30 July 2009

In-flight food fight

Bmi said it remained committed to offering food on domestic and European routes after British Airways announced the axing of free in-flight meals on short haul flights from Heathrow after 10.00.

BA is cutting out food on flights lasting less than two and a half hours from its London base as part of wider cost reduction measures after losing more than £400 million last year.

Bmi managing director Peter Spencer said: "It’s interesting to see that BA has decided that removing in-flight catering should be part of its ongoing cost cutting programme.

"As a contrast, we will continue to offer our customers a choice of catering plus outstanding value fares and the best customer service in the industry.

"Every airline has to operate cost effectively but we don’t believe stripping away customer benefits is the right strategy."

by Phil Davies

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Your Comments (4)

Try M&S or diet in flight?

I can recommend the M&S food shop at Luton for short haul needs (even though not a shareholder) I believe that not eating and not drinking alcohol in flight is recommended as a means of reducing flight induced stress and fatigue.

By Brian Gurnett, Monday, August 3, 2009
BA - The Full Service Airline or Not

Which market is BA targeting, full service or budget airline. I must admit for short flights (up to an hour or so), I do not care if they serve food or not, just a cup of tea or coffee would be enough. However for longer flights, then some type of food service should be available. If BA want to accept that they are no longer a full service airline - then say so, but it is not good enough to say "before 10:00 you get service, after 10:01, you get nothing". Make the service either free and a full service or charge for the service - just don't be greedy like Ryanair. Come on BA, make your mind up.

By Leslie Jefferies, Friday, July 31, 2009
A win for Easyjet

While the BA sandwiches leave much to be desired, offering nothing but pretzels on a 2+ hour flight in a week when the Guardian newspaper gave Easyjet 4-stars for its available offering seems plain daft. If low-cost airlines can manage to at least sell reasonably edible food with their tight turnarounds, I cannot see why BA shouldn't at least sell something rather than pretending it is a 'full-service' airline and then serving virtually nothing. As a shareholder I hope they have got the cost saving versus lost revenue trade-off right; personally I doubt it.

By Bennett Oliver, Thursday, July 30, 2009
BA food on European routes. Foul

On a recent trip from Faro the plane was an old badly worn Boeing 737 400 series (this was a route that used Airbus aircraft) with no padding in the seats, off colour staff and the food as a main meal was 2 x half rounds of sandwiches 1 being Ham and the other Tuna and sweetcorn. Its strange how BA can score such a good hit at their customers with Ham as we all know what the Jewish and Muslins think of this meat and the Greenpeace on Tuna so that meant that a very high proportion turned down this inapproprate offering. I will now seriously commit to Monarch where I can select what food & drink I desire and pay for it. BA just do not know what time of day it is, whilst it is being run into the ground by its overpaid executives.

By Paul Neaves, Thursday, July 30, 2009