Jan 19, 2018, 5:19 pm
Last edit by: makin'miles
New Club World Service 2017
Effective July 6, 2018, new bedding products expected to be on all Club World flights, worldwide (including LHR, LGW and LCY services).
New catering and bedding
Routes on which the new catering and bedding are in operation.
Launched October 2017
London Heathrow - New York JFK
Launched February 2018 (all from London Heathrow LHR):
Boston (BOS), Baltimore (BWI), Dubai (DXB), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), Washington (IAD), Hong Kong (HKG)
Launched March 2018 (LHR)
San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), San José (SJC), San Diego (SAN). Las Vegas (LAS), Phoenix (PHX), Seychelles (SEZ from 25 March)
Launched 4 April 2018 (LHR)
Houston (IAH), Miami (MIA), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), New Orleans (MSY).
Launched 1 May 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched on DEN, ATL, SEA, YVR)
Denver (DEN), Atlanta (ATL), Austin (AUS), Nassau-Grand Cayman (NAS-GCM), Seattle (SEA), Vancouver (YVR), Calgary (YYC), Nashville (BNA)
Launched 17 May 2018 (LHR) - (Catering previously launched on ORD, YUL, YYZ)
Toronto (YYZ), Montréal (YUL), Chicago (ORD)
Launched 1 July 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched on CPT, JNB, SIN, SIN-SYD)
Cape Town (CPT), Johannesburg (JNB), Singapore (SIN), Singapore-Sydney (SIN-SYD)
Launched 1 August 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched)
Abu Dhabi (AUH), Bahrain (BAH)
Launched 1 September 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched)
Delhi (DEL), Kuwait (KWI), Muscat (MCT)
Launched 1 October 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched)
Buenos Aires (EZE), Jeddah (JED), Mexico City (MEX), Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Riyadh (RUH), Santiago (SCL), Sao Paulo (GRU), Tokyo Haneda (HND), Tokyo Narita (NRT)
Launched 28 October 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched)
Abuja (ABV), Accra (ACC), Bangkok (BKK), Bangalore (BLR), Beijing (PEK), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad (HYD), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Lagos (LOS), Mumbai (BOM), Nairobi (NBO), Shanghai (PVG)
Launched 2018
London City (LCY) - New York (JFK)
Bedding only routes (as of 31 May 2018)
Bedding now launched on all LHR services
AMM, BEY, CAI, DME, DOH, ICN, IKA, LAD, TLV (IKA and LAD routes subsequently terminated; catering on remaining LHR routes expected to launch in December 2018).
LGW routes: White Company products expected to be on all LGW flights effective 06 July 2018, at which time all Club World routes worldwide will feature the new bedding product (see post 1367). Reports that new bedding loaded on LGW-JFK in late June (see post 1349).
Effective July 6, 2018, new bedding products expected to be on all Club World flights, worldwide (including LHR, LGW and LCY services).
New catering and bedding
Routes on which the new catering and bedding are in operation.
Launched October 2017
London Heathrow - New York JFK
Launched February 2018 (all from London Heathrow LHR):
Boston (BOS), Baltimore (BWI), Dubai (DXB), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), Washington (IAD), Hong Kong (HKG)
Launched March 2018 (LHR)
San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), San José (SJC), San Diego (SAN). Las Vegas (LAS), Phoenix (PHX), Seychelles (SEZ from 25 March)
Launched 4 April 2018 (LHR)
Houston (IAH), Miami (MIA), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), New Orleans (MSY).
Launched 1 May 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched on DEN, ATL, SEA, YVR)
Denver (DEN), Atlanta (ATL), Austin (AUS), Nassau-Grand Cayman (NAS-GCM), Seattle (SEA), Vancouver (YVR), Calgary (YYC), Nashville (BNA)
Launched 17 May 2018 (LHR) - (Catering previously launched on ORD, YUL, YYZ)
Toronto (YYZ), Montréal (YUL), Chicago (ORD)
Launched 1 July 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched on CPT, JNB, SIN, SIN-SYD)
Cape Town (CPT), Johannesburg (JNB), Singapore (SIN), Singapore-Sydney (SIN-SYD)
Launched 1 August 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched)
Abu Dhabi (AUH), Bahrain (BAH)
Launched 1 September 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched)
Delhi (DEL), Kuwait (KWI), Muscat (MCT)
Launched 1 October 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched)
Buenos Aires (EZE), Jeddah (JED), Mexico City (MEX), Rio de Janeiro (GIG), Riyadh (RUH), Santiago (SCL), Sao Paulo (GRU), Tokyo Haneda (HND), Tokyo Narita (NRT)
Launched 28 October 2018 (LHR) - (Bedding previously launched)
Abuja (ABV), Accra (ACC), Bangkok (BKK), Bangalore (BLR), Beijing (PEK), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad (HYD), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Lagos (LOS), Mumbai (BOM), Nairobi (NBO), Shanghai (PVG)
Launched 2018
London City (LCY) - New York (JFK)
Bedding only routes (as of 31 May 2018)
Bedding now launched on all LHR services
AMM, BEY, CAI, DME, DOH, ICN, IKA, LAD, TLV (IKA and LAD routes subsequently terminated; catering on remaining LHR routes expected to launch in December 2018).
LGW routes: White Company products expected to be on all LGW flights effective 06 July 2018, at which time all Club World routes worldwide will feature the new bedding product (see post 1367). Reports that new bedding loaded on LGW-JFK in late June (see post 1349).
New Club World Service 2017 - catering and bedding – experiences and reactions
Feb 3, 2018, 8:11 am
#856
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: 2,327
Thanks, so if the current caterer is being maintained then are the menus like on the JFK services or are they closer to what we currently have?
Feb 3, 2018, 9:33 am
#859
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: Meh
Posts: 2,598
It may be a slow roll out, but I'd rather that than a complete cock up. We don't see what's going on in the background to improve things. Clearly the JFK route has been used to fine tune the service so I suspect we'll see a quicker rollout now. Upscaling to so many more routes at once is a bold step.
This board is very good at highlighting the negatives, so much so that I wonder why any of you still fly BA, so imagine the uproar if this new service had been deployed across all routes from day 1 and had gone spectacularly wrong! It's always difficult to test these things in an environment without real customers, so I think BA has done the right thing here, ensuring that the product is tweaked before full deployment. If the speed of the rollout is the only real thing being complained about, I'd rate that as pretty successful.
This board is very good at highlighting the negatives, so much so that I wonder why any of you still fly BA, so imagine the uproar if this new service had been deployed across all routes from day 1 and had gone spectacularly wrong! It's always difficult to test these things in an environment without real customers, so I think BA has done the right thing here, ensuring that the product is tweaked before full deployment. If the speed of the rollout is the only real thing being complained about, I'd rate that as pretty successful.
Feb 3, 2018, 9:40 am
#860
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,928
Feb 3, 2018, 9:49 am
#861
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: London
Posts: 3,500
And yes, dealing with chill chains, new rostering of staff, changes to reporting times, the introduction of multiple new suppliers with their own health requirements, loading different items depending on the route and time, updating several consumer apps and introducing wireless printing with contactless payments makes BoB much more complex.
Although if Stevie had included the new wash bag you may have been right
Feb 3, 2018, 9:55 am
#863
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,928
You seriously suggesting putting some duvets and pillows into seats is "rolling out an entirely new Business Class product"?
Edit: +1 to 710 77345's comment above
Edit: +1 to 710 77345's comment above
Feb 3, 2018, 2:50 pm
#864
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: 2,327
Yes I seriously do. Here’s why:
- Stock for sale requires new systems
- Knowledge of many new products
- Several new payment transactions to learn
- Certain products require different handling (i.e. heating) which wasn’t the case with the free offering
- Stocktaking / auditing of stock
- Handling complaints
In contrast the new CW service is fundamentally the same from a service side, but the product that’s delivered is different. It’s still starter, main, dessert and / or cheese, plus the drinks runs. There are no extra passes as far as I can tell, or plating of food in the galley heaven forbid! In fact I think the steak main was plated before whereas now it isn’t so that is a service simplification. I’m sure there are teething problems with the new starter trolleys but I cannot see it as in the same league of change as BOB.
Feb 4, 2018, 2:58 am
#867
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: Meh
Posts: 2,598
Anyway I mentioned the pillow and duvet introduction, not a new entire business class product.
Feb 4, 2018, 3:24 am
#868
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,228
A few observations:-
1. New CW has had a positive reception in terms of quality / presentation BUT I've seen complaints about service time. It might work on a day flight to JFK but the short overnights to Kuwait / Dubai ex-London? What about other night flights? Can it be expedited but still deliver 'customer delight?' How about on mid haul? Can it be delivered on the 321s to BEY / AMM etc?
2. Remember, cabin crew have to set up this service, deliver it, clear it in, set up the second service, deal with customer service issues, IFR, and carry out their safety related duties throughout the flight. They are also entitled to rest breaks. Can the service be delivered to achieve rest on all sectors? The CSD is part of the service but breaks out of the second service after distribution, I think. Can the CSD still juggle all of the different hats with a more complex service in CW? Do service flows need to change (or just more crew!)
3.Are there occupational health & safety issues relating to delivery? Is there lots more stretching, lifting, carrying involved? I think there's a 'wine strap' or whatever it is? Might be fine for a trial but crew are being asked to do this day in day out, it has to work for them too. Will affect BA too if suddenly all the crew have bad backs or making claims! Are the plates etc practical or are there more spillages / breakages?
4. Bedding - where does it all go? Does it require changes in cabin preparation for takeoff / landing routines? Is 20 mins enough? Are flights taking delays because lockers are full of bedding? Are crew or pax tripping over duvets or pillows in darkened cabins?
5. Can ALL stations on BA's network deliver this to standard? Are there loading issues. Can imagine the 'FFS' moment when you open trolley B where the desserts are supposed to be to find it's not there (because it's too complex) or all melted or whatever. Once again, head office have promised customers the earth and dropped cabin crew in it by failing to sort out the logistics. "Go and grab the magnums from WT"!
Just because it's a people pleaser doesn't mean it works operationally.
1. New CW has had a positive reception in terms of quality / presentation BUT I've seen complaints about service time. It might work on a day flight to JFK but the short overnights to Kuwait / Dubai ex-London? What about other night flights? Can it be expedited but still deliver 'customer delight?' How about on mid haul? Can it be delivered on the 321s to BEY / AMM etc?
2. Remember, cabin crew have to set up this service, deliver it, clear it in, set up the second service, deal with customer service issues, IFR, and carry out their safety related duties throughout the flight. They are also entitled to rest breaks. Can the service be delivered to achieve rest on all sectors? The CSD is part of the service but breaks out of the second service after distribution, I think. Can the CSD still juggle all of the different hats with a more complex service in CW? Do service flows need to change (or just more crew!)
3.Are there occupational health & safety issues relating to delivery? Is there lots more stretching, lifting, carrying involved? I think there's a 'wine strap' or whatever it is? Might be fine for a trial but crew are being asked to do this day in day out, it has to work for them too. Will affect BA too if suddenly all the crew have bad backs or making claims! Are the plates etc practical or are there more spillages / breakages?
4. Bedding - where does it all go? Does it require changes in cabin preparation for takeoff / landing routines? Is 20 mins enough? Are flights taking delays because lockers are full of bedding? Are crew or pax tripping over duvets or pillows in darkened cabins?
5. Can ALL stations on BA's network deliver this to standard? Are there loading issues. Can imagine the 'FFS' moment when you open trolley B where the desserts are supposed to be to find it's not there (because it's too complex) or all melted or whatever. Once again, head office have promised customers the earth and dropped cabin crew in it by failing to sort out the logistics. "Go and grab the magnums from WT"!
Just because it's a people pleaser doesn't mean it works operationally.
I should add: if BA wanted this to happen quickly they would have done it, don't get me wrong! But I'm not convinced the new CW food / service is pleasing crew as much as passengers, and it has to work for everyone. So BA need to listen and act on feedback.
Last edited by IAMORGAN; Feb 4, 2018 at 8:15 am