British Airways to allow pre-ordering of food in Club World and First

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

• Kenneth Tan says:

  19 Aug19 August 07:11

  Sounds likethe American Airlines system. AA make menus available 30 day prior to the flight for on-line booking. I do like the AA system if not always their menu choices.

• Jason says:

  19 Aug19 August 07:27

  It makes absolute sense, from a logistic point of view, to do this. I suppose the only problem will be passengers not choosing their menu.

• squills says:

  19 Aug19 August 07:38

  Sounds as if it will make sense NOT to choose in advance if you fancy your chances of an upgrade.

  Last time I got upgraded I was travelling back from California with a work colleague, we arrived at check-in quite late and they bumped us up so that I could sit with my wife 😉

• JQ says:

  19 Aug19 August 07:55

  I guess it is a question of how early in advance they prepare the meals versus how early they decide on upgrading you. There was an FT thread on when the latest time you can book a flight is. Does this mean if you book at T-2 or don’t check in until T-1, you might not get any food at all??? I don’t think so for an F ticket… even on BA :p

• James says:

  19 Aug19 August 08:13

  Are people with special meal requests eligible for paid upgrades online or argue airport still? I would imagine so? Since somebody ordering a special meal for religious reasons etc would be quite miffed to have that disqualify them from parts of the service

  • Brian says:

    19 Aug19 August 09:00

    I had a special meal ordered for my NY-LHR flight in June and, when I enquired about an ugrade at JFK, the lady offered it to me for $900. Clearly, I didn’t take her up on this, but it shows that it is possible. Maybe she would have made me a better offer had I not had a special meal, though!

    • Rob says:

      19 Aug19 August 09:07

      She probably didn’t notice. BA crew are not allowed to serve a meal, special or not, in a different cabin to the cabin it was originally ordered for.

      • letsfly says:

        19 Aug19 August 10:21

        I had a Y ksml tlv-lhr in CW on an A321…

        • Midton says:

          19 Aug19 August 11:59

          I was given a business class meal while in ecomomy while flying with BA after I got chatting to the flight attendant and found out we had something in common.

• Fee says:

  19 Aug19 August 08:23

  I found it worked well on AA flights (ie I got what I ordered) and would be quite happy to order on BA. When I fly long haul I fly with my husband so unlikely both to get upgraded so that doesn’t worry me, short flights I try to avoid the food. What does occur to me is that, as a lowly silver, I know that a more important GGL-whatever can take my seat choice (even if I paid for pre selection.) What’s to stop them demanding their choice of meal – and getting mine? This won’t be guaranteed so more chance of being left with the awful meal no one wants. (And the awful meals on BA are really dreadful in my experience.)

  • flibbly says:

    19 Aug19 August 08:48

    I don’t know where you get that idea from Fee. I’m a GGL and I see blocked (i.e. occupied) seats on the seat map just like anyone else. There certainly isn’t an extra button for me to press to eject whoever got to my favourite seat first.

    • Rob says:

      19 Aug19 August 09:10

      I think only Premier members can do this.

      To be honest, I think BA needs to rethink the Premier concept. Most Prems control the travel budgets at big corporates. To keep ‘in’ with these people (who are just travel managers remember) they get cars to and from planes when connecting, can eject people from prepaid seats and get VIP service at every airport. Seems, to put it mildly, excessive.

      • Tim says:

        19 Aug19 August 14:31

        and possibly dangerous now that the UK has a Bribery Act.

• Paul says:

  19 Aug19 August 08:29

  The AA service has been around for a while and works really well. This service from BA will be accompanied by marketing hyperbole that would have you believe it’s a first and unique when in reality it’s simply BA catching up.
  On AA the pre ordering has never stopped me changing my mind on board with the proviso that there are no guarantees. That said on two separate occasions I have changed my mind and the crew accommodated my choice.
  Still won’t get me into club world over either CX or AA on a paid basis, the need to change the seat for that to happen.

• John says:

  19 Aug19 August 08:57

  If it does disallow you from getting an OpUp it could be irksome, but for 3 class cabins (and F flights) it sounds like a winner to me.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.