48 in CE - good idea?!
#61
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA GGL, UA Plat, DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,380
Sometimes it goes rice and smooth, other times naan has a clue. 'Ave to give credit to a chapatis place of work though, they must yearn to poppadum(ee) into the mouth of some pax !
Probably best to limit booze intake to avoid straining the old tikka, good health is a bhuna real boon, and overeating also risks too long vindaloo....
I'll get me kofta
Probably best to limit booze intake to avoid straining the old tikka, good health is a bhuna real boon, and overeating also risks too long vindaloo....
I'll get me kofta
#62
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: UK - Hampshire & London
Programs: Mucci de Guardian des Celliers des Grands Crus 1e Class, plus BAEC.
Posts: 2,714
The cabin crew must be placed in a tricky situation, how to disengage and carry on with service without seeming rude or abrupt.
#63
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,167
#64
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: 63,462
I think a larger CE cabin is OK, so long as there are sufficient cabin crew to run the service. GVA is often of this dimension and generally works fine (though on that route many have seem to be "liquuds only"). The big advantage is that if the CE cabin goes to past the exit row it means those that are not Gold have a greater chance of the extra leg room seating.
#65
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 140
We were also on this flight back into LHR last night, I flew out on BA798 on Friday, also 12 rows of CE.
We thought the service on Friday was pretty good. The main difference from BA799 (which has been described above) being that following on from the initial drinks service the meals were taken by hand to passengers, and as soon as the BoB was finished up the back an additional FA came down to assist with meal service helping the CSM plating up (foil and plastic lids were removed in the galley) as well as delivering meals. Without the trolley the 3 of them were easily able to navigate up and down and they were appeared to be enjoy the challenge of it.
We thought the catering was a bit poor on the return flight, the 'Prawn dish' had 3/4 tray of white rice, with an inch wide of tomato with 3 prawns on top and an inch of spinach,
Agree, the FAs were lovely, I could see the CSM from my seat and he wasn't idle during meal service, he was loading trays of drinks, glassware and meals and bringing these down the aisle, along with making drinks that the trolley wasn't stocked with.
We booked October 3rd and snaffled row 1 both ways, hard luck.
We thought the service on Friday was pretty good. The main difference from BA799 (which has been described above) being that following on from the initial drinks service the meals were taken by hand to passengers, and as soon as the BoB was finished up the back an additional FA came down to assist with meal service helping the CSM plating up (foil and plastic lids were removed in the galley) as well as delivering meals. Without the trolley the 3 of them were easily able to navigate up and down and they were appeared to be enjoy the challenge of it.
We thought the catering was a bit poor on the return flight, the 'Prawn dish' had 3/4 tray of white rice, with an inch wide of tomato with 3 prawns on top and an inch of spinach,
We had 2 lovely FA's and a CSM that clearly didn't want to leave the Galley
I booked months ago and couldn't get near the front
#66
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,112
Sometimes it goes rice and smooth, other times naan has a clue. 'Ave to give credit to a chapatis place of work though, they must yearn to poppadum(ee) into the mouth of some pax !
Probably best to limit booze intake to avoid straining the old tikka, good health is a bhuna real boon, and overeating also risks too long vindaloo....
I'll get me kofta
Probably best to limit booze intake to avoid straining the old tikka, good health is a bhuna real boon, and overeating also risks too long vindaloo....
I'll get me kofta
#67
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors Gold, Priority Pass
Posts: 759
I'm not against 48 in CE at all. However running out of meals, slow service and running out of glasses is not on. I certainly would have had 4 members of cabin crew including the CSM dealing with it. Surely 48 CE and not enough meals and glasses is just sheer greed on BA's part?
#68
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Edinburgh
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors Gold, Priority Pass
Posts: 759
Serving 10 rows of CE on the Man sector is very impressive! And getting you an extra drink
#69
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,036
I'm not against 48 in CE at all. However running out of meals, slow service and running out of glasses is not on. I certainly would have had 4 members of cabin crew including the CSM dealing with it. Surely 48 CE and not enough meals and glasses is just sheer greed on BA's part?
#70
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Egham, Surrey, UK
Programs: Mucci Champion des Champions, BAG4L, *A Gold, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz Gold, Avis President
Posts: 3,416
That may be the case but on a flight to BCN recently sat in the back of CE it was very nice of the CSM to come and chat to us. She asked for our meal preference and put them to one side. Our return flight was the opposite and again sat in back of CE but no food by time we were served and a very small bucket of Avios.
On the HEL flight tomorrow morning and luckily got row 1 on way out and row 2 on flight back Sunday but it looks absolutely packed once again.
On the HEL flight tomorrow morning and luckily got row 1 on way out and row 2 on flight back Sunday but it looks absolutely packed once again.
#71
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: 5,842
We had 10 rows on MAN-LHR yesterday on a rammed densified A321. 4 crew serving CE and they managed very efficiently. I was really impressed!
#72
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Arizona
Programs: BA (GGL G4L), AA (Gold), HH (Diamond); Marriott (Gold)
Posts: 3,011
#74
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Programs: BA Gold, Accor Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 550
48 in CE is ridiculous considering BA rarely load the aircraft with sufficient provisions to cater for so many pax.
Unless theres only a handful of pax in CE, I much prefer the meals all being served from the trolley. Its much quicker and saves so much time versus tooing and froing from the galley 20 times. If youre near the front of the CE cabin, you can often have finished your meal by the time they do the drinks run which is poor service.
It ought to be drinks run, meals from the trolley, top ups, clear crockery, further drinks/clear up. You wouldnt be served food before drinks in a restaurant!
Unless theres only a handful of pax in CE, I much prefer the meals all being served from the trolley. Its much quicker and saves so much time versus tooing and froing from the galley 20 times. If youre near the front of the CE cabin, you can often have finished your meal by the time they do the drinks run which is poor service.
It ought to be drinks run, meals from the trolley, top ups, clear crockery, further drinks/clear up. You wouldnt be served food before drinks in a restaurant!
#75
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 689
Describing people are silly for choosing CE is well a little silly in itself. Whether it is work paying, you are time poor but able to afford and in need of TPs or actually just picked a bargain and want to have a little treat, particularly if you dont have status, plenary kf reasons why people choose CE, even if you dont. Im happy to travel in either cabin, but if paying for my folks for example Ill put them in CE.