Club Europe : Run out of food! How can I ensure I get a meal ?
Oct 18, 2023, 12:36 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 851
Club Europe : Run out of food! How can I ensure I get a meal ?
Flew back from Lyon the other day in Club (nice lunge there by the way) pleasant crew and all good until mean service.
I was in row 5 of 6 was served last fine no probe. I thought prob won’t get first choice of meal - but was somewhat surprised to learn that they had run out of meals.
Had a bread roll (and another dropped completely accidentally) into my lap.
How often does BA get it that wrong in its catering calcs?
crew were mortified and apologetic - was a bit off really (albeit clearly decided it was my ‘lucky’ night to not get fed by serving me last)
I was in row 5 of 6 was served last fine no probe. I thought prob won’t get first choice of meal - but was somewhat surprised to learn that they had run out of meals.
Had a bread roll (and another dropped completely accidentally) into my lap.
How often does BA get it that wrong in its catering calcs?
crew were mortified and apologetic - was a bit off really (albeit clearly decided it was my ‘lucky’ night to not get fed by serving me last)
Oct 18, 2023, 12:39 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,266
Maybe someone purchased an Airport Upgrade in Lyon, and took a meal on board leaving them short? I’ve been in NCE a while back when a lady bought (at hideous cost) an upgrade into CE and was told she would not be getting a meal on board.
Oct 18, 2023, 12:58 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,575
Sounds like it was possibly the crew's fault. If there were op ups, late bookings or airport upgrades then those passengers shouldn't have been served until everyone else had their meals. Which is pretty awkward for the crew to maange! I was on a flight on Monday with 3 x op ups and I heard the crew discussing how obvious it was that there the flight would go out completely full (which I could have told you from expertflyer) so they didn't understand why they hadn't been fully catered.
Or perhaps there was a genuine error with the food loading but they should also have noticed this.
Pop in a complaint and you'll get a decent slug of Avios - at least it was a short flight!
Or perhaps there was a genuine error with the food loading but they should also have noticed this.
Pop in a complaint and you'll get a decent slug of Avios - at least it was a short flight!
Oct 18, 2023, 1:55 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 27
Flew back from Lyon the other day in Club (nice lunge there by the way) pleasant crew and all good until mean service.
I was in row 5 of 6 was served last fine no probe. I thought prob won’t get first choice of meal - but was somewhat surprised to learn that they had run out of meals.
Had a bread roll (and another dropped completely accidentally) into my lap.
How often does BA get it that wrong in its catering calcs?
crew were mortified and apologetic - was a bit off really (albeit clearly decided it was my ‘lucky’ night to not get fed by serving me last)
I was in row 5 of 6 was served last fine no probe. I thought prob won’t get first choice of meal - but was somewhat surprised to learn that they had run out of meals.
Had a bread roll (and another dropped completely accidentally) into my lap.
How often does BA get it that wrong in its catering calcs?
crew were mortified and apologetic - was a bit off really (albeit clearly decided it was my ‘lucky’ night to not get fed by serving me last)
Oct 18, 2023, 2:03 pm
#5
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,990
There definitely should be sufficient meals for everyone booked on. It’s not routine to short cater for those booked on. All short hail is catered from base (LHR/LGW/LCY), so nothing is loaded down route.
The exceptions would be potentially for opups either on the outbound and return, or those who bought last minute airport upgrades especially on the return. The process if there aren’t enough for all include the upgrades should be to serve them last - it’s entirely fair that opups only get a meal if there are some left, and I say that having been opup’ed myself occasionally.
The exceptions would be potentially for opups either on the outbound and return, or those who bought last minute airport upgrades especially on the return. The process if there aren’t enough for all include the upgrades should be to serve them last - it’s entirely fair that opups only get a meal if there are some left, and I say that having been opup’ed myself occasionally.
Oct 18, 2023, 2:05 pm
#6
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
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Posts: 42,990
Assuming you were not given a free operational upgrade, this shouldn’t happen. If you haven’t already done so, please submit a complaint.
Oct 18, 2023, 2:05 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: A3*G,BA Silver
Posts: 2,012
I don’t think this is accurate. As far as I know they should have enough food for all CE passengers.
Oct 18, 2023, 2:09 pm
#8
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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From what I can gather, the communication onus is on the ground agents, to point out to the SCCM that there is an AUP passenger on board. And when sold the AUP passenger is told they may not get a meal before they part with their money. Usually someone doesn't want to eat so in fact mostly AUPs are able to get a meal, and from LON airports they can adjust catering upwards for AUPs sold in LON. You sometimes see the dispatcher walking them into the galley. I gather that the communication from ground agent to SCCM doesn't always happen.
Other things that can happen: undetected self-upgrader (I've seen this happen and them then getting a public reprimand from the IFL); and on small CE cabins, the trays may not fill the trolley and the last tray then slides down the back accidentally.
But BA's policy is to have a tray per CE customer, even on flights such as the overnight AGP-LGW service when very few people want to eat at 3 am.
Other things that can happen: undetected self-upgrader (I've seen this happen and them then getting a public reprimand from the IFL); and on small CE cabins, the trays may not fill the trolley and the last tray then slides down the back accidentally.
But BA's policy is to have a tray per CE customer, even on flights such as the overnight AGP-LGW service when very few people want to eat at 3 am.
Oct 18, 2023, 2:14 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Posts: 19,107
This is definitely partly a crew error, the meals should have been counted and the SCCM should have realised that they were short, it shouldn’t have been that they ran out in the cabin. They should have liaised with the ground staff and identified who if any customers who would be refused.
Oct 19, 2023, 12:49 am
#10
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London N8
Programs: BA (LTG), Miles&More (whatever the lowest level is), Oyster card (zones 1-2)
Posts: 891
Would a reasonable remedy in this situation be to buy some food from the BoB menu, and send the bill to BA, rather than wait for some Avios to be credited further down the line?
Oct 19, 2023, 12:51 am
#11
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Oct 19, 2023, 2:04 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
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