Inadequate F Catering Levels
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: UK
Programs: MUCCI, British Airways Executive Club Gold
Posts: 1,790
Inadequate F Catering Levels
Recently flew ex-LHR on a 789 where 5/8 seats were occupied in First. All passengers had luckily pre ordered main courses. However, there was a completely illogical loading of starters and desserts. The crew proactively apologised and said 4 of one type had been loaded and one of each for the others. Ditto with dessert and not enough cheese for all passengers. Again, the same scenario with breakfast.
Is this normal? I thought everything would have had at least two of every choice? It was a bit embarrassing bartering around the cabin who could have what! Everybody found it quite light hearted but seriously what a joke in F!
There wasnt any shortage in booze, however! It made me think does the drink level get adjusted with flight load too or is it standard?
Is this normal? I thought everything would have had at least two of every choice? It was a bit embarrassing bartering around the cabin who could have what! Everybody found it quite light hearted but seriously what a joke in F!
There wasnt any shortage in booze, however! It made me think does the drink level get adjusted with flight load too or is it standard?
#2
Join Date: May 2009
Location: London
Programs: BAEC GGL & CCR
Posts: 59
In my experience yes
My experience of the smaller F cabin is yes there is less choice. On a recent return to London where you cant pre-order I was last to be asked my my choice. It was presented as all I have left is.... hardly a first class experience. No apologies. No status recognition.
#3
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,899
Recently flew ex-LHR on a 789 where 5/8 seats were occupied in First. All passengers had luckily pre ordered main courses. However, there was a completely illogical loading of starters and desserts. The crew proactively apologised and said 4 of one type had been loaded and one of each for the others. Ditto with dessert and not enough cheese for all passengers. Again, the same scenario with breakfast.
Is this normal? I thought everything would have had at least two of every choice? It was a bit embarrassing bartering around the cabin who could have what! Everybody found it quite light hearted but seriously what a joke in F!
There wasnt any shortage in booze, however! It made me think does the drink level get adjusted with flight load too or is it standard?
Is this normal? I thought everything would have had at least two of every choice? It was a bit embarrassing bartering around the cabin who could have what! Everybody found it quite light hearted but seriously what a joke in F!
There wasnt any shortage in booze, however! It made me think does the drink level get adjusted with flight load too or is it standard?
#4
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: DUB/ORD/SIN/PVG
Programs: EI AerClub Concierge, EK Gold, BA Gold, BD Gold (Retired), HHonors Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Gold
Posts: 2,922
My experience of the smaller F cabin is yes there is less choice. On a recent return to London where you cant pre-order I was last to be asked my my choice. It was presented as all I have left is.... hardly a first class experience. No apologies. No status recognition.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,829
Hi,,
I have seen a few posts here ( not sure if on a 789 or not) that on one leg the cabin ran out of LGPS ( only 1 or 2 bottles) -not sure if it was a catering snafu or the outbound pax drank most of it.
Regards
TBS
I have seen a few posts here ( not sure if on a 789 or not) that on one leg the cabin ran out of LGPS ( only 1 or 2 bottles) -not sure if it was a catering snafu or the outbound pax drank most of it.
Regards
TBS
#6
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: UA 1K, BA GGL/CCR, TK Elite Plus, Marriott Gold4Lyfe, HH Diamond, Avis PC, Hertz PC, Tesco Blue
Posts: 270
Curious that these catering "snafus" always seem to go in BA's favor. I wonder if there are examples of it going the other direction, say, 14/16 bottles of LPGS loaded instead of the usual 7/8? Somehow I doubt it...
#8
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,899
#12
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: 63,465
I can give you an example in the other direction from just yesterday. On my KIX-LHR, a long day time flight where the Club Kitchen normally comes under stress, the Kitchen supplies were so generous they couldn't put all the items out, and the crew were left making walk-throughs down the aisles every 30 minutes with the basket, trying to offload all the sandwiches, biscuits and noodles. After a while this was upped to every 20 minutes, pour encourager les autres. Most of the travellers in CW were Japanese and I suspect not regular BA passengers, and were left somewhat baffled by the huge quantity of food being rained down on them.
#13
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,338
Is it not just First but Club too? I was recently in CE with 5 passengers and the loading was 4, 1 and 1.
I was in row 2 and Gold and had no choice, First World problems I know and I asked the CSM just to capture my feedback and she said I’d prefer if you asked on boarding what was being served and ask for one to be saved. I would feel very uncomfortable doing that because when boarding crews are busy and there could be other Golds or GGL on board. Appreciate you can’t have waste. I did say to the CSM it’s a First World Problem and that in row 8 of 8 going to GIB I got my first choice and she said with larger cabins more variety is loaded hence my question is on lightly loaded First cabins will Choice be restricted?
I was in row 2 and Gold and had no choice, First World problems I know and I asked the CSM just to capture my feedback and she said I’d prefer if you asked on boarding what was being served and ask for one to be saved. I would feel very uncomfortable doing that because when boarding crews are busy and there could be other Golds or GGL on board. Appreciate you can’t have waste. I did say to the CSM it’s a First World Problem and that in row 8 of 8 going to GIB I got my first choice and she said with larger cabins more variety is loaded hence my question is on lightly loaded First cabins will Choice be restricted?
#14
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,341
To the OP, make sure you send in a complaint, whilst there's certainly no guarantee that BA will change their ways, it's very unlikely that they will if people don't complain about it. You might also earn yourself some avios in the process.
#15
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL, BA LTG/GFL, Honors Diamond, Accor Platinum, Bonvoy Silver
Posts: 711
My understanding from cabin crew posts over the years is that the service standard is supposed to be, to take all orders from the F and J cabin. If there is then a shortfall in choice(s) when all orders are collated from the respective cabins, they are prioritised by status with the lowest ranking passenger in that cabin getting the "sorry, but we've run out of x, would you like y or z?". I have received suitable avios twice for that approach not being followed in F and prioritisation instead being done by seat row.
Last edited by rjn21; May 21, 2019 at 8:31 am