Your success rate on a glass of ET tap water?
 

As many on here know, I object to the principle of BoB and thus never avail to its formidably tempting (sorry I don't remember the official PR/menu wording) offer. I do however drown myself in water and whilst I always carry my refilled small water bottle, if I fill that this won't be enough, I regularly ask the crew for a glass of tap water (yes, the free stuff that looks like a chalky cloud when it is just out of the tank and which the crew themselves refuse to drink) "when you'll get a chance" when they pass with their trolley in ET. I phrase it that way because I know that they are supposed to do the BoB first and then bring tap water to whoever asked after that has ended only.

So far, my success rate of being brought my glass of tap water either during the service or within 10 minutes of its ending and the crew being able to chat or read papers in the back galley (that's more or less the point when I consider that they have forgotten) is about 20% on 50+ observations. Most of that success is when crew "disobey" the formal rule and choose to pick up the glass of tap water either immediately after I ask or when they have a reason to go back to the galley shortly afterwards or on the now extremely rare occasions when the SCCM comes to say hi, ask me if my flight is comfortable (or some similar wording) and I just point out to the glass of tap water again. I exclude from the count flights so short that the crew don't have time to do anything after the BoB service and have to immediately start duty free (effectively band 1) when to be honest I don't tend to ask for it anyway except if I've taken a massive sprint through the airport for any reason (part of the connecting passenger life I guess...).

Now, to be clear, this is not a rant against cabin crew, but the point I am making is that the system/structure in place seems to make everything dependent on them "remembering" which is neither fair on crew, nor on passengers. I'm also sure many of you will point that I should just pay for bottled water (I won't, and many others won't either, and it is not me who is proposing to still give free tap water, it is BA), that those glasses of tap water are not guaranteed by BA anyway and are just if time permits (but first, nowadays, almost nothing is ever guaranteed in the air or elsewhere, not the seat, not the routing, not the meal, not the entertainment, etc and we still discuss the lack of provision when it occurs here, and second, I'm only talking of cases when there is no doubt that this was forgotten, typically because I then go to the bathroom, ask whoever is around reading or eating whether I could have a glass of tap water and invariably get the person I first talked to exclaiming: "oh, I'm really sorry, I forgot"). I would also point out that being lucky enough to select my seats, I invariably sit either at the very front of the cabin or in the exit rows which are typically quite far forward too so there is plenty of time to forget. So my thread has two points:

1) Understand if I'm alone in my lack of luck here.

- What are other people's success rates on tap water?

- Maybe people who ask differently get more success or I'm just unnoticeable for whatever reason?

- Is there any other tip for effectiveness?

2) Constructive suggestions.

- Of course, my preference would still be that BA shows formidable amounts of generosity by carrying large bottles of still and sparkling water and perhaps big pots of tea and coffee to offer for free to everyone which would make my point redundant, but I don't really want to reopen that debate and if BA won't consider that, they could still provide jugs that crew could take during their BoB round to serve tap water as they pass. I'm sure there will be objection that there is no space on the trolleys etc, but ultimately, if AY and a few others have ways of finding space for tea, coffee, blueberry juice, and mineral water, then there is a way to find room for a single jug of water for BA too.

- Provide crew with a little notebook and pen on which they can write the numbers of the seats asking for tap water?

- Crew pressing the button of the relevant seats until they've had a chance to bring the tap water to remind themselves (I like that option less as call buttons have other use but I'm trying to think broadly)

- Anything else?

I doubt the website promises a working toilet either. But I suppose one could reasonably expect certain basic amenities...

It was part of the announcement, loud and clear, when BoB was introduced. Multiple crew have also confirmed that serving free tap water after BoB is SOP. Obviously it cannot be in the M&S menu since it is not for sale. In any case, I'm glad that I was right on:



;)

My recollection is that it is a requirement that it offer water free of charge and not something that is just an internal procedural thing

Free tap water on a flight is a legal requirement (AFAIK, happy to be corrected). Not sure if it is just EU airlines (or those operating to the EU too), but tap water has to be an option. BA is no exception. I may be wrong, or it's grey area in the law/rules (?) and they don't want to be caught out? (i.e. If someone on a 4 hour flight didn't have a way of purchasing water, needed it and passed out, not such a good news story for BA.)

This is what I thought too. Should apply to other BOB airlines too, such as RYR, EZY & WZZ.

Only legal requirement I believe is in case of delays of more than hour access to toilets + water must be granted.

i understand the responses however i too recall "free tap water!!!" (said like oprah) being an option to BoB when the announcement was made.

i also agree with the fact that it is indeed reliant on memory so it is understandable why crew would not recall after serving another 100 people after the OP--but really. this is plane tank tap water (which i would never drink) and if the OP wants it--he should get it!

side note--i cant believe thats true about IB! never flown them so didn't realize they could be WORSE than BA :P

You should be free to drink water from the Thames too but why would you want to? I personally don’t like paying for BoB when it was free before but I’ll pick up a bottle of water from a lounge or buy in boots

On this occasion my health is more important than my principles haha

I sometimes ask for water when travelling ET, which admittedly isn't that often, but I did so twice last week and was served immediately. It was only because I didn't have a mobile phone with me, I've no problem paying since I mentally add £2 to the fare. In both cases they had some not-totally-full bottles on the trolley, so it may not have come from the tank. I can't recall being forgotten, I'm more likely to be offered a free mini bottle by the SCCM.

Tea and coffee is made from tank water and of course that isn't taken anywhere near 100c along the way. So far it hasn't killed me.