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Brunchgate – aggressive BA service cuts resume

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We have been sceptical about the ‘£7bn investment programme’ from British Airways, because when we peered behind the curtain we struggled to see anything there.

Whilst replacing life-expired assets is, of course, ‘investment’, it isn’t the same as taking pro-active steps to improve the customer experience.

One example is the new, bigger overhead bins being installed on new short-haul aircraft deliveries. These are great, solving cabin baggage issues at a stroke. However, is BA spending money on retro-fitting them to its existing aircraft as many other airlines have done? No.

Brunchgate - aggressive BA service cuts resume

The biggest structural issue with the airline business is that most of your costs are fixed. Fuel costs are fixed. Aircraft leasing costs (or debt repayments) are fixed. Staff numbers are set by law and pay scales are fixed in the medium term. Whilst it seems petty to start attacking the in-flight food budget, it is one of very few levers to pull.

From 15th October, two new measures have been introduced. One is just crackpot. Both are cost cutting.

Breakfast …. for lunch

BA has introduced a brunch service to all long haul flights departing between 8.30am and 11.29am.

Whilst the logic here is obviously a bit crazy in theory …. passengers departing at 11am have almost certainly had breakfast in the lounge if not at home …. it is even crazier in practice.

Since food service cannot start until the aircraft is at cruising altitude, anyone at the back of Club World won’t be getting fed until around 1.30pm. Just the time for a cheap airline breakfast.

Even more bizarrely, the rest of the menu is unchanged. You get an appetiser. You get a dessert. You are offered wine with your meal.

I don’t know how many people have eggs on sourdough paired with wine, followed by a cheeseboard or chocolate tart, for breakfast at home ….

Brunchgate - aggressive BA service cuts resume

The new First Class menu

As an example, the 11.20am New York JFK flight was previously offering the following main course options in First Class for your post-take off meal:

  • grilled lamb rack
  • chicken wellington
  • grilled halibut and shrimp sauce
  • vegetarian kofta in korma sauce 

It now offers:

  • chicken / sausage / mushrooms / hash browns
  • prawn salad
  • poached egg on sourdough
  • pancakes

It’s even weirder when you see the full menu. This is what is now served in First Class if you depart before 11.29am:

  • amuse bouche (a cut from the previous selection of canapes)

followed by your choice of:

  • smoked salmon
  • roasted artichoke
  • butternut squash and coconut soup

followed by one of the breakfast dishes listed above, followed by:

  • chocolate tart
  • fresh fruit

followed by a cheeseboard.

Based on feedback from a friend of mine who spoke to the crew, not a single passenger on his flight in First had the pancakes and no-one in Club World had the waffles.

Brunchgate - aggressive BA service cuts resume

The new Club World menu

If you’re in business class, here is a typical brunch menu – it is actually called ‘The Great British Brunch’ on the menu.

A choice of appetisers from:

  • a fruit plate
  • smoked salmon
  • goat’s cheese and grilled artichoke
  • cheese and crackers

followed by

  • chicken / sausage / mushrooms / hash browns
  • cheese frittatta
  • Belgian waffles

followed by

  • chocolate marble slice (no alternatives)

followed by coffee and liqueurs.

It’s just weird.

The upside is that it will probably be scrapped before Christmas, so if you want to try it out I recommend you book now.

Interestingly, one person on Flyertalk who complained about his Club World brunch has been offered real money in compensation (well, a BA voucher, but near enough to cash). The amount was described as ‘generous’.

In a second article tomorrow we’ll look at the cuts to food service in Club World and First Class for flights departing after 9pm.

PS. Don’t forget that, if you are looking for good business class food, Qatar Airways has just introduced a caviar service on flights from many airports including London. This is on top of the existing meal service.

Qatar Airways introduces caviar in Business Class

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Comments (366)

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

  • Smudgerman says:
    21 Oct21 October 08:04

    Let’s add to this the additional breakfast us folks from the regions have scoffed before we get to Heathrow and we’re double dipping the grease and fat before 11:30 too.

    Add to that the return ‘catering’ (often two choices of salad) in Club Europe, it all seems a little less attractive than buying a sandwich from aoret as I pass.

  • Gerry Howe says:
    21 Oct21 October 08:04

    Whilst BA bashing and quite rightly so. I flew BA Euroflyer last week to Bari and back, in economy. Low level price = the tiniest pack of corn nuts and now not even a small bottle of water! You have to ask for water and then you get a cardboard cup!
    Hard to believe this was once a Premium airline. I never book BA now if this is a choice.

  • omicron says:
    21 Oct21 October 08:07

    Just came back from a CW return trip and was served something most resembling a supermarket ready meal for the main dinner course on both flights. Not sure if it could get any worse so not very concerned about this change…

    • omicron says:
      21 Oct21 October 08:10

      Heating up some Charlie Bighams in the microwave can’t have been that expensive in the first place, so I’m doubting how much they will actually save on this, maybe a few £ per passenger

      • Kowalski says:
        21 Oct21 October 08:42

        A few £ per passenger would be a huge saving!

        • Chris says:
          21 Oct21 October 08:51

          This is true, but it’s subject to the same economic theory as the fact that putting up tax rates does not necessarily lead to an increase in tax revenue. A marginal difference which pushes people over the edge can have a huge negative impact.

          If you save £4 per passenger, but lose £400 of profit for every person who dislikes this and books elsewhere, you don’t have much room for misjudgment.

          • omicron says:
            21 Oct21 October 09:43

            Exactly! If I choose a different airline even once every few years because of this (on a not sold out flight), they would have lost the savings

      • @mkcol says:
        21 Oct21 October 21:19

        Christ I’d kill for a Charlie Bigham’s as my inflight meal.

        • Rich says:
          24 Oct24 October 08:29

          I think they should retrofit 50 air friers on board and offer a Charlie Bingham duty free

  • Tony says:
    21 Oct21 October 08:08

    That BA work experience kid is at it again!!

  • Robert Wilson says:
    21 Oct21 October 08:08

    BA seem to be on a path of self destruction at the moment. In addition to this latest debacle, service levels seem to be in rapid decline since Covid. I travel regularly on the JFK and IAH route and the service in Club World always seems rushed. On one jfk, I used the call bell to ask for another bottle of water, got no response but then found the flight attendant sitting on her seat using WhatsApp. Club used to be such a polished service. Not sure what’s happened.

    • Kowalski says:
      21 Oct21 October 08:44

      PR wise they might seem to be on that path, but the numbers say otherwise

      • meta says:
        21 Oct21 October 10:26

        It’s because you choose to continue flying with them along with everyone else. You shouldn’t be complaining if you are still choosing BA.

        • Tony B. says:
          21 Oct21 October 12:14

          Thing is even if he chooses AA for his US-flights it will still go into the same revenue-pot that BA eats out of. He will get a better experience (although food quality isn’t amazing on AA either) but it won’t hurt BA.

          Switch to VS combined with a status match if there still is one.
          Or go DL or UA – United actually has reasonable prices and food wasn’t terrible plus UA Polaris is relatively comfortable especially on the narrower and less busy (yet ancient) 767s – I was pleasantly surprised.

    • Andy says:
      21 Oct21 October 16:35

      What do you expect when at the first real chance (covid – no travel) they forced the premier crews out who had years and years of First and Club experience which was in turn passed down from older crews who also had a passion for the job. They now employ people on the cheap with much worse T&C’s who won’t see it as a career, they now roster working positions to anyone even in First, so the surprise would be if the service was excellent by some fluke, not that the service is typically shite, thats a no brainer. On a recent First flight to Jo’burg one of the girls working in First was on her first ever trip with BA. No surprise we were served at completely different times and my breakfast was forgotten completely. Ironic as this is actually about breakfast which are generally dire on all aircraft

  • PeterK says:
    21 Oct21 October 08:10

    Perhaps we should all be requesting a diabetic special meal until the breakfast madness stops

    Diabetic:
    This is a nutritionally balanced meal, prepared for diabetic customers. It contains minimal sugar content and a balance of proteins, fats, fibre and complex carbohydrates.

    • Ken says:
      21 Oct21 October 08:20

      BA would interpret that as bacon, hard scrambled eggs, a tomato and a hash brown.

  • Paul says:
    21 Oct21 October 08:10

    As soon as anyone puts “Great British” before anything you just know it’s going to be absolute crap!

    Ahead of tomorrow’s article about post 9pm catering. Are BA going to follow the AA model and eliminate it completely. Once did HNL LAX on the overnight red eye with nothing. Swore I wouldn’t do that again!

    Am currently sailing on the Queen Anne and fellow passengers are talking about London Perth non stop. One aspect never mentioned about these ultra long haul services is the lack of catering and extensive bar. I am being told that to keep weight down the wine list is sparse and catering even more so. ….. though after a well on board I could do with at least 17 hours of no catering!!

  • Dev says:
    21 Oct21 October 08:13

    Time to go AVML on these flights as the Indian version of Brunch is still more carbs but at least you have spices and flavour to it.

    • Tony B. says:
      21 Oct21 October 12:19

      Actually genius – just order an AVML – if all of the sudden the special meal numbers go up like mad (and surely these specials cost a bit more than what they are serving now), BA might start to get the message…. or not. The level of ineptitude at that company is insane.

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