[Anonymous]

[Binman62]

As a ardent critic of Club Europe I was delighted and surprised at the quality and quantity of food on my flight yesterday. The evening meal on my 2.5 hour flight was excellent, beautifully presented and was on a par with my recent club world experience.
Crew too were great and the flight operated bang on time.

Negative points were the T3 departure experience which was truly dreadful.

The seat (1c) was very uncomfortable and let the obvious improvements elsewhere down very badly.
If ex T5 would have been 7/8 out of 10 but T3 and the seat makes it a good 6.

More on T3 in another post.

[LeTigre]

I have also noticed a great improvement in BA shorthaul CE and Euro Traveller service. The staff smile so much (compared to previously) I think they’re on laughing gas!

[Gold-2K]

Yes, great isn’t it. On a CDG / LHR flight last week, the guy behind me hit the call bell and had 2 crew, one from each end of the plane, at his side within 20 seconds …… And that was in Euro Traveller! Maybe they are taking “to fly to serve” rather seriously …….. Long may it continue. Well done BA.

But to echo a previous post, the CE seats are a bit of a let down. They need to do something with the cabin!!!!

[NTarrant]

The return of the hot towels is also very welcome. The quality of the food has also improved and thankfully there is the pasta salad and not just good old caesar.

[TGLynch]

I travelled from and to Stockholm between Thursday and Saturday of last week. (|November 17 & 19) in Club Europe. Service was impeccable with very friendly, pleasant and helpful cabin crews. The food was much improved with a delicious hot meal last night. Although we landed at the C gates in T5, transit and immigration was efficient and the luggage was being delivered as I walked into the baggage hall. The lounge facilities at LHR (First) and ARN (Menzies) were also very good although it is very easy to miss the lounge at ARN.

[VintageKrug]

While I’ve often been pleased with the CE salad offerings in the past (apart from the nasty artichoke dreadfulness) I was also similarly impressed on Friday’s flight.

A delicious hot supper – lamb Rogan Josh on a 1h40 – properly tasty and almost restaurant quality. There was an alternative choice of poached salmon and mashed potatoes.

Club World nuts served with my Pommery, too.

Also, the hot towels have re-appeared.

Top marks!

[RichHI1]

This sounds good. I am doing a LHR-LIS-LHR after Thanksgiving and hoping that will have better food too. No one has been able to tell me what the green slime appetizer with cruditees is. Soen’t taste like avocado or dairy product who knows…

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

I’m doing a London Paris on Wednesday, looking forward to it, now.

[Senator]

I’ve had three returns ARN-LHR over the past four weeks, and two more to go before Christmas. Whilst I’ve not been a frequent traveller on BA for long I am very pleased with the experience with two small caveats: the Menzies lounge at ARN and the supposed One World “Priority Lane” at ARN which is a bit of a farce.

I do love the Galleries First experience at T5, and make an extra effort to come slightly earlier so I can wind down at the Champagne Bar.

Keep it up, and for the prices I pay it is an absolute bargain!

[Binman62]

3 hour delay coming home…no ground staff in BA uniform ever seen despite several requests from passengers in lounge. BA flight crew arrived 2 hours after STD to explain what was going on and why and this was very welcome. Vouchers were issued eventually but there was no food to buy and those ground staff present made it very difficult to get any.
Flight home was fine though with the food and crew outstanding and the dedicated bus on arival being very welcome…..got us into the ludicrous queue at UK border just ahead of the 140 others but behind at least 2000 others at 10.45 last night…..

[Travellator]

About time they ditched the disgusting extended breakfast and also replace the afternoon tea with a proper meal on longer flights. However the hot meal is now good – especially fond of the Lemon Chicken !

[VintageKrug]

I enjoy both the breakfast and the afternoon tea is my favourite meal!

It’s good to see the improvements finally coming through.

As ever, avoid any flight the Binman is on, it’s almost always a disaster!

[Bucksnet]

VK, in defence of Binman he states the food is much improved. There are problems with T3, both departures and arrivals, and in another thread he was delayed by 3 hours in a poor lounge with little info.

You have to look at the content of people’s posts, instead of assuming that someone is always moaning/praising etc.

[Binman62]

For the avoidance of doubt.

Both BA flights were very good due to excellent food (plain fayre, well cooked and presented on a decent sized plate) and attentive motivated crews. The delay was due weather and I had no issues with that.

The seats are dire both the new style on Friday and the old converter last night with the best, on balance, being the old converter IMHO.

The absence of any ground staff when faced with a long delay is unacceptable. As is having boards and information screens showing information that is clearly out of date. If using agents then agents need to act as if BA.

T3 is the pits (BA lounges aside). The coaching facility is very good (for what it is) but the lack of dedicated departure Bus for CE lets it down. The arrival CE bus is great idea and shows a desire to recognise premium short haul passengers.

CE as a product is not something I would use for services under 2.5 hours as the fare cannot be justified in most circumstances. Above 2.5 hours it is showing real signs of improvement but whilst BA and others continue to use converter seats this will remain a poor quality product. The need is for a better seat and then to enhance the delivery of the new catering product which on this weekend experience was actually better as a main course, than my recent flight from HKG in Club World.

This was no disaster for BA…. but LHR, T3 and the UKBA tried very hard to make it so.

PS just for VK. Next flight LHR SFO in mid December in F…change your plans now.

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