Feeding the Multitude
Apr 19, 2017, 7:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Lemonia. Best Greek ever.
Posts: 2,274
Feeding the Multitude
SWMBO and I flew back from Aus on BA 190 yesterday in WTP. A very clean and new looking 789. Nice, friendly CC.
We were in WTP, which has 42 seats, and every seat was taken. WT also appeared to be full. Easter travel time!
The "dinner" for these 42 people was supposed to be either beef or pasta. The pasta was extremely plain, and once in its life it had a brief, passing contact with a few lost herbs, and some tomato, or tomato substitute, had drifted past it.
So to make sure that everyone had a choice, BA loaded 6 of the beef. Yup, you read it right, 6.
The beef would not have got beyond the front row, but 2 of the 7 people in that row had children's meals. Their mother, sat behind them, missed out on the beef. So did everyone in WTP, (but me). The beef was OK, not brilliant, but a million times better than the worst pasta dish I have ever seen.
The CC were very, very embarrassed. They asked people to complain, as there was nothing they could do. They made the point that unless paying customers complain, nothing would ever change, and it might get worse.
BA says of WTP that it provides "delicious meals". It adds that it is "Putting the premium in economy".
Yeah, right.
I wondered if this was an early step towards BoB for long haul.
The breakfast was inedible rubbish. But we knew that beforehand.
We were in WTP, which has 42 seats, and every seat was taken. WT also appeared to be full. Easter travel time!
The "dinner" for these 42 people was supposed to be either beef or pasta. The pasta was extremely plain, and once in its life it had a brief, passing contact with a few lost herbs, and some tomato, or tomato substitute, had drifted past it.
So to make sure that everyone had a choice, BA loaded 6 of the beef. Yup, you read it right, 6.
The beef would not have got beyond the front row, but 2 of the 7 people in that row had children's meals. Their mother, sat behind them, missed out on the beef. So did everyone in WTP, (but me). The beef was OK, not brilliant, but a million times better than the worst pasta dish I have ever seen.
The CC were very, very embarrassed. They asked people to complain, as there was nothing they could do. They made the point that unless paying customers complain, nothing would ever change, and it might get worse.
BA says of WTP that it provides "delicious meals". It adds that it is "Putting the premium in economy".
Yeah, right.
I wondered if this was an early step towards BoB for long haul.
The breakfast was inedible rubbish. But we knew that beforehand.
Apr 19, 2017, 7:54 am
#2
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
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That sounds rather poor. Does WTP no longer get a Club World main course?
Is the breakfast still the unappetising muffin?
Is the breakfast still the unappetising muffin?
Apr 19, 2017, 8:35 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
SWMBO and I flew back from Aus on BA 190 yesterday in WTP. A very clean and new looking 789. Nice, friendly CC.
We were in WTP, which has 42 seats, and every seat was taken. WT also appeared to be full. Easter travel time!
The "dinner" for these 42 people was supposed to be either beef or pasta. The pasta was extremely plain, and once in its life it had a brief, passing contact with a few lost herbs, and some tomato, or tomato substitute, had drifted past it.
So to make sure that everyone had a choice, BA loaded 6 of the beef. Yup, you read it right, 6.
The beef would not have got beyond the front row, but 2 of the 7 people in that row had children's meals. Their mother, sat behind them, missed out on the beef. So did everyone in WTP, (but me). The beef was OK, not brilliant, but a million times better than the worst pasta dish I have ever seen.
The CC were very, very embarrassed. They asked people to complain, as there was nothing they could do. They made the point that unless paying customers complain, nothing would ever change, and it might get worse.
BA says of WTP that it provides "delicious meals". It adds that it is "Putting the premium in economy".
Yeah, right.
I wondered if this was an early step towards BoB for long haul.
The breakfast was inedible rubbish. But we knew that beforehand.
We were in WTP, which has 42 seats, and every seat was taken. WT also appeared to be full. Easter travel time!
The "dinner" for these 42 people was supposed to be either beef or pasta. The pasta was extremely plain, and once in its life it had a brief, passing contact with a few lost herbs, and some tomato, or tomato substitute, had drifted past it.
So to make sure that everyone had a choice, BA loaded 6 of the beef. Yup, you read it right, 6.
The beef would not have got beyond the front row, but 2 of the 7 people in that row had children's meals. Their mother, sat behind them, missed out on the beef. So did everyone in WTP, (but me). The beef was OK, not brilliant, but a million times better than the worst pasta dish I have ever seen.
The CC were very, very embarrassed. They asked people to complain, as there was nothing they could do. They made the point that unless paying customers complain, nothing would ever change, and it might get worse.
BA says of WTP that it provides "delicious meals". It adds that it is "Putting the premium in economy".
Yeah, right.
I wondered if this was an early step towards BoB for long haul.
The breakfast was inedible rubbish. But we knew that beforehand.
Apr 19, 2017, 8:58 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: London
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Doesn't sound like a great meal and six paltry meals loaded? I do hope you followed up with a complaint. It's saying something when CC actively encourage you to do so.
Apr 19, 2017, 9:02 am
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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Apr 19, 2017, 9:06 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2014
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What's the bet that in a few months time...
Customers told us that they preferred to have a paid for choice actually edible food, that the revolting muck we served previously
Apr 19, 2017, 9:23 am
#7
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
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I'm not overly familiar with the WTP product, but IIRC a few years ago the catering was improved to include a choice of 2 main courses from the Club World menu. This was for the main meal lunch/dinner service. I am not aware of this being changed, although reading the OP and your experiences it looks like there may have been some changes.
Apr 19, 2017, 9:39 am
#8
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Yes WTP catering is one CW dish and one alternative, both plated to WTP standards. I would speculate that the CW meal here was the beef, albeit very few were loaded here. My suspicion would be that there was a high number of WT to WTP involuntary OpUp.
Apr 19, 2017, 9:43 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Lemonia. Best Greek ever.
Posts: 2,274
I did complain, and asked to see the CSM and asked him to log the complaint on his ipad, which he did.
However, we all know that I will receive a cut and paste reply. Others heard this discussion, but I did not see others complaining to the degree of asking the CSM to write it up. Maybe they did, maybe they did not.
As to Opups, clearly I do not know. However, there was little or no seat choice when I looked earlier in the holiday.
However, we all know that I will receive a cut and paste reply. Others heard this discussion, but I did not see others complaining to the degree of asking the CSM to write it up. Maybe they did, maybe they did not.
As to Opups, clearly I do not know. However, there was little or no seat choice when I looked earlier in the holiday.
Apr 19, 2017, 9:56 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BOS
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Posts: 5,289
So are both meals CW mains, or is it one CW meal and the alternative is not a CW meal?
Apr 19, 2017, 10:07 am
#12
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That sounds awful.
And still BA won't care, as they have saved the shareholders £0.93 per pax.
What a shameful operation Cruz has created
And still BA won't care, as they have saved the shareholders £0.93 per pax.
What a shameful operation Cruz has created
Apr 19, 2017, 10:21 am
#13
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More or less what the CSM said when I asked why no nuts, not even those tiny pretzel things, with drinks in WTP.
He got me a handful of packets from the other side of the curtain. I shared them with my row of nut-deprived fellow travellers.
It seems such a shame to spoil what could be a decent product by squeezing the pips out of it.
He got me a handful of packets from the other side of the curtain. I shared them with my row of nut-deprived fellow travellers.
It seems such a shame to spoil what could be a decent product by squeezing the pips out of it.
Apr 19, 2017, 10:26 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Balham - Gateway to The South
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 2,020
On my recent trip to NY (LHR-JFK) leg I was booked into WTP, had chosen a meal from the regular menu, got op-upped which did prove that the two mains offered were indeed on the CW menu.