PUCCI GALORE

Mods - if you think that this is too duplicate please re-post

I knew instinctively that there was something basically flawed with the BoB. I hate the whole idea but understood that the days of free meals was coming to an end. What has replaced it has lowered the whole tone of BA in Europe. It is cheap and it is nasty and it is not working. Then I realised why it was so wrong and this is my idea.

The flaw came when they took free drinks away - soft drinks, water, tea and coffee. The US carriers didn't and neither should BA have done. Everyone should have something to drink - the air on board is still dry. Take off and the whole flying "thing" makes people nervous and thirsty. If people want to eat - OK let them pay for it if needs be but for Heavens Sake make sure that the stocks on board can deal with it. Months down the line and they still cannot get it right and it is the main complaint of all the crew - passengers alike. Last Friday and inventory was taken out of LGW to check on stock and sales. What will come of it I cannot tell.

I am of the opinion that people who get given something to drink may be disposed to eat something as well.

I have not mentioned alcoholic drinks but how do you explain to someone that the same airline that served you your G&Ts for free coming in from IAH will charge you going on to FRA. BCAL used to do that years ago and dropped it as it caused nothing but trouble, however due to the behaviour of an appalling minority on board, I can see a day when changes on the serving of alcohol will be implemented. Whilst I nor any crew to whom I have mentioned the bringing of one's own tea bag had ever heard or seen such a thing - I can quite imagine someone doing so and I then realised that though ridiculous there was an error.

As for CE - I'd Pucci-fix this in a jiffy. It appears to me that the biggest complaint are the items that are being offered (I have no problem with Croque Monsieur (why don't they call it Welsh Rarebit - pretentious nonsense). I'd remove the Longer Flight starter and off the main dish with the cheese and desert. All day. I'd ditch the Brunch and the thoroughly detested Afternoon Tea. If I had 1p for all the complaints that I have read about here (myself included) I'd be able to keep myself in make-up and tights for the rest of the century!

The problem with me is that I think of the passenger first and then try and make economies as necessary without harming the brand or the product. A happy passenger makes for a return passenger. A lesson never learned by Pan Am and look what happened there! You may by all means disagree with me - my husband often does and I still cook for him - my hairbrush and I await with unabated breath.

(Right that's half the complaints on this Forum addressed -what next? Ah! The public flogging of the Walsh and the tarring and feathering of the Collaborator Cruz!)

As for CE - as ot

corporate-wage-slave

I guess you meant this in respect of Medium Flights? For Long there isn't a Brunch/Afternoon tea. Yes, there is actually a trail of posts in the main CE thread suggesting precisely this. The main objection to it relates to block time on the very shortest Mediums (e.g. CPH when the wind is up), so in one of my posts over there I suggested if necessary that the pre-drink service may have to be the point of compromise. See these posts:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28675651-post1303.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28675687-post1304.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28676210-post1309.html
and there are a few more deeper in the midst of time, orbitmic has raised it several times. I'd also move GVA and ZRH into Mediums for competitive positioning reasons.

The cost of this change would be fairly low.

florens

What is your point PUCCI GALORE?

FlyerTalker688786

I am confused too!

Did PUCCI GALORE finally take the points we BA bashers had been making since last year? Or just a mock up of us BA bashers' opinions?

I do like the Pan Am bit. Very true.

And dear PUCCI GALORE, you forgot to mention the 29 inches CE product VS US style domestic First products/Asian+Gulf carriers' regional Business products.

And please please tell us the Gatwick stock and sales count story!

FlyerTalker39574

Re BoB yes, just copy how Alaska, JetBlue and Southwest do it in the US.

Roger

I hadn't noticed this, which only shows how little I fly ET these days. I tell myself that the answer is a Boots or WHSmugg meal deal, and at LHR that would earn a few HR points.

Dame Pucci, you articulate so much of what I feel. I usually don't bother with the that's-it-BA-I'm-off threads - far too many to mention - but couldn't resist dropping into this thread.

leachster

the thing I miss most is opening the little bottle of red, pouring into a plastic cup and then turning to my fellow passenger and engaging in a little conversation over a drink.

Perhaps that says more about me than I should be admitting, but without the ice-breaker I find very little excuse to talk to anyone these days....my fellow passengers are probably happier that way but I cant help feeling that the whole thing makes for a very depressing flight these days.

PUCCI GALORE

Have I been obtuse? Sorry.

This is a simple and probably inexpensive change for ET and would probably be the fairest compromise I can think of.

For CE - Yes I meant the medium length as their catering seem to attract the majority of moans around here.

Darling Chongcao - there is no getting away from this. I don't really care. I am not that long in leg so it does not bother me. Sorry! I'm also realistic enough to think that most carriers flying within Europe will be the same soon. Let's be quite clear - Club Class in Europe started a con and a con it will remain. One should be thankful that it is not 3 abreast as it was in its original concept. History isn't always bunk.

I listen. I do get bored sometimes with the same old record sometimes, but my attention span withstanding, I do think that there are valid points and that tweaking when you get things wrong is not an admission of defeat.

V10

BA is having something of an identity crisis at the moment, not quite sure what it's trying to be. It can of course be an LCC, but it's not very experienced at this for now and the execution is not very good. Eventually, it might get the hang of it. However sticking the Fortnum and Mason sign outside and then finding that the shop is stocked with Tesco Value baked beans is going to be seen right through very quickly. If you're getting LCC, you might as well just go to an LCC in the first place.

Dare I say that a leaf needs to be taken out of Michael O'Leary's book - and realise that not unnecessarily p**sing people off is something that BA management needs to do, and quickly. Once the passengers have shown the bird to BA, they're going to be difficult to get back.

Ancient Observer

BA cannot be a LCC.

Whilst it can be horrible, and feel cheap, it can't be a LCC.

The virtual monopoly at LHR gives it enormous strengths in terms of pricing power, but the costs of operating at LHR are far too high for an LCC operation. Each member of slf costs BA much more than Easy or Ryan. Ryan try to get the airports/local government to pay them to land! No chance of that at Thiefrow.

Ldnn1

I see no reason why any of this merits a new thread, given there is already 247 pages worth of discussion on it here:

Buy on board: Implemented on BA short haul - opinions on the concept

Padmeister

Why is it having an identity crisis though?

Sit at the front of plane if you want premium.
Sit at the rear of the plane if you want cheap and cheerful.

It can do both! you have your people who simply choose the cheapest option and would only ever book Economy no matter how much cash he/she has in the bank; or for the person who will spend a few quid on flights they can sit in Business or First class if they so wish too.

PUCCI GALORE

I did ask. I am well aware that there are 3, 659 pages of the stuff and I had a Eureka moment and wanted to share it. If the Mods feel that it belongs there - well and good.

BA235

I can't say I've found it very cheerful of late. Or cheap, or at least not in the sense of being inexpensive.

GaxxyFlyer

I usually fly out of LCY or in J so have only done bob once.

A lovely QR flight had dumped me and Mrs G in Pisa and I couldn't face another Easyjet positioning flight. I looked online and there was avios availability in Y to LHR so I booked it and off we went.

Crew were nice enough and once airborne we ordered the Monopole half bottle. I don't think the crew had dealt with this before so handed over the bottle and two plastic flutes. We all had a good laugh at the plastic but it's only Monopole so who cares? Unfortunately my rather inebriated self forgot to account for air pressure and while unwinding the wire the 'cork' flew off with a rather loud bang. There was some muted screaming and many nervous looks in our direction not helped by the 'cork' bouncing off the angled wall and flying over the aisle to hit a poor chap in the side of the head.


The crew calmed everyone down wonderfully by making light of the whole situation and just said 'I guess we'll open the next one for you sir!'. Lesson learnt...

Edit: On reading this back, this has to be a contender for the most middle class thing I've ever written.