Long haul in-flight catering 2023 | First

Old Jan 4, 23, 2:02 pm
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by mikeyfly View Post
I had the halibut last week and it was superb
Perhaps I got unlucky but I was served a dried out piece of fish with a couple of sad looking vegetables last week - I certainly wouldn't describe it as superb.


The crew on both this segment and the return were early 20s and so inexperienced they weren't even capable of setting a table properly which could explain it, I suppose...
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Old Jan 4, 23, 2:06 pm
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by Grande Annee View Post
Only 2 bottles of LPGS loaded per sector is very poor

Anyone know how many are supposed to be loaded per return flight?
Best you fly with me. I cant stand the stuff always refuse it when offered. Guess more for the rest of you 😉
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Old Jan 4, 23, 2:17 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by lost_in_translation View Post
Perhaps I got unlucky but I was served a dried out piece of fish with a couple of sad looking vegetables last week - I certainly wouldn't describe it as superb.


The crew on both this segment and the return were early 20s and so inexperienced they weren't even capable of setting a table properly which could explain it, I suppose...
Similar to my flight to JFK last month so. Surely BA should be putting their most senior crew in F like other airlines do
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Old Jan 4, 23, 2:57 pm
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by andymcdonnell View Post
Similar to my flight to JFK last month so. Surely BA should be putting their most senior crew in F like other airlines do
I think about 50% of my flights in the past few months I’ve had former WW crew and they were absolutely fantastic. No doubt that the return/Eastbound legs are less enthusiastic but when you are only getting 1 night down-route after flights of DFW/MIA length I can understand it at least. No doubt I feel it makes a huge difference when you can get FFD and eat well beforehand and not need to bother with an evening meal on board. JFK and the CCR used to be great for that.
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Old Jan 6, 23, 7:26 am
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by andymcdonnell View Post
Similar to my flight to JFK last month so. Surely BA should be putting their most senior crew in F like other airlines do
Do BA put more experienced crew on certain flights in F over and above others? ie are some F routes served better than others?
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Old Jan 6, 23, 10:35 am
  #21  
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Originally Posted by mclachlan4321 View Post
I got hold of the menus for my forthcoming flight from You First on 281 & 282.
Would it kill you to post the route too so people don't have to look it up?

Originally Posted by jjLDNY View Post
You are right, it is typically chicken, beef and a fish so yes it is 'safe', though given you're talking specifically on meat are you suggesting you'd like to see lamb and pork appear more often (or something more exotic?!) Lamb does sometimes make an appearance, though I can't remember when I last saw pork? Whilst I'd love to see more variety and these 2 proteins appear more often I think if you were to run a survey chicken and beef would likely be the top 2 by quite a margin so I 'get it'. They are most definitely comfort foods, the chicken often comes as a curry, and the beef dish typically comes with the traditional 'trimmings' whereas the seafood item is sometimes a little more adventurous.

What should they do? I think they just have more variety, perhaps a rotating 5th main which is a little more exotic. This I think is an achievable middleground.
Yes to lamb and pork! Although I agree pork is relatively uncommon, but you can do a pork shank or tenderloin, or shoulder works well in a stew/curry. Duck should be there as well, confit, breast, etc. On Delta business class I recently did a special pre-order (e.g., not on the on-board menu) of "Duck Parmentier" which is basically a duck shepherd's pie and was quite yummy!.

And on the fish, would maybe be nice to see scallops or lobster.
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Old Jan 6, 23, 10:48 am
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Originally Posted by mclachlan4321 View Post
Do BA put more experienced crew on certain flights in F over and above others? ie are some F routes served better than others?
Not really- the crew themselves choose their routes and although this used to be quite heavily influenced by seniority my understanding is not so much since the contracts changed at the time of Covid. There are some good stories about the old days and what CC had to do to get a trip to Buenos Aires, for instance, and how certain delays might be financially beneficial.....!!

When MF first started there was a split between WW and MF long-haul routes (much debated on FT, of course) so that routes that were served by the A380 and had MF might tend to have less experienced crew whereas if you were on a 747 to JFK you had WW and they had been doing it for many years (generally). But that was only really short term and the crews now are dispersed with a mix of long and short haul and you find very experienced crew across the fleet including on A380s, 777s and 787s in F. They should all have been trained to a minimum standard and I think you would be worrying unnecessarily if you thought there was anything much more than a very tiny chance of getting CC who were totally disinterested or somehow incompetent. Most are proud to work for BA and enjoy serving in F; IME anyway.
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Old Jan 6, 23, 11:02 am
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by ijgordon View Post
Would it kill you to post the route too so people don't have to look it up?
calm down 😂
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Old Jan 6, 23, 2:58 pm
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I was on BA 55 to JNB last month and opted to eat in the CCR despite it being the earlier of the two departures. Came back a few days ago and also opted to eat beforehand in the First Dining of the GL in JNB. My partner ate on the plane and said it was ok but nothing special.
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Old Jan 6, 23, 4:11 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by lost_in_translation View Post
Perhaps I got unlucky but I was served a dried out piece of fish with a couple of sad looking vegetables last week - I certainly wouldn't describe it as superb.


The crew on both this segment and the return were early 20s and so inexperienced they weren't even capable of setting a table properly which could explain it, I suppose...
That looks dreadful
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Old Jan 7, 23, 12:05 am
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by lost_in_translation View Post
Perhaps I got unlucky but I was served a dried out piece of fish with a couple of sad looking vegetables last week - I certainly wouldn't describe it as superb.


The crew on both this segment and the return were early 20s and so inexperienced they weren't even capable of setting a table properly which could explain it, I suppose...
No wonder you found it dry. This is not fish, it is saddle of rabbit. I hope you had the Bordeaux with it.
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Old Jan 7, 23, 2:55 am
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Ha ha! I really like that small Concorde Lounge for Dining in F - especially if you have connected. The food is nice and they are quite efficient with drinks etc there. Always a good bet. I do tend to snack in there and then eat on the plane as I find 12 hours with no food a bit much (and rarely eat breakfast) but that's just me!
FD.
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Old Jan 7, 23, 1:33 pm
  #28  
 
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Originally Posted by jjLDNY View Post
You are right, it is typically chicken, beef and a fish so yes it is 'safe', though given you're talking specifically on meat are you suggesting you'd like to see lamb and pork appear more often (or something more exotic?!) Lamb does sometimes make an appearance, though I can't remember when I last saw pork? Whilst I'd love to see more variety and these 2 proteins appear more often I think if you were to run a survey chicken and beef would likely be the top 2 by quite a margin so I 'get it'. They are most definitely comfort foods, the chicken often comes as a curry, and the beef dish typically comes with the traditional 'trimmings' whereas the seafood item is sometimes a little more adventurous.

What should they do? I think they just have more variety, perhaps a rotating 5th main which is a little more exotic. This I think is an achievable middleground.

Oh, but most of all fix the light meal and the 'snacks'. The 'snacks' are criminal and inferior to what is available after a walk back into the club kitchen.
Pork on the 192 from DFW
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Old Jan 8, 23, 11:27 am
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Old Jan 8, 23, 12:02 pm
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Originally Posted by Magnus77 View Post
Pork on the 192 from DFW
Nice menu I'd happily eat most of that.
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