[rferguson]

There will be some trials testing out new ‘service elements’ on some routes in August.

– one starter replacing the current choice of two.
– breakfast ‘room service order cards’ as currently on Jfk/Mid East
– a turndown service in Club offering a mattress topper, duvet and pillow. These will be using current F products for the trial and restricted to the upper deck of one of the JNB rotations.

[MartynSinclair]

@rferguson – I got quite excited by your thread header… thought.. WOW AT LAST!

Indeed…………

Thanks for the heads up though….

[FDOS_UK]

Really realistic trial to test the turn down service on the UD only – what will happen when this is repeated on a 86J 747?

Turndown works in a first class cabin, because the number of seats are few and it’s a personalised service, with people able to pick and choose when to snooze.

I can just imagine it in 86J – ‘lights out, lights out. make way for the turndown team, resistance is futile, you will sleep’ 😉

[pheighdough]

Please shoot me down if I am wrong, but didn’t Virgin used to designate the Upper Deck of their B747-400s as a sleep zone on overnight flights, encouraging those who wanted to stay up on the overnight flight and eat to remain downstairs? Maybe BA will offer the turndown to the Upper Deck only (both A380 & B747-400?) for those wanting to sleep for the duration??

[SimonS1]

[quote quote=705291]Please shoot me down if I am wrong, but didn’t Virgin used to designate the Upper Deck of their B747-400s as a sleep zone on overnight flights, encouraging those who wanted to stay up on the overnight flight and eat to remain downstairs? Maybe BA will offer the turndown to the Upper Deck only (both A380 & B747-400?) for those wanting to sleep for the duration??

[/quote]

And if you can’t get one of the few upper deck 747 seats and you want to sleep (as most people do on a 11 hour overnight flight)???

[rferguson]

As I understand it the trial is only happening on the upper deck to not only facilitate monitoring of it but also as its using existing F class bedding it needs to be an amount that BA has in excess stock daily.

FDOS I’m not sure the crew will actually be ‘making up’ a bed. The brief says ‘passengers on these flights will be offered a F classmattress, duvet and pillow’ so I guess it could likely be a DIY job. If the trial is deemed a success and is rolled out a new product designed for CW will be introduced b

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=705419]FDOS I’m not sure the crew will actually be ‘making up’ a bed. The brief says ‘passengers on these flights will be offered a F classmattress, duvet and pillow’ so I guess it could likely be a DIY job. If the trial is deemed a success and is rolled out a new product designed for CW will be introduced b[/quote]

Ah-ha then that is not a ‘turndown service’, as I understand one, it’s just providing a better soft product.

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=705308]

pheighdough wrote:

Please shoot me down if I am wrong, but didn’t Virgin used to designate the Upper Deck of their B747-400s as a sleep zone on overnight flights, encouraging those who wanted to stay up on the overnight flight and eat to remain downstairs? Maybe BA will offer the turndown to the Upper Deck only (both A380 & B747-400?) for those wanting to sleep for the duration??

And if you can’t get one of the few upper deck 747 seats and you want to sleep (as most people do on a 11 hour overnight flight)???

[/quote]

How do you get an upper deck seat on a 767/777/787/A350? 😉

[SimonS1]

[quote quote=705564]

SimonS1 wrote:

pheighdough wrote:

Please shoot me down if I am wrong, but didn’t Virgin used to designate the Upper Deck of their B747-400s as a sleep zone on overnight flights, encouraging those who wanted to stay up on the overnight flight and eat to remain downstairs? Maybe BA will offer the turndown to the Upper Deck only (both A380 & B747-400?) for those wanting to sleep for the duration??

And if you can’t get one of the few upper deck 747 seats and you want to sleep (as most people do on a 11 hour overnight flight)???

How do you get an upper deck seat on a 767/777/787/A350?

[/quote]

I’ve no idea what point you are trying to make there.

However what I was trying to say was that if restricted to the upper deck of a 747 on a night flight then there will clearly be a lot of disgruntled passengers.

[747foreverforus]

If you are going to offer a turn down service then it needs to apply to all in the club cabin, if it doesn’t then don’t bother once again this is a case of BA style over substance
The issue of a single starter in club is just another example of the cr**p service that BA offers these days – I assume that that ‘turn down service’ is just there to sweeten the pill of the other cuts and no doubt will not go ahead as a result of customer feedback. Looking forward to using up my 500,000 avios points then using Other carriers within Europe for my business travel and other one world airlines for my leisure travel so that I can retain lounge access – just in case I have to use the LCC that used to be known as BA

[rferguson]

FDOS – apologies, yes incorrect terminology on my part.

The upper deck is only for a TRIAL. Should the trial be well received it will be rolled out across club world.

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=705572]

FDOS_UK wrote:

SimonS1 wrote:

pheighdough wrote:

Please shoot me down if I am wrong, but didn’t Virgin used to designate the Upper Deck of their B747-400s as a sleep zone on overnight flights, encouraging those who wanted to stay up on the overnight flight and eat to remain downstairs? Maybe BA will offer the turndown to the Upper Deck only (both A380 & B747-400?) for those wanting to sleep for the duration??

And if you can’t get one of the few upper deck 747 seats and you want to sleep (as most people do on a 11 hour overnight flight)???

How do you get an upper deck seat on a 767/777/787/A350?

I’ve no idea what point you are trying to make there.

However what I was trying to say was that if restricted to the upper deck of a 747 on a night flight then there will clearly be a lot of disgruntled passengers.

[/quote]

SimonS1 – I was supporting your point. A policy that only applies to a limited part of the fleet doesn’t make sense for a consistent product.

Actually, on second thoughts, this is BA so it’s a dead cert 😉

[openfly]

The trials are only being carried out on Mixed Fleet crewed flights. Of course, everybody knows that these crews are terrified to say anything controversial that might affect their future prospects!! So the trials will go swingingly well and the changes will all go through “due to passenger feedback”!!

By the way, the lack of starter choice in Club means that the only offering will be various options of cheese and tomato, to appease the veggies and vegans.

How many more nails have to be used to close the coffin lid?! Oh BA, I despair….so sad.

[AlanOrton1]

I’m pretty sure for many years when I flew UA across the pond they only ever offered a choice of one starter in J. Never really troubled me, so from a personal perspective it isn’t something that troubles me. Cr*p service, no main meal choice, defective seat – these would get my goat.

Flew BA J on Wednesday, only one choice of starter (18:55 out of JFK) which was duck. Believe the catering is Do&Co in JFK, though could be mistaken.

Had a very mediocre journey on every front in WT+ to TPA via decrepit LGW 777 on outbound journey. Return from JFK (62K) from check in to luggage arrival was faultless.

[rferguson]

I don’t think no choice of starter will be a big deal providing the side salad is retained. As it is now the starters are only catered 100%. In other words there is no buffer. If there are 20 passengers in Club then 20 starters are loaded with a 60/40 split between the two options. So if everyone decides to eat it’s guaranteed a number will be disappointed.

I’m more concerned that ‘the’ starter that is retained remains in its current guise. In other words no downgrading of the product. I’m already a bit dubious of the starter to be offered – some mozzarella and avocado thing.

Neither Cathay nor AA offer a choice of starter. And I’ve never encountered a vegetarian one. CX’s is nearly always seafood of some type. AA’s can be a bit more varied. I’m of the opinion that if you are vegetarian you should make sure you order a vegetarian meal and not ‘wing it’.

AlanOrton your JFK – LHR flight would have been a ‘Goodnight Express’ service. These are on the short eastbound transatlantic night flights for departures between 18:00 and 20:30. After 20:30 it becomes ‘Sleeper Service’.

[Author]

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