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 16, 2022, 6:30 pm
#1022
Join Date: May 2009
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 2,741
Well personally, I wouldn’t mind it. But I’m sure they could come up with some middle-of-the-road dishes…
Jan 17, 2022, 3:19 am
#1023
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: London
Posts: 726
That would be require more extensive menu options however in premium classes.
I'm more interested though why BA has made this change now? Serving breakfast before landing on these far east flights has been the norm for 30+ years!
Jan 17, 2022, 3:33 am
#1024
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
That was my point, it’s hardly like BA is midway through a strategic review of its catering is it. Seems very random.
Jan 17, 2022, 8:37 am
#1025
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London
Posts: 3,439
Will the BA F menu on BA11 be the same as the end of the month? Not terribly impressive - I certainly would want an Indian meal in F (I love that it’s the British choice on the mains) and I can’t imagine that stir fry will be like anything we will get in Singapore or even our local Chinese takeaway!
The snacks are an insult - I think I’ll have to self cater from the CCR!
crazyanglaisy - will you be returning on the BA12 - I would appreciate seeing the menu for that too. Thanks.
The snacks are an insult - I think I’ll have to self cater from the CCR!
crazyanglaisy - will you be returning on the BA12 - I would appreciate seeing the menu for that too. Thanks.
Jan 18, 2022, 11:58 pm
#1028
Join Date: May 2019
Programs: HHonors Silver, BA Gold
Posts: 27
No gesture, no compensation, no refund of any kind. Just a bland statement of acknowledgement of my "feedback". Is it worth escalating this and trying again? Or is this the new normal with catering complaints -its pretty much a cut and paste from a response I had a few months ago about the vile COVID secure beetroot sandwiches. Sorry your food was raw, guess we'll try and cook it properly next time, good luck!
Jan 19, 2022, 12:42 am
#1029
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
The BA response to my complaint about raw food was..."I'm very disappointed to hear that the food was inedible. We don’t underestimate how important food and drink are to your enjoyment of the flight. We refresh our food and drink menus in Club Europe cabins every two weeks and use feedback like yours to guide us as we do. This incident wasn't a representation of our usual service, therefore, I've passed on your complaint to our Catering team to investigate this further"
No gesture, no compensation, no refund of any kind. Just a bland statement of acknowledgement of my "feedback". Is it worth escalating this and trying again? Or is this the new normal with catering complaints -its pretty much a cut and paste from a response I had a few months ago about the vile COVID secure beetroot sandwiches. Sorry your food was raw, guess we'll try and cook it properly next time, good luck!
No gesture, no compensation, no refund of any kind. Just a bland statement of acknowledgement of my "feedback". Is it worth escalating this and trying again? Or is this the new normal with catering complaints -its pretty much a cut and paste from a response I had a few months ago about the vile COVID secure beetroot sandwiches. Sorry your food was raw, guess we'll try and cook it properly next time, good luck!
Cast iron proof that the company rates on board food as having zero importance. Honestly just fly someone else if this matters.
Jan 19, 2022, 1:03 am
#1030
Join Date: May 2019
Programs: HHonors Silver, BA Gold
Posts: 27
The basic issue of cooking aside the food on board isn't actually often that important to me as I do prefer to eat in the lounge/airport. Its the response and lack of interest/caring that really triggered me.
I have voted with my wallet as far as I can which is sad as I have enjoyed traveling with BA over the years but my tolerance does have its limits.
I have voted with my wallet as far as I can which is sad as I have enjoyed traveling with BA over the years but my tolerance does have its limits.
Jan 19, 2022, 2:19 am
#1031
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Hertfordshire, UK
Programs: BA Blue, Qatar Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott Gold
Posts: 494
The BA response to my complaint about raw food was..."I'm very disappointed to hear that the food was inedible. We don’t underestimate how important food and drink are to your enjoyment of the flight. We refresh our food and drink menus in Club Europe cabins every two weeks and use feedback like yours to guide us as we do. This incident wasn't a representation of our usual service, therefore, I've passed on your complaint to our Catering team to investigate this further"
No gesture, no compensation, no refund of any kind. Just a bland statement of acknowledgement of my "feedback". Is it worth escalating this and trying again? Or is this the new normal with catering complaints -its pretty much a cut and paste from a response I had a few months ago about the vile COVID secure beetroot sandwiches. Sorry your food was raw, guess we'll try and cook it properly next time, good luck!
No gesture, no compensation, no refund of any kind. Just a bland statement of acknowledgement of my "feedback". Is it worth escalating this and trying again? Or is this the new normal with catering complaints -its pretty much a cut and paste from a response I had a few months ago about the vile COVID secure beetroot sandwiches. Sorry your food was raw, guess we'll try and cook it properly next time, good luck!
Jan 19, 2022, 4:06 am
#1032
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
The basic issue of cooking aside the food on board isn't actually often that important to me as I do prefer to eat in the lounge/airport. Its the response and lack of interest/caring that really triggered me.
I have voted with my wallet as far as I can which is sad as I have enjoyed traveling with BA over the years but my tolerance does have its limits.
I have voted with my wallet as far as I can which is sad as I have enjoyed traveling with BA over the years but my tolerance does have its limits.
For once, this isn’t a question of too few staff, training or lack of budget. This is BA doubling down and saying that it’s entirely acceptable to serve raw food. Staggering.
Jan 19, 2022, 4:58 am
#1033
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,364
Unless I need to invest in a new pair of glasses, it seems to me that the response from CR does not say that at all. One could certainly argue that the response is insufficient but I do not think that it can reasonably be said that BA have said that.
Jan 19, 2022, 5:39 am
#1034
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
Personally, I am looking deeper than the platitudes, which cost nothing.
Jan 19, 2022, 6:41 am
#1035
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,364
I would most certainly agree on that (as I suspect most people) but it is simply and demonstrably not the case that BA have said that it is entirely acceptable to serve raw food and I personally do not think that an argument is strengthened by putting forward inaccurate statements to support it..