[KeaneJohn]

Don’t know where your assurances have come from VK that things will improve as BA have made a statement on Flyer Talk that things are not going to be changing.

Removing hot food in the afternoons has not gone down well. Not all of BA’s frequent travellers will have access to the F lounge or the Concord Room. Those travelling home or onwards to a meeting taking off between 1830 and 1900 will now not have access to hot food in the BA lounge prior to their flight. They might not get home/to their hotel until 9/10pm which will be too late to eat.

A simple case of BA doing something that is wrong in the eyes of most and digging their heels in and not listening to their regular premium passengers.

The irony is they are sponsoring Taste of London.. one thing the Galleries lounges are not.

[esselle]

What is a “bespoke husband and wife”, and will they be supplying jam tomorrow?

[Tirana1]

If BA put their mind to it, “significant improvements” could be made within hours. Having a selection of wrapped cakes and biscuits, as well as a variety of flavours of crisps would take no longer than a drive to the nearest catering supplier’s warehouse. Putting much of this right really should be quite straightforward. In the two weeks between my recent visits to CCR nothing whatsoever had improved. In fact, last time no crisps were available in either CCR or First Lounge because they had “run out”, according to the rather embarrassed manager. It is remarkable that BA – an organisation generally good at responding swiftly to service issues – seems unable to sort this problem out, especially so when some basic improvements would be easy to implement.

[openfly]

So someone at BA publicly states on Flyertalk that ”things will not change” in the T5 First lounge cateringwise.

It is a faite-accomplis…take it or leave it! With that attitude of disrespect for its best customers…we can take or leave BA.

[DavidGordon10]

It is “British” airways, is it not? – so surely the things needing the tongs are biscuits, not cookies.

[PatJordan]

I visited the BA First lounge in T5 yesterday. I felt the buffet offerings and snack were inferior to the the previous caterers, but the table service was very good. Having spoken to a nice lady at BA Customer service in the lounge, it seems than many others share my view, and these views are being considered.

At least somebody is listening, which is a good sign.

I added a review of my flight which goes into more detail about my dining experience.

In fairness to all concerned, whilst there is a deterioration in the quality of the food on offer, I certainly couldn’t call it a disaster. More like teething problems.

[StephenLondon]

I agree with Pat Jordan…teething problems and not a disaster. Hopefully BA will reconsider based on the feedback customers are providing.

Remember that when flying BA in a premium cabin, or being higher tier card holders means we do benefit in ways far better than other carriers. In AAdmirals Clubs in the US, you get one free drink and if you are lucky a few pretzels or snack mix (offered from a big open bowl in many clubs).

And note Tom Otley’s review of Delta’s new Int’l Lounge at JFK T4:

“The restaurant in the SkyClub has complimentary snacks, but you pay for the “premium” menu, even if flying business class.
Examples from the menu
Small plates:
Rosemary, truffle and parmesan popcorn bowls $5
Steamed Edamame, sea salt and crispy wasabi seaweed $7
Crispy pretzel crostini, mustard and gruyere cheese fondue $6
Large plates:
Cold poached shrimp, saffron aioli, fennel, hard-boiled egg, carrots $18
Sushi platter – 8 pieces of sushi, tuna, salmon belly, Fluke, Snapper, Wasabi, Soy sauce $16
Caesar Salad (with chicken) $15″

Would those moaning their favourite crisp flavour has vanished, or biscuits are no longer individually wrapped prefer the above option of paying for food in the lounges?

Have a read of the new W London Brunch article on the BT website – a great pic of jars of unwrapped sweets on offer to diners, with tongs and scoops available to serve. Looks like Baxter-Story are using a method of display and service that suits the W Hotel brand, as well as the BA brand.

[esselle]

Surely this is about the erosion of standards, rather then relativity, StephenLondon?

The new Baxter contract was primarily a contest on price. Unless they buy better than RA (unlikely), can do more with the loaves and fishes than RA (unlikely), or employ cheaper staff (unlikely), the net result will be a reduced/lower quality offer. It is unimaginable that BA would have decided to increase the budget for the lounge operations.

The BAEC comment on Flyertalk says it all really. I do not see this as a Baxter issue; they are very used to mobilising new business.

[openfly]

Esselle…….perfectly expressed!

If Baxters had seen the old First lounge product, and taken photographs, they could have replicated. Apparently they were not shown how it was and what we, the passengers, were experiencing. This surprises me. I emailed the link to Baxters that VK posted a few days ago and expressed my concerns to them. They have replied and forwarded it to BA. So nothing achieved there, apparently!

I dont think that BA cares. Everybody has short memories. As long as there are cost savings (and the managers get their 10% bonus), so what?! Very sad.

[rferguson]

I think the spiel from BA itself says it all really:

‘The food offering as been simplified’.

We all know what that means in airline speak.

Simplified = less!

[SimonS1]

Indeed rferguson – a long and windy statement on FlyerTalk with the usual corporate guff about something appropriate for the time of day, high standards our customers expect, research being done, high quality, new partnerships, response to feedback, continuing to monitor blah blah.

Followed by 25 pages of posts and barely a single positive amongst them.

Summarised – it’s a disaster, but we have signed a deal and its tough wotsits.

[BAGoldcard]

Here is the FT thread, if anyone is interested:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1469305-your-recent-feedback-catering-our-lounges.html

[esselle]

VK/Your Beckiness

Please use your direct access to WW and ask him to comment. Has FvdP resigned yet?

[PatJordan]

esselle’s idea has some merit.

I have made my views known to BA via their customer service link. I don’t have access to anyone senior in BA, but if enough of us make contact with BA (to individual executives where possible) surely somebody will take these views and comments seriously?

Am I being naive here? I hope not, but only time will tell whether I receive a generic response or one which takes account of what I believe to be balanced and fair comments.

[rferguson]

PatJordan you are not being naive at all. BA usually will only respond to a given situation when they have an overwhelming amount of complaints.

In regards to the flyer talk thread, what a disapointment. It starts out well enough from BA’s end…acknowledgment that the transition hasn’t been ideal. But followed by a suck-it-and-see approach to the offerings which are apparently a result of customer feedback.

Then we have 20-odd pages of feedback almost entirely negative. And what is probably the most telling indication are the photographs. Total and utterly unacceptable. Yet, BA haven’t come back to respond to these pictures. Very sad.

[Author]

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