Apr 16, 2017, 1:12 pm

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Club Europe Catering Guide 2017.

This thread outlines the new arrangements for Club Europe catering, introduced on Sunday 26 March 2017 and due to end on Tuesday 11 September 2018, based on 3 zones. A new Club Europe catering product is due to be launch on Wednesday 12 September 2018, and this is based on 4 bands. The main information piece - in terms of timings and the distance zones for the meals can be found in post 1. The following cross references the photos below against the matrix of options. In addition to the photos, some FTers have written extensively on their experiences so there is more to this thread than the pictures. Also note that there was an increase in food offered on some combinations shortly after the start-up, so the more recent photos may be the best place to start.The previous shorthaul catering guide, now locked but which had the previous 4 band system, is to be found here.

Numbers relate to the post number. Vegetarian means the alternative option provided as standard rather than the pre-ordered versions - which are VLML (Lacto-ovo), AVML (Asia) and VGML (Vegan) . There are differences between the offering in/out of LHR, LGW, LCY+STN. Last update: 833
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Note posts before 1-832 are typically the April 2017 menu. 833 and above is from the menu for May 2017.
----
Chef's Chat sheets for:
CE LHR Summer 2017 - Rotation A
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28338151-post954.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28339641-post958.html

-----.
Short Band (UK, France, Ireland, BeNeLux, Germany)
Breakfast: 279, 570 (vegetarian), 629, 674, 821 (Express breakfast for MAN and LBA), 1343 (Vegan), 2285 (Express for LBA and MAN), 2445

Brunch: 180, 289, 469, 563, 685, 716, 2625 (AVML)

Lunch: 207, 545 (diabetic), 644 (first photo), 680 (VLML), 802, 928, 1322 (Kosher), 2284

Afternoon tea: 339, 404 (vegetarian), 480, 600 (VLML), 710 (including low lactose), 800, 882 (gluten free), 1281, 1322 (Kosher), 1673, 2679 (Kosher), 2792

Dinner: 563, 630 (VGML), 669 (Kosher Passover), 771 (VGML LCY) 799, 819 (AVML), 833 (May 2017 menu), 1283, 1287, 1674, 2446, 2616 (Kosher), 2793

Comments on difference between AVML and VLML here.
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Medium Band (e.g. Madrid, Nice, Prague, Copenhagen)
Breakfast: 645 (vegetarian), 724 (vegetarian), 1003

Brunch: 199 (VLML), 600 (VLML), 659 (Kosher Passover)

Lunch: 239 (child), 251, 425, 641, 733

Afternoon tea: 332 (also includes vegetarian), 426 (GFML), 813 (Muslim)

Dinner: 456, 551 (also includes VLML), 666, 1004,
1278
-----
Long Band (e.g. Lisbon, Rome, Warsaw, Stockholm).

Breakfast: 195 (vegetarian)

Rest of the day: 306 (LFML), 345, 427, 443, 468, 597, 676, 687, 695, 783 (VLML)
======
NOT MAINTAINED AND OUT OF DATE: The complete Short Haul meal structure for the longer flights as of October 2017 is:

LHR
Meal 1: Chicken / red pepper risotto
Meal 2: Beef cheek
Meal 3: Chicken supreme / gnocchi
Meal 4: Miso glazed cod
Meal 5: Chicken khao soi
Meal 6: Hot smoked salmon linguine

LGW
Meal 1: Thyme roasted chicken
Meal 2: Spicy corn and paneer masala
Meal 3: Thai Penang chicken curry
Meal 4: Roasted red pepper tortellini
Meal 5: Beef and mushroom caserole
Meal 6: Tomato and four cheeses tortellini

Structured into:

Rotation A
LHR outbound
Meal 3
Meal 4
inbound to LHR
Meal 5
Meal 6

Rotation B
LHR outbound
Meal 5
Meal 6
inbound to LHR
Meal 1
Meal 2

Rotation C
LHR outbound
Meal 1
Meal 2
inbound to LHR
Meal 3
Meal 4
===
October 2017 = Rotation C
November 2017 = Rotation A
December 2017 = Rotation B
January 2018 = Rotation C
etc

Club Europe catering guide

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Jul 1, 2017, 10:33 am

#1156

KLMkitty

Join Date: Sep 2015

Posts: 75

Would someone be able to post details of the menu for long sectors outbound from Heathrow for July, now that we are in July?

Jul 1, 2017, 10:46 am

#1157

KARFA

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Quote:

Originally Posted by KLMkitty

Would someone be able to post details of the menu for long sectors outbound from Heathrow for July, now that we are in July?

Aren't these covered by the chef's chat links in the wiki which is for summer 2017?

Jul 1, 2017, 11:48 am

#1158

sts603

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I do find the slow service thing weird. Maybe lack of training. Maybe just lack of experience with the new service. Maybe just cultural. But in AA one FA frequently handles a 16 seat F cabin with a drink and nuts run and then a meal run with more drinks and still time for offers of after drinks even on 90-100 minute flights from ORD to the east coast.

Jul 1, 2017, 12:02 pm

#1159

KARFA

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Quote:

Originally Posted by sts603

You get a meal on a 90-100 minute flight now on AA?

Jul 1, 2017, 12:29 pm

#1160

Flip42

Join Date: Sep 2014

Location: between MUC and NUE

Programs: BA Gold, LH Senator

Posts: 421

Quote:

Originally Posted by KARFA

You get a meal on a 90-100 minute flight now on AA?

On some routes.

Jul 1, 2017, 12:31 pm

#1161

KARFA

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Flip42

On some routes.

Which 90-100 minute AA routes do you get a three course meal comparable to the long band meals? I guess part of the issue is AA is so hit and miss in terms of what you get.

Jul 1, 2017, 12:45 pm

#1162

Genius1

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Quote:

Originally Posted by KARFA

AA is so miss and miss in terms of what you get.

Corrected that for you.

Jul 1, 2017, 1:17 pm

#1163

Flip42

Join Date: Sep 2014

Location: between MUC and NUE

Programs: BA Gold, LH Senator

Posts: 421

Quote:

Originally Posted by KARFA

Which 90-100 minute AA routes do you get a three course meal comparable to the long band meals? I guess part of the issue is AA is so hit and miss in terms of what you get.

Well, it's not a three course meal as on the long bands and it's admittedly 110-120 minutes, but you get a meal on routes like ORD-JFK/EWR.

Jul 1, 2017, 2:35 pm

#1164

florens

Join Date: Oct 2010

Location: Switzerland / Estonia

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So my OH is a bit fed up with the VLML which is always mozzarella and tomatoes (brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner), so there is no variation at all and it is not substantial either! The CSD on LHR-MAN told us that for domestic flights we can change the profile with the meal preferences only every 6 months. Is this so? My OH was thinking of preordering other special meals to get at least some variation but this is impossible for domestic flights. It's a shame that BA can't come up with some more imagination for the vegetarian meal.

Jul 2, 2017, 1:25 am

#1165

corporate-wage-slave

Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club

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Quote:

Originally Posted by florens

It's a shame that BA can't come up with some more imagination for the vegetarian meal.

Yes, there seems to be 2 components here: firstly BA seems to have this view that vegetarians (and children) won't be frequent flyers, so one dish fits all (apart from Breakfast); and secondly they haven't thought through the combinations of Rotations and routes that those with conventional diets will fly. So it's quite possible to fly domestic-mainland Europe-domestic at the end of the month and get the same food (in different arrangements) 4 times over. The thing that stops me getting annoyed by this is that at least LHR, LCY and LGW are all on different menus.

I'll pass on the feedback on this one to the powers-that-be.

Jul 2, 2017, 1:51 am

#1166

klmml

Join Date: Jul 2012

Programs: BA Gold (OWE), SAS Diamond (*G)

Posts: 584

Quote:

Originally Posted by florens

It's a shame that BA can't come up with some more imagination for the vegetarian meal.

My first ever (post-catering changes) 'long' VGML starter yesterday was certainly more imaginative: vegetable sushi, including a tomato 'nigiri' and some rolls. The problem is, the rice had dried out, there was no soy sauce, and it had as much heft as a main course, so I was taken by surprise when I got a hot main (30 minutes later). Of course, the main was pasta.

In summary... the meal was a starter of carbohydrate, with a main of more carbohydrate. Much too heavy, and 2h from take off to coffee is just too slow (2 crew in CE for about 10 pax).

Jul 2, 2017, 2:40 am

#1167

subject2load

Join Date: Sep 2013

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Posts: 6,395

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave

.............................

..........................

I'll pass on the feedback on this one to the powers-that-be.

Hi there CWS ..... perhaps you have clarified this aspect previously and I missed it - in which case, my apologies : I'm interested (along perhaps with others) to learn who exactly you mean by your reference to 'powers-that-be' ?

Perhaps you prefer not to identify these powers by name ; but can we at least know the nature of their role, and level of responsibility, within the hierarchy ?

My reason for asking is not because I have issues re vegetarian meals, but is more generic : I have in the past given feedback on catering (and various other matters), through 'normal channels' such as Customer Relations and the Gold support line, only to be met with platitudes along the lines that "my concerns will be noted and taken into account". But that's all that ever happens.

Am I right in thinking that, by contrast, you perhaps have routine access to a more personal, direct channel of communication, and privileged in the sense that it is not available to other passengers ? And if so, are the responses you generally receive more satisfactory /useful from the sort I have outlined above ?

Jul 2, 2017, 3:04 am

#1168

essexadventurer

Join Date: Jul 2009

Location: UK

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Posts: 626

Quote:

Originally Posted by KARFA

Aren't these covered by the chef's chat links in the wiki which is for summer 2017?

I think rotation A covers May and August from some of the other comments? So I guess July is rotation C?

I'm also interested in the short menu flying into LHR for July as my partner needs to avoid pesto.

Jul 2, 2017, 3:47 am

#1169

corporate-wage-slave

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Quote:

Originally Posted by subject2load

Am I right in thinking that, by contrast, you perhaps have routine access to a more personal, direct channel of communication, and privileged in the sense that it is not available to other passengers ? And if so, are the responses you generally receive more satisfactory /useful from the sort I have outlined above ?

It's certainly not routine, and I'm under no illusion that the process is more guaranteed to get results than any other channel. But in common with other frequent flyers I do occasionally come across managers in the stratum between Heads' direct reports through to the Chief Exec. If there is something that is obviously not thought out and wouldn't cost much to fix then I'm probably in with a shout, but as with everything else in this dimension, it's important to have a realistic appreciation as to which arguments will perhaps gain traction (and with whom) and those battles which aren't worth fighting. And being a very large organisation, change often takes a very long time.

Jul 2, 2017, 3:49 am

#1170

corporate-wage-slave

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Quote:

Originally Posted by KLMkitty

Would someone be able to post details of the menu for long sectors outbound from Heathrow for July, now that we are in July?

Quote:

Originally Posted by essexadventurer

Yes, July is Rotation C, so the Long Menus at the start of this thread should now apply, so (e.g.) chicken+red pepper risotto going out, chicken+gnocchi coming in to LHR. At some point I'll try and co-ordinate the menu Rotations into one post.