[Ah,Mr.Bond]

Let me know when critical mass has been obtained, thanks….. until then…….

[rferguson]

I’ve heard from very (very) high up the chain that the custom design ‘evolution’ seat has been shelved and instead BA will likely buy one from a catalogue. Also the request has been put to the board to have the funds to retrofit at least part of the current fleet.

The new Club World catering looks amazing. It is a genuine ‘enhancement’. The roll out will take some time. Only crew trained in delivering the new Club World product will work in the cabin. The training course takes two days and to give an example, just to cover the LHR-JFK route daily BA needs to train 1600 cabin crew. Training courses will start in May.

The new bedding looks great also and is provided by a high end british company (which will also provide the new washbags).

BA has still not decided if or when the new proposition will launch at LGW.

[thecartoonman]

@ rferguson

I genuinely enjoy reading all your posts, so much inside info on BA from ‘the coal face’. It brings into focus the amount of training that will be needed to roll out the new catering product across all routes and why these things take time, as you say.

I’ve given up listening to the BA moaners on here, it’s like a stuck record most of the time, it’s a shame, as many of the most vocal have some of the most interesting advice once they move away from their pet hate.

Anyway, keep posting, I think I can say, we do all enjoy your valuable input.

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=801047]@ rferguson

I genuinely enjoy reading all your posts, so much inside info on BA from ‘the coal face’. It brings into focus the amount of training that will be needed to roll out the new catering product across all routes and why these things take time, as you say.

I’ve given up listening to the BA moaners on here, it’s like a stuck record most of the time, it’s a shame, as many of the most vocal have some of the most interesting advice once they move away from their pet hate.

[/quote]

The ‘moaning’ is fact based and reflective of the passengers (especially, but not exclusively in the Y cabin) being hammered.

Here are the recent service cuts I can think of quickly

– Second meal on some long haul flights cut back to a party size choc bar
– Buy what was free before on short haul, with no reduction in ticket prices
– Club Europe seat pitch reduced from 34″ to 30″ and possibly to 29″ in the future
– Pretzels removed from drinks run in Y/W
– Hot meals gone from Club Europe on some routes
– and the flower removed from the F class loo – simply pathetic

I’m sure there are more, I just can’t be bothered thinking about it

Now assessing the fleets

– 787/A380 good modern aircraft, though the premium cabins are geriatric in comparison to many other airlines – the 787 Y seats are not up to the standard of the 747/A380/777
– 777 – some in a real state of disrepair, some to go to 10 across in Y, thus making them nearly as tight as the 787
– 747 – some unrefurbished aircraft have been flying with the same Y/W seats since 2001
– Cleaning often not done properly – I recently found a used nappy in the seat pocket in front – I mean, that is just disgusting- the passenger was disgusting for leaving it, but the aircraft had been cleaned at home base – simply no excuse

Ground Service

– F class pax bussed to the aircraft with everyone else or have to fight their way through the crowds (I don’t buy F, but it is ludicrous)
– BA cannot board an aircraft properly and the looney tunes handbaggage allowance means that those who have paid for priority boarding often have to wait whilst 15-30 HBO pax are boarded on SH flights for checking in a case – this is nuts -pay the lowest price and get better service than the premium pax
– I’ll let SimonS1 discuss the EC261 approach, he has made this point before and I don’t wish to steal his thunder

But yes, ignore the reality. Tootle pip.

[WillieWelsh]

[quote quote=801047]@ rferguson

I genuinely enjoy reading all your posts, so much inside info on BA from ‘the coal face’. It brings into focus the amount of training that will be needed to roll out the new catering product across all routes and why these things take time, as you say.

I’ve given up listening to the BA moaners on here, it’s like a stuck record most of the time, it’s a shame, as many of the most vocal have some of the most interesting advice once they move away from their pet hate.

Anyway, keep posting, I think I can say, we do all enjoy your valuable input.

[/quote]

You’re a bit late, 1st April has passed for this year.

[WillieWelsh]

[quote quote=801051]
– Club Europe seat pitch reduced from 34″ to 30″ and possibly to 29″ in the future
[/quote]

I wonder do they realise that at the front the seat pitch on Germanwings is 32″, the same as Lufthansa. Puts BA to shame.

[Flightlevel]

BA is likely to be most talked about since BT is a British magasine – with overseas editions – and other companies are discussed when they make changes so the criticism or wit should be regarded as high level – experienced – feedback. BA is however encouraging such comments by their way of releasing new products and their belief any publicity is good?

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=801076]BA is likely to be most talked about since BT is a British magasine – with overseas editions – and other companies are discussed when they make changes so the criticism or wit should be regarded as high level – experienced – feedback. BA is however encouraging such comments by their way of releasing new products and their belief any publicity is good?

[/quote]

You are right. The recent event hosted by the Cruzifier struck me as having an air of slight desperation about it – the man himself seemed, to me, to be a little too much into’salesy’ mode, as can be seen on the videos released.

WW said ‘show me the (*&%(*6$&^ money’, my suggestion is that Mr Cruz shows us the product improvements in service on the aircraft (including new seats for long haul business). Seeing is believing.

[Ah,Mr.Bond]

Just to clarify things..is it going to be the industry standard 1-2-1 layout?? That is what I would expect… not a reshuffle of the current 2-4-2 where moving each row 6 inches away from each other will enable the window seat to get out without climbing over somone. That is what the ablve picture appears to represent.
Alot of ambiguity here with the phrase “direct aisle”.
That being the case, this would be a new seat product that, unlike many airlines new products, I will not be going out my way to try.

[C M K Traveller]

We need a less congested club world cabins on BA for long haul. Sitting in a cabin that has a 2-4-2 layout in Club is much more condensed than all other airlines some of which have a 1-2-1 layout in their Business Class. So it is about time that BA revamps this no longer unattractive style.

[rferguson]

AC has said at a staff forum that they are moving away from a ‘evolution’ of the current seat to a ‘catalogue’ seat instead. He has said it will have direct aisle access to all seats.

My take on that is ying-yang will be gone. Whether it will be a 1-2-1 config or a staggered config like the Vantage XL design noone knows.

[rferguson]

CMK traveller for BA it’s obviously about gaining as much revenue per floor area as possible hence why it’s stayed with the current congested layout for so long.

There are newer, better designs making almost as good use of the floor space though – UA’s Polaris is an example. The design although remaining relatively spacious for the customer is a clever efficient configuration in terms of maximising the number of seats that can fit in a given area.

Also just to add AC also said a case has been put forward to the board for approval to finance the retrofit of most of the existing fleet.

[Gold-2K]

“moving away from a ‘evolution’ of the current seat to a ‘catalogue’ seat”

A ‘catalogue’ seat would certainly be cheaper and I guess quicker to deliver – so will we then see a new 1-2-1 layout on the A350 ….. BA version of the CX/Zodiac seat maybe. Or are they aiming for a version of the Iberia seat which would be consistent with the approach to short haul seating.

Personally I don’t like the Vantage XL. Being able to clearly see the neighbours screen in the centre pair of seats is a big distraction. Window seats however are good, especially the rows separated from the aisle by a table.

Whatever they go for, they would need a big rethink on First which will have very little differentiation apart from better champagne, assuming of course they remember to load it on the plane!

[JohnHarper]

I remember speaking with a BA engineer about a year ago, he was just someone I was sitting next to, IIRC on TK from IST-LHR.

He told me that while he was very pleased with the configuration of business on the 787 as he had been able to achieve a high level of density and no wasted space he was disappointed he could not achieve the same on the A350 and no matter what he did he could not get eight across and would have to settle for seven.

Having had a walk through of the BA 787 when it was first delivered I thought the business cabin was awful and the only one I would even think of traveling in was the premium economy one I told him I was sure passengers would be delighted that the configuration of the A350 could not be as dense as the 787.

There’s no doubt that the BA business product is long past its sell by date but I wonder if it could have been fitted to the A350 if it would have been and maybe the change has been in part spurred on because the current seat just does not fit the A350 well.

I did then tease the engineer somewhat about why was he in business class on a TK A330 when surely he could have been on a BA A320 with 30″ pitch and a blocked middle seat and he told me that he wouldn’t pay for that when the competition provided better for the same or less money!

[HongKongLady]

I imagine we all had the same email. Something to look forward to. I have just taken a flight where it seems all the male crew had been out on the beer the night before, so manically dashed about onboard, achieving very little apart from cocking up the meal service. As they had not taken orders in the correct manner they had to go back and explain to some that they couldn’t have what they had chosen, 20mins ago! The ladies onboard were fab, calm and collected, while probably thinking ….. A turn around as I generally find male crew more pleasing ?

[Author]

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