Brunchgate hits the national press

[jj]

masaccio wrote:

£2k+ of my own money for 10 hours deserves the very best service and food possible.

This is why I don’t understand how BA can have been so stupid.

Business travel is down; premium leisure is up. Airlines must adapt to capture the latter, and the serious, reflective media (most recently the FT about a week ago) have been talking about the different expectations of the two groups.

I’m typical, it seems. When I travel for business, I want to minimise my time away from home. Convenient schedules and quiet, private spots to work are all I want. When I travel for leisure, I want to be pampered, and to have a good time with my wife.

BA seems to have completely missed what everyone else in the market is saying.

[Andrew.]

jj wrote:

When I travel for leisure, I want to be pampered, and to have a good time with my wife.

Do any airline lounges provide private rooms for “special cuddles” with a partner, or just someone you’ve met on a dating app in the lounge?

[danimal]

Andrew. wrote:

jj wrote:

When I travel for leisure, I want to be pampered, and to have a good time with my wife.

Do any airline lounges provide private rooms for “special cuddles” with a partner, or just someone you’ve met on a dating app in the lounge?

I’m not sure if they still exist but the Concorde Room used to have a couple of private cabanas for “wifey cuddles”.

[runnerbean]

Eew.

[executiveclubber]

The first time I’ve burst out laughing on HfP, thank you jj

[NorthernLass]

Knowing BA’s attitude to cleaning, I am never going in one of those cabanas now, even if they still have them!

[runnerbean]

On that theme…

It was airport bus transfer on Thursday. We were stood up and a youngish guy in front of us was sat down glued to his phone.

OH nudged me.

Young ‘un was watching a video titled ‘what should I expect at a legal brothel’.

[NorthernLass]

Dear Lord. Please tell me at least he was using headphones?!

[Garethgerry]

I just don’t understand the economics of this. Save £5 or £10. Might at best be £800 per flight. Loose one business class customer, loose at least £2000. Could lose even more.

This was all over times radio this morning. Odds are they will loose potential leisure customers, we want spoiling for our own money

[Dom]

Article in The Telegraph this morning on it too https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/10/29/british-airways-cuts-back-in-flight-lunch-crackpot-decision/

[Rob]

Dom wrote:

Article in The Telegraph this morning on it too https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/10/29/british-airways-cuts-back-in-flight-lunch-crackpot-decision/

They just nicked my quotes from here and the Times! Didn’t get in touch at all.

[Supergers49]

I’m completely misquoting the late Anthony Bourdain but…

“What is a Brunch menu anyway? ‘Old, nasty odds and ends, and 12 dollars for two eggs with a free Bloody Mary.'” It’s a scam. Whoever at BA came up with the idea of the Brunch menu probably belongs to the B Squad.”

[danimal]

If they offer £150 compensation to complainers, then just 2 people complaining per flight completely negates any savings on the cut-back meal service.

It’s a PR disaster – all over the national press, particularly the “well-heeled” readers of The Times and The Telegraph.

Will heads roll at BA HQ I wonder?

[JDB]

Supergers49 wrote:

I’m completely misquoting the late Anthony Bourdain but…

“What is a Brunch menu anyway? ‘Old, nasty odds and ends, and 12 dollars for two eggs with a free Bloody Mary.’” It’s a scam. Whoever at BA came up with the idea of the Brunch menu probably belongs to the B Squad.”

Yes, brunch is a ridiculous non meal and most of the ingredients aren’t really suited to being well prepared in the air, but that applies to much of BA’s poorly designed and executed catering. Even if BA rolls back some of these changes, one can be sure they will still be cutting the catering budget but just doing it a bit more stealthily. BA won’t be worrying about some short term compensation claims for the greater savings to follow.

[Alex G]

Great to see this getting publicity. Hopefully, BA will roll back soon.

The thing is, this new brunch menu seems to be worse than the normal breakfast menu. When I took the day flight back from Boston last year, I wanted to get back on UK time as soon as I got on the plane. I had a nice light lunch – smoked salmon starter and an omelette for the main course – from the breakfast menu, washed down with a couple of glasses of fizz. The “brunch” menu just sounds awful.

BA needs to offer flexible menus that allow people to chose something that they want to eat, whatever time zone they are on.

[The real Swiss Tony]

danimal wrote:

Will heads roll at BA HQ I wonder?

The saying i particularly love in situations like this is “deputy heads must roll” (usually coming from the chinless wonders who signed off at the top on these schemes).

[TGLoyalty]

@Alex G there’s no difference between what you described and exactly whats on the brunch menu.

Salmon and frittata (it’s just a more filling omelette. Fizz is still available.

[danimal]

The real Swiss Tony wrote:

danimal wrote:

Will heads roll at BA HQ I wonder?

The saying i particularly love in situations like this is “deputy heads must roll” (usually coming from the chinless wonders who signed off at the top on these schemes).

Colin from accounts?

[AndrewT]

Thought I’d wake this thread up following a call with BA Customer Relations this morning, that’s the real Customer Relations department not a random Call Centre agent. I was told that in the last couple of days a lot of additional information has been provided to them regarding the levels of catering being provided on different flights, and that various reviews are ongoing as to what is appropriate where regarding time of departure, length of flight and time of arrival at the destination.

While that does not make what are generally seen as the negative impacts of these changes go away, it does indicate that further work is ongoing, and that the blanket changes previously announced are not going to be applied everywhere. Understandably no indication of whether they might be backed out completely.

As an example, my enquiry was regarding a trip to GCM next month. Departing 0915 so within the Brunch window, over 12 hours to GCM so potentially subject to exclusion, less than 12 hours to the stopover in NAS around which the catering has to be based. The lady I spoke to found a specific update for that route which she read out to me, confirming that the previous full service would be provided LHR – NAS, with a further drinks & snack service NAS – GCM.

Obviously only time will tell what actually transpires, but I am somewhat reassured for that trip at least. Of course if it turns out otherwise they will be hearing from me again!

[NorthernLass]

You get a drink and nuts on the NAS-GCM sector. A couple of years ago they started providing a hot sandwich but it had been enhanced away by the following year! Even with “full service” to NAS you are likely to be hungry when you get there as the 2nd meal is just the teeny afternoon tea.

On the return, bear in mind that there’s no lounge at GCM, and you won’t get a meal until after you take off again at NAS. We usually have a substantial late lunch before departure then just try and get to sleep asap on the plane.

[Ihar]

Here’s my idea, Add £5 onto the cost of a biz ticket. No-one will notice, people will be fed.

[NorthernLass]

Reported on FT that someone ordered a GF meal and got poached eggs on GF toast!!

[BBbetter]

Ihar wrote:

Here’s my idea, Add £5 onto the cost of a biz ticket. No-one will notice, people will be fed.

If it was that simple…

[Bristol_Traveller]

I contacted BA customer relations about an upcoming flight to JFK, in December, and told them I was disappointed with the “brunch” offering, given that at the time of booking their website “boasted” about the meal service using the “freshest” of ingredients – not a sausage and a slice of chocolate marble cake. I also mentioned that for me at least, part of the experience is the meal service (and yes, I know it can be an experience) – anyway, that aside, 48hrs later I got a £200 voucher as a way of an “apology” – I haven’t even taken the flight yet and they’re sending vouchers out. I suspect that deep within BA, someone, some where is trying to dampen down the publicity that has generated.

[Alex G]

Bristol_Traveller wrote:

I contacted BA customer relations ….

Result. They could have just said that the sausage will be fresh 😉