British Airways cuts the new Club World business class meal service – before it even rolls out

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• Adrian says:

  7 Jan7 January 12:30

  If you are a customer and not a shareholder then BA are a 3 star airline with a 1 star management team. I have many problems with BA but the worst is the outlook. BA are now going to spend £600m to improve CW, when? They can’t do the simple stuff, group boarding 12th Dec 17, what happened to that? New blankets and bedding as Rob says that’s not difficult. The food is poor to mediocre (including F) the attitude of cabin crew isn’t what it was, it is much more hit and miss now. Given how BA is with it’s customers I’m sure that working for them leaves a lot to be desired.
  So BA takes 3-5 years to improve CW to be what? Worse than QR are today? My wife liked the QR 787 and LOVED the Q suite, so it’s more QR/AA and less BA. It saddens me but I’m not convinced down the line that BA will be any better than they are now.

  • VK says:

    7 Jan7 January 15:06

    second that

  • Anthony Dunn says:

    8 Jan8 January 17:18

    Oh dear. If BA had a 1-star management team, can you explain just how they have managed to deliver some of the (consistently) most impressive financial figures of any legacy carrier? It doesn’t happen by magic albeit IAG has exploited its “Fortress Heathrow” to the maximum. Personally, I now either employ the continental dogleg or use AMS, OSL or CPH as an O&D point because LHR and ZRH are clearly the most expensive O&D points in Europe and I am averse to lining BA shareholders’ pockets with my cash.

    There really is a need for a sense of proportion in discussing BA and its strengths and weaknesses. BTW, I am neither employed by IAG/BA or any of its suppliers nor am I (directly) a BA shareholder, I pay my own fares and I do use other OneWorld carriers.

• C77 says:

  7 Jan7 January 15:03

  3 star airline – as awarded by skytrax too I believe. 12DEC was a stupid date to roll out group boarding to be fair. Coincided with sleet/snow/fog and a massive swathe of cancellations and rebookings. Then we went into the mass Christmas migration. BA should have just set it for mid January in the first place (which I believe is when it is finally being rolled out).
  I’m in no doubt BA crew are being stretched and stretched to the limit. It makes me roll my eyes on here when people compare surly BA crews who are never to be seen against their smiley and professional counterparts on Qatar or Emirates. The main difference between BA and the middle eastern offerings is the cabin crew compliment. BA assigns as few as 7 crew to a 787-8 for example. Qatar assign 12 I believe. I’d like to see Qatar do so their 5* service with just 7 crew. It simply wouldn’t happen. BA adapting the service style to fit what is physically possible in a set amount of time with a lower crew compliment could be what is happening and perhaps the initial JFK service was proving too much to accomplish. Not sure what’s going with The White Company if anything. Roll out to routes other than JFK was only ever to be from 2018 anyway. Given we’re only a week in, I’d be prepared to cut some slack for that. As for continuing to fly AA/QR then be BA’s guest – due to the joint ventures and codeshares entered into ex London with these carriers, BA will still take their cut of your fare – they don’t need to be better for as long as seats sell, which they appear to be doing.

  • D says:

    7 Jan7 January 16:45

    QR in Doha board Y class passenger before J class…

    • TGLoyalty says:

      8 Jan8 January 00:32

      Not my experiance

• Talay says:

  7 Jan7 January 15:20

  My thoughts are that if they cannot dole out the meals in the premium cabins on a A380 then it is surely due to the much higher density versus the ME3 ?

  However, given such high density, surely there should be more staff, to equalise the time delays ?

  Also, given the higher density, surely there is more money to pay these extra staff ?

  I simply won’t pay the premium for the density on BA. I mean, 8 abreast in business class and they want higher prices than the ME3 ?

• S879 says:

  7 Jan7 January 15:55

  OT (no bits today): I want to put more and more utilities etc bills on paypoint/pay online to be able to use AMEX. Is there a master list of which ones accept Paypoint/ Amex online?

  • mark2 says:

    7 Jan7 January 16:37

    I doubt that there is a list, but you can ask BT for a payment card to use at Coop PayPoints.
    Many local councils do the same (but not all).

    • S879 says:

      7 Jan7 January 17:31

      Thanks. I think EDF does it too. I’m with EON but haven’t seen any Paypoint info on their website although they do say you can pay bill online.

      • mark2 says:

        7 Jan7 January 18:14

        online is very different from PayPoint: often you can only use Visa/Mastercard.

      • Polly says:

        8 Jan8 January 00:03

        Spark energy take amex and EE

      • Publius says:

        8 Jan8 January 08:35

        >Spark energy take amex and EE
        I was going to reply that no, Spark don’t take Amex, but after logging in just now, I see that while indeed they dont take Amex, they _do_ take PayPal which appears to allow Amex through that method!

        So thanks, I’ve learned something today!

  • Alex W says:

    7 Jan7 January 19:57

    Try this. Not great in terms of updates but can be a useful website.
    http://www.whoacceptsamex.co.uk/categories/gas-electricity/69/

  • Polly says:

    8 Jan8 January 00:00

    You need to contact each of your suppliers and ask if they issue PP cards. Or if they issue a bill with a bar code to scan
    As Mark says bt send one SSE do Affinity Water etc
    Usually people update on posts like this.

    • S879 says:

      10 Jan10 January 18:28

      Thanks all

• BrianN says:

  7 Jan7 January 17:09

  OT. I currently have the Virgin Atlantic white credit card.

  Just wondering what to do with upcoming Virgin Money credit cards about to hit the market.

  Do you think it would be better to cancel the white card now and see what VM have to offer? Or just keep the white card going?

  Not sure if VM would treat me as a “new” customer or not for offers etc?

  Thanks

  • the real harry1 says:

    7 Jan7 January 18:25

    it’s a simple decision: just cancel asap (provided you hit your introductory bonus) as the card offers no particular advantages vs others

    this leaves you free to do other stuff

    only downside is: cancelling any credit card negatively impacts your credit rating for a couple of months, ie don’t cancel if you are planning soon to get a big loan/ mortgage

    • Delbert says:

      7 Jan7 January 18:44

      I don’t recall cancelling a credit card impacting a credit score. Taking up new credit does, though.

      • Alex W says:

        7 Jan7 January 22:24

        Age of credit lines is a factor. So if you close a card, instead of keeping it open, it reduces the average age of your credit lines. This can have a negative impact, so it’s good to keep some accounts open long term.

  • Rob says:

    7 Jan7 January 19:04

    You will be a new customer so no pressure to cancel. May be worth keeping old cards due to generous Amex.

• Chris says:

  7 Jan7 January 17:17

  OT – Looking for a hotel for me and my girlfriend in London late Feb for our anniversary. Does anyone have any recommendations that will benefit from the Gold status that I have through the AMEX Plat Charge card please? Ideally looking around the £200 mark or less. TIA

  • Rob says:

    7 Jan7 January 19:03

    The Amex statuses are all mid tier without much in the way of guaranteed benefit (free brekky with Hilton Gold is good).

    Use Amex Plat to book a Fine Hotels & Resorts hotel instead. Free brekky, £85 to spend in hotel,guaranteed 4pm check out and upgrade if available at check in. Great package for a 1 night stay.

    • Chris says:

      7 Jan7 January 19:28

      Thanks Rob, just had a look in London for that night and unfortunately a little out of my price range. I was thinking that a Hilton could be a good option because of the breakfast.

      • Jack says:

        7 Jan7 January 19:42

        Conrad London is good, pretty classy and free breakfast as Hilton Gold. The only thing I wish it had was a pool! Depending on day of the week etc rates can be had for the low £200s (I also got a night for £100 once using best rate guarantee) and I think it’s quite nice for an anniversary as it’s a little more upmarket than a Hilton. Having said that, Hilton Bankside is really lovely and I was very well looked after when I told them it was my birthday and the rooms are new and very nice. Miles ahead of most of your other generic Hiltons. Those would be my two suggestions for HH properties in London, don’t know much of the other chains.

      • RM84 says:

        7 Jan7 January 23:31

        I can second the recommendation for the Hilton Bankside – if the Conrad is still over budget, you should be able to get this for under £200. Really lovely hotel, and good breakfast.

  • Intentionally Blank says:

    8 Jan8 January 09:45

    Hilton Bankside, or Doubletree Tower of London. Has one of the best roof bars in London, and a great place if you like Gin!

• Paul says:

  7 Jan7 January 21:26

  Salt and pepper cut ages ago for cost
  Pillow stollen far too much
  Bread is only made by DO&CO in London only, and they don’t supply all routes.

  • Rob says:

    7 Jan7 January 21:47

    The salt and pepper has been cut because of issues over the crew refilling them, apparently. Whether crew are complaining or BA thinks it is too much of a strain I don’t know.

    • Duck Ling says:

      9 Jan9 January 09:23

      Crew have never had to refill salt and pepper shakers. This is done by caterers.

• CV3V says:

  8 Jan8 January 03:13

  On recent trips in F the attitude of the crew has been noticeable in that they clearly are out to do the minimum possible. Get the dinner service done ASAP then head to crew rest and leave behind one member of crew reading a magazine. No drink top ups, forget requests, bare CW pantry. Underwhelming. In CE one crew took meal and drink orders and then served them individually walking back n forth to the galley, took 40 mins to get served in CE cabin on a GLA to LHR.

  • C77 says:

    8 Jan8 January 08:52

    Quite often the way in CE where passenger load dictates the crew compliment. An Airbus A319 for example operates with 3 crew unless the CE load exceeds 32 when a 4th is triggered. Chances are if CE was lightly loaded then then the third worked BoB behind the curtain while the senior worked CE on their own. And if exceptionally quiet on very short flights, it is not uncommon for the crew to conduct the CE service tray by tray doing drinks at the same as opposed to wheeling the food cart up and down the aisle to then follow up with drinks after. Would make for a disjointed service don’t you think (given the total number of crew available) ?

    • CV3V says:

      8 Jan8 January 09:37

      Id suggest that 2 crew in CE could serve a full cabin in a matter of minutes and could then forget about CE with one crew to clear up, which is what happened in the old days before BOB. One crew member trying to serve a full CE cabin doesn’t work, especially when passengers make extra requests which which result in another trip to the galley. By extra requests I mean, by example, not wanting tea or coffee but water etc or a passenger changing their mind /order. The result is a very slow service.

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