[rferguson]

FDOS/Canucklad I get what you are saying. And from the outset i’ve said I don’t agree with the method BA are introducing. I’m all for BOB food but believe non booze drinks should have remained free.

Saying that….i’m no corporate wizz but the one thing i’ve noticed about my conversations with passengers over the twenty years is how fickle they are. I don’t think there is any real loyalty. They are loyal whilst the going is good and it suits them until someone comes along with a better product/service/cheaper fare and it’s generally adios. Then three, four five years later the cycle repeats itself. And that’s completely understandable. I like to be loyal to Waitrose for my supermarket shopping. But if I perceived their standards were slipping whilst Sainsburys was luring me with something better for less i’d walk.

Airlines are constantly changing their business models to fine tune this. Look at SWISS – it’s lauded for offering what many consider to be excellent in flight service and catering on short haul flights. And yet i’m sure these same people probably don’t remember that SWISS became one of the first ‘full service’ european airlines to charge for food before deciding they’d revert back to free drinks and snacks.

Years ago we used to have all the BA versus VS comparisons from passengers. ‘Oh on Virgin they give you this and that’. Never hear the Virgin comparisons anymore. Then it was the far eastern carriers, namely SQ. However on my recent SIN-LHR flights i’ve had passengers that have fancied a chat in the middle of the night commenting how they aren’t so loyal to SQ anymore as they believe the standards are sliding. And now, it’s all about the Middle Eastern carriers.

I am absolutely certain that the likes of AF/KLM and LH will be watching BA’s BOB launch very closely. The airline industry is always setting ‘new norms’. Ten abreast seating on 777’s. Low cost airlines in the far east. People that said LOCO’s would NEVER work in Asia because the asian market demands a different service model (and now the legacy carriers are running scared on regional routes). And BOB. If LH or AF follow suit to BA it will be a ‘new european norm’ and just something that people will put up with. Like the ‘european norm’ of business class – economy seats with a middle seat free.

Like I said earlier the key is to manage passengers expectations and ensure they are aware exactly what they are buying. Yes, there will definitely be some dissenting voices come Summer 2017 – but the key will be will they continue to book BA or will they walk because they have to pay for a sandwich and G&T? Or will the competition introduce the exact same method?

Time will tell.

[openfly]

The crews have started their courses on “how to sell a tea bag for £2.50, with a smile”. Talking to the CSM on my flight last night, who has completed the course, he said that there are blatant hints that it will only be a few months before long-haul goes the same way.
He also said that BA Cityflyer are adding an extra crew member for the sales, but BA Mainline are not. So, anybody at the rear of economy stands little chance on a short flight of buying a drink or nibble.
Interesting stuff.

[AMcWhirter]

rferguson – Well said about Swiss. If I remember correctly, Swiss reverted to serving free catering in Y when it was acquired by Lufthansa.

Had CEO Jaan Albrecht remained at Austrian Airlines the plan was for this carrier to adopt BOB last year.

In a news piece in February 2015, we reported about an interview Jaan Albrecht had conducted in which he stated, “We will offer the customer the flexibility to decide individually whether he/she is willing to pay for a bag, for food onboard, for more legroom or for a window seat.”

However Mr Albrecht left Austrian Airlines a few months later and joined Sun Express.

Some of these charges have since been introduced but not the one for BOB.

But one cannot help thinking the Lufthansa group will adopt BOB at some stage.

In any case, one could argue that many “Lufthansa” routes to Germany already have BOB.

That’s because Lufthansa’s short-haul flights to any German city, other than Frankfurt or Munich, are operated by its budget subsidiary Eurowings whose flights are displayed and are bookeable via lufthansa.com

[alainboy56]

@AMcWhirter …… But I have traveled to Colgne from LHR and thence on a connection to Pisa with Eurowings and in both cases there are some food and soft drink offerings.

[AMcWhirter]

alainboy56 – Fair point. Eurowings does provide a little catering when passengers pay its higher tariffs like Smart or Best.

But it would be BOB for passengers paying its Basic tariff.

[TominScotland]

As already noted in this discussion, everything seems to boil down to expectations…..

On a LGW – Funchal flight yesterday in Economy, a lady across the aisle really kicked off when the cabin crew member was, very politely, unable to meet her demand (yes, it was a demand) for soya milk and ‘erbal infusions (whatever happened to the ‘h’ in herbal?). She has to settle for ‘ot water and ‘er own ‘erbal teabag instead.

No satisfying some folk…

[JohnHarper]

TominScotland are you going to tell us which airline this was on? I believe there are quite a few choices to FNC from London.

[TominScotland]

BA, of course!!

[JohnHarper]

Oh dear. Just imagine how many more people will be cross when they find they are paying £2.50 for a cup of tea in future let alone the price of a sandwich.

BA really need to advertise their changes and their arrival at the bottom otherwise there will be a lot of angry people for the crew to deal with.

[FDOS_UK]

Don’t BA offer herbal infusion anymore?

I’ve had it on their flights in the past (as the coffee was suitable for cleaning drains only).

[Stowage222]

FDOS_UK: Only Longhaul in ‘premium’ cabins (F/J) can you get a selection of herbal teas – for now!

[esselle]

Forget herbal tea, they have stopped carrying vermouth of any type in F, so no more Gin & It as an aperitif. In fact the last time I asked the crew member didn’t know what vermouth was………

[JohnHarper]

[quote quote=767354]Forget herbal tea, they have stopped carrying vermouth of any type in F, so no more Gin & It as an aperitif. In fact the last time I asked the crew member didn’t know what vermouth was………

[/quote]

So just what do BA offer as an F product that differentiates it from Business Class on other airlines like QR, CX, SQ and the like?

[Stowage222]

John Harper – ehhhhh, a nicer cup and pot?

[esselle]

John

Looking on the bright side, I suppose, in answer to your question, that Pyjamas are not supplied to J pax on the airlines you mention………..

[Author]

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