Poor inflight meals on BA -LHR to GLA

[Tartan Gannet]

I recently had to fly up to Scotland and as usual flew BA from LHR to GLA.

In the past I have enjoyed a proper plated meal, either a cold meat & salad or a hot meal depending on the time of day and a dessert with cream. On both legs this time all that was on offer was a "packed lunch" in a bag consisting of a chicken salad roll and a piece of fruit cake. Now given that internal flights are not exactly cheap I was less than impressed. Do I have to bring my own sandwiches, pork pies, etc in future as I would do if travelling by train?

Can any "Nigel" comment on this cheapskate catering or should I fly British Midland next time? :mad:

[cabinkitten]

Fly British Midland.

[B Sousa]

Quit Whining, your lucky your not here in the states. They throw Peanuts at you......
A hot meal means they spilled coffee in your lap......The excess lunches are given to the Salvation Army who promptly discard them........

[flypastpastfast]

I agree with the option to choose BMI. Over around a half of a year, I had to regularly travel LHR to EDI, and consistently found BMI cheaper, always comparing like with like in terms of flexibility. Also found that sometimes BMI business class to EDI was cheaper than best economy, and then you get a stonking good meal (most times).

I remember some other airline started this 'snack in a bag' nonsense, but I can't remember who, just that it was cr@p. Like tartan said, for the amount of money it costs, you really do expect something decent.

God, it's hot.

[BahrainLad]

Seems on 'UK Domestic' - where has 'Shuttle' gone? - you now get a hot breakfast on flights departing before 10am, all other times it's the 'Deli Bag' - which is quite nice in itself, but not the best value for money when you pay £100+ for a ticket.

[The Guvnor]

Do what I do and fly Ryanair from STN to PIK ... it usually costs £4.50 - £29 each way, which leaves plenty over for a couple of Double Whoppers with cheese and a large coke at STN! :D :D :D

[World Traveller]

Agree with above, done a few (ie not many) Europoean sectors on BA and BMA i the last yuear-sih, and the food was consistently better on BMA, Club and economy. I was actually surprised at how good BMA were....

WT

[brockenspectre]

I am a celiac (can't tolerate gluten) which was discovered when I was in hospital in the RAF a bunch of years ago and since then I have been pretty diligent about keeping to the gluten free diet - no wheat/oats/rye/barley or their by-products. Subsequent to the diagnosis, I had the good fortune to fly a lot on business and found that BA is particularly poor in catering for "special meals" (makes me sound like an oddity - 1:450 in the UK is celiac whether they know it or not!!). I have ended up, even in transatlantic Business Class with a sad rice cake, margarine and not butter (excuse me! did I ask for non-lactose?) and something equally sad and undressed for food. When I was travelling in Biz cabin crew were always wonderful and let me snoop at what was left over from the regular meal service and usually there was something there for me! In Economy, however, it is "take the rice cake or nothing". Other airlines, Lauda, SAS, Air France, American, Virgin to name a few, historically have never had such a problem and I just wonder why BA catering is so poor - the fares are not the cheapest!!!

K....sorry for the "w(h)ine" but it amazes me that in 2001 folks don't know how easy it could be to cater for medical meal requirements!!

:D

[InFrequent Flyer]

You're lucky to get that piece of cake.
I've flown from Birmingham to both Paris and Frankfurt a couple of times recently. Each time the 'meal' in cattle class has been a sandwich or one of those excresences called a 'wrap' Admittedly, the sarnie is not bad but for what an insult.

Breakfast in the morning is not bad though.

[Tartan Gannet]

My dad is flying down GLA to LHR on BMA Sat 11th August so I'll compare notes on the food with him and, if its better I'll change from BA to BMA. I take the point about some of the cheaper no frills carriers but I dont want to have to go to STN, using public transport how do I get there from Reading? LHR is easy, Railair Coach or Train to Paddington and Heathrow Express, likewise LGW, train from Reading, but Stanstead? As a matter of interest are there flights from London City to GLA?

[RATBOY]

Lucky you aren't on the late World Airways. Meals were optional (pay extra in advance please) and weren't very good at that. Soon learned to bring own picnic lunch...watched the poor inexperienced souls drool at my corned beef and pastrami on rye, Dr Browns and bag of Chips Ahoys. Couldn't bring my own beer, though, darn it.

[Carnage Matey!]

Sad to say but I have to agree with you! The food is gash, particularly the 'All Day Delhi-Belly'. A great idea thought up by marketing, an appalling idea in the air. Cabin crew report a large increase in meal refusals. Even I won't eat that crap! And don't you like the way they're stylishly served from a blue cardboard box! Curried egg sandwich anyone?! :(

That said, I was once disturbed by the way the BMA cabin crew asked some BA cabin crew commuting home to sniff the bev pots because they couldn't remember which was tea and which was coffee. I certainly couldn't taste the difference!
[Edited for fairness]

[ 01 August 2001: Message edited by: Carnage Matey! ]

[Mycroft]

TG
re Reading to STN by train is quite possible (via paddington and Liverpool Street), however it does take 2 hours; but when I was planning my trip to the Ash Bash there was a train that headed towards East Anglia but connected to STN by bus

[Land After]

If you think regular meals are bad, try the veggie meals on the evening BMI flights. The pax beside me gets smoked salmon, pasta salad and other goodies. I get a plate of crudities: dried up carrot, pepper and celery. No salad, no dressing, nothing. :mad: This is in business, at least the pax in the back get a decent choice of butties, which I now ask for.

To add insult to injury you now need to order meals 24 hours in advance. That’s a full 24hrs. Book a flight to for the following day and miss the exact 24 hour gap and it’s no veggie breakfast – the only meal I really need on a flight if it’s an early start. Methinks it’s the management at BMI massaging the stats of undelivered meals by cutting the service to customers, rather than making the catering suppliers work for their money. Compare this to BA (where the Club Europe food has improved recently) who managed to get veggie food on a flight at 17:00 from AMS when I made a reservation at 11:30 the same morning. BA providing better service than BMI – what’s the word coming to? :eek:

[Fast Jet Wannabe]

Once at STN, don't fly FR to PIK - thats crazy, I've done it a few times and the journey into Glasgow centre is a long one!

Just hop on one of the many daily Go flights to GLA!

[cudgy_funt]

cabinkitten:

Fly British midland? admittedly, i haven flown since they changed to "BMI" but last thing i got on BM domestic (to channel islands) was a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit! still, it was very nice service, just maybe a sanwich would have been better..

cf

[overstress]

Sorry guys £ girls - I know this topic is completely tongue-in-cheek, after all, who cares on a domestic what the hell you get offered, if anything. I'm usually fast asleep from the demo to touchdown.

The reason I have no sympathy is because I have to eat the CREW food every DAY and it is far worse, I can assure you. Sometimes we ASK for the stuff you eschew just to break the monotony.

[B Sousa]

Hate to pop your bubble folks, but I had an unforgetable great meal with the most excellent service a few years ago on a BA flight from LHR/JNB business class. The lady recognized that I had already flown from SFO to LHR and got me a wonderful meal almost as soon as the wheels were in the well. She then finished me off with a full glass of Cognac. I didnt see anything until the sun was burning my face the next morning. What a flight. Snored so loud that three seats around me had to move......
Next story please......

[Rolling Stone]

You are lucky you are not here in the States. None of the large carriers give a meal unless it is over a four hour sector. I traveled east coast to Las Vegas this winter approx. five hours and got one drink. Crew were not impressed when call bell pushed to request a second drink. Insinuated I was an alcoholic. Do you really need a meal on a one hour flight anyway?

[cabinkitten]

Dear Mr Cudgy
Was this channel island epic from LHR/LGW by any chance?

For the uninitiated this is a bit of a speedy sector. About 25 minutes to be exact. For crew even giving out the basic deli bag/biccy/complaint card can be a struggle. Wo betide the crewmember that has something else to deal with like an ill pax/fluid leak/unidentified noise because the service simply won't get finished...even if that 'service' is just a couple of hob-nobs and half a beaker of tepid nescafe...

Rather than putting my back out trying to haul a couple of stone of sub standard perishables up a near vertical cabin, rather than having to contend with 160 or so grimacing faces as I hand out the tiny curling croissants/spam sandwiches/ single own brand biscuit. Would it not be better if we scrapped food on flights under an hour altogether.

Think about it. No more overstressed crew galloping up your aisle splashing molten Brooke bond as they go. No more bruised elbows, stained shirts or random crumbs...I'm not advocating complete dereliction of duty just a calmer quiter sector....maybe some pret a manger type sandwiches in the lounge...drinks on request when on board....a small bottle of evian at check in...

Come on people I'm sure you could manage 20-50 minutes without feeding!!

[ 07 August 2001: Message edited by: cabinkitten ]

[Eboy]

I've had modest meal improvements on UA in North America and Asia by requesting the Hindu special meal instead of the vegetarian meal. It's still vegetarian and the curry at least gives it some taste.

[flypastpastfast]

To answer an earlier point, maybe food is not essential on a shuttle flight, but if that is the case and catering is degraded, then tickets should be cheaper.

With EDI to LHR, the ticket (fully flexible) cost is truly too much, and most travellers on this route are aware of the fact they are being ripped off. Every now and then BA or BMI get the wheeze of an idea to degrade the food given, but don't cut the ticket cost - that's all.

Most people using this flight route on expensive tickets are in industries where pre booking or the lack of punctuality etc of budget airlines is of limited use. So they have to put up with rip off fares.

[Unwell_Raptor]

On an Aeropostal DC9 from Caracas to Margarita, flight time 25 minutes, you get quite a decent cheese and ham roll, and a choice of drinks. I had nearly a half a pint of very good rum!
The cabin crew really dash about, and one of them told me that they do six round trips a day.

[Tartan Gannet]

FPF, my thoughts entirely! My father flew down from GLA to LHR on BMI yesterday arriving 12.20 hours. Catering even worse than BA! What purported to be a Bacon and Egg Roll, with no bacon, a kit kat and a cup of really naff coffee. Nuff said, I will still "fly the flag!" .

[PAXboy]

LCY to GLA? = Yes. Scot Airways.
At the LCY website, check 'Schedules': http://www.londoncityairport.com/

I have been doing LTN / EDI for the last seven months and have done some 14 trips with EZY. I have also gone from LHR, one BA and two BD.

EZY gets my vote, although I am biased as the field is only 11 miles from home! But they work well, they go to GLA about six times a day as well. I do not normally eat on the flights, due to other factors but it is fine when I do. The tea is very good! Not cheap but certainly good. I do not drink coffee but it must have something going for it as it smells very strong. (yuk)

BA - I got the 'food bag' and it was fine, I was in Y and have had a lot, lot worse, like Deutsch BA from MUC to LGW! Never again on that sub-carrier.

BD, on both occasions I was in C and got good food. The breakfast was the best. However, the evening food was rather too exotic for my taste. I appreciate that the folks are trying to impress and give variety but fancy pasta and Italian sauces or a spicy thing on the other occasion - are no use to me! They do serve lovely little tubs of high quality ice cream in C, as well.

If I had to go regularly from LHR? BD.

Incidentally, I also agree with FPF. The fares are very poor value for money and the food is a sop to us. They know that the profit is worth a lot more than the £3 (or whatever) per meal in Y that they allow!

But if you want poor value for money:miles AND non-food, try Manx. Once Airlines of GB dropped them it has been getting steadily worse. Now that they are part of BRAL ... but that's a rant for another board!

[ 12 August 2001: Message edited by: PAXboy ]

[snooky]

PAXboy

You may be interested to know that Deutsche BA now also operate the supposedly BA flights from Heathrow to Cologne, with more German destinations to come.

[arrow2]

BA All Day Deli??? There was Arrowman in cattle with my 6 yr old going to Lyon - his childs meal was delicious compared to the ADD and it was all he could do to stop me from pinching it all! Trick is therefore to request a childs meal when booking even if you are a little taller than 4 foot!!

A2

[cabinkitten]

If B.A.s deli bag/B.Ms bread rolls or Mizz airs kitkat is such an appaling prospect to you all I have a novel idea.... why not bring your own?

Why not potter into your kitchen take a couple of slices of Hovis and rustle up something that cuts your culinary mustard? If not there is ample opportunity at the airport to part with...oooh lets see...£3.00 and get a sandwich.

The amount spent on food by an airline is minimal. £3.25 was the pre deli bag rate in B.A.traveller class. Even if they halved the cost and passed the saving onto the pax it hardly equates to a weekeend in the Maldives does it?

But then for all those so concerned about the gastronomic incompetence of the main carriers (yet still determined to be presented with a four course Delia-esque extravaganza..even on the AMS)there is a second option.

I hear some of the more removed Eastern block operators offer a luxurious...ney...Bacchanalian service..(salmon en croute/copious champagne/ willing cabin staff peeling endless grapes)...yes granted the aircraft maintenance may only amount to a bi-annual wipe down with a damp jiffy cloth and the crew do get paid in turnips but the passenger does get fed....and thats what really matters after all..

[SLF]

Nice one, CabinKitten (great name, imagination now in overdrive...)

But there has to be a balance between providing a meal and not. Cutting the budget to a level which does not provide something reasonable is worse than not providing anything at all (IMHO).

[Land After]

SLF

You've hit the nail on the head: If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well. I wouldn't mind not getting a meal on short flights if I knew in advance and if I was hungry I could grab a butty at the airport. (A la Easy, etc.)

Most of the complaints here are for poor service - I guess if there was no food people would have little to complain about.

Just don't try to take away my Gin & Tonic :eek:

[Crepello]

I'm with cabinkitten on this one, and largely on grounds of safety. I recall an unusually quick AMS-MAN flight where the carts were mobile until well after the seat-belt lights went on.

One possible downside is job security; the reduced workload would account for EZY's complement of three C/C (crowd control?) per 733.

Perhaps gloop dispensers should be fitted next to the oxygen masks, 'gloop' being a paste-like mix of nutrients, caffiene, alcohol and anuretics. Patents pending... ;)

[max_cont]

I dunno peeps, I thought you paid for the flight, not the food.

If the airlines put the price of the ticket up by £50 to pay for a slap up inflight meal, I bet you'd all complain about that as well.

As someone has already said. Try the crew food. We don't have any choice but to try to live on it. :(

[Egg Mayo]

As a punter I think the "beef" is that one is spending a few quid extra for the privilege of BA, only to get a mediocre in flight service and deli-bag commensurate with lower rate airlines.

I flew LHR-DUS a few Saturdays ago and my eyes nearly popped out when I saw the crossiant in the bag. I was expecting the "normal" tray service; nope, none of that. It suddenly dawned on me why virtually everyone in Terminal One was eating anything they could lay their hands on at 6.00am in the morning!

I fully aware that BA is trying to cut costs and increase profits but it is plain to see where the "cuts" are coming from. Fair enough, I'm not expecting First Class service, silver service etc, at Economy prices but when the difference between Lufthansa and BA on the route was twenty quid, (during July, out Saturday, return Sunday evening) one would expect a little more.

Edited For Clarity

[ 15 August 2001: Message edited by: Egg Mayo ]

[PAXboy]

max_cont

PArdon ignorance, you are saying that they provide different food for the drivers? It seems curious that they would go to that trouble when a couple of extra 'C' trays could be loaded.

Yes, I am aware of you having to eat different foods and that is possible on long but impossible on short/medium sectors as they is not usually a choice.

In what way does the crew food differ?

[max_cont]

PAXboy, Crew food is loaded for the crew and costs about 50% of the pax meals. It's very poor quality.

The ham is mostly fat and the chicken is what I would normally cut off at home and feed to the cat. The beef and pork I don't even want to think about. On many sectors you end up stuffing smarties down your throat to raise the blood sugar level enough to stop the shakes.

As we are a captive audience so to speak, we have to make do. I suppose you pax would take a dim view if we stoped off for lunch somewhere. I except this as part of the job.

Sometimes when no-one is looking, one of us snaffles a spare pax meal and I can tell you, it's a treat.

P.S Don't tell the boss ;)

[GlueBall]

Bring your own peanut butter sandwich and quit sniffling and whining. What do you want? Transportation or a dining extravaganza?

If you had lived 100 years earlier you'd be riding to Glasgow in a springless donkey cart.
:cool:

[ 02 September 2001: Message edited by: GlueBall ]

[SLF]

Max_cont - like PAXboy I'm surprised you get different meals - I always thought they load extra meals (because half of us with flexible tickets don't turn up) and the crew would get these!

Are you speaking from scheduled or charter side?

And what about you Easy/Go/Ryan crew, I suppose you have to buy yours...?!! :confused:

[Land After]

GlueBall,

For the price of a flexible UK Internal flight I *do* expect a dining extravaganza. If the fare were lower, I’d be happy to bring my own sandwich. (Though I don’t like peanut butter)

[Egg Mayo]

I'm with Land After on this one. If your going to dish out a cheap roll and an awful cup of tea and still charge air-fares at "pre-deli-bag" prices, then you've got every entitlement to have a moan.

The average punter, like myself, would like to see a reasonable attempt at providing a half decent in-flight meal. If it was a reasonable, filling, peanut butter sandwich, then it would get my thumbs up.

[cabinkitten]

Oh so true boys.....I see no reason WHATSOEVER why a veritable cornucopia of executive style treats can't be rustled up in the wide expanse that is galley 1 on the 737 shuttle....

[flyblue]

I think that providing decent food on board is quite important. In Air France (like all the flag carriers)the majority of our pax are businessmen, who have no time for meals most of the times (they come from a meeting/go to a meeting in a rush etc)so the meal they get on board may be the only meal of their day. And we know how important are businessmen for airlines, as they are almost the only ones to pay full fare...
Crew food is a very important issue too. You CAN'T provide a good service if you are hungry/angry. Giving CC a bad meal equals what G.Bethune (former CEO of Continental) in his book "From worst to first" calls "thinning the pizza". You can make a pizza so thin that no one wants to eat it.
Starving the crew and keeping them angry because they realize the lack of respect that lies behind that smart move is a real proof of poor judgement for airline managers. Again as Bethune says, there is always some moron popping out with the smart idea of cutting on that kind of costs in order to save money. Managers out there, revelation #1: IT DOESN'T WORK, it is written on the basic airline management books.
There is a widespread idea that treating crews properly will spoil them. Revelation #2:THIS IS NOT TRUE.
I have worked for years in an airline with poorly gifted and airline-business skilled managers. Since I have moved in a Air France, I can tell that there is a difference in service etc when workers are respected as human beings. I don't mean AF is Santa. Of course what we have we have earned with decades of union fights.
But now (besides other "privileges")we have good meals: hot dishes the same quality of C class, tray of cheese, salad, fruits, and a tray of snacks (2 sandwiches and a rice pudding) in case you get hungry but have a little time to eat. During Safety ground course they stress the importance of not getting hypoglicemic in order to be performant in case of problems.
Well, what to say, I don't want to write an AF apology. But sure I'll do my best to be an asset to a company that treats me the way I have always dreamed. (Last bit: the other day I had mailed at home a 200FF (20£ or 30$) coupon for my son to spend at his wish to make his going back to school sweeter. Mr Flyblue thought someone had doped me when he found me 15 minutes later still holding the coupons and giggling like a moron).

[PAXboy]

max_cont, I am just aghast at the short sighted attitude that cuts the cost of CC meals. Having worked in IT for 22 years, I know what the bean counters can get up to but this is barmy.

They are having to spend extra time and effort to produce, order and load different meals when 'C' meals could be going to waste!

I agree that it would be interesting to hear what the easy/GO/Ryans have for lunch.

Crackers, simply crackers! Of course, crackers might be appreciated, especially with a bit of cheese and pickle! Next time, I'll drop a goodie bag off at your door when I board. If you need an extra pinta, don't forget to put the sign out with the empties ;)

[Fast Jet Wannabe]

Can't comment on FR or EZY, but Go pilots have to either bring food with them, or buy their own from the on-board selection. At half price.

They are, however, very nice sandwiches :rolleyes: