It is this type of absurdity and the nasty usurious impression it leaves that made SK, who made the same move a number of years ago, backtrack and start offering coffee, tea, and cups of bottled water free of charge. Strikes a fair balance and is psychologically wise: Once people have forgotten they used to get everything for free, they'll be happy to get something for free, and even encouraged to spend some money on something to have with their hot beverage rather than leaving in a fury swearing never to set foot on the carrier again. But of course Alex Cruz is way too arrogant to draw upon anybody else's experience.

I have. In Holiday Inn Wuhan Riverside, during breakfast, I asked for a cup of hot water as the hot tea they serve is not to my taste. I have Twinnings Breakfast Tea bag with me. The server happily provided a cup with hot water and I opened my own tea bag in front of the waitress.

In fact, in any four and five stars hotel in China, and in many places in Asia, hotel restaurants will be happy to provide hot water on request any time. And as I said, you have to be a PAYING customer as you are a PAYING passenger on BA. You have to compare the scenarios when consider the customer is a paying customer.

I agree with you totally but you have paid or gotten breakfast as an elite so that is all included. Imagine if every third person on a BA flight decided to bring tea bags and empty water bottles on. Kind of renders the revenue stream useless.
Being in the hospitality business myself it is laughable the amount of people who get annoyed when fillet steak is more expensive than rib eye or that they can but bottles of beer cheaper in Sainsbury's. Or can a bus trip bring their own sandwiches into our establishment. No one on this forum would go to work for free so I can't understand why they expect a large company to either.

So - entirely hypothetically you understand - if an airline didn't have bev makers on its aircraft, what would happen? Would they not be allowed to fly? Would customers be expected to go without a free mug of hot water?

This is British Airways. If the flight deck can't get a brew, then the aircraft is unlikely to go anywhere. :D

That outburst sums up the negative side of FT perfectly. Like Trip Advisor, I wonder if the person has even flown BA - at least the BA that I know. It has become as though we live through another day, another drama and there are some axes so sharp that they'd be worthy of Gimli the Drawf. As for the cheapskates - this has come from these days of cheap upgrades (POUGs ro whatever). If people are offered them, I hope that they grab them with both hands - I would. It's just that if you want to be sure that you want a better class, then pay for it.

BA is about as imperfect as they come but it has become a litany of "BA, Dreadful as usual, did , upset, failed to recognise - and it is always someone else who is to blame. That is part of the problem of the internet. Safe within the anonymity of the internet, I can say what I like and accuse how I please. It's become the equivalent of - it's in the papers, ergo it must be true.

To think that we now live in days when people are bringing teabags aboard, still I'd rather that the sight of people putting their feet up on the bulkhead. Now, I am wearing the wrong shade of lipstick to remain serious for this length of time, and a G&T calls!

I'm trying to figure out if your post is patronising, sarcastic or just plain rude :td:

Regarding Dave_C's marginal cost argument - I do get that, and the same argument can be applied to other examples given here such as restaurants etc. However, why should the fixed costs involved be only shared amongst those who do pay for the service (or pay a CW fare that includes the service)? Especially when those fixed costs make up most of the cost. It seems unfair to me to have an expectation, entitlement even, to have something for free when it in effect free-loads on the back of other's expenditure.

In many parts of the world restaurants allow patrons to bring their own bottle of wine, but they charge a corkage fee--and it can sometimes be very expensive. Not because it costs the restaurant much money (how much can opening a bottle and washing a few glasses cost?), but because you are eating into their revenue stream by not purchasing overpriced wine from the restaurant.

Bring your own teabag? Then pay a tea-baggage fee.

He paid to sit in a seat and get from A to B. That may or may not include getting free cold or hot water.

This is exactly the thinking that's going on with the BA management team at the moment which is why it's so screwed up.

The reason you do this is because it's all about customer service. It's about delivering a great experience onboard the aircraft and turning your passengers into advocates that will come back again and again.

The total cost to BA for giving someone a Club Europe mug and hot water is in the pennies. If that person gets the warm and fuzzies, they're likely to spend more money by booking again, as opposed to being so grumpy they go to the competition.

But imagine if your point was widely applied in the real world. A croissant probably costs 10 or 20p to Caffe Nero. Imagine if I went in, purchased a nice cup of coffee, then asked if I could just have one of their croissants for free. They refuse, then I get grumpy and say I'm never buying from you again! Or I notice my friendly greengrocer has a lot of apples, and after I've bought my vegetables I say may I just have one of those lovely juicy apples for free? He says no, I get grumpy and vow never to shop there again. To me your point just doesn't seem realistic.

None of those are in any way analogous to what we're talking about.

Besides, the scenario I'm talking about is very much real world, and not hypothetical in the slightest.

I think it also touches on a further point about how (some) cabin crew feel they lack discretion to deliver upon, or exceed customer expectations.

I'm sure there are some old school EuroFleet CSDs that simply would have brought down a mug of hot water without thinking about it, simply because it's the right thing to do for that customer.

But the principle in my examples is exactly the same. A paying customer wants something of low marginal value to be given to them for free, is refused it, and the blame is unreasonably apportioned to the supplier.

Quite, people have to accept that BA short haul economy is now BoB. No matter how much we dislike it, it is what we have to put up with or go elsewhere. BA will gladly provide hot water free of charge if you have a suitable receptacle, if not then it is BoB or do without. We should not expect to receive a Club Europe mug or a crew cup. This is the product folks, don't expect to receive you do not pay for.

You are not comparing the same situations.

I actually bought a cup of tea in Starbucks yesterday, then asked for a cup of water with ice. They gave me a cup of water with ice, a lid and a straw. The service in Starbucks makes me happy as a customer, and as a shareholder.