New BA Club World catering concept [general discussion]
Feb 14, 2018, 6:24 am
#271
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,372
Great catering doesn't even require Do&Co. It just requires a little investment. There is no Do&Co in, for instance, PHL, but QR manages some very good catering there.
Feb 14, 2018, 7:13 am
#272
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Spitalfields, London
Programs: BA Gold, KFC 'The Colonel's Club' Palladium tier, Mucci des Visions Célestes du Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Posts: 2,317
I can understand why the budget for JFK is higher, but it is an absolute shame that they don't try for an actually consistent product, instead of leading everyone to believe that the new offerings would be available across the network, and then saying, "JK kidding we lied."
Great catering doesn't even require Do&Co. It just requires a little investment. There is no Do&Co in, for instance, PHL, but QR manages some very good catering there.
Great catering doesn't even require Do&Co. It just requires a little investment. There is no Do&Co in, for instance, PHL, but QR manages some very good catering there.
My dream is the whole catering operation is in sourced and thoroughly modernised - look at the great food Qantas has and they have an extensive in house catering operation - but I just don't think BA is that interested in food deep down. Not to mention that would seriously go against the grain of late.
Feb 14, 2018, 7:27 am
#273
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: A hop, skip and jump away from MAN.
Programs: BAEC Gold, ex-VS Gold, ex-UA Gold, Premier Inn Platinum-Iridium
Posts: 1,114
Couldn't agree more, the duality of BAs strategy is maddening because it shows what could be achieved should they dust off their £1bn annual profit coffers. I also think it's sad that the role of creating appealing food appears to have been entirely outsourced to Do&Co, it's like BA is admitting it has neither the expertise nor the appetite to come up with compelling menus itself.
My dream is the whole catering operation is in sourced and thoroughly modernised - look at the great food Qantas has and they have an extensive in house catering operation - but I just don't think BA is that interested in food deep down. Not to mention that would seriously go against the grain of late.
My dream is the whole catering operation is in sourced and thoroughly modernised - look at the great food Qantas has and they have an extensive in house catering operation - but I just don't think BA is that interested in food deep down. Not to mention that would seriously go against the grain of late.
The British relationship with food is frequently an odd one. Often we just look at it as fuel, as sustenance. I used to cringe whenever my old CEO said "grab a bite", as that often meant a working lunch of a hastily guzzled Pret sandwich followed by a dessert of indigestion tablets.
Paying Do&Co - a company which has excitement about food in it's DNA - to be excited about food on BA's behalf is quite possibly the best thing that can be done in the circumstances.
Feb 14, 2018, 5:47 pm
#275
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 811
I didn’t bother eating on the BA106 back the other day having been so underwhelmed by the menu.
I did however learn two things from my chat with the UD crew:
1. They agree with the view on here that the Gate Gourmet stuff is just same old replated. And they verified what I had heard from the 107 outbound crew that their trainers said that Do&Co were the caterers for the new service and that they felt lied to in this respect when the discovered that GG retained the contract for non-JFK routes.
2. Chicago will get Do&Co catering?
Working in a large organisation with a 150+ year legacy and going through transformation I have to say I sympathise with the people on the front line, this whole process is a classic example of good idea to modernise and remain competitive but with the poorest execution possible in what is becoming an increasingly public arena and hence increasingly embarrassing for BA. Just look at the title of Raffles’ article today.
I did however learn two things from my chat with the UD crew:
1. They agree with the view on here that the Gate Gourmet stuff is just same old replated. And they verified what I had heard from the 107 outbound crew that their trainers said that Do&Co were the caterers for the new service and that they felt lied to in this respect when the discovered that GG retained the contract for non-JFK routes.
2. Chicago will get Do&Co catering?
Working in a large organisation with a 150+ year legacy and going through transformation I have to say I sympathise with the people on the front line, this whole process is a classic example of good idea to modernise and remain competitive but with the poorest execution possible in what is becoming an increasingly public arena and hence increasingly embarrassing for BA. Just look at the title of Raffles’ article today.
Feb 14, 2018, 8:06 pm
#276
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
Not a regular here despite my handle - but am on the 294 tomorrow night in CW (with low expectations). Will report back
(Interestingly, CX trialed a short-lived new dining+bedding concept last year and ORD DO&CO was a key player in the execution process.)
(Interestingly, CX trialed a short-lived new dining+bedding concept last year and ORD DO&CO was a key player in the execution process.)
Feb 14, 2018, 8:22 pm
#277
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,398
I would imagine that BA - whenever it suits their purpose to do so - are just as good at spinning to c-w-s as they are to the rest of us (whether that be by BAEC marketing-spin emails, or via the general and specialist media).
Feb 15, 2018, 2:00 am
#278
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 778
Utterly disappointed with all this hype! We should start a petition to fire A. Cruz! What a tool ....
I am hoping the YVR route gets the "upgrade service" in club in June. Is it worth trying out the "improved" catering or shall I order my Kosher special meal instead? The latter never disappoints!
Cheers
AA
I am hoping the YVR route gets the "upgrade service" in club in June. Is it worth trying out the "improved" catering or shall I order my Kosher special meal instead? The latter never disappoints!
Cheers
AA
Feb 15, 2018, 2:01 am
#279
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,761
Feb 15, 2018, 3:41 am
#281
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,922
Feb 15, 2018, 4:00 am
#282
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 19,087
It’s just the number of reports and now videos coming in showing how the equipment and routines are not fit for purpose.
The new service is now on the DXB and taking so long that the crew are unable to take their compulsory 40 minute rest break, also it’s now on the HKG which both ways are very late departures and customers want to sleep not sit there for over 3 hours with a tray in front of them.
One of the HKG flights is a A380 which is the first route for this aircraft and even more difficult to deliver, the crew are not getting their 3 hour minimum breaks.
The new service is now on the DXB and taking so long that the crew are unable to take their compulsory 40 minute rest break, also it’s now on the HKG which both ways are very late departures and customers want to sleep not sit there for over 3 hours with a tray in front of them.
One of the HKG flights is a A380 which is the first route for this aircraft and even more difficult to deliver, the crew are not getting their 3 hour minimum breaks.
Feb 15, 2018, 4:26 am
#284
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: BA Executive Club and OnBusiness
Posts: 718
At some point BA needs to reflect on the value of credibility - spin is all well and good when there is a solid base of delivery, but constantly overpromising and underdelivering is more than just disappointing, it's starting to suggest a culture of either inability to deliver or being overly casual with the truth. I would expect an airline to roll out a change of livery or seat/configuration changes faster than BA can roll out new blankets (take old blankets off plane, put new blankets on plane).
Having to invent a new word to pretend bad things are actually good (enhancements!) says it all. If you can't deliver (or have no intention of fulfilling announced improvements) stay quiet - the initial good PR is overwhelmed by the resulting negative PR in the long run.
BA optimists will hope it's just implementation issues and BA pessimists will say it's just more broken promises - either way "investing4U" is increasingly looking like BA crying wolf and hoping someone else is in the hot seat when reality hits. All aisle access!!! (starting 2019.....maybe). New CW seats!! (....still waiting). New bedding and meal service!!! (oops)
I just wish BA would stop spinning and start introducing genuine improvements (or at least keeping up with the competition) without shooting their mouths off first.
Having to invent a new word to pretend bad things are actually good (enhancements!) says it all. If you can't deliver (or have no intention of fulfilling announced improvements) stay quiet - the initial good PR is overwhelmed by the resulting negative PR in the long run.
BA optimists will hope it's just implementation issues and BA pessimists will say it's just more broken promises - either way "investing4U" is increasingly looking like BA crying wolf and hoping someone else is in the hot seat when reality hits. All aisle access!!! (starting 2019.....maybe). New CW seats!! (....still waiting). New bedding and meal service!!! (oops)
I just wish BA would stop spinning and start introducing genuine improvements (or at least keeping up with the competition) without shooting their mouths off first.
Feb 15, 2018, 4:33 am
#285
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,345
It’s just the number of reports and now videos coming in showing how the equipment and routines are not fit for purpose.
The new service is now on the DXB and taking so long that the crew are unable to take their compulsory 40 minute rest break, also it’s now on the HKG which both ways are very late departures and customers want to sleep not sit there for over 3 hours with a tray in front of them.
One of the HKG flights is a A380 which is the first route for this aircraft and even more difficult to deliver, the crew are not getting their 3 hour minimum breaks.
The new service is now on the DXB and taking so long that the crew are unable to take their compulsory 40 minute rest break, also it’s now on the HKG which both ways are very late departures and customers want to sleep not sit there for over 3 hours with a tray in front of them.
One of the HKG flights is a A380 which is the first route for this aircraft and even more difficult to deliver, the crew are not getting their 3 hour minimum breaks.