Ba Set To Scrap Short-haul Meals

[Ash4781]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8174009.stm

British Airways is to scrap all free meals, except breakfast, on its short-haul flights to save £22m a year.

Passengers on flights after 10am, which last less than two-and-half hours, will only be served drinks and snacks. They will not have the option to buy food.

The measure, starting next week, comes as the airline is trying to trim costs.

It is raising more than £600m to help weather the recession, while thousands of staff have agreed to take pay cuts or working part-time.

'Avoid waste'

Currently passengers on short-haul flights typically get a sandwich. This will be replaced by a bag of nuts or other snack.

But the carrier insisted it was still a "full service" airline, with those flying before 10am still being served breakfast.

"When you fly with British Airways, the in-flight catering is top-class and, unlike some other airlines, it is free," a BA spokesman said.

"It is not unusual to make small changes to avoid waste and save money where it makes sense and it meets customers' changing tastes."

Its research suggested that it was only after two-and-a-half hours in the air that passengers require more substantial refreshments, they added.

Revenue stream

Budget carriers have always sold food and drink as an optional extra.

Easyjet has revealed that the average passenger pays £10 per flight in so-called "ancillary revenues" - which includes items sold on board as well as checked-in baggage charges.

BA has been in negotiations for several weeks with unions over plans to cut costs and has asked thousands of employees to take pay cuts or work for nothing.

Earlier this month, BA pilots voted overwhelmingly to accept a 2.6% pay cut. Talks with unions representing cabin crew and ground staff are ongoing, but if no resolution is reached, the firm could face a summer of strikes by its 14,000 cabin crew.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/a...FDNvS94dv9n_B8g

I flew BA and all I got was this bag of nuts.

BAA also reported passenger numbers, and financials

"Despite the loss, chief executive Colin Matthews said BAA's underlying performance was in line with expectations, after demand at Heathrow showed "resilience" with a decline in passenger numbers of 3.8% to 31.2 million.

Gatwick fell by 9.8% and Stansted by 14.4% to 9.2 million after budget airlines cut capacity in order to meet reduced demand."

[Snafu]

I flew on Ryan Air last week and I actually prefer to not be very bothered by air hostesses and those flipping carts taking up the isles and arses in your face. Also, less chance of getting caught oogling by GF. Hurrah.

Tea, coffee? Tea, coffee? Coffee, tea?

[Warwick-Watcher]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8174009.stm

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/a...FDNvS94dv9n_B8g

I flew BA and all I got was this bag of nuts.

BA "meal" - one coronation chicken sandwich and a cheese & pickle one, plus a choccie biscuit and free drinks. Next they'll save on the free drinks and will have completed the transformation into Ryanair!

I can see the alternative headline now - "BA encourages drink driving by refusing to serve food with alcoholic drinks"!

[helenreed]

Those meals are absolutely disgusting. Ate one once on my first flight as a teenager. Never touched one since.

Makes me laugh how people seem to look forward to getting their plastic trays in front of them and how if any 'seconds' are offered they can't get their hands up quick enough. Is it because they think it's 'free' or do they really enjoy it? Baffles me.

Downside of course is layoffs from the food factories that supply the stuff and surely less hostesses needed to dole it out.

[Warwick-Watcher]

Those meals are absolutely disgusting. Ate one once on my first flight as a teenager. Never touched one since.

Makes me laugh how people seem to look forward to getting their plastic trays in front of them and how if any 'seconds' are offered they can't get their hands up quick enough. Is it because they think it's 'free' or do they really enjoy it? Baffles me.

Downside of course is layoffs from the food factories that supply the stuff and surely less hostesses needed to dole it out.

No, no the Flight Attendants are there primarily for your safety, so there'll be just as many, but with less to do.

[Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable]

Those meals are absolutely disgusting. Ate one once on my first flight as a teenager. Never touched one since.

Makes me laugh how people seem to look forward to getting their plastic trays in front of them and how if any 'seconds' are offered they can't get their hands up quick enough. Is it because they think it's 'free' or do they really enjoy it? Baffles me.

Downside of course is layoffs from the food factories that supply the stuff and surely less hostesses needed to dole it out.

I like them because I'm usually hungry and bored after 6 hours or so.

And I'm one of 7 siblings.

[Frank Hovis]

Good news.

Used to get them on the way back from Switz. Food was fine but it really wasn't worth it on such a short flight.

[Minos]

I like them because I'm usually hungry and bored after 6 hours or so.

And I'm one of 7 siblings.

Are you a Catholic?

[SMAC67]

Let me amend the title to something more accurate (at least in the near future): "BA set to scrap short-haul."

http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/14/airplanes...energy-oil.html

[Agentimmo]

Those meals are absolutely disgusting. Ate one once on my first flight as a teenager. Never touched one since.

Makes me laugh how people seem to look forward to getting their plastic trays in front of them and how if any 'seconds' are offered they can't get their hands up quick enough. Is it because they think it's 'free' or do they really enjoy it? Baffles me.

Downside of course is layoffs from the food factories that supply the stuff and surely less hostesses needed to dole it out.

Agree. I fly quite a lot between London and Nice. Never ceases to amaze me at the passengers on BA who react to the free bar as though they are in a 5 star vineyard when asking for wine. The wine is like vinegar , yet you see them asking for 2 bottles with the sandwich, then trying for a 3rd about 20mins later. You get quite a lot of Colonel Blimps on this route. Horrible people to listen to if you're within earshot. And their spouses also.

Now that they're cutting the food , will we see a reduction of the air fare by £1.73 ???

[SMAC67]

No, no the Flight Attendants are there primarily for your safety, so there'll be just as many, but with less to do.

Er no, there will be less of them, all aspects of aviation safety are being pretty much sidelined in an attempt to stay in the air. I'll be interested if the deteriorating safety figure continue their donwward trajectory into a steaming pile of aluminium in the ground.

Let's not forget, in the world of commercial aviation, you safety is our last concern, your money is our first.

p.s. MOL reckons he can kill two plane loads of passengers before it becomes a problem for Ryanair. Aviation is totally reliant on tombstone engineering, you need to kill a lot of people before anything is done. I wouldn't be worrying about the inflight meal, I'd worry about whether the airplane is being serviced (guess what, like cars, some just get fake MOT's).

Edited July 29, 2009 by SMAC67

[live in hope]

Agree. I fly quite a lot between London and Nice. Never ceases to amaze me at the passengers on BA who react to the free bar as though they are in a 5 star vineyard when asking for wine. The wine is like vinegar , yet you see them asking for 2 bottles with the sandwich, then trying for a 3rd about 20mins later. You get quite a lot of Colonel Blimps on this route. Horrible people to listen to if you're within earshot. And their spouses also.

Now that they're cutting the food , will we see a reduction of the air fare by £1.73 ???

I think they are a dead duck. Tinkering like this will do no good. Staff wages are a deadweight. asis the pension sceme. I sold my investment recently because i cant see much point in a possible rights issue that will simply subsidise the wage bill.

[SMAC67]

Agree. I fly quite a lot between London and Nice. Never ceases to amaze me at the passengers on BA who react to the free bar as though they are in a 5 star vineyard when asking for wine. The wine is like vinegar , yet you see them asking for 2 bottles with the sandwich, then trying for a 3rd about 20mins later. You get quite a lot of Colonel Blimps on this route. Horrible people to listen to if you're within earshot. And their spouses also.

Now that they're cutting the food , will we see a reduction of the air fare by £1.73 ???

You wanna spend more time in first class then, I can recommend the wine in this section of the aircraft.

p.s. Most pasengers on aircraft are fairly horrible, I'm glad they are all about to be grounded. As for the price of air fares, expect higher charges and less flights, oh yeh, bye bye short haul travel.

[Warwick-Watcher]

Let me amend the title to something more accurate (at least in the near future): "BA set to scrap short-haul."

http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/14/airplanes...energy-oil.html

Quote from Forbes -

One we should all expect: flying by the pound. The idea has already been satirically floated by ads in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News that pushed a fictional airline, Derrie-Air, and told readers that "The more you weigh, the more you pay."

I totally agree - weigh the passenger, together with their luggage (to avoid embarrassment - they can say "gosh my bags are heavy" whilst denying their 22 stone weight is an issue) and charge more if over 100 kilos combined.

[SMAC67]

I think they are a dead duck. Tinkering like this will do no good. Staff wages are a deadweight. asis the pension sceme. I sold my investment recently because i cant see much point in a possible rights issue that will simply subsidise the wage bill.

Like all companies in commercial aviation BA is dead in the "air", do not invest in airlines unless you get an inside tip. The great thing about it's demise is that it will probably take most of the south east out with it. Cheap houses aplenty await.

[Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond]

I remember paying for a BA flight to Barcelona only to be herded on to an Iberico flight on a 'codeshare'.

I thought to myself "Hang on. I've paid a British Airways short haul price but I'm getting a budget airline service now because of an undisclosed mutual agreement to technically downgrade me at the point of delivery".

I vowed never ever to travel BA again. And by the way, removing the meal will just lower people's expectations of the airline and make people less willing to pay the inflated prices they charge.

So this money-saving 'initiative' relies on the customer being gullible. Which is why it, and BA are doomed.

[Guest X-QUORK]

This is one of those odd websites that you'll find disproportionately interesting given the subject matter:

http://www.airlinemeals.net/

Be prepared to waste hours.

[SMAC67]

I remember paying for a BA flight to Barcelona only to be herded on to an Iberico flight on a 'codeshare'.

I thought to myself "Hang on. I've paid a British Airways short haul price but I'm getting a budget airline service now because of an undisclosed mutual agreement to technically downgrade me at the point of delivery".

I vowed never ever to travel BA again. And by the way, removing the meal will just lower people's expectations of the airline and make people less willing to pay the inflated prices they charge.

So this money-saving 'initiative' relies on the customer being gullible. Which is why it, and BA are doomed.

You have to remember that aviation started off as the preserve of the wealthy. Standards of service were set accordingly. Over the years as more people have been able to travel standards have continued to decline as costs continue to escalate. There is now no money to be made so standards are the equivalent of a freight truck on it's way to Belsen in 1941. Look on the bright side, you won't be travelling with anyone, budget or otherwise, and you will be much happier as a result.

p.s. All business relies on customer "gullibility", see an estate agent's window for details.................

[Tiger Woods?]

Those meals are absolutely disgusting. Ate one once on my first flight as a teenager. Never touched one since.

Makes me laugh how people seem to look forward to getting their plastic trays in front of them and how if any 'seconds' are offered they can't get their hands up quick enough. Is it because they think it's 'free' or do they really enjoy it? Baffles me.

Downside of course is layoffs from the food factories that supply the stuff and surely less hostesses needed to dole it out.

Actually, BA has really improved their meals of late. I actually enjoyed the couple I had on flights this month. The economy class scrambled eggs were actually edible. I was shocked.

Having said that, most other airlines are still atrocious, but if you think they are bad, try "first class" railway meals on Egyptian trains...shudder.

[Imminent_plunge]

Flew on a Thompson holiday a couple of months ago. In-flight meals are now optional extras. They wanted £15 per person!!!!

[stuckmojo]

Flew on a Thompson holiday a couple of months ago. In-flight meals are now optional extras. They wanted £15 per person!!!!

True. I made my own food at home and the GF and I flew over the atlantic eating stuffed vine leaves and peppers, steak tartare, vintage cheese and olives while the other passengers got a floppy plastic tray full of shite.

priceless.

[Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond]

True. I made my own food at home and the GF and I flew over the atlantic eating stuffed vine leaves and peppers, steak tartare, vintage cheese and olives while the other passengers got a floppy plastic tray full of shite.

priceless.

"Sorry sir, you can't take these items on board the plane for security reasons. We can't simply ride roughshod over our airlines' upselling opportunities either."

[TheCountOfNowhere]

The headline should have read....B.A. increasing prices.

Ive never liked B.A. theiur staff ore unfriendly and arrogant.

[Imminent_plunge]

True. I made my own food at home and the GF and I flew over the atlantic eating stuffed vine leaves and peppers, steak tartare, vintage cheese and olives while the other passengers got a floppy plastic tray full of shite.

priceless.

We had spinach falafels and attempted houmous but it was classified as a liquid and confiscated. Still far better than anything the shite they were serving around us. I was very surprised at the percentage of people who'd £15 a head. We were on our way to Turkey and you can feed a family of four for that there!

[tim123]

"Sorry sir, you can't take these items on board the plane for security reasons. We can't simply ride roughshod over our airlines' upselling opportunities either."

At least two airlines that I have flown on recently have a "you can only eat food bought on the plane" policy.

Nonsense I know, but there it is

tim