BA passengers go hungry as airline runs out of food
British Airways appears to be having problems with its onboard catering two months after ditching its free meal service and switching to paid-for Marks &Spencer snacks on short-haul flights from London.
Passengers have taken to social media to complain that the carrier has run out of food on several flights, causing passengers to go hungry.
One passenger on a flight from Gatwick to the Canary Islands said crew only had enough meals for half the passengers, so the others were only offered bags of crisps and nuts.
A passenger on an evening flight from Geneva said the airline ran out of food ‘almost instantly’.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, a BA flight to London from Innsbruck had only three sandwiches for 110 passengers.
BA ended its free meal service for short-haul economy passengers on flights from Heathrow and Gatwick on January 11, when it began selling M&S meals onboard instead.
The move was announced just months after former M&S chief executive Marc Bolland became a non-executive director of the board of BA parent, IAG.
BA will switch to the M&S service on flights from Stansted and London City this summer.
A BA spokesperson said: "Customers are telling us that they really appreciate the choice and quality of the M&S range available, and they have already bought hundreds of thousands of items, including 39,000 bacon rolls and 14,000 bottles of prosecco since they were introduced in January.
"We regularly adjust stock levels on flights and have introduced contactless payment to help colleagues make faster transactions."
Earlier this month, a BA flight was grounded at Gatwick for five hours waiting for free supplies of toilet roll.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers