Virgin Atlantic launches afternoon tea – on the ground and onboard

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• Leneng says:

  19 Apr19 April 07:25

  The photo of the BA A320 seat probably doesn’t do it justice, and the lighting isn’t flattering. So I hope the real thing looks less grim. Others have commented on the poor seats on new trains (Thameslink and the class 800s on GWR and soon on the East Coast) which were specified at the behest of DfT. Looks like we wouldn’t notice the difference if BA were re-nationalised.

• Ian says:

  19 Apr19 April 07:38

  hmmm, those headrests don’t look very movable!

• krys_k says:

  19 Apr19 April 08:17

  OT. Are points given for a supplementary Amex Gold card? I seem to remember that was the case, but when I clicked through was presented with form but no mention of points. Many thanks.

  • roberto says:

    19 Apr19 April 08:27

    3000 seems to be the going rate however whilst some get them regardless others have commented that Amex have said its limited to those who got the email offer.

    I suggest you log into your account click through and look at the supplementary section but dont complete the request. Leave it a couple of days and see if their IT picks u your interest and they email you.

    I did just this and got the email. YMMV of course.

  • Nick_c says:

    19 Apr19 April 09:45

    I got the offer on my on line account about six weeks after getting the PRGC. No email. Just a box like an ad as I scrolled through transactions on the app. 3000 points. Posted next day before card received.

    But every new card I get from Amex (three in six weeks) requires a new on line account!

    • Palcsaky says:

      19 Apr19 April 16:49

      I applied for the supplementary gold in the morning and got the 3000 points in the afternoon. Super fast and no invitation email either.
      Regarding a new online account every time, you need to wait 2-3 days from card activation and then it can be added to your existing account.

• Russell Evans says:

  19 Apr19 April 08:31

  OT – Curve. Are they reasonable if you ask for an uplift on your limits. I’m getting close to my £50K annual limit and also struggle to stay under £20K per month….

  • Rob says:

    19 Apr19 April 08:34

    I think £50k is the hard cap which may be a Mastercard cap

  • RIccatti says:

    19 Apr19 April 10:00

    Personal and Business cards?

• Kenny says:

  19 Apr19 April 08:38

  Those new seats look God awful. Remind me of flying Enter Air to Greece. BA really are becoming a budget airline and making it hard for anyone to maintain loyalty to them. I flew Venice recently and the seating seemed similar to this, although I don’t even know if it was this new seating, but it sure was uncomfy, had you sitting so upright and very little padding or space.

  • Nick says:

    19 Apr19 April 08:58

    I think budget is the wrong word. I think they are becoming (or have become) a low quality airline. RFS flights on expensive routes and very cheap CE fares aside, BA are fast becoming an irrelevance for me. As a silver striving for Blue, there really is no reason for me to fly BA over any other airline in Europe now. They have picked a fight with LCCs that they cannot win.

• Gumshoe says:

  19 Apr19 April 08:43

  Re Virgin’s afternoon tea: up until a couple of years ago it was offered as standard in Upper Class as the second meal service. Then, when they reduced cabin crew numbers, it was ‘enhanced’ and is now only offered if you ask for it off the ‘Graze’ menu.

  But to clarify, while the collaboration with Eric Lanlard might be new, the provision of afternoon tea – both on board and in the Clubhouse – is not.

  • Catalan says:

    19 Apr19 April 08:55

    Ah. I’d wondered what had happened to it on my recent VS Upper Class flight. It used to be served from the desert trolley and that disappeared, now nothing.
    I guess it’s the usual tactic. Remove something then reintroduce it as an ‘enhancement’!

  • Leo says:

    19 Apr19 April 09:29

    I spoke to a CSM on board about this last year – UC to JFK. She said that people didn’t really like the cake stand and trolley and found it all a bit of a faff. I thought the afternoon tea that I had on that flight was really just the same as before but without the palaver. I quite liked the palaver though and would happily see its return. I must say they were an absolutely brilliant crew.

    • RIccatti says:

      19 Apr19 April 10:43

      If the crew do not like extra work, they will not blink saying eagerly it’s the passengers who don’t like faff.

    • ankomonkey says:

      19 Apr19 April 17:27

      Is the palaver that meringue dish with cream and a bit of fruit coulis? Quite like it meself…

  • Kathy says:

    19 Apr19 April 12:06

    I wonder what you’ll get if you’ve ordered a special meal? Afternoon tea is one thing I really miss since I went non-dairy – and seems particularly difficult to get vegan/non-dairy alternatives for.

• Troubleonline says:

  19 Apr19 April 08:51

  I used to marvel that the seats, whilst old were comfier on BA shorthaul from London to Edinburgh than on long haul flights (economy). Not the case anymore! They look so grim…………

• another_will says:

  19 Apr19 April 09:07

  As long as I can still take my golf clubs for free on RFS tickets, I’ll continue to fly BA short haul.
  When they take that away – and we seem to be on a race to the bottom – then I’ll look at other options.

  • Zild says:

    19 Apr19 April 12:48

    Don’t give them ideas!

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