One of my favorite airline meals of all time, any time of day, is an English Breakfast on British Airways. That’s the focus of this week’s Meal of the Week.
Sometimes we can act irrationally when it comes to food, even airline food. While I hope to never sell my birthright for a bowl of stew, I have certainly spent extra miles on British Airways just for a hot breakfast. On intra-Europe flights under 600 miles, off-peak economy class is 4,000 Avios while business class is 7,750 Avios. 3,750 miles may not seem like much for an upgrade, but based upon my valuation of BA Avios at 1.5 cents each, that’s like paying $56.25 for breakfast (since I don’t care about extra checked baggage and already have lounge access).
Here’s a sample breakfast on a Frankfurt to London flight, typical of what you can expect to receive:
I know there is some debate as to what a “real” English breakfast is. Must the eggs be scrambled or fried? Are beans a must? What about blood sausage?
My only minor complaint: FAs do not bother to actually put the breakfast in real plate. Instead, it is served in a plastic container and dropped into a “business class” dish.
I’ve enjoyed an English breakfast in British Airways First Class:
> Read More: British Airways A380 First Class Los Angeles to London Review
And in the Concorde Room as well:
> Read More: British Airways Concorde Room London Heathrow Review
But it seems I am most satisfied with a nice hot breakfast on a shorthaul flight. By contrast, Lufthansa only serves a cold meal on the same route.
Do you love a nice English breakfast? Would you spend more miles for a hot meal on a morning flight?
“Do you love a nice English breakfast?”
Sorry, no I do not.
Yes.
And yes! (and have).
You know theey serve the same English breakfast tray in economy, minus the croissant? At least, they did two years ago on a GLA-LHR flight.
Not any more, BA introduced buy on board (BOB) in Euro Traveller and have gotten rid of all complimentary catering behind the curtain on short haul and medium haul flights.
@jasdou: sadly , the free breakfast on domestic flights has been eliminated. I wrote about it here:
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2017/01/12/the-death-of-the-english-breakfast-on-british-airways-domestic-flights/
Maybe it’s just me..don’t eat pork..and hate BA breakfast in Club. First a bit better for sure, but rarely have privilege. Virgin Upper Class is just as bad. Used to wait to arrival lounge, but apparently they have done away with that
I’m not a breakfast person, but on the odd occasion I eat it, a hot English breakfast is nice to have (the baked beans are my favorite part, and in my opinion they are mandatory). But the great irony is, on my last flight in WTP, the English breakfast was truly awful.
Depending on the lines at LHR, fast track security can arguably make the upgrade worth it.
I’m not a huge fan of the English breakfast but it can hit the spot in certain situations. That said, last time I flew BA business class intra-Europe I don’t think I got this – I think it was cold meats and cheese and croissants etc. This was LHR-DUB; maybe they don’t serve hot food on their shortest flights?
British breakfast pretty much describes my idea of worst possible breakfast invented.
But I do let other people enjoytheir fantasies.
WHAT IN GOD’S NAME HAVE YOU DONE TO YOUR TEA??!!
Why is it not a “British” breakfast on British Airways?
You could purchase a significantly better English breakfast for at lot less than $56 at any London airport prior to departure instead.
Rather than eat that rubbish ( particularly the disgusting Black Pudding, pictured, from Concorde Room) you could buy something quite tasty from Pret ( and many other places) for under £10. Virtually every passenger in Y does just that, on every airline in Europe.
Matthew–I, too, am a breakfast fan. As Somerset Maugham said “to eat well in England, you should eat breakfast three times a day” (with the advances in English cuisine, this is probably somewhat dated). If you have a chance, they serve a very good one in United’s Global First Lounge at Heathrow.
I don’t need anything else if there’s beans and toast w/ some Worcestershire sauce. I’m Asian-American, but after I had that for the first time I was hooked. Thank god for Amazon so I can do it at home.
Many of the comments here probably explains why BA gets away with the justification, ‘Our customers tell us they don’t want it’. Problem here rather than offer a choice they will go with this and use it to justify passengers generally don’t like eating on flights hence their reduction in-flight catering. Personally I think breakfast is essential and English (Scottish/Welsh/Irish) breakfast is brilliant and unique compared to all that standard croissants & coffee. The easiest way to solve this debate surely is to book your breakfast?