[skychai]

VK, the Afternoon Tea service you talk about was introduced as a cost saving measure. Food is bulk loaded. The crew were asked to deliver the service, preparing the tray and it’s contents at the customers chair side.

These lazy good for nothing overpaid crew, actually prepare the trays in the galleys and DO NOT follow the standard procedure required by BA Inflight customer service. Why do they do this? Simple, to maximise your rest and make the service delivery look ‘as professional’ as possible. If they were to stick to the BA official guidelines, the afternoon tea service would have to commence 2 hours before landing, as opposed to 1.15 – 1.30 now, and you’ll see them scrabbling in the trollies on their hands and knees to make up your paltry cones and left over raid the larder fruit pots and sandwiches.

[VintageKrug]

It is absolutely right that cost have had to be cut; this has happened with all airlines and BA is no exception to that.

It is not however true to say that Club food is served in F, or that Economy food is served in Club. You only have to take a look at the photos I posted earlier which demonstrate that without doubt.

The food offering on the ground has improved significantly over the past few years, both on departure and on arrival at LHR.

Club Kitchen is a new innovation which wasn’t around five years ago.

In F, I enjoy the delicious soups, the Loch Fyne branded fish offering exLHR which is always superb, and the Dorchester Afternoon Tea.

The quantity of food in Club has diminished somewhat, but the ground based offerings and Club Kitchen has compensated for that. This has reduced waste considerably according to crew.

I would maintain that the quality of the Club food is about the same as it always was; however there has been evidence of the past few months of a more sloppy approach to cabin service.

I really cannot believe anyone would get in such a huff about a little gravy spilled around the edges of the plate, but notwithstanding that it is not good enough and is easily addressed through better training and ensuring that crew take pride in the work they do, and pay attention to the detail of delivering that service.

[skychai]

Dorchester Afternoon Tea?! Having just flown BA to LAX in First, I was disgusted at their take on the Dorchester afternoon Tea. Five uninspiring sandwiches and a couple of scones. When I asked where the elegant Twinings Tea Caddy had gone, the delightful crew member told me it had been removed due to cost cutting measures. All the teas were still available, but were now simply loaded into a plastic sack.

I have no idea what your experience of the Dorchester is, but BA First afternoon tea service it is not.

I travelled First on American to DFW not so long ago, their second meal offering was far more substantial and food presentation excellent when compared to BA.

[VintageKrug]

I have tea at the Dorchester several times a year, and while an in plane experience can never replicate the original, I always enjoy the high quality ingredients on BA, and the fact they actually offer Afternoon tea when other airlines wouldn’t have a clue.

Again in my conversation with the Head of Catering, there are soon to be improvements with the Dorchester Tea, including use of the proper accoutrements.

The bottom line has been that there have been fewer people actually paying for F over the past 6-12 months and so there have had to be various cutbacks made; there is significant change on its way as the economy improves, and also as a result of BA’s management actually flying with crew on board as volunteer crew.

[skychai]

If your precious BA are so marvelous, check out this years 2010 Skytrax Awards. Did BA come in the top 3 in ANY category? No. The airline is a shambles, offering an inferior product at inflated prices. But I’m sure you’ll blame their slip from grace on BASSA and Unite.

[skychai]

I’m still actually laughing here, that you are actually comparing service and quality received at the Dorchester to that received at BA. Your loyalty to the flag carrier is admirable, really it’s quite stunning.

Let’s not discuss BA volunteer crew, unless you want to acknowledge the appalling comments made buy Fight Crew Volunteering as cabin crew, referring to us, the customer as a T*sser for asking for a cup of coffee outside of the meal service, and another calling BA gay cabin crew B*m Bandits.

And as you have connections with BA, well the catering manager at least, you can confirm the truth of these statements and the fact that one pilot has resigned and two demoted by 200 points on their flight bidding list.

[VintageKrug]

Skytrax is a joke – it is purely a paid for advertising funded awards factory – only given any credibility by the backing of Singapore Airlines and Cathay – how else do you explain the several dodgy third world airlines who gain premium rankings?

You are more likely to crash on some of them than have a successful journey….just check out the list of those airlines who feel the need to pay them shedloads of cash to become “approved”:

http://www.airlinequality.com/StarRanking/preferred.htm

You will notice a strong correlation to those who are approved and their star rankings and in some cases awards won.

[Flytoomuch]

“..there is significant change on its way… as a result of BA’s management actually flying with crew on board as volunteer crew.”

[Big smile] An unexpected plus from the strike fiasco that hadn’t occurred to me.

I fly BA, CX and QF in Y, C/J and F often going eastwards, and I don’t think BA CW food is poor (it certainly is not Y food I remember from 15 years ago). I do like the food on QF Business Class marginal better (it helps that they will do a nice sticky with cheese/pudding), but BA works and it’s nice to be able to eat with proper cutlery, not plastic forks/knives.

One more observation – QF appears to plate their food just before serving, but CX doesn’t.

[BABenji]

Skytrax isn’t really much of a bench mark:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Awards-and-Accolades…Are-they-for-real

Ultimately however, what is wrong with finding a product you like and using it? skychai, you enjoyed the service on American, which is fine. Continue to enjoy it.

The majority of people on this forum have already made their decision as to who their carriers of choice are, and this is based on a number of reasons.

Personally, a bit of gravy up the side of a dish and the fact that tea is or isn’t served in a particular fashion is neither here nor there.

BA F product is simply excellent. Perhaps not as good as others in some areas (which as VintageKrug advised, is being looked at), but they manner and personal HUMAN service offered by BA cabin crew is second to none.

[VintageKrug]

I wish BA would do Pudding Wine in Club World, but the CSD will often sneak me a glass from F when I’m not travelling F.

Always ask for it to be chilled the minute you board in F, as it’s not always loaded into the chiller!

[skychai]

“Skytrax is a joke.” So Business Traveller and it’s forumites are balanced and unbiased?

Next time you’re in Waterside VK, look to the right of the entrance, where BA has a display cabinet of awards it has received, several ( in the past ) from Skytrax. BA was quite happy to boast about them then, but a little silent now.

[MartynSinclair]

manage your expectaions and you will all be happy! As a general rule of thumb, a flat seat along with a smiling, happy and polite crew usually means a great flight. Life is just so good……..!

[skychai]

BABenji

“…but they manner and personal HUMAN service offered by BA cabin crew is second to none. “

Unbelievable. These very crew are the people that have been vilified on these chat forums as militant overpaid unionist trouble makers. Now they are being recognised as Second to none.

Make your minds up people.

[BABenji]

It is entirely feasible for cabin crew to be unionist trouble makers, yet still be good at their job.

[AdrianHenryAsia]

Unless I’m mistaken, I think most of the criticism in the forum has been about Unite and BASSA and not actually the cabin crew.

[Author]

Posts