Re: 7 trolley dollies, one packet of crisps!
Minimum crew for BA on an A321 is 5. Either one per pair of doors (4 sets), or one per 50 passengers, then one extra to allow crew to move about whilst the aircraft is on the ground (as Cabin crew need to stay closeby to their designated doors). As Keeperboy has suggested, the crew compliment increases depending on the loads.
Other possibilities are that a new crew member was operating their first flight so has to fly as additional crew, or the next sector the aircraft was due to operate was busier in Club and club receives an ehnanced service. Also often some crew leave the aircraft to nightstop, and the crew who will fly it back may have arrived on a smaller aircraft the night before, so there may only be 4 crew (A319). Which would need an extra one or two for the A321 to fly home. Trust me when I say what doesn't look logical usually is, and is an absolute nightmare to plan!
Now, regarding the catering. Putting domestic flights aside, which are still waiting to be settled, the catering you see now in Eurotraveller is how it will stay.
Factors deciding this were many:
Feedback from extensive questioning of customers, through on-line surveys and paper questionnaires.
Saving costs (BA have increased what they pay GG so need to balance overheads somewhere and are still trying to keep ticket prices down).
Streamlining the catering production to allow less wastage (the new products are longer life).
Differentiating further between Club and Traveller classes.
The amounts of wastage on the previous product was astronomical which spoke volumes about how unpopular it was.
The product where the customer could select a sweet or savoury treat was branded as difficult to deliver by the crew, and unhealthy or their choice unavailable by the passenger.
The bars are still available, and if the crew place soft drinks on top, its to advertise something other than juice and water, or because the crisps take up room in the trolley (longer European flights have wine displayed on top of the trolleys!).
Depending on the time of day (known as peak or off peak - ie mealtime or not) you should receive either a Sandwich, Cereal Bar or packet of handmade crisps. Club Europe should receive a tray with either breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner or afternoon tea, depending on destination.
With feedback from customers, again this may change in the future, but technically the catering on anything with a short flighttime is classified more as a light refreshment than a meal, after all feedback suggested the majority of people didn't want airline food on short flights, just a drink.
Last edited by sixmilehighclub; 3rd Jan 2006 at 01:22.