignificant
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 4:55 am
  #741  
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Hey guys

OH and me had our first BoB flight today from BSL to LHR. 'Brunch time' flight, 11am departure.

ET cabin started in row 9, we are sat in 9EF. ET load 85/95 (89%).

First of all, M&S menu was only in the seatpocket of 9F, none found in 9D and 9E.

After takeoff the announcement about BoB was made.

After cabin crew was released, it took about 10 minutes for them to pass to take hot food order. No order noticed.

Then, after another 5 minutes, we were able to order. Ordered tea and a coke. First question was whether I wanted a receipt, which I found odd (usually this is asked at the end, no?). Then I was asked how to pay. Chose credit card.

Tea wasn't served right away due to the seat belt sign on (no turbulences though).

I only noticed 2 or 3 other purchases throughout the flight!

Tea was served about 7 minutes after seat belt sign had been switched off, which I found long especially because cabin crew clearly hadn't anything to do.
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 5:12 am
  #742  
 
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What is 12oz? Why isn't it in ml? The coffee is measured in oz. Where are we, Starbucks?

Palmer
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 5:38 am
  #743  
 
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
[Note quotes slightly out of sequence]

I was wondering about the lid too. As noted up thread, there's a fine mesh over the lid, and you are supposed not to take the cap off after it is filled with water, and the water isn't supposed to near the mesh until the cap is firmly on. There's a separate window for milk/sugar/stirring.

If you like you coffee fairly strong you best ask the crew to fill the water to two thirds and/or leave it for a bit to brew, though it is fairly strong coffee anyway. If you don't want it so strong then you want more water and less time. The BoB menu makes a reference to the mesh but doesn't highlight the importance of careful handling and keeping the cap firmly on.
I have never removed the lid, but still feel that it is not as smooth as I'd like, there is a sort of 'powdery', for want of a better word, texture to the coffee.
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 5:44 am
  #744  
 
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Originally Posted by Palmer
What is 12oz? Why isn't it in ml? The coffee is measured in oz. Where are we, Starbucks?

Palmer
12 oz is 355ml
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 5:45 am
  #745  
 
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Originally Posted by jonas123
This is of course only 1 flight and I think it was short. There haven't been a huge amount of reviews on the longer sectors so would be interested to see what the take up is when the service beds in. I wouldn't expect a big take on domestic / short routes, but wouldn't be surprised if the longer routes rake in in the hundreds of pounds. 4 of those sectors a day at say 200 takings is 80 commission, or 20 each split between 4. Not ground breaking but that adds up over a month to 240 if you fly 3 days a week (obviously my calculations could be way off the mark!). Adding that to a base of 1000 a month for mixed fleet isn't insignificant
Is the commission rate really 40%? (80/200?)
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 5:50 am
  #746  
 
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Originally Posted by HIDDY
You have to remember BA have lounges. If you have status you'd need to be mad to buy on board.
I know plenty of regular commuters (status holders) on a short route (DUB-LHR) who are catching first flight on Monday and a late flight on Thursday who skip the lounge 90% of the time.
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 6:03 am
  #747  
 
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The use of this filter mesh thingy type cup is a valiant attempt to offer something vaguely respectable within the obvious limitations of a packed aircraft cabin. And I certainly don't blame BA for trying.

Monarch have been using the very same style of cup for a while now. I generally buy a coffee from them, as a just about satisfactory accompaniment to my favoured (prepared-at-home) smoked salmon + cream cheese bagel, which I bring on board ; a combination which works rather well.

I think if one sets expectations too high, there is the inevitable prospect of disappointment where these sort of coffees are concerned. Let's be honest .... this is never going to come close to the standard of production by an experienced Melbourne barista !
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 6:10 am
  #748  
 
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Originally Posted by Dambus
Is the commission rate really 40%? (80/200?)

10% apparently. The poster was referring to 4 sectors flown in a day by the crew.

Also, if you require instructions and a process for making and drinking an cup of coffee, you have over complicated reinventing what is a simple beverage, and failed.
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Old Jan 21, 2017, 7:29 am
  #749  
 
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Originally Posted by Palmer
What is 12oz? Why isn't it in ml? The coffee is measured in oz. Where are we, Starbucks?

Palmer
Welcome to Brexit Britain. Pounds and ounces. Pints and gallons.

Maybe BA will accept cash once we're back to pounds shillings and pence etc...

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Old Jan 21, 2017, 7:53 am
  #750  
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Originally Posted by Palmer
What is 12oz? Why isn't it in ml? The coffee is measured in oz. Where are we, Starbucks?
The finger for this points to the Irishman (and Gold cardholder) who runs Java Republic. All their container related items - of which they sell, um, dozens - is sold in fluid ounces, even to the Irish market.

http://www.coffeemachinesireland.ie/...eeproducts.pdf
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