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-   British Airways | Executive Club (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club-446/)
-   -   WT Improvements (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1886840-wt-improvements.html)

madmax_uk Jan 7, 2018 2:32 pm

At the risk of sounding ungrateful, I think this change still misses the point of how poor the LH WT food offering is. In many respects not really an improvement. I flew to Cape Town recently with my wife in WT and couldn't help but laugh when my wife asked for the tray only for breakfast (I.e. Hot breakfast excluded) to find the tray came with a bread roll and orange juice. She had expected (rightly or wrongly) there to be the "normal" yogurt, fruit etc. My pet complaint is the over night flight WT to Dubai... I typically go straight into the office and have breakfast on the plane. From about 18 months ago this "breakfast" turned into a breakfast bar (I once discovered what a soren (sp) bar was to my delight :( )

truncated Jan 7, 2018 4:15 pm


Originally Posted by Stez (Post 29262266)
EK does it too. In the past, MH and SQ did it but that's going a while back.

SQ still does ice cream; NH and JL do as well. Even UA does so (and their ice cream is pretty good compared to the rest of the food they serve in Y).

Raffles Jan 8, 2018 1:56 am


Originally Posted by madmax_uk (Post 29262572)
My pet complaint is the over night flight WT to Dubai... I typically go straight into the office and have breakfast on the plane. From about 18 months ago this "breakfast" turned into a breakfast bar (I once discovered what a soren (sp) bar was to my delight :( )

Don't understand ..... this is what you wanted. Alex Cruz told me. All those surveys and forms etc .....

corporate-wage-slave Jan 8, 2018 2:06 am


Originally Posted by Raffles (Post 29264217)
Don't understand ..... this is what you wanted. Alex Cruz told me. All those surveys and forms etc .....

Sometimes people just have to learn things at their own pace, I suppose. What I also suppose is that the NPS will rocket (sort of) and they will hopefully feel very pleased with that. And in fact if I had to think of a way of getting NPS to jump up, "new" ice cream for all would be at the top of the list. I remember the guy behind Green Shield Stamps / Argos told me (on a BA flight) that the best way to boost NPS was "sexy" "new" "free" "chocolate" when in reality there at multiple contradictions in that phrase. Still, "free" "new" ice cream is probably going to make a bigger difference that PDB orange juice in CW. In fact they may as well roll it out to the entire aircraft.

Raffles Jan 8, 2018 2:07 am

Just in:
British Airways is today announcing a multi-million pound investment in its World Traveller (long-haul economy cabin) catering, introducing an exciting and expanded new menu, which provides more quantity and quality to both meals and great snacking options throughout the flight.

Options now include:

· Pretzels with the welcome drink

· Four-course meal with starter, main, dessert, cheese and biscuits, accompanied by a bread roll and bottle of water

· Second meal or substantial snack depending on the length of the flight

· Regional meal options served according to destination

· Magnum ice-creams

· Tuck box with chocolates and crisps

· Hot breakfast on longer overnight flights

· Graze movie-snack box on longer* flights

· Complimentary drinks from the bar

Previously customers travelling in the cabin were served a complimentary snack, a three-course-meal or a light meal, depending on the time and length of their flight as well as a complimentary bar service of hot and cold drinks.

The new catering arrives from January 17, and the menus that will change every six months.

mikeyfly Jan 8, 2018 2:09 am

Wow this is a genuine enhancement :) thanks Raffles

lostinlondon Jan 8, 2018 2:11 am

Glad to see proper ice cream being offered. Looking forward to seeing this (as opposed to old WT; not being in WT itself) later this year to HKG. Surely though if NPS is the main driver of this change, they must have a plan to change ET a bit? A very large number of BA's customers are exclusively within/connecting to European flights and I'd still be fairly upset to have a very comfortable JFK-LHR to only have a miserable LHR-ATH/LCA/wherever. Perhaps differentiating service for connecting LH passengers? Though with BA's logistical capabilities as they stand, they might not be able to accomplish that one.

corporate-wage-slave Jan 8, 2018 2:13 am

The rest of the press release can be seen here, but I think the end of it is also worth reading. There is a bullet point at the end that identifies "longer" routes:

British Airways - BRITISH AIRWAYS INVESTS IN SUBSTANTIAL NEW CATERING FOR WORLD TRAVELLER CUSTOMERS
Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ director of brand and customer experience, said: “Our customers tell us that when they’re taking a long-haul flight, great food and beverages make a real difference to them. It’s a huge driver of customer satisfaction so we want to make sure we deliver a great experience. With this multi-million pound investment we’ve focused on introducing more quantity and quality to the catering, delivering tasty meals and great snacking options throughout the flight.

“Our new four-course main meal has been developed by our team of chefs to be full of flavour at 35,000ft and we’ve created regional options depending on the route. The second meal option is either a tasty sandwich or a more substantial pizza wrap, both served with additional snacks, depending on the length of the flight.”

“Our customers have also told us they want to be able to save some items for later in the flight, so we’ve replaced the water cup with a bottle of Highland Spring on the first meal, and added Graze snack boxes on our longest flights. We’re also offering Magnum ice-creams on daylight flights from London and a Tuck Box on inbound and overnight flights.”

The airline’s customers will be welcomed with pretzels and a drink. Once they are settled in, they will be served a four-course meal such as a starter of couscous salad, followed by a main course of chicken casserole with an ale sauce, colcannon mash and seasonal vegetables, or a vegetarian tomato, farfalle and vegetable dish. Dessert will be a Pots & Co salted caramel and chocolate mousse, followed by biscuits and cheese. The meal will be accompanied by a bread roll and a bottle of Highland Spring water.

On the shorter daylight long-haul flights to destinations such as New York and Dubai, fliers will also receive a sandwich such as egg and cress with a chocolate or Nutri-Grain bar. Those on longer daylight flights to destinations such as Cape Town and Hong Kong will receive a hot meal, such as a pizza wrap or a regional option, with a pot of pasta, a chocolate brownie and a drink as well as a smokehouse BBQ crunch Graze movie-snack box. A hot English breakfast will also be served on these longer flights that operate overnight.

Customers on daylight flights from London will be offered a range of Magnum ice-creams, while those on night flights will be offered a tuck-box with options such as Dairy Milk Buttons, Twix, Kit-Kats and Mini Cheddars, which will also be available in the galley for them to help themselves to.

The airline is also serving regional main meal options around its network, such as chicken in spicy cheng du sauce on flights to and from to China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, kathrikai milagu seeragam and channa dal on flights to and from Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai and acchari veg and dal palak on flights to and from Bangalore and Delhi. On flights to the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia,) customers can enjoy chicken in spicy Arabic sauce.

Regional breakfasts will also be served including Chicken Congee for Far Eastern routes and an Indian option featuring: Idli Shanna, Sambhar, upma and dosa.

The popular meal options for customers with special dietary requirements will continue to be available to book on ba.com/managemybooking more than 24 hours ahead of their flight departing.

Travellers looking for a special treat can also pre-order meals on flights from Heathrow up to 24-hours before their flight. Options include a Gourmet Dining meal for £18.00, Taste of Britain and Taste of the Far East for £16.00 and a Great British Breakfast, a Healthy Choice meal or a Vegetarian Kitchen option all for £15.00.

British Airways is investing £4.5 billion for customers over the next five years, covering the installation of the best quality WiFi and power in every seat, fitting 128 long-haul aircraft with new interiors and taking delivery of 72 new aircraft. The airline is also investing £600m specifically in Club World, including outstanding catering and luxurious White Company bedding - plus, from 2019, a new seat with direct aisle access. This year British Airways will start services to six new routes including Nashville and The Seychelles.

Ends

January 8, 2018

Notes to editors:

· *The airline’s longest flights serve: Bangkok, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Chennai, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Las Vegas, Lima, Los Angeles, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico City, Narita, Oakland, Phoenix, Rio de Janeiro, San Jose (California), San Jose (Costa Rica), Santiago, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo (Haneda and Narita).

· The first flight with the new catering on January 17 will be the BA117 from Heathrow to New York JFK departing at 8.25am.

Jagboi Jan 8, 2018 2:23 am


Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave (Post 29264251)
The rest of the press release can be seen here, but I think the end of it is also worth reading.]

I had to check this wasn't April 1! Very good news!

V10 Jan 8, 2018 2:23 am

As it's now listing a bottle of water, does this mean the demise of the derisory and frankly pathetic water cuplet?

timma1971 Jan 8, 2018 2:25 am

Can't find San Diego on the list of the longest flights. Just a typo?

PJSMITH0 Jan 8, 2018 2:29 am

So that’s shot down the BOB to be extended to LH predictions.

florens Jan 8, 2018 2:33 am


Originally Posted by PJSMITH0 (Post 29264276)
So that’s shot down the BOB to be extended to LH predictions.

Indeed, I was about to say the same. Good news!

rossmacd Jan 8, 2018 2:39 am


Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave (Post 29264251)
It’s a huge driver of customer satisfaction so we want to make sure we deliver a great experience.

This is the most telling part of the whole statement.

I'm sure those who continually harp on that NPS is not a concern for BA may wish to change their tune? ;)

fransknorge Jan 8, 2018 2:46 am

This looks good and brings BA on par with my latest TATL in Y with UA or AA.
Does it also means that that WT catering changes of 2016 are not in effect anymore ? (ambiant Mars bar and pathetic water cuplets)


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