Free drinks trial for BAEC Silver and Golds on selected short haul routes
Apr 5, 2018, 8:52 am
#76
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: 63,821
Which neatly encapsulates the problem with this "trial". By being unadvertised we are not aware of when it starts/ends, and unlike with occasional travellers, it's just possible that a Gold cardholder may do more than one flight a month. And even remember what happen on the previous sector. I'm sure we can all cope with promotions coming and going once we have been lovingly told by that nice Mr. Hillier, but not mysterious gifts arriving at random times.
Apr 5, 2018, 9:03 am
#77
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold; LH FTL; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold; ALL Gold
Posts: 1,758
Last few flights to Helsinki/LHR on BA I have been offered any free drink and given a bottle of water on the BA0799. One time I asked for a bottle of water and when asked to pay the £1.80 reacted baffled and was given it after I explained that drinks had been complimentary on previous flights.
Apr 5, 2018, 9:05 am
#78
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA
Posts: 240
We are also doing it on other select routes, i'll keep it a secret for now to avoid disappointment. It's only for BA golds and silvers and is from the BOB stock including tea, coffee, alcoholic and soft drinks. It includes a drink for a companion travelling together. The only side note is that it does not include champagne.
Last edited by BABenchley; Apr 5, 2018 at 9:16 am
Apr 5, 2018, 9:18 am
#79
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold/ All the AMEX Plat things
Posts: 195
25 Feb BA798- Champagne for myself and companion and offered a 2nd drink. 13 March BA795- given a bottle of water and offered anything else. 24 March BA 795- greeting and drink offers. Seems to be hit and miss though as have flown more of the HEL routes but offered nothing. Travelling BA799 tomorrow and then to Budapest Saturday, I shall report back but it seems to me that the HEL route may have been doing this for a while.
Apr 5, 2018, 9:22 am
#80
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA
Posts: 240
25 Feb BA798- Champagne for myself and companion and offered a 2nd drink. 13 March BA795- given a bottle of water and offered anything else. 24 March BA 795- greeting and drink offers. Seems to be hit and miss though as have flown more of the HEL routes but offered nothing. Travelling BA799 tomorrow and then to Budapest Saturday, I shall report back but it seems to me that the HEL route may have been doing this for a while.
I think that's just a crew member being nice looking after you, I don't think it's related to this trial.
Apr 5, 2018, 9:28 am
#81
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold/ All the AMEX Plat things
Posts: 195
Apr 5, 2018, 9:32 am
#82
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GGL / GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson Premium, IHG Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 5,902
We are also doing it on other select routes, i'll keep it a secret for now to avoid disappointment. It's only for BA golds and silvers and is from the BOB stock including tea, coffee, alcoholic and soft drinks. It includes a drink for a companion travelling together. The only side note is that it does not include champagne.
Pre-this trial, I've a few times ordered and paid for my tea or coffee, only for the SCCM to come down the aisle once the trolley has departed my row, asking if I need anything. By this time my fresh (paid for) cup of tea is sitting on my table so it kind of makes the kind offer somewhat mis-timed.
Apr 6, 2018, 1:21 pm
#83
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,061
If selected route/flights/aircraft are being selected to trial these initiatives, you can bet that they will be conducting sampling analysis from customer scores when they come back. Therefore, if anyone has received this and liked it, definitely send in your comments, either in standalone feedback or ideally in the full survey if you're sent it. The more positive noise made about it, the more likely it is to be made permanent.
Apr 6, 2018, 1:54 pm
#84
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,399
If selected route/flights/aircraft are being selected to trial these initiatives, you can bet that they will be conducting sampling analysis from customer scores when they come back. Therefore, if anyone has received this and liked it, definitely send in your comments, either in standalone feedback or ideally in the full survey if you're sent it. The more positive noise made about it, the more likely it is to be made permanent.
But here’s the thing : would it not make sense - certainly from a customer perspective (albeit maybe not for BA’s bottom line, in the short-term) - to simply make it permanent without further ado ? Is it really necessary to validate the attraction of this gesture by “conducting sampling analysis from customer scores ....” ??
If my local pub ever decided to make a similar gesture, I’m pretty sure I already know what the answer to any associated survey* would be.
*(We have been trialling a special arrangement whereby free drinks are provided to our best customers. Please let us know whether
a) you are happy about this OR
b you would prefer to pay instead)
Apr 6, 2018, 2:01 pm
#85
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: London, ARN, HEL, ..... or MAN
Programs: BA GGL / GFL, Mucci Diamond!, HH Diamond, Radisson Premium, IHG Gold, Hertz Gold
Posts: 5,902
Well CPH appears not to be one of the trial routes. All 4 of family TT1F (all appropriately shiny) roundly ignored by CC today. In fact the SCCM didn’t even show his face beyond the cabin divider curtain for the entire flight.4 soft drinks and I’m over £10 down on the deal 😢😩
Apr 6, 2018, 3:37 pm
#86
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Oxford
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 11
Spoiler alert
They were doing it on LHR-GLA tonight. It definitely seemed to be any drink rather than just water/tea/coffee, and for you plus your travelling companion, but I opted for water and was on my own so I don't know for sure. I thought it was great and I hope it continues.
Apr 6, 2018, 3:55 pm
#87
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold/ All the AMEX Plat things
Posts: 195
Not on the HEL route. Was happily acknowledged during the BOB run and asked for 2 coffees. Was charged for both despite only 3 of us gold in ET. I knew this as I saw the names of the three of us with seat numbers scribbled on a piece of paper whilst waiting for the lavatory. Plane was also delayed nearly 1 hour. Well done BA, you really know how not to look after your most loyal customers!
Apr 6, 2018, 9:29 pm
#89
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
So now if we order a tea or coffee we dont know whether we must pay for it or not. Do the cabin Crew make an announcement this is a free drinks flight for Gold and Silver or do we need to ask them before we order?
Are the ticket prices on the free drinks routes going to be Higher? Can BA get any more confusing?
Are the ticket prices on the free drinks routes going to be Higher? Can BA get any more confusing?
Apr 6, 2018, 10:08 pm
#90
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA Lifetime Gold 1.8mm, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold et al
Posts: 4,350
Added to which is the fact that AA still give all passengers a non-alocoholic drink and small snack so the offer of an alcoholic drink and more substantial snack to EXP's isn't as apparent to others as it would be on BA.