BA281 - LHR-LAX - delayed as not enough meals loaded.
Jan 16, 2023, 10:20 am
#16
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,255
Well they certainly cant use passengers booking with less than 6 hours to departure as the excuse this time.
Fear not, Ive walked into an aircraft and found it hasnt been cleaned and still had the inbound catering loaded within the past couple of months, so much for that on time departure.
Fear not, Ive walked into an aircraft and found it hasnt been cleaned and still had the inbound catering loaded within the past couple of months, so much for that on time departure.
Jan 16, 2023, 10:53 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Berkshire, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold, VS Gold, HH Diamond, Accor Gold
Posts: 118
I had a 30 mins or delay on Saturday at LHR waiting to fly to SOF, as they’d somehow loaded the catering for the AMS flight, so we had to wait for them to unload/reload !
Jan 16, 2023, 11:00 am
#18
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: GLA
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 2,970
It also shows that shrugging one's shoulders and accepting this is becoming endemic here. The NHS is failing, the unions are on strike and it all feels very managed decline and 1970s once more. Perhaps we're heading for another "Thatcher" type reset, or a Lord King will come along and give the business a well needed shake up. But a lot of this is poor management.
Jan 16, 2023, 11:04 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Sussex
Programs: BA; IHG; LHW; Hilton
Posts: 811
Bit of a leap. My point was rather that unless there is some systemic reason why BA consistently fails to load meals (and reading some of the replies above, there may be), there's precious little point in getting worked up about it. Delivery trucks breakdown, people misread the order, pick up the wrong trolley - it happens. I've been known not to be perfect myself.
Jan 16, 2023, 11:33 am
#20
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,244
I'm not that fussed about airline food no matter what cabin I'm in. However I'd rather the flight be delayed than have to do without on such a long flight.
The pandemic has caused problems in all areas so I'd tend to forgive and forget.
The pandemic has caused problems in all areas so I'd tend to forgive and forget.
Jan 16, 2023, 11:40 am
#21
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: GLA
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 2,970
Jan 16, 2023, 12:26 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: SAN
Programs: Nothing, nowhere!
Posts: 23,377
I'm with you, and often decline to eat onboard, but I was shouted down the last time I dared mention that point of view on this forum!
I think there have been flights where a decision was made to depart on-time instead of wait for catering to be loaded, but that was when they knew in advance catering would be delayed or unavailable and people were notified at check-in and given vouchers to buy food in the terminal.
I think there have been flights where a decision was made to depart on-time instead of wait for catering to be loaded, but that was when they knew in advance catering would be delayed or unavailable and people were notified at check-in and given vouchers to buy food in the terminal.
Jan 16, 2023, 1:17 pm
#24
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: London, Babylon-on-Thames
Programs: BAEC Blue (back to Earth)
Posts: 1,523
And the pandemic is being used as an excuse not to meet previously attainable standards. It's a "that'll do, what exactly WERE you expecting?" thinking. The pandemic is now behind us, the impact on the economy will be with us for years. There actually is something to be said for the view of firing the worst 5% of managers annually to keep the rest sharp.
Jan 16, 2023, 1:47 pm
#25
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: London
Posts: 733
Indeed, many managers at BA and other organisations have been found waning given the supply of plentiful labour and cheap money is no more.
They actually have to make hard decisions, define solutions and manage which appears beyond many of our professional managerial class in both the public and private sectors.
They actually have to make hard decisions, define solutions and manage which appears beyond many of our professional managerial class in both the public and private sectors.
Jan 16, 2023, 2:45 pm
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 182
Jan 16, 2023, 4:54 pm
#28
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,244
And the pandemic is being used as an excuse not to meet previously attainable standards. It's a "that'll do, what exactly WERE you expecting?" thinking. The pandemic is now behind us, the impact on the economy will be with us for years. There actually is something to be said for the view of firing the worst 5% of managers annually to keep the rest sharp.
Jan 16, 2023, 11:05 pm
#29
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, Total Wine & More Reserve
Posts: 4,590
Same happened to me on BA287 a few months ago, or at least it was described as some sore of catering issue. Caused about an 45 minute delay in boarding.
Momentarily thought about heading back to the T5B lounge since they didn't provide a precise estimate on when boarding would start, but decided to hang around T5C as I didn't want to stress out about missing the flight.
Momentarily thought about heading back to the T5B lounge since they didn't provide a precise estimate on when boarding would start, but decided to hang around T5C as I didn't want to stress out about missing the flight.
Jan 17, 2023, 12:53 am
#30
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,280
I'm sorry if this offends you, but as I sit in my rather cold office on the Bath road, with a half-decent view of the northern runway, I'm acutely aware that in my company we're short of 5x engineers as the 5 we had before Covid returned to their home countries and we can't hire from Europe. I know of a caterer (not used by BA) that has about a 30% vacancy rate, can't retain UK staff even if they pay more than the London living wage and are struggling incredibly hard to hire overseas thanks to a very sluggish Home Office process. I know of handlers in the same situation. I know HAL is short of security staff, I know BA Engineering is short of Engineers as plenty in the 50-60 age bracket took early retirement during Covid and the attrition rate among apprentices is simply staggering (something echoed by various MROs, and they all pay decent wages for a starter) and last but not least I heard the Fire Brigade was having trouble too, but that's second-hand news.
Covid undoubtedly exacerbated the problem, but the end of freedom of movement, and the fact that CAA and EASA are no longer aligned, are self-inflicted wounds caused by Brexit. The air transport industry raised these concerns since 2016, they were thoroughly ignored and continue to be so. We are reaping what we've sowed and, to be fair, I don't see this changing at any time soon.
Covid undoubtedly exacerbated the problem, but the end of freedom of movement, and the fact that CAA and EASA are no longer aligned, are self-inflicted wounds caused by Brexit. The air transport industry raised these concerns since 2016, they were thoroughly ignored and continue to be so. We are reaping what we've sowed and, to be fair, I don't see this changing at any time soon.