Poor inflight meals on BA -LHR to GLA
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
The cabin crew really dash about, and one of them told me that they do six round trips a day.
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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!" .
Paxing All Over The World
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 ]
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 ]
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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!!
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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..
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..
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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).
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).
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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
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
Shining Example, apparently...
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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...
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...
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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.
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.
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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 ]
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 ]
Paxing All Over The World
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?
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?
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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
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
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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.
[ 02 September 2001: Message edited by: GlueBall ]
If you had lived 100 years earlier you'd be riding to Glasgow in a springless donkey cart.
[ 02 September 2001: Message edited by: GlueBall ]
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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...?!!
Are you speaking from scheduled or charter side?
And what about you Easy/Go/Ryan crew, I suppose you have to buy yours...?!!
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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.
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.
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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....