[StandingThemUp]

StephenLondon – 08/07/2013 11:15 GMT

Sorry Stephen, BA’s concerns are not my problem and I have said clearly I’d like the old menu back.

I have now booked 2 x business class TATL returns with Aer Lingus, so I don;t need to speculate on what BA might be able to provide for me, I’ve voted with my feet. This is not just because of lounge food, I have concerns about BAs reliability at the moment.

I can’t imagine I’m the only one, either.

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

Well STU, sit back and enjoy some genuine Irish hospitality.

And hotel buffets? I bet that would run for ever 😉

[VectorOne]

Welcome to EI STU!

However, I have some sad news to report on the current state of the food offering at the EI lounge at Dublin airport.

They equally have gone down the “enhancement” route which means that they are offering less food than before, but for the same fee for those foolish enough to pay the Euro25 entrance charge. EI offers no hot meals (other than soup, usually vegetable or tomato), no sandwiches, no fresh meats, no snacks, no crisps, no nuts, no salads. There is nothing fresh or even mildly appetising about its food offering, and for a country which keeps promoting the quality/freshness/traceability of its food, is frankly an embarrassment.

But they do however offer a mouthwatering supply of cheese (the type which is kept nice and rubbery in a plastic wrapper), crackers (wrapped), mini muffins and mini croissants (again kept moist in a plastic wrapper), lovely Irish wholemeal bread (again in a wrapper), biscuits (wrapped) oh and some fruit…well an apple to be precise but mercifully not in a wrapper!

But, on the positive front, I am led to believe that you can have endless booze, tea/coffee, minerals and showers.

And this is their flagship lounge…I’ve seen better food offerings at the deli counter of my local petrol station.

I hope you grabbed one of their current bargain fares – on board business class is very good – and at Euro1,100 to the US return in their current sale, is exceptional value.

Enjoy!

[StandingThemUp]

Hi Vector 1

Not quite 1,100€, but not far off.

I don’t mind poor lounge fayre at EI prices, I’ll eat breakfast at the hotel and just have a coffee in the lounge.

[EU_Flyer]

I am appalled and disgusted to report that there was no Beluga Caviar at the T5 F Lounge on Friday night.

Further more, when I arrived the lounge angels failed to genuflect as I glided through their work stations into MY First Class Lounge.

I’m appalled and disgusted that Concorde wasn’t miraculously re-commissioned given that I was flying to JFK from LHR.

And finally…

When my perfectly delicious salmon, ordered off the menu, arrived the young lady didn’t offer to feed it to me so I could keep my hands free for more important things.

In short, I cannot believe what BA has become.

Shame on you T5, shame on you F Lounge, shame on you cookie jar and single flavour crisps.

I’m switching to Olympic.

[AnthonyDunn]

@ AlexUpgrade77 – 08/07/2013 18:02 GMT

I think you have very succinctly captured the flavour of what First Class travel ought to constitute. 🙂

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

Bravo Alex!

[StephenLondon]

Sorry @millions of miles, I didn’t realise you are the BA procurement person responsible for catering. My mistake. Just how much is BA saving via this exercise? And how come uptake of food in the lounges is up 70%?
My point isn’t a closed one (well, to your mind it is as you don’t want to enter a discussion, just pontificate your personal opinion), I was hoping to learn what fellow travellers would like offered and no, not comments like “bring back the old menu” but some genuine ideas that have been thought through. Clearly that is too much for some folks.
@STU, enjoy the plastic wrap in DUB, as well as the bone crushing seat pitch from the UK to Ireland, and thanks for freeing up a seat for me on BA.

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

2 seats and counting!

[millionsofmiles]

@StephenLondon

Unfortunately, I am not the procurement manager of BA….if I were in that position, Stephen, I would select a capable catering company and order presentable and edible food.
And how do you want to know that food uptake is up by 70% ??? (If there is only one type of food, the uptake increase could even be higher, lol)
According to you, you want to hear some “genuine” ideas from travellers….but at the same time you limit this with the conditions that BA likes the ideas…ridiculous again.
It all comes down to one point, as I said: BA wants to be seen as a CHEAPO or not.
There is no way to polish s..t into chocolate even if you sell this as an enhancement.

[SimonS1]

StephenLondon – as a matter of interest, why do you think BA changed the catering. On the one hand customer opinion is fairly negative (here and on other forums). On the other, BA claim that isn’t to save money. So why not just stick to what was working?

[StandingThemUp]

“@STU, enjoy the plastic wrap in DUB, as well as the bone crushing seat pitch from the UK to Ireland, and thanks for freeing up a seat for me on BA.”

Bit defensive, my friend.

I am not travelling to Ireland from the UK and I can afford a seat with decent pitch.

You are welcome to your seat on BA. I just hope the aircraft doesn’t go tech 3 times and take 27 hours to despatch.

As to your comment about new ideas, I agree with with Simon S1 – “On the other, BA claim that isn’t to save money. So why not just stick to what was working?” Occam’s razor would suggest that to make sense.

[StephenLondon]

The tender, as I understand it, was for more than lounge catering at LHR as it encompasses BA’s Waterside premises and other locales.
RA had the contract for 20 years at least. As part of a normal procurement exercise, clearly another catering firm offered something different that met with BA’s vision of the future (and FvdP has stated the change is cost neutral).
The changeover is still not complete, so we customers have yet to see the final product. Again, as FvdP told Tom Otley, uptake is 70% up with the new caterers. Clearly some customers like the change and what is on offer, and as such will give BA their business. BA can’t be all things to all people. If plastic wrapped biscuits are necessary to win business, clearly there are airlines that will meet these exacting standards – I’m glad BA is no longer one of them!

[IanFromHKG]

StandingThemUp – 09/07/2013 05:46 GMT : “On the other, BA claim that isn’t to save money. So why not just stick to what was working?” Occam’s razor would suggest that to make sense.

I love the implicit irony in your comment – using Occam’s Razor to suggest that cost-cutting was the driver, when the main other descriptor for Occam’s Razor is “the principle of parsimony”

Classic! Well done 🙂

[SimonS1]

StephenLondon: “RA had the contract for 20 years at least. As part of a normal procurement exercise, clearly another catering firm offered something different that met with BA’s vision of the future (and FvdP has stated the change is cost neutral). “

But we were all told that it was in response to customer feedback? Although on here and flyertalk (two of the main business travel forums) we have not yet come across anyone who was consulted :).

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