BA Buy on Board
Paxing All Over The World
Indeed no sponsor. Across 25 years people around the globe have proved that they will change carrier for a Tenner. Perhaps they do also consider the distance from the airport, parking charges there etcetera, we do not know. But the global short haul market is changed beyond recognition and the long haul is not looking so good either.
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Going back to one of the original questions, can anyone tell us of an airline who charge different prices for the BOB products depending on wether or not the flight is intra or extra EU?
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Two observations.
- There is no way that BA, on its own volition, would provide bottled water to the crew based on its concern that the tank water might be bad. In the event that a PAX gets sick and sues BA, imagine the liability (not to say the PR disaster) that would attach to this likely discovered BA concern.
- The crew contracts that I have seen for several U.S. airlines require that the airline provide the crew with bottled water as a contractual condition, not due to any concern on the part of the airline as to crew health. As a result, there is no admission by the airline that the tank water represents any health concern.
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But can BA guarantee all the water is uploaded where it is safe to do so-I am not sure London has the cleanest water either. But how do the crew know how much water has been used and how much is left for the return trip.
I agree giving the crew bottled water but not pax might be problematic but then the flight deck get clean air and the pax get mostly recirculated /oil fume contaminated air. So overall i think bottled water is a good idea and no reason why its not limited to one per pax .
As to price sensitivity just flying from LHR not GW or STN makes a big difference so why not move half the flights and the price conscious destinations to LGW and save real money that way
I agree giving the crew bottled water but not pax might be problematic but then the flight deck get clean air and the pax get mostly recirculated /oil fume contaminated air. So overall i think bottled water is a good idea and no reason why its not limited to one per pax .
As to price sensitivity just flying from LHR not GW or STN makes a big difference so why not move half the flights and the price conscious destinations to LGW and save real money that way
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The crew can check water quantities of water on the A320s. It could be topped up downroute subject to it being authorised if ever there is a need.
Many an airline have been flying for years without providing complimentary bottled water. I see no reason why BA would have a problem. If anyone is too precious to drink tap water, then bring your own or bring your credit card.
Gatwick is already more leisure centric than Heathrow. BA are simply responding to the market. I'm sure they have done their research and shock horror, they've realised people don't select flights based on a 'free' G&T and a packet of birdseed.
Out of interest do people who live in London all just drink bottles of Evian?
I see nobody has named an airline who charge different onboard prices based on routes so one can assume that no airline charges reduced prices on exEU flights.
Many an airline have been flying for years without providing complimentary bottled water. I see no reason why BA would have a problem. If anyone is too precious to drink tap water, then bring your own or bring your credit card.
Gatwick is already more leisure centric than Heathrow. BA are simply responding to the market. I'm sure they have done their research and shock horror, they've realised people don't select flights based on a 'free' G&T and a packet of birdseed.
Out of interest do people who live in London all just drink bottles of Evian?
I see nobody has named an airline who charge different onboard prices based on routes so one can assume that no airline charges reduced prices on exEU flights.
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HM - Just because they don't have a dual price list (domestic/EU and international), doesn't mean they shouldn't.
Years ago when I started flying many airlines had a domestic price and an international price for on board alcohol sales. So it has been done, and can very easily can be done.
Not only are they, now including BA, stealing the VAT and duty from their non-EU passengers they are stealing commission from their cabin crew. That is, unless they pay different commission amounts on ex-EU flights. Commission on these flights should be based on gross price, rather than net price. While only a few pennies on a pound it does add up.
Years ago when I started flying many airlines had a domestic price and an international price for on board alcohol sales. So it has been done, and can very easily can be done.
Not only are they, now including BA, stealing the VAT and duty from their non-EU passengers they are stealing commission from their cabin crew. That is, unless they pay different commission amounts on ex-EU flights. Commission on these flights should be based on gross price, rather than net price. While only a few pennies on a pound it does add up.
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That may be so but no airline does this. I think it's important to point out this fact wether it be BA or easyJet or anybody else for that matter.
Going back to the BA BoB it's disappointing that despite all other airlines in the group (except OpenSkies) having a BoB service for many years, that BA's implementation hasn't quite worked out. They should be experts really. There's no excuse for it.
Going back to the BA BoB it's disappointing that despite all other airlines in the group (except OpenSkies) having a BoB service for many years, that BA's implementation hasn't quite worked out. They should be experts really. There's no excuse for it.
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If the intention was for BA to increase revenue through on-board sales, it may take them a while. I've yet to see a two crew cart make it to more than about a third of the Eurotraveller cabins on the 320's I've flown on this month. The transaction process seems to be extraordinarily cumbersome and on my last trip they didn't seem to have much selection of sandwiches (just beef in fact).
And yes, a complimentary G&T and packet of nuts or lemon biscuits was usually welcome; I haven't noticed the base ticket price being any less this month than it was last month.
And yes, a complimentary G&T and packet of nuts or lemon biscuits was usually welcome; I haven't noticed the base ticket price being any less this month than it was last month.
I did notice base ticket prices having reduced on one domestic sector I use regularly - it's down from £41 to £37 over the next few weeks. Just back from my third BA sector since the launch of BOB - first two were absolutely fine, this evening's effort was dreadful.
The crew (Eurofleet, before anyone asks) were going out of their way to talk down the whole thing. One of their payment machines wasn't working so they had one for the entire cabin - we got a gushing PA after take-off about how it was early days, they were still finding their feet and would try to serve everyone if they could, but if you didn't like it, you really should take to BA.com and let British Airways know what you think. Talk about trying to incite complaints.
I then overheard one crew member - coming back to put a transaction through the machine for a passenger further up the cabin which totted up to £26.40 - saying "it's too much, it's too much - they can't spend like this" to his colleague. My memory went back to that episode of "Are You Being Served" where the staff at Grace Brothers were trying to deliberately put anyone off buying. Disgraceful.
The crew (Eurofleet, before anyone asks) were going out of their way to talk down the whole thing. One of their payment machines wasn't working so they had one for the entire cabin - we got a gushing PA after take-off about how it was early days, they were still finding their feet and would try to serve everyone if they could, but if you didn't like it, you really should take to BA.com and let British Airways know what you think. Talk about trying to incite complaints.
I then overheard one crew member - coming back to put a transaction through the machine for a passenger further up the cabin which totted up to £26.40 - saying "it's too much, it's too much - they can't spend like this" to his colleague. My memory went back to that episode of "Are You Being Served" where the staff at Grace Brothers were trying to deliberately put anyone off buying. Disgraceful.
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Returning to LHR on a 319 yesterday. Passenger asked in the galley after seatbelts off for a glass of water and was given a thorough explanation about the BoB service and how water in a bottle cost £1.80 or 225 Avios (I think he may have been feeling a bit unwell looking at him). Cart pushed to the curtain then heard that they had apparently run out of food stock within about 10 mins although no official mention of this. I was near the back and certainly no one near me was offered any refreshment. Crew were getting off and were met by what appeared to be a 22 year old manager in a hi-vis who was vocally debriefed walking from the aircraft at T5B to the transit platform (including carrying on the discussion in the elevator with me, a passenger). Apparently the transaction devices are not working as planned - one of the crew explained to the 'manager' how 'they all knew how to operate an i-pad so why was this so different' and how he felt it was 'unacceptable to run out of food so quickly'. Bit unprofessional to voice your concerns in front of your customers I think but then when seated near the real galley, you sometimes hear the choicest of conversations when they're strapped into the jumpseats.
I miss the tea/coffee biscuits etc but I'm not going to pay £2.30 for a hot drink, £4.00 for a Heineken or a minimum of £1 for a packet of crisps when they were complimentary last month and the ticket price has not changed (on the routes I use).
I miss the tea/coffee biscuits etc but I'm not going to pay £2.30 for a hot drink, £4.00 for a Heineken or a minimum of £1 for a packet of crisps when they were complimentary last month and the ticket price has not changed (on the routes I use).
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It's exceptionally bad if they're not giving out glasses of water. easyJet do.
There's no excuse for running out of products. They have a full rear galley and additional galley stowage at the front where they can carry ambient products. I can forgive them for running out of fresh options but not ambient given the vast amounts of storage space they have in comparison to easyJet.
It's also strange how they complain about the sales system and how it's so slow. If it's so slow then how do they manage to run out of food so quickly? easyJet have half the storage space, more passengers, short turns and often very short flights on four sector days. They don't even have a full size oven yet easyJet crews manage it somehow. Why can't BA?
It sounds like militant crew who think BoB is below them who are doing everything they can to ensure that it doesn't work.
There's no excuse for running out of products. They have a full rear galley and additional galley stowage at the front where they can carry ambient products. I can forgive them for running out of fresh options but not ambient given the vast amounts of storage space they have in comparison to easyJet.
It's also strange how they complain about the sales system and how it's so slow. If it's so slow then how do they manage to run out of food so quickly? easyJet have half the storage space, more passengers, short turns and often very short flights on four sector days. They don't even have a full size oven yet easyJet crews manage it somehow. Why can't BA?
It sounds like militant crew who think BoB is below them who are doing everything they can to ensure that it doesn't work.
HearthyMeatballs. Everyone is trying their best, but the whole set up needs more thought.
Not enough food is being loaded. 3 ploughman sandwhiches for a 321 going to Cyrpus. Really now? Yet 10 bacon sandwiches on an AMS where they have no time to cook them anyway. Makes complete sense.
Easyjet have more passengers but they take cash which actually is pretty quick to transact. BA have these ipads that quite simply do not work as quickly as planned. Took a friend of mine 20 minutes to pay on a 50 minute flight. So on the short flights not everyone gets served, on the long flights they run out anyway. Sure some staff may want it to fail, but they are not going to risk their jobs over it, get real.
On the subject of water, it is deemed safe to drink, and at many overseas airports the water is not uplifted as it doesn't meet accepted standards. This can lead to aircraft running out of water on certain routes. So the last thing you want to start doing is handing it out to passengers to drink. Furthermore, on certain aircraft it is not possible to despense cold water from the galley, only hot water for making drinks.
Not enough food is being loaded. 3 ploughman sandwhiches for a 321 going to Cyrpus. Really now? Yet 10 bacon sandwiches on an AMS where they have no time to cook them anyway. Makes complete sense.
Easyjet have more passengers but they take cash which actually is pretty quick to transact. BA have these ipads that quite simply do not work as quickly as planned. Took a friend of mine 20 minutes to pay on a 50 minute flight. So on the short flights not everyone gets served, on the long flights they run out anyway. Sure some staff may want it to fail, but they are not going to risk their jobs over it, get real.
On the subject of water, it is deemed safe to drink, and at many overseas airports the water is not uplifted as it doesn't meet accepted standards. This can lead to aircraft running out of water on certain routes. So the last thing you want to start doing is handing it out to passengers to drink. Furthermore, on certain aircraft it is not possible to despense cold water from the galley, only hot water for making drinks.
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You don't offer tap water over the PA but if someone makes the effort of coming to the galley and asking you do not start bleating on about how you have to pay and how hard life's is. You say 'certain sir, would you like ice' and 'is there anything else I can get for you'.
I can sympathise with regards to the fresh options. It seems nobody is immune to 30 hots for a domestic run and 3 fresh options for a medium haul holiday flight!
I think once BA has its data it will work things our much better in future but there will always be anomolies. Personally I think it would be better to just get rid and only serve ambient products such as snack packs. Less wastage and you'll never sell out as you can store an awful lot of them and don't have to worry about a short shelf life.
I can sympathise with regards to the fresh options. It seems nobody is immune to 30 hots for a domestic run and 3 fresh options for a medium haul holiday flight!
I think once BA has its data it will work things our much better in future but there will always be anomolies. Personally I think it would be better to just get rid and only serve ambient products such as snack packs. Less wastage and you'll never sell out as you can store an awful lot of them and don't have to worry about a short shelf life.
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so disappointing
I'm very disappointed with BA. Back in the late 90's I used to fly regularly from LHR to EDI and ABZ (and back), and also from about 2006 to 2012 I flew twice a year LHR to ABZ (and back). On the morning flights you got a "proper" hot breakfast with bacon, egg, sausage, tomato etc etc.
Last November I had to fly to Germany and back on business, and my employer booked with BA. This was pre- B-o-B from M&S.
On the early morning flight out, no breakfast as such, just one small mis-shapen croissant that had been pre-injected with some sort of margarine substitute, and on the return flight, evening-meal time but the only food served was a packed of crisps, so a very late microwave curry dinner for me when I got home. Premium price, premium service but lousy food. What is the world coming to? The cabin crew looked very embarrased when I queried the lack of proper food.
Last November I had to fly to Germany and back on business, and my employer booked with BA. This was pre- B-o-B from M&S.
On the early morning flight out, no breakfast as such, just one small mis-shapen croissant that had been pre-injected with some sort of margarine substitute, and on the return flight, evening-meal time but the only food served was a packed of crisps, so a very late microwave curry dinner for me when I got home. Premium price, premium service but lousy food. What is the world coming to? The cabin crew looked very embarrased when I queried the lack of proper food.
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It's not just grim in the back. Took the early flight to Miami from Heathrow on New Year's Eve. Checkin was chaotic and it took an intervention by a bunch of pax with a passing BA rep to actually getthe queue moving after 45 minutes.
We were served breakfast - but most of the options were "unavailable" by the time I was served. Lunch was skipped and afternoon tea came out - dry finger sandwiches and not much else. The snacking options didn't survive long; halfway into the flight there were no chocolate, crisps, nuts or fruit selections. Just a bag of sugar coated popcorn.
If I'd paid a proper fare, I would have been pretty tee'd off, but for a reward flight I only expect the flat bed.........except BA's offering isn't actually flat. How anyone pays several grand for the service is beyond me.
No wonder Virgin are always jam packed!
We were served breakfast - but most of the options were "unavailable" by the time I was served. Lunch was skipped and afternoon tea came out - dry finger sandwiches and not much else. The snacking options didn't survive long; halfway into the flight there were no chocolate, crisps, nuts or fruit selections. Just a bag of sugar coated popcorn.
If I'd paid a proper fare, I would have been pretty tee'd off, but for a reward flight I only expect the flat bed.........except BA's offering isn't actually flat. How anyone pays several grand for the service is beyond me.
No wonder Virgin are always jam packed!
It sounds like militant crew who think BoB is below them who are doing everything they can to ensure that it doesn't work.
The internal farcebook on BA's in house intranet system is full of complaints by crew TO management.
This is definitely not crew being un-cooperative. Its just very poor planning.
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BA are (again) trying to be all things to all people and failing - their shorthaul offerings resembles a proto LCA whereas they brand themsleves as ful-service long haul airline.
Passengers get confused and it badly affects the brand
I have a lot of sympathy for the cabin crews - they're having to deal with the fall-out from management decisions that haven't been completely thought through
Passengers get confused and it badly affects the brand
I have a lot of sympathy for the cabin crews - they're having to deal with the fall-out from management decisions that haven't been completely thought through
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... a large percentage of their business is connecting traffic via Heathrow. How do the explain food and drinks on the longhaul, but BoB for the connecting flight? It's going to put them further down the list.