How do I get afternoon tea in First?
Mar 26, 2024, 2:31 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: LA
Posts: 17
How do I get afternoon tea in First?
No matter how hard I try to get Afternoon Tea in First, I always end up getting the 'light meal' option when leaving Heathrow for a US bound flight. I have taken flights leaving Heathrow as early as 10:10 AM (BA 283) and 12:50 PM (BA 281) and it's always the light meal. Do you not get afternoon tea on flights bound for the west coast?
Mar 26, 2024, 2:32 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,262
West Coast doesn't offer afternoon tea. This is for the shorter East Coast flights - on LAX etc you'll always get a second "lighter" meal service.
You could route LHR-JFK-LAX for the extra points and Afternoon Tea on JFK if you fancy
You could route LHR-JFK-LAX for the extra points and Afternoon Tea on JFK if you fancy
Mar 26, 2024, 2:34 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: LA
Posts: 17
Thanks for the clarification.
Mar 26, 2024, 2:36 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: LA
Posts: 17
Haha, browsing the First meal service thread, it looks okay! Having never tried it, I am curious. If ititss anything like the one served in the CCR, I feel I am missing out.
Mar 26, 2024, 2:48 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 75
No matter how hard I try to get Afternoon Tea in First, I always end up getting the 'light meal' option when leaving Heathrow for a US bound flight. I have taken flights leaving Heathrow as early as 10:10 AM (BA 283) and 12:50 PM (BA 281) and it's always the light meal. Do you not get afternoon tea on flights bound for the west coast?
Mar 26, 2024, 3:10 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci. And BA Gold – previous awards - Gold 11, Silver 7, Bronze 4.
Posts: 4,235
Mar 26, 2024, 3:36 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL, BA Amex Prem, Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, Sir Crazy8534 de l'ordres des aides de Pucci
Posts: 4,466
Count me in the (apparently!) small group of passengers who love a good afternoon tea 
Also don’t let orbitmic poison your mind about where to put cream on a scone- the correct way as shown:
Also don’t let orbitmic poison your mind about where to put cream on a scone- the correct way as shown:
Mar 26, 2024, 4:14 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,166
I like the afternoon tea - it sort of became part of my "pre-US arrival" routine for a while - including the last cup of proper tea until back on board the return flight. I had it in F the other day again, was quite nice!
Mar 26, 2024, 4:29 am
#12
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,827
The point about afternoon tea is that it's only offered on the early half of departures from LHR across the Atlantic with a lot riding on arrival time. In the CW thread there is a list of flights where it's offered in CW (and I presume First, I've not made a direct study of this). It stands to reason, the BA175 gets into JFK around 13:30 hrs local time, having left LHR at 09:30, so lunch and afternoon tea makes sense. But BA183 leaves LHR at 19:00 and gets into New York at 23:00 hrs, so it would not make sense for Afternoon Tea even if it was the first meal.
Mar 26, 2024, 4:30 am
#13
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,827
Mar 26, 2024, 4:33 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,471
Mar 26, 2024, 4:39 am
#15
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,803
