[AMcWhirter]

Many of you will have read today’s media reports. Both lie behind a paywall.

It’s all part of BA boss Sean Doyle upgrading the inflight catering experience.

Some of you may consider this as something of a PR stunt.

Last week Sean Doyle, in a message to staff, is reported to have said “We want to surprise and delight customers, and what’s more delightfully British than a cup of tea ? We’re looking at introducing this on some of our longer short-haul routes.”

That’s because serving hot tea/coffee takes time both in handing out them out and collecting them later.

Imagine the time it would take to serve these hot drinks on a fully booked Monday morning EDI-LHR flight. Yes this was possible in the days of Super Shuttle but perhaps more cabin staff were onboard in those days.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cup-up-and-away-free-tea-is-back-at-ba-n6nl5mlmh

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/07/16/british-airways-bring-back-free-tea-coffee-service/

[christ]

If you think on the old shuttles, they used to do a full bar and multiple top ups when all domestic – at least on glasgow route!

[esselle]

………..and a full english on MAN-LHR!

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cwoodward, LuganoPirate, tomyam42, MarkCymru, YorkshireTraveller

[StephenLondon]

Indeed, it is all down to crew levels and what BA are willing to pay to have the necessary crew to deploy a decent service once again.

Doyle uses the phrase “surprise and delight customers”. Thanks to all of the cuts over the past few years, the biggest surprise was to find your flight was departing, and the delight was when it landed in your booked destination!

More needs to be done to please passengers than those free cuppas on AMM and CAI flights (previously part of mid-haul fleet with full service and even Club World and even First on widebodies) with a cuppa. As readers have noted, full breakfasts used to be doled out on MAN-LHR flights. People remember this. Until it returns, the perception of BA as a low-cost reduced service carrier will remain.

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MarkCymru, Back2basics

[FDOS]

“Until it returns, the perception of BA as a low-cost reduced service carrier will remain.”

It is not a perception, is it? It’s a fact.

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JonathanCohen09, kevin46, maxgeorge, tomwjsimpson, TimFitzgeraldTC, tomyam42, sparkyflier, Abidjan, Johnnyg

[Gold-2K]

Indeed, my last 4 flights with BA have been delayed for four hours ( First) delayed for 2 hours with no food and drink loaded on board (Club Europe), Broken seat and no alternative available to move to (First) and No Wifi (First). So if Mr Doyle’s definition of “surprise and delight” is to deliver something vaguely close to what the passenger has paid for, then it’s hard to get excited.

But perhaps it will all feel better after a cup of tea served in a BA paper cup !

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kevin46, maxgeorge, Abidjan

[Inquisitive]

There are several domestic airlines in India and China and some airlines in SE Asia serves not only hot tea or coffee, also provides reasonably good meal services in flights with about one hour or so duration.
I do not see any higher number of crews in these airlines than required by regulations.
So if BA is really interested to serve tea and coffee on short haul flights, they can send their crew and management to good airlines in Asia for training/learning on this service.
It boils down to intention of providing good service.

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kevin46, tomyam42, MarkCymru, Abidjan, Jacob, esselle

[cybertravller]

When I was operating crew out of LGW to MAN/GLA/EDI in the morning, we did a full English with tea or coffee. We had four crew on those domestics…I don’t see how this is an enhancement.

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kevin46, MarkCymru

[AMcWhirter]

Hello inquisitive,

I was viewing a recent SIA Y class YouTube by T&A Adventure of a Singapore to Saigon flight.

The Singaporean couple onboard the flight weren’t that impressed with the catering quality. But the meal was served in a cardboard box.

I suppose a meal in a cardboard box is better than BoB service (as found in Europe).

[Nick Pike]

It’s generally the case that non lowcost airlines outside Europe offer full meal services on short flights- I did Jo’Burg- Blantyre on Malawi Airlines last month and had a very pleasant lunch service on a two hour flight in economy. And business class had old style wide seats.

Sadly, Ryanair et al have driven standards lower. It’s a shame that the legacy carriers have taken that as an incentive to cut costs and make their product less distinguishable. I’d cheerfully pay twice the price for a decent seat with more legroom and good onboard service as opposed to a lowcost carrier but I think I am very much in the minority. I wouldn’t pay more to get a “free’ cup of tea.

How BA gets away with Club Europe (ie economy seat) to Amman and Cairo is beyond me. I am going to Amman later this year and deliberately chose RJ in business, even though it was slightly more expensive. I still get my BA tier points, after all…

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Johnnyg, sparkyflier

[Inquisitive]

Agree that SQ experiment of cardboard box meal delivery is being complained by many passengers, including myself – I had those a couple of time SIN-BKK just to taste – as I have higher status, normally for short haul I eat at lounge. But the cardboard box delivery is a cost efficiency exercise although SQ claim it is environmentally friendly effort.
Before Covid, SQ will have proper cutlery on that route and I think now that is restored in all flights. My recent 3 hourish flights from China had full fledged meal service.

However I am impressed how some Indian and Chinese airlines manage to do a full service in domestic flights with short duration.
Moment seat belt sign is off (around 10 min mark) crew start serving from both ends of A320 or B737 and they complete meal serving at at around 25 min mark. They will come back for hot drinks if that is not served due to minor turbulence. At about 35 minutes mark, they start collecting refuse from both sides again and the whole process is complete by 40-45 minutes mark (that is descending start for one hour flight). If some passengers could not finish their meals, the crew comes back after 5 minutes. During this time the crews also accommodate passengers who wants to go to toilet.

It is a question of training and discipline. Some might find these services are very mechanical but for those who want a meal in the plane even for just time pass, this is quite good.
I believe serving meal keep the stress level down and due to time pass element, may eliminate air-rage that we see time to time.

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maxgeorge, JJ, Johnnyg, AMcWhirter

[LuganoPirate]

I was a regular on the Shuttle those days, and remember the full service offering.
Just to compare, MXP-ZRH, a shorter distance then LHR-MAN, Swiss manage a drinks service along with a small snack.

[Gold-2K]

I took the British Midland late evening flight Heathrow to Teesside a few times back in the ’90s, a 45 minute flight, hot dinner, bar and tea/coffee. I think the plane was a 737-300 and it was always pretty full especially on a Friday, before the days of Friday ‘working’ from home!

Serving 100+ in 40 minutes – Now that was impressive!

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sparkyflier, AlanOrton1

[AlanOrton1]

I also use to fly that route with work in the late 90’s on day trips to the NE. Full breakfast on the way up and dinner with full bar on the way back.

One Friday morning, waiting to depart LHR, the first few rows were all blocked off, which was odd. Then a certain T. Blair and entourage boarded at the last minute! (I suspect heading to his Sedgefield constituency).

[cwoodward]

Hi Alex the cardboard box caused absolute uproar!
The cardboard box catering on SIA lasted less than a month – a new management team I understand. The normal decent food service was resumed incredibly quickly. No word on the new manager responsible….

Cathay has now many flights (after taking over the Dragon Air routes) between 90 minutes and 3 hours on which they offer similar catering and style to that on all other routes.
Tea/coffee comes in a china mug (and you can order a cappuccino) – will this be the case with BA ?
I trust not paper cups !

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AMcWhirter

[Author]

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