Blueboys999

Indeed - I've always been served a full meal in AA F even on a last second gate upgrade.

However, while I can't speak for all US carriers my experience on AA is that where check-in paid upgrades are offered and taken up on international flights (where there are no status perk upgrades) it's far from uncommon to be served an Economy meal.

LTN Phobia

I guess it works two ways I suppose. They don't get to go blotto on champagne in a lounge when flying domestic unless they pay for it.

Oaxaca

While the cost may not be absolute wholesale, it would surprise me if BA did not have some sort of revenue/profit share in its BoB contract, and in that event the cost of a service recovery wouldn't be full retail.

I would live with not getting CE food with an op-up on a BoB flight as long as it was done discreetly (you haven't lost included ET food and like others, the possible loss of an exit row seat in ET would be a greater concern), but the inability / refusal to cater for those booked in CE, just because they booked in the last 24 hours, is a poor service.

Passmethesickbag

What is this limitation of which you speak? How can there be such a limitation when it is not a published benefit but an expedient solution to an overbooking problem? And how do they keep track of it, and for what benefit? And given the unofficial policy being to offer this to frequent fliers, and given that frequent fliers are frequent fliers because they fly frequently, how would it be practicable and sensible to cut them off at three OpUps?

FrancisA

I would say the CE meals on longer routes are better then they have ever been. Shorter are the problem - hence the desire for a free BoB offering.

However, as an accountant, I imagine it is far from easy to offer "free" BoB food. The system BA operates requires every item to be accounted for by payment or wastage. "Free" would mean processing something into the system. However, the system is clearly built on little or no trust for the operators (I suspect wastage is careful monitored and requires something like double sign off). You cannot have discretion to give out food in such a system or you render the other controls pointless.

I can see why some might want this and why other airlines that do not offer proper business class catering may go down this route and design it into their system from scratch. BA have (in my view rightly) chosen to keep ET and CE totally separate with no cross over between the two - even the spirits selection is different. I doubt that could be change easily - to do so would be a very big deal.

MarkedMan

You're talking about BA here; The amount of technology they are willing to invest in something is inversely proportional to the benefit it will bring to a flyer.

Passmethesickbag

I'm sorry, I refuse to believe that an airline that can't remember my phone number has the foggiest idea of whether they've upgraded me in the past or not

jwhite9185

No such issues for me this morning. In fact, it was probably the best BA flight I've had in a very long time.

Andriyko

It is not poor service if the passenger is advised that there will be no meal onboard. If BA does not want to carry extra meals and does not have contracts at local airports to load extra meals (which makes sense as local catering companies just can't prepare 1 or 2 meals a day on the off chance that BA will need them) then the other solution would be to not offer CE within 24 hours from departure. There are many ways to look at things - one is either disappointed that they did not get any food or one is very grateful that the airline was able to accommodate them on the flight so they can get to their destination. People who want to get full CE service are welcome to not purchase tickets within 24 hours, while those of us who view planes as a means of transportation would like to have the option of flying without meals because we need to be somewhere.

I don't know why BA can't load more meals from its bases, and I noted in a different thread how surprised I was when we were rebooked onto PS from LGW to KBP in business after the plane had departed KBP for LGW, and they had all three choices of the main course for us, even though I expected no food, but we need to base our decisions on how things are not what they should be or what we would have done if we were running the airline.

Regarding the OpUp. This is how BoB airlines do it. I was upgraded to business on a few occasions on IB and PS and of course there was no food.
I did not expect anything for free from the BoB menu (drinks were offered for free) and viewed the upgrade as a seat change. Again, it's a matter of how the person approaches the situation. Some would find it strange and poor show, while others would not give it another thought. Not saying that either approach is the right one as we're all different, but not everyone would think badly of the airline in the situation.

ukgooner

They shouldn't have offered you anything from BoB at all. Up to you to request. Pre BoB you'd not have either had the option, as it was just tiny bag of crisps back in Y. I don't know what route you were on last year to get a small sandwich.

Not being able to guarantee to cater an op-up is as old as round-trip catering, so has been that way for years. Similarly if you turn up at an outstation airport on a paid CE ticket and switch to the earlier flight you also won't be guaranteed catering.

Generally they find something. Not always. And you probably won't get a choice.

The other examples of AA are not that relevant as I dont think they round trip cater. This also wouldn't have happened ex-LHR or LGW on BA either.

So please: by almeans grumble, but don't dress it up as recent, anything to do with BoB, or anything to do with your perception of "current cheapness".

subject2load

Dear oh dear. What a thoroughly depressing read this thread has been.

Upgrades are of course given mostly for operational reasons, whilst also providing a great opportunity for a win-win result : a quick, pragmatic solution to a load problem ; but also an expectation that the passenger involved will be left with a 100% positive feeling towards the airline.

Sadly this was far from true for the OP, who was minded to reflect as follows :

"........it is really unforgivable to place your customer-facing staff in the situation of having to apologise for such policies IMHO".

For me it beggars belief that BA are happy to put their senior crew through the discomfort of insisting that a passenger sitting in a 'premium' (ahem !) cabin must cough up money in return for getting something basic to eat (subtext : We think you're worthy of an upgrade ; but you're certainly not worthy of a �5 sandwich. Our bosses have managed to approve a supply contract and back-office system that would make such a small gesture SO unbelievably complicated).

Can't help wonder just how Mr.Cruz would react if by some quirk he had found himself sitting anywhere near the OP on the same flight. Would he actually be happy to overhear the apology of a mortified FA saying ....... I'm really sorry about this ..... it's because we have to account for every single penny (and our HQ management have neither the will nor brainpower to come up with a simple workaround solution for such contingencies). OR would the sense of shame & embarrassment be too much even for him ? I'm thinking perhaps not.

In just a few sentences the OP's account of his/her experience has epitomised perfectly the current management culture of an organisation that has come to understand the price of everything - but the value of nothing.

lost_in_translation

That's a very ... particular opinion I think. Some might say that sending an email (as difficult as BA seems to find that simple task sometimes!) doesn't absolve BA of offering poor service on a full fare business class ticket. If you buy a ticket a couple of hours before the flight, fine. But if you buy a ticket the day before and still find BA didn't manage to cater the flight correctly, then that's poor service in my opinion.

Andriyko

Which is why I wrote that attitudes differ. I was on at least three flights in CE, where I purchased the ticket months in advance, and no meal was loaded either for the entire cabin (a mishap at LHR), or for some reason I was singled out because they thought I was either upgraded at the gate or something or the other. I could not care less as I was getting what I paid for, that is being transported to my destination. I know that many people think when they pay for CE they pay for food, but I am not one of them. I mean, it is nice if food is offered, but I won't think that it's something horrible if, for some reason, none is offered. Again, this is my view. But if the airline can't offer food if the ticket is purchased within 24 hours, then it is something that the passenger can avoid by not buying the ticket. If they must fly with BA on that particular flight then they must decide what is more important to them - getting the service or getting to their destination. It would be nice if both were on offer, but since it is not the case it is easy to make the choice.

Passmethesickbag

I regret not being able to comply with your request. Last year, I was offered a free sandwich from the back, this is no longer an option. This is patently due to BoB, which in turn is everything to do with the cheapskate Cruz culture. I did not complain in either situation, but the old solution was a pragmatic and simple and perfectly acceptable fix whereas the new one requires the customer to bring out their credit card. I feel much sorrier for the crew now. I don't see what's so difficult or unreasonable about that.

:D!

I don't really see the problem here.

If I was expecting to sit in ET, then I wouldn't be expecting any food and drinks anyway, so being upgraded without food would still give me an empty middle seat, free drinks and the opportunity to get off the plane a few seconds earlier, which I would not have had with my original seat (but perhaps at the cost of losing the exit row seat). As I don't BOB, I would probably have eaten already so not really need to eat again.

Sure it would be nice if they could offer something for free from the BOB trolley, but if they can't then I wouldn't be disappointed.


In pre-BOB era, I'd be expecting to receive the economy sandwich in ET, so if I was upgraded I would still expect that as a minimum, if they had no CE food for me.