BA178 (Daylight JFK-LHR) CW Meal Service

Old Oct 20, 2018, 12:46 pm
  #76  
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Old Oct 20, 2018, 12:52 pm
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I have never feel hard done by on the 178, it is probably because I consider breakfast supper due to my allergy to early mornings I tend to take my luggage to my favourite LES club and leave for the airport from there.
I find the breakfast quite filling and the second meal more of a chance for a snack and cuppa before landing. Being on an aircraft for more than 4 hours results in a complete lack of appetite for some reason.
LHR seems a lot better at that time of night than the red eye arrivals and it normally takes me just over 30 mins from aircraft door to meeting taxi driver including waiting for baggage.
I would personally hate to have lunch on an early flight (unless it was curry !)
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Old Oct 20, 2018, 2:18 pm
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My perspective, as a regular day-flighter, but usually on AA142, is that if you change your watch just after take-off, then it's prime time for a G&T (if in AA142 MCE), or a glass of fizz (if in BA178 CW). Then lunch. Snack later. Service as most flights, big meal first, snack later. But Lunch, not breakfast. (note the capital L for Lunch).
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Old Oct 20, 2018, 6:18 pm
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
It seems more business than BOS, less business than PHL (not that it has a daytime BA flight) but as ever, it is very time of the year dependent. I often see FT reports on BA services to / from JFK (not just 178) at off-business periods (late August, Christmas, Easter) so I suspect FTers on that route are more using it during leisure periods. I know there is a view out there that 178 isn't popular with business travellers but I personally like the service and I think people like @rossmacd do it occasionally. It is really good at avoiding jetlag and some business travellers know enough about 178 to make a bee-line for it.

I wonder if moving it a bit later would help, to reduce the unattractive start to the day and the catering issues that result, but (a) it does provide a very, very handy late connection to EDI and currently NCL and a few other places such as TLV (b) JFK is an absolute joy at that hour, none of this "we're 17 in the line for departure" nonsense. My own way to handle this is to stay at one of the JFK hotels, such as the HGI, take the Q10 bus at 06:25 and skid into T7 about 06:40 hrs.
Thanks for the mention, CWS, it is has brought me to this thread.

I've taken a day flight from JFK once (that I can remember) and that was last year I think. I took the 142, not the 178. The reason being is that firstly, taking the 178 breaks my rule of taking BA across the Atlantic on a day flight and secondly it leaves far too early. And still too late to make a connection (I'm nearly always connecting onwards from LHR, and arriving on either the 178 or 142 it is nearly impossible to get a same day connection). I only took this day flight once due to some scheduling issues where I could not avoid it, but I will not be doing it again - it is a complete waste of a day for me, when I know I could fly on the (short) overnight sector and fully function the next day, without missing out on any work/personal time. Others, of course, have a different opinion, which I fully respect.
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Old Oct 21, 2018, 12:46 am
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Well, although it has been a while, I used to love this flight especially if condemned to sitting in WTP. My previous employer insisted WTP only to the East Coast so I would take the extra night in the hotel and waste their day by taking the daytime flight home (no issues with onward connections). IMHO it isn't a good idea to sleep on this flight (another reason why WTP is OK on this flight) as you'll be wanting to get to bed when you get home more or less at your normal time, thereby negating jet-lag.

Anyway, back on track, for my money I would agree that the F/J catering should be a) light meal/continental breakfast after departure. Call it a 'Champagne Breakfast' if you like, and then b) a proper hot meal before arrival. If eating enough is an issue then get to the airport a bit earlier and eat something in the lounge. I know it's a short flight but I'd rather get home having eaten properly rather than trying to rustle up a meal whilst doing the unpacking etc.

Going back a long time, the day time services ex JFK where definitely a full blown lunch service.
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Old Oct 21, 2018, 1:10 am
  #81  
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I love the timings of the 178 and its often better for me than any alternatives. I wake up early anyway, especially if Ive only been to the us for a short period, I can certainly have a full day of work on a plane (undisturbed too: bliss!) and can take a same day connection if flying elsewhere in Europe and arrive tired enough to sleep. Works much better for me than overnights way too short to sleep.

I agree with those who say that the food concept is neither the only one nor (by a long shot) the best one and I actually has costs implications unless BA is the only major European airline which is not charged more for a hot lunch/dinner than for a hot breakfast which I doubt, and its hard not to think this might be a consideration.

in terms of my meal cycles, Id much prefer one of the two alternatives described by others: brunch (rather than breakfast) with at least one lunch option (what ba deceptively call mixed grill is really more of a full English than an actual mixed grill), or even quick single tray continental breakfast with a full meal (even like the second hot meal of west coast services rather than the best new service first meal) towards the end of the flight.

Will I still pick the ba flight? Yes, it has the best timings and connections, it doesnt mean I cant conceive a meal concept that would work better for me and I suspect for a few others.

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Old Oct 21, 2018, 9:20 am
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Originally Posted by Takiteasy

Totally worth asking
About 30 mins drive from downtown
Thanks. I wil take it easy then...
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Old Oct 21, 2018, 9:32 am
  #83  
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Originally Posted by orbitmic
I love the timings of the 178 and its often better for me than any alternatives. I wake up early anyway, especially if Ive only been to the us for a short period, I can certainly have a full day of work on a plane (undisturbed too: bliss!) and can take a same day connection if flying elsewhere in Europe and arrive tired enough to sleep. Works much better for me than overnights way too short to sleep.

I agree with those who say that the food concept is neither the only one nor (by a long shot) the best one and I actually has costs implications unless BA is the only major European airline which is not charged more for a hot lunch/dinner than for a hot breakfast which I doubt, and its hard not to think this might be a consideration.

in terms of my meal cycles, Id much prefer one of the two alternatives described by others: brunch (rather than breakfast) with at least one lunch option (what ba deceptively call mixed grill is really more of a full English than an actual mixed grill), or even quick single tray continental breakfast with a full meal (even like the second hot meal of west coast services rather than the best new service first meal) towards the end of the flight.

Will I still pick the ba flight? Yes, it has the best timings and connections, it doesnt mean I cant conceive a meal concept that would work better for me and I suspect for a few others.

where are you flying in Europe? There are very few departures that 178 connects to except domestic and long haul
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Old Nov 28, 2018, 6:48 am
  #84  
 
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BA178 25 Nov 18

Just to share my experience on BA178 from yesterday. I connected to BA178 having arrived into JFK on AA10 (overnight from LAX) so no pre-arrival breakfast and the paltry food offerings in the BA F Lounge at this time also didn't offer the possibility of a full breakfast either, so I took the flight effectively "empty" from a food perspective. Pictures below of the food provided but in summary I found the quantity adequate.

Starter:


BA178 Starter (Continental platter)

Main:


BA189 Main (Mixed Grill)

Pre-arrival light refreshments:


BA178 Light Refreshment (pre-arrival)
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Old Nov 29, 2018, 5:03 pm
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Agreed. In an ideal world they might offer a sandwich alternative for the pre-arrival refreshment. On my outbound BA 175 (lands lunchtime NY time) the sandwiches were excellent!
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Old Nov 29, 2018, 6:03 pm
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Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
I haven't taken the AA daytime service from ORD but I imagine that's also sleep central. So some people don't take the first meals, and reject or picking at the second meal means very little food get taken - many passengers are in a pseudo-zombie state.
I've only ever used the daytime ORD-LHR flight in economy, most recently at the start of the month.

The meal at the back was a lunch/dinner affair, not breakfast (fortunately: breakfast is not a good meal in the USA on most occasions and AA economy breakfast even less so). So, salad of lettuce and (traces of) carrot, bread roll, cheese and crackers, a brownie, and (in my case) a hot dish of chicken in mildly spicy sauce, carrots and couscous. Later, a snack of a pizza roll affair (labelled as a "Stromboli", if you imagine a pizza formed into a cylinder with the filling inside you've got the idea). This is all very similar to what you get going LHR-ORD. I'm afraid I didn't see what went on at the front.

Some people slept on the flight, others stayed awake - it is definitely a daylight flight, leaving at 09:15 local time should have anyone on the US timezone fully awake. The crew locked the (economy) window opacity to 80% dark (787, so they can do that) almost the whole flight - something so irritating it would put me off that flight. That's actually the first time this has happened to me.

If one has access to the Flagship lounge at ORD, the breakfast there is quite sufficient for all needs and the concourses of ORD do not lack for places to buy food either. Anyone arriving on board without already having had breakfast has either had a very unfortunately compressed morning or didn't want to eat.
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Old Dec 1, 2018, 5:50 am
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I love the 178 service not because of the food but because of the decent London arrival time. I use the VS26, too. BA offers a hot breakfast after take off from JFK whereas VS offers a full dinner service a few hours before arrival.

I think because it's a day flight, passengers want to indulge more. After recently watching Youtube vloggers detailing every second of their inflight experiences, I realise passengers are quite porky on flights! Vlogging the food offering on different carriers does highlight how carb and sugar heavy airline food is so maybe we should all be eating less!

Now, where did I put that M and S pork pie .......
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Old Dec 1, 2018, 11:06 pm
  #88  
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🙁 Had the same experience a few months ago. Infuriating!
Originally Posted by flatlander
The crew locked the (economy) window opacity to 80% dark (787, so they can do that) almost the whole flight - something so irritating it would put me off that flight. That's actually the first time this has happened to me.
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Old Dec 2, 2018, 3:03 am
  #89  
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Originally Posted by kaizenflying
I love the 178 service not because of the food but because of the decent London arrival time. I use the VS26, too. BA offers a hot breakfast after take off from JFK whereas VS offers a full dinner service a few hours before arrival.

I think because it's a day flight, passengers want to indulge more. After recently watching Youtube vloggers detailing every second of their inflight experiences, I realise passengers are quite porky on flights! Vlogging the food offering on different carriers does highlight how carb and sugar heavy airline food is so maybe we should all be eating less!

Now, where did I put that M and S pork pie .......

but allow people the choice to make their own decisions.
AA142 much better for food options.Ido wish AA would bring back their second earlier day flight. A long time ago it was an early 767-200 then an A300 at 930-10am. That really made the BA 747-100 at the time fly very empty much of the time. (And the food was better and more of it then)
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Old Dec 10, 2018, 7:27 am
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I was on BA0178 last week (1 December) in WTP and the second meal, prior to landing, was a croissant with tomato cream cheese. Embarrassed apologies were served along with this sad offering.
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