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British Airways confirms return of full Club World meal service

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British Airways has confirmed, in communications to staff, that a full Club World meal service will return from 28th October.

It is, shockingly, 2.5 years since BA last served a ‘proper’ meal service in its long-haul business class cabin, so it is good to see it back.

It’s just a shame that most of BA’s competitors returned to full service a year ago ….

British Airways Club World meal

Since the pandemic started, British Airways has veered from ‘snacks’ to DO&CO meal boxes to the current ‘single tray’ set up. This is effectively a Club Europe meal, served in one go, with only the main course being hot.

The driver for this has been low crew numbers, not a desire for cost savings – albeit those were a benefit – with the airline not having enough staff to handle a full meal service in Club World.

From 28th October, the historic service will return. This means:

  • each course served separately
  • hot soup returning as a starter option
  • hot desserts returning as an option
  • regional meal variations returning on specific routes

The ‘express’ option will also return for evening flights, which is effectively a return to the current Club World service. You receive a single tray meal – something which I do appreciate when flying overnight if no lounge dining is available.

Let us have your feedback if you are travelling on or just after 28th October.

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Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (141)

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

  • Caroline says:
    17 Oct17 October 09:57

    Is the option to view the CW menu for your flight & select your main prior to flight also returning on 28th October?

  • KevinS says:
    17 Oct17 October 10:08

    The people complaining about poor BA service. Were they not aware of this when they booked?

    It’s been well known that it’s been rubbish for years! Surely anyone expecting a high level of service would book on another airline?!

  • Joshua Critchley says:
    17 Oct17 October 10:13

    Returning to service levels before Wuhan covid hit rather feels like a shambles still.
    RBC conference in Dallas in November 2019 and truly shocking slow service and bad food. I complained and explained that I should be moved to first class as my bread roll was served cold. Shockingly the stewardess refused to do so.
    Returning to old ways surely is still way behind other flag carriers.

    • NorthernLass says:
      17 Oct17 October 10:50

      You’d have been livid in PE then, my breakfast in July was an actual frozen croissant 😂

    • S says:
      17 Oct17 October 11:23

      Struggling to tell if this is satirical or you really did demand to be bumped to first because of a cold bread bun

  • Kevin says:
    17 Oct17 October 10:17

    A fair bit of BA bashing today! Justified of course. I’ve never actually flown in Club World as I joined the Avios game in 2020 just before Covid hit. I have sympathy for BA though. Trying to compete with the Middle Eastern 3, satisfy customers and actually make money ain’t easy in this old world. And it’s got a lot harder since we decided to turn down a dark economic alleyway in 2016!

    • NorthernLass says:
      17 Oct17 October 10:51

      I can’t feel that much sympathy when they don’t even load enough food for the CW cabin, as on my return from BOS in April. The flight attendant then added insult to injury by telling us it was because we were upgraded at check in when we’d actually booked 11 months previously …

      • Numpty says:
        17 Oct17 October 12:28

        They didn’t have my first choice meal on Cathay Pacific once, when in First. To make up for it they gave me an extra serving of caviar, they then forgot to top up the champagne glass whilst eating said caviar, for which they apologised again and then asked if i wanted another serving of caviar to go with the champagne (no ta). The ice cream served for dessert was rock solid as they had forgotten to take it out in advance, so whilst i waited on it softening they made up a basket of snacks/junk food which i then kept for rest of flight. All true!

    • SteveW says:
      17 Oct17 October 12:31

      It took until page 4 to blame Brexit.

    • Harry T says:
      17 Oct17 October 14:49

      They aren’t even competing with the other Western carriers properly. Please don’t justify their mediocrity, there is no excuse for providing dire food and beverage service.

  • Scottpat78 says:
    17 Oct17 October 11:03

    I’m next on BA to the US on 5th Nov, so timings worked out for me.
    I’ve just completed 4 AA flights to/in the US and on both the long haul and domestic flights, the service and quality was far superior to my recent BA CS flights to SFO & LAS. They have a fair bit to catch up on.

    • J thomas says:
      17 Oct17 October 13:05

      Just completed legs Mia/Lax/Mia and on both occasions the food offering was substandard to BA CE. Lhr/Ath/Lhr. Admittedly you receive more on the tray with AA but the quality and the attraction of the food on the tray is very poor and indeed the cabin crew on checking the o/b offering thought they had been supplied an omelette for tea time flight when indeed it was a chicken dish with a egg like sauce. No menus

      • Scottpat78 says:
        17 Oct17 October 13:31

        I pre ordered my meals for domestic legs – CLT to SEA then SEA to ORD, never been able to do that with BA. Had ribs going to Seattle and chicken on the way to ORD. Both very nice. Was also offered a fresh made dessert with hot fudge sauce, which I declined!

  • Flyingred says:
    17 Oct17 October 11:48

    I’ve pretty much walked away from BA apart from burning Avios for positioning flights and weekends away in the EU. In reality, CW at its best was never very good, even the upper deck of the 747s (which were way better than 777). I’m looking forward to experiencing F with LX soon. For flights up to 6 hours DW and I reckon Y is adequate, bracketed with lounge access and airport dining and maybe a stopover hotel room for longer trips.

  • rontse says:
    17 Oct17 October 12:01

    That’s great news! But as a family with two young kids, I’m happy with the one tray service and old CW, it’s hard enough to help the kids eat over the divider, let alone keep passing plates over to the cabin crews. If I’m flying solo, then CS and full service.

  • Alan says:
    17 Oct17 October 12:01

    How about the hot towel service, still the excuse of Covid & crew shortage?

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

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