Alcohol consumption in CE
Sep 20, 2018, 7:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2016
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Alcohol consumption in CE
Just curious to get peoples opinions on this topic. On a recent CE flight back to LGW my partner and I had a few sociable bevy’s! It was a lengthy enough flight (3 hours) over this time we had three glasses of wine each and a small spirit. Of course we were extremely polite and thankful to the crew member serving us and he appeared equally happy and attentive. I’m fully aware the crew are there predominantly for your safety etc etc but you are paying a premium for your seat and BA are strong in advertising there service food beverages in Club Europe. The reason I pose this question is because at the end of the flight the crew member who had been serving us made a smart comment about how we must be “well oiled” at this stage. I personally think this was rude and uncalled for. Had we surpassed an exceptable number of drinks!! I have equally been on CE flights where I didn’t have any alcohol but this was a leisure flight and helped pass the time given the lack of in flight entertainment on the short haul aircraft.
Sep 20, 2018, 9:39 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 6,338
I think you are being way too sensitive. You obviously interacted quite a bit with the "happy and attentive" FA...and yet you are upset that he made a subtle (and IMO friendly and gently amusing) comment?? I would have laughed and agreed after that ,much booze in that amount of time (it would certainly put you over OUR allowed BAC for driving...so "well oiled" seems apt to me!)
Sep 20, 2018, 11:14 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Newcastle/London & Worldwide
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Posts: 818
I often find it’s actively encouraged when you get a good CE crew - I’m always extremely friendly and polite to the crew (as everyone should be) and find more times than not additional champagne bottles are arriving at my seat well before I’m finished the first - and the cycle continues until landing.
Eveyones tolerances are different and I certainly wouldn’t be ‘well oiled’ from 3 glasses of wine but they were probably just joking rather than being rude - especially if they had been friendly up to that point.
Eveyones tolerances are different and I certainly wouldn’t be ‘well oiled’ from 3 glasses of wine but they were probably just joking rather than being rude - especially if they had been friendly up to that point.
Sep 20, 2018, 11:22 pm
#4
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
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It doesn't sound like the crew was being nasty to you. One possibility I can think of is that the crew member may have been reminding you not to drive in a very euphemistic way, just in case you were thinking of it.
Sep 20, 2018, 11:40 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Edinburgh
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I wouldn’t take it the wrong way! I highly doubt the crew member meant anything by this.
Ive been known in the CE EDI-LHR and LHR-EDI to have 2 beers and the champagne plus a few glasses of water ( to ease the hangover!) . The staff are more than happy to keep serving me, I’m not drunk but when I’m on a plane I’m there to relax plus I like to get my money’s worth from my CE ticket.
Ive been known in the CE EDI-LHR and LHR-EDI to have 2 beers and the champagne plus a few glasses of water ( to ease the hangover!) . The staff are more than happy to keep serving me, I’m not drunk but when I’m on a plane I’m there to relax plus I like to get my money’s worth from my CE ticket.
Sep 21, 2018, 12:48 am
#10
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I think you wanted the right to drink reasonably liberally and being served by a jovial crew, yet for them to pretend you had not had much to drink and be "serious" at the same time. That sounds a bit contradictory to me. It seems to me that the crew member was embracing the signals you sent in terms of the atmosphere that you wanted. He clearly did not think you were drunk or he would have stopped serving you. He may also have been gently and amicably signalling that your behaviour was starting to change. Quite frankly, you'd be the least well placed person to know if it had. All in all, a non-event.
Sep 21, 2018, 12:50 am
#11
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Sep 21, 2018, 1:03 am
#12
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The reason I pose this question is because at the end of the flight the crew member who had been serving us made a smart comment about how we must be “well oiled” at this stage. I personally think this was rude and uncalled for. Had we surpassed an exceptable number of drinks!! I have equally been on CE flights where I didn’t have any alcohol but this was a leisure flight and helped pass the time given the lack of in flight entertainment on the short haul aircraft.
Sep 21, 2018, 1:13 am
#13
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On our flight to AMS a couple of weeks ago, the CC member handing out the hot (well okay, just about lukewarm) towels told MrsNWI to “remember to clean behind your ears”. I really, seriously doubt there was any implication that she didn’t wash.
Unconventional? Yes. Outside the training manual? I’d think so. A great ice-breaker from what turned out to be a fabulous crew all round? Absolutely.
If you fly with BA and choose to engage with the crew, expect them to respond in kind - it’s far more in their DNA than any cost cutting ...
I’d not want it any other way.
Unconventional? Yes. Outside the training manual? I’d think so. A great ice-breaker from what turned out to be a fabulous crew all round? Absolutely.
If you fly with BA and choose to engage with the crew, expect them to respond in kind - it’s far more in their DNA than any cost cutting ...
I’d not want it any other way.
Sep 21, 2018, 1:21 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2015
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As has been said this sounds like humour. I'd rather that we had cabin crew that felt that they could use humour rather than the impersonal crew that we see commented on from other airlines.
A regular comment is that it is the crew that makes a BA flight good rather than the company standard provision (plane, seat, grub etc).
Having had several crew this year that showed their personality which made for flights that I enjoyed and you could see that they enjoyed their job to the point they did more than the mandated service level I hope we don't get into the situation where they decide to only do the minimum due to complaints from passengers causing them issues with their management.
A regular comment is that it is the crew that makes a BA flight good rather than the company standard provision (plane, seat, grub etc).
Having had several crew this year that showed their personality which made for flights that I enjoyed and you could see that they enjoyed their job to the point they did more than the mandated service level I hope we don't get into the situation where they decide to only do the minimum due to complaints from passengers causing them issues with their management.