Jan 22, 2021, 4:50 pm
Last edit by: Enigma368
Modified COVID-19 catering, effective 20 January 2021 until further notice.
Previous discussion: COVID Friendly Catering Revealed By British Airways
A reduced service has resumed in all cabins, including steel cutlery, glassware and chinaware in premium cabins. Choice may be limited in some cabins and on some routes. Some elements may be delivered covered for safety. All meals apart from First are served on single trays. Portion sizes, particularly in Club World, have been significantly reduced compared to pre-Covid.
On BA CityFlyer full service has resumed, with the exception of hot towels and warmed bread in Club Europe. See dedicated wiki thread for full details.
Details of the current service are available on BA.com
Changes from pre-COVID service:
Euro Traveller
Previous discussion: COVID Friendly Catering Revealed By British Airways
A reduced service has resumed in all cabins, including steel cutlery, glassware and chinaware in premium cabins. Choice may be limited in some cabins and on some routes. Some elements may be delivered covered for safety. All meals apart from First are served on single trays. Portion sizes, particularly in Club World, have been significantly reduced compared to pre-Covid.
On BA CityFlyer full service has resumed, with the exception of hot towels and warmed bread in Club Europe. See dedicated wiki thread for full details.
Details of the current service are available on BA.com
Changes from pre-COVID service:
Euro Traveller
- Buy-on-board M&S menu replaced with pre-order Tom Kerridge menu
- Complimentary bottle of water and packaged ambient snack offered to all passengers
- Band 1 now receives the same service as Express (light breakfast > brunch > lunch > afternoon tea > dinner)
- Band 2 now receives the same service as Bands 3 and 4 (breakfast > rest of the day)
- Band 3 should still have a drinks run before serving lunch and dinner
- No hot towels
- No menus on Band 3 / Band 4 services
- Dessert served in ceramic dish rather than plastic pot
- No starter for Express / Band 1 lunch and dinner services
- No cheese for Band 3 / Band 4 rest of the day services
- One fewer sandwich for afternoon tea services
- One type of (warm) bread roll available, wrapped in sealed plastic, served from a basket
- No roll/butter served with main meal, cheese and crackers also not provided
- Inflight snack (previously took the form of a Magnum ice cream) and tuck box suspended - replaced with Walkers shortbread o/r from galley.
- TBC
- No hot towels
- Meals served on one tray at the same time
- No choice of starter or dessert
- Portion sizes have been substantially reduced. Starters, cheese and dessert are all served in mini ramekins
- No hot towels
Modified COVID-19 catering, effective 20 January 2021
Jan 3, 2022, 2:46 pm
#961
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Scotland & London
Programs: BA GGL, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Mucci des Salons Ouvrants
Posts: 3,033
aks120
Jan 3, 2022, 2:50 pm
#962
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: York, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, Honors Diamond
Posts: 1,184
How strange! Whenever I've taken the vegetarian sandwiches onboard the rest of it has been identical.
Jan 3, 2022, 5:32 pm
#963
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,928
Vegetarian Afternoon Tea option on Glasgow flight. Avoid this like the plague - never seen cucumber cut so thinly and on such a dry piece of bread. Plus hummus should never be a sandwich spread 
I also questioned where the scone was - that is it I was told….. no I think that is a bread roll. Nope you have jam so it will be the scone - can’t argue with logic like that!
aks120
I also questioned where the scone was - that is it I was told….. no I think that is a bread roll. Nope you have jam so it will be the scone - can’t argue with logic like that!
aks120
BA needs to wake up, this level of catering is just unacceptable.
Jan 4, 2022, 4:47 am
#965
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Programs: BA Gold, Mucci
Posts: 2,068
Vegetarian Afternoon Tea option on Glasgow flight. Avoid this like the plague - never seen cucumber cut so thinly and on such a dry piece of bread. Plus hummus should never be a sandwich spread
I also questioned where the scone was - that is it I was told….. no I think that is a bread roll. Nope you have jam so it will be the scone - can’t argue with logic like that!
I also questioned where the scone was - that is it I was told….. no I think that is a bread roll. Nope you have jam so it will be the scone - can’t argue with logic like that!
Unbelievable regarding the scone. That is awful, I would have been really annoyed by the response, especially as it's abundantly clear it's not a scone. I would have pushed on that - maybe they heated the wrong things in the galley. Poor show all round.
Jan 4, 2022, 4:51 am
#966
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,982
It is a bread roll from the well known Magritte bakery.
Actually a surrealist catering company doing CE food would probably be more appealing than what we are getting atm. At least you could be intrigued by what is served.
Actually a surrealist catering company doing CE food would probably be more appealing than what we are getting atm. At least you could be intrigued by what is served.
Jan 13, 2022, 4:10 am
#967
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 587
Didn't know where best to post this however the current aim to return service to normal is March for short haul and from May for long haul. This is to be phased in over time. Apparently, the largest issue currently is crewing levels which is what's pushed this forecast back somewhat.
Additionally, LOS/ABV should shortly return to locally catered routes (they're currently return catered ex-LHR) so the proposition on these may change in the coming weeks/months.
All subject to change I guess.
Additionally, LOS/ABV should shortly return to locally catered routes (they're currently return catered ex-LHR) so the proposition on these may change in the coming weeks/months.
All subject to change I guess.
Jan 13, 2022, 4:21 am
#968
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Programs: BA Blue, Qatar Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott Gold
Posts: 494
Didn't know where best to post this however the current aim to return service to normal is March for short haul and from May for long haul. This is to be phased in over time. Apparently, the largest issue currently is crewing levels which is what's pushed this forecast back somewhat.
Additionally, LOS/ABV should shortly return to locally catered routes (they're currently return catered ex-LHR) so the proposition on these may change in the coming weeks/months.
All subject to change I guess.
Additionally, LOS/ABV should shortly return to locally catered routes (they're currently return catered ex-LHR) so the proposition on these may change in the coming weeks/months.
All subject to change I guess.
Introducing our new Club Europe catering: We know you are looking after yourself this year, and we want to help you with that with our new healthy gourmet catering. On flights up to 2 hours, expect to receive delights such as a 1/8th slice of bread lovingly prepared with a slither of chicken and to finish, a single smartie. We apologise if your choice of smartie colour is not available.
Jan 13, 2022, 4:26 am
#969
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,541
I just really hope normal doesn’t mean the return of the ghastly afternoon tea to band 2 and we keep the hot meal!!! And the water and crisps in Y…
Jan 13, 2022, 4:50 am
#970
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Spitalfields, London
Programs: BA Gold, KFC 'The Colonel's Club' Palladium tier, Mucci des Visions Célestes du Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Posts: 2,327
Didn't know where best to post this however the current aim to return service to normal is March for short haul and from May for long haul. This is to be phased in over time. Apparently, the largest issue currently is crewing levels which is what's pushed this forecast back somewhat.
Additionally, LOS/ABV should shortly return to locally catered routes (they're currently return catered ex-LHR) so the proposition on these may change in the coming weeks/months.
All subject to change I guess.
Additionally, LOS/ABV should shortly return to locally catered routes (they're currently return catered ex-LHR) so the proposition on these may change in the coming weeks/months.
All subject to change I guess.
True to form, it's a case of plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, where BA spending a single penny is concerned. Cost reductions implemented with stunning agility of course! Thank god I don't have any flights booked with them.
Jan 13, 2022, 5:10 am
#971
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 587
Just relaying what I've heard.
I'd imagine by 'normal' they mean full-size trays with all the 'accessories' & Magnums in WT; choices of starters/desserts in CW; soups etc in CW/F. They've previously stated water & crisps are here to stay in ET.
I'd imagine the LH rollout would begin in May and conclude by the end of the year. I appreciate penny pinching springs to mind (and agree it may be much of the motivation), however, we really are undercrewed and we simply can't deliver the pre-covid service with current crewing levels without it taking hours. All long haul crew complements (except B788) are planned at -1, and on the day may fall to -2 or -3 with crew sickness/isolation etc.
New entrant courses begin next month so we may see an improvement from then.
I'd imagine by 'normal' they mean full-size trays with all the 'accessories' & Magnums in WT; choices of starters/desserts in CW; soups etc in CW/F. They've previously stated water & crisps are here to stay in ET.
I'd imagine the LH rollout would begin in May and conclude by the end of the year. I appreciate penny pinching springs to mind (and agree it may be much of the motivation), however, we really are undercrewed and we simply can't deliver the pre-covid service with current crewing levels without it taking hours. All long haul crew complements (except B788) are planned at -1, and on the day may fall to -2 or -3 with crew sickness/isolation etc.
New entrant courses begin next month so we may see an improvement from then.
Jan 13, 2022, 5:16 am
#972
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Spitalfields, London
Programs: BA Gold, KFC 'The Colonel's Club' Palladium tier, Mucci des Visions Célestes du Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Posts: 2,327
Just relaying what I've heard.
I'd imagine by 'normal' they mean full-size trays with all the 'accessories' & Magnums in WT; choices of starters/desserts in CW; soups etc in CW/F. They've previously stated water & crisps are here to stay in ET.
I'd imagine the LH rollout would begin in May and conclude by the end of the year. I appreciate penny pinching springs to mind (and agree it may be much of the motivation), however, we really are undercrewed and we simply can't deliver the pre-covid service with current crewing levels without it taking hours. All long haul crew complements (except B788) are planned at -1, and on the day may fall to -2 or -3 with crew sickness/isolation etc.
New entrant courses begin next month so we may see an improvement from then.
I'd imagine by 'normal' they mean full-size trays with all the 'accessories' & Magnums in WT; choices of starters/desserts in CW; soups etc in CW/F. They've previously stated water & crisps are here to stay in ET.
I'd imagine the LH rollout would begin in May and conclude by the end of the year. I appreciate penny pinching springs to mind (and agree it may be much of the motivation), however, we really are undercrewed and we simply can't deliver the pre-covid service with current crewing levels without it taking hours. All long haul crew complements (except B788) are planned at -1, and on the day may fall to -2 or -3 with crew sickness/isolation etc.
New entrant courses begin next month so we may see an improvement from then.
Perhaps time to take back some of the CC who left before?!
Jan 13, 2022, 5:22 am
#974
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Spitalfields, London
Programs: BA Gold, KFC 'The Colonel's Club' Palladium tier, Mucci des Visions Célestes du Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Posts: 2,327
Jan 13, 2022, 5:23 am
#975
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Buckinghamshire
Programs: BAEC Gold Guest List, Hilton Honours Diamond, Accor Gold
Posts: 2,303
does anyone know whether BA geeks monitor this thread and website?! Surely they do!