[canucklad]

BB– do not try and adapt your style to suit others– if you do, you risk losing the personality that makes your posts unique to others. For example I too would never consider hanging about an airport if a perfectly good home or home away from home or even better my local pub awaits!

[VintageKrug]

I am currently in my robe awaiting room service too. Small world! 😉

[thecartoonman]

rferguson – 24/07/2012 10:06 GMT

A very informative post, I read all of it with interest and thank you for taking the time to give another ‘behind the curtain’ post. 10 out of 10. :))

[BeckyBoop]

Proof that a breakfast box can work. BA just need to change suppliers.

http://www.apoa.co.uk

[peterraven]

BeckyBoop

But look at the prices! BA and no other airline would consider paying that for a breakfast box – neither would you pay £35 for breakfast buffet at a 5 star hotel!!!

[TheWeino]

Our reccomended company airline is BA and the other week to Vegas wet bought I would try VS instead as cheaper and wow, I couldn’t believe the diffence in Premieim Economy, A hot breakfast choice on my return rather than a cheap no frills breakfast box which should be on Tesco’s Value range shelf, also flown NZ to LAX before several times any only fly them to LAX now as such a great service and they give every cabin 2 hot meal choice’s in the flight including a hot breakfast. BA have a lot of learning to do in the air for catering and other things in Premium economy….

[SimonS1]

If BAs existing suppliers were given a budget of £35 per head I am sure they could also come up with something suitable.

[VintageKrug]

Giving a £35 budget per head would eat in margins and could contribute to the running of an unprofitable service, and bankruptcy.

£35 doesn’t sound like a great deal of cash when couched in a per person term, but assuming 100 longhaul aircraft each serving breakfast to 300 passengers twice a day and that’s a hundreds of thousands bill per day. Millions per year.

Alternatively, it could require an increase in fares which would result in, yes you guessed it, people choosing the (marginally) cheaper carrier and BA losing the business altogether.

It’s really quite basic business sense, though it’s strange how many believe airlines are immune from such constraints.

[preppyguyla]

Hi canucklad

As far as I am aware, SQ – on long haul flights – will use flight kitchens at the destination airport – for example Emirates Flight Catering in Dubai – but will order food to SQ standards. This is where BA seems to fail – on its own standards. In Singapore, SQ uses the kitchens of SATS – Singapore Airport Terminal Services (a subsidiary of SQ) who actually also supply BA out of Singapore!

So the problem seems to be the airline rather than the supplier of inflight catering

peterraven,

It does have a lot to do with the airline. You’ll typically find catering to be at least somewhat better at an airlines hub as the catering company needs to be on the mark or else they could lose the contract they hold dearly with said airline. In this case, GateGourmet for BA.
It does come down to the cost and what an airline chooses to spend.
LAX/SFO-LHR has AA & UA on the route and they are not known for the catering abilities, choices and the amount of money they spend. You’ll find in some markets, catering is dependent on what other airlines in the same market are offering, at least that’s the way it was before. That’s why it’s nice on LAX-LHR-LHR, there’s a choice and NZ really goes above and beyond regarding catering.
In the US, Alaska, used to be the airline who offered the best meals, hands down. Now with all the changes, it’s not that way anymore, except they do offer hot entrees in their BOB selection, which the majority do not.
I also feel it has to do with the location. IMO, LAX & JFK are generally not the best when it comes to how things are prepared. OTOH, flying out of CDG, ZRH, NRT, HKG and etc., you’ll find the catering taste to be much better as well as prepared.

I appreciate the explanation on how things are done, rferguson. Thanks so much, mate. I can tell you’re the type of crew member who takes pride in their career and it will show.

Again, the bottom line. BA needs to wake up and listen. I think it’s safe for us to say, the executives, will never taste or see a snack box, a muffin that’s still nearly frozen, hard or stale, or a sandwich tossed on a plate in plastic wrap. Perhaps someone can forward this email to someone at BA who has the authority to read this at an executive catering meeting where decisions are made.

[esselle]

Why offer three jam pots in the APOA breakfast box when there is only one item in it that you would spread jam on?

[NTarrant]

All the items in the £35.00 breakfast box could be supplied for a fraction of the price, but not only why would you have three jam pots, why have so many pastries? Too many carbs! Is it any better in nutritional terms than what BA are offering?

[Bruce98]

++Again, the bottom line. BA needs to wake up and listen. I think it’s safe for us to say, the executives, will never taste or see a snack box, a muffin that’s still nearly frozen, hard or stale, or a sandwich tossed on a plate in plastic wrap. ++

A very good point, yet it is these same executives who are happy to sanction premium pricing, which is what I believe causes some people to feel that value is not being delivered.

[Bruce98]

++Giving a £35 budget per head would eat in margins and could contribute to the running of an unprofitable service, and bankruptcy.

£35 doesn’t sound like a great deal of cash when couched in a per person term, but assuming 100 longhaul aircraft each serving breakfast to 300 passengers twice a day and that’s a hundreds of thousands bill per day. Millions per year.

Alternatively, it could require an increase in fares which would result in, yes you guessed it, people choosing the (marginally) cheaper carrier and BA losing the business altogether.

It’s really quite basic business sense, though it’s strange how many believe airlines are immune from such constraints.++

So how do Emirates provide attractive/pleasant food in Y class and yet make a profit for 24 years in a row?

Could it be that they can manage their sub £35 budget more effectively than British Airways?

[BeckyBoop]

“Why offer three jam pots in the APOA breakfast box when there is only one item in it that you would spread jam on?”

Selection/choice? I can guarantee if any of you lot got the option of just 1 type of jam you would be up on here straight after your flight with a dedicated new thread about how you have been shafted by BA because they are not offering choice etc. Then compare them to every Middle Eastern and Asian airline on what they offer…lol 😉

I agree the £35 for an APOA breakfast is not cheap but for premium class travel? That is a far cry from all the Y passengers on the 100 long haul flights.

Ntarrant, is correct in saying all the items in the £35.00 breakfast box could be supplied for a fraction of the price. Also don’t forget APOA cater mostly for private jets. So their breakfast boxes are probably catered for more than one person.

Savoir-Monk do you realise that EK is a state controlled airline with a govt that has not only a pro aviation policy in their land but also appears to have unlimited funds, how else can they afford to by all those A380s? Plus they rely on cheap labour from around the world.

Perhaps if BA what a permanent change to the on board product IAG should sell it of to a Gulf or Asian country. Who have the investment to put in to the airline?

[oasis1221]

Breakfast box is another sign of further passenger humiliation. Having paid 1500-2000 dollars and been confined in uncomfortable seats for 8-12 hours ,passengers deserve a little better.

Besides,does anybody realize the enviormental impact of dumping these boxes after each flight?

To save some money, flight attendants can offer individually packaged egg&cheese sandwitch with an optional cup of yougart pus an apple or bannana.

[Author]

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