People are of two minds when it comes to in-flight meals during the pandemic era. Some are happy to see cutbacks, concluding that meal service and the interaction it requires increases the risk of virus transmission. Others see meal service cutbacks as a not-so-hidden opportunity for airlines to slash costs, noting that the same interaction is required whether serving a hot meal or sandwich. Perhaps this frustration is best illustrated in what passes for a business class meal these days on British Airways.
The Sorry Sandwich On British Airways
British Airways was quick to cut meal service as the pandemic spread through Europe in March. For a time, it was sandwiches only. In June, it upped its game (relatively speaking of course) by offering boxed meals instead of simply sandwiches. Now you can expect the same sandwich plus a small side.
Indeed, sandwiches remain a staple in business class and even in first class…and many are not happy about them.
@alex_cruz @British_Airways we all know about Covid and certain restrictions but if you charge for business class ticket same as before lockdown do you really think that this can be acceptable to serve as a bussiness class meal?!! pic.twitter.com/dVbPHf0RUk
— lapislon (@lapislon) September 18, 2020
Looks…lovely.
Or this one:
This is what @British_Airways think is acceptable to serve their business class passengers on a 2 hour flight in business class….told it was coronation chicken but then told they’d made a mistake and it was chicken Caesar….. with tomato?!? #avgeek #flyertalk #britishairways pic.twitter.com/EjhkT4LFkP
— Stewart (@cunning_chops) September 25, 2020
Or this one:
The lunch served on the @British_Airways business class flights these days is truly a thing to marvel at. 2 slices of white kingsmill, decent wedge of pilgrims choice and some branston pickle 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/t6rfPzakfT
— Joe (@Joetenderloin) September 27, 2020
Wow…
CONCLUSION
You still get a larger seat or more legroom by flying a premium cabin, but don’t expect much in terms of the meal, especially on flights with Europe. British Airways calls this a “temporary catering proposition” but has given no indication of just how temporary.
I’ve got BA flights coming up…I look forward to reporting back!
Have you tried a British Airways sandwich lately?
image: British Airways
Whilst I am not a fan of the current catering and believe BA could do better your choice of photos is misleading. The first photo shows club world whilst the rest are club Europe. Any photos of current club world catering?
Leave it to the Bits to complain about this. I’ve been on 4 hour flights here where a bag of Cheez-its is the only food. They don’t know how good they have it.
I think the difference is that the selling point of European business class is the food since the seat is identical to coach.
Brits
I flew club world last week
Service was disgraceful
They offered drinks twice.
We were the only people in the cabin and I would have expected better attention.
I was unable to order my special meal.
Lounge was closed.
Why should covid change these if not a budget cut
I’m not sure it’s necessary to offer anything in these times. But if people need to eat something then it’s a simple matter to pick up something in the terminals: for under £5 you can get a far nicer sandwich from Pret a Manger or other outlets in close proximity…
Rubbish food for a premium price. Thank you for informing travellers
Or, you could fly Austrian where I still received a delicious, full trayed meal on my 1 hour flight between Vienna and Belgrade earlier this month along with hot coffee and several glasses of wine all on real china. I’m happy to share a picture of that if so desired.
Please do. This is my concern. The Lufthansa Group can still manage proper service without a super spreading event. Meanwhile British Airways and Turkish Airlines hide behind the flimsy “safety” excuse to cut catering costs.
So true. I am taking Turkish longhaul in business on Friday. Only taking them as I have a credit, but with this fiasco will actually avoid them in the future. Happy to send you a few pics of their boxed meals if you think it would be helpful, and the attendants don’t yell at me for taking pictures of my own meal. As someone with an aversion to mayonnaise (which is not uncommon, but it still seems to be slathered on almost every airline sandwich), I have a feeling I will be eating junk food from the terminal. I don’t mind a crap meal service with lower prices or at least a modified less extravagant one, but cold boxed meals are shocking in a premium cabin on a long flight with pre-Covid prices, and many other airlines have kept at least a decent meal service.
I did ORD-IST last month in J and no mayo in the box. there was a chicken wrap, 2 mezzes and a caprese salad. The pita for the mezze was inedible so bring pita and hot sauce. the FAs refused to walk through the cabin after the meal so be prepared to go to the galley for drinks.
BA coming back was just about as terrible but at least they walked through the cabin occasionally offering drinks and the J seats on the 787-1000 are really nice
Sounds divine !
Thanks! At least I have some idea what to expect. Is wine available in the galley?
yes, they actually give you a leaflet on drink choices and its 2 red, 2 white and 2 beers IIRC
! At least I know if I won’t be enjoying gourmet meals, I can sleep:)
This appears to be intra-Europe, where business class only got you a blocked middle seat, but a decent meal. Compared to intra-US where you get a much better seat and terrible food. With the reduction in food service in the pandemic, paying extra for intra-Europe business has little purpose.
Correct. Lounges have also scaled back offerings, if they are even open.
YOU FLY FOR TRANSPORTATIONM
NOT A FINE DINING EXPERIENCE.
ESPECIALLY DURING A PANDEMIC.
UNBELIEVABLE!
It’s exactly because of people like you, the author, that the pandemic is not brought under control . Entitled, selfish opinions with little regard to understand safety implications of contact, mixing clean and dirty catering items in space confined aircrafts. Travelling should be only for essential purposes, not for a luxurious experience. If sandwiches is your only complaint in life whilst people are still catching the virus, you should really have a chat with yourself what your priorities are.
What a foolish, arrogant, self-serving, and ignorant statement. The virus doesn’t spread through surface contact. It doesn’t spread through food. No one said reusable crockery had to be used. If a flight attendant is collecting trash in a bag wearing gloves, not handling it, s/he is not doing anything different no matter what food is served. Airlines continue to charge a massive premium for a premium product that is no longer premium. I will call them out on it.
We need to find a way to co-exist with this virus. We will not defeat it absent permanent lockdown, which is a far worse prison sentence on any objective utilitarian ground.
Stay home. Stay safe. Save lives. Flatten the curve!
Worked out so well for Europe, didn’t it? They, in a sense, did everything right, and now they try to get back to life/work and the second wave is surging and far worse than the first one. The curve can be flattened only with lockdown. That is not a viable long-term solution. It frankly never was once we learned the death rate was not nearly as bad as we first imagined. The key is to wear PPE, practice social distancing, wash your hands, and protect the vulnerable. If a vaccine comes, even better, but the vaccine won’t save the world.
And where do you think reusable crockery/ cutlery/ glassware is stowed on an aircraft? In normal times, dirty glassware / trays and put back into the same trolley as where the clean ones are stowed. Aircraft galleys simply do not have space for separate empty trolleys to be loaded so clean and dirty wares are separated. Are you willing to take that risk ? Even if you are, many won’t be. Your travel purpose should be essential now, not some jolly.
You missed my point. I said you don’t need reusable crockery/ cutlery/ glassware in order to serve a decent meal, not a paper sandwich.
Well said!!
You sir, have no manners and no idea
This made me “LOL” having just flew Club to Malaga. I was so excited about the box I refused to open it on board (to the amusement of the cabin crew) and saved it for dinner when I arrived ! It was the most expensive picnic I’ve ever had – I’m glad I only paid £59 to upgrade !!
What I also don’t understand is, like you said, you want to call airlines out for charging premium prices and not delivering ‘premium product’- the product of which is determined by the service provider and it is up to the consumer whether they are willing to pay the price for it. BA website shows you what you will get- whether it’s under the covid FAQ section, or whether you look under travel classes. It has pictures of the sandwich boxes you will receive. When you make the decision to purchase a ticket- at the advertised price, for a product which you, as the consumer, has all the information on when making the purchase decision, then why the shock horror when you receive a product you had purchased ?
Don’t you see a difference between a nice sandwich (much like British Airways advertises), and the product that is delivered? A sandwich is one thing, but a sandwich like this? That’s the true bait and switch.
But your article alludes that hot meals should be served, and that as sandwiches remain a staple in business class ( if you look on the website First class actually receives a a la carte in a box type service ),passengers will not be happy with them. So me as the reader is reading that passengers are not happy about receiving a sandwich box rather than a hot meal, even though that is what they had paid for as the information on catering is clear on the BA website- so why the shock horror when the passenger receives a service they had knowingly bought? In fact the Chicken Caesar photo in your article doesn’t look too dissimilar to the filling in the advertised box on the BA website- professional product photography aside.
I flew Club World to the U.S. recently on BA. When I researched the catering, BA’s website said: hot meal and bar service. The ‘hot meal’ was a panini and the bar service was coffee, tea or water. I brought my own food.
BA’s Business Class meal service was never that good, at the best of times. While I understand that cutting costs is imperative for their survival, it is disingenuous for BA to say that their catering downgrade is a safety issue.
Now BA is threatening to expel Executive Club members who complain publicly via social media . This seems a draconian response to generally petty complaints and makes a mockery of their much touted To Fly To Serve ad campaign.
I’m looking at the BA website now and nowhere does it mention a hot meal. The long haul business food section just states that there is a bar service including alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks served as miniatures or quarter bottles, and followed by breakfast or all day meal. Adjacent to the description is a photo of the box meal you would receive. I’m not sure where you had seen the hot meal ?
I also looked and could not find anything.
I’m not so sure about the larger seat and more legroom with BA. At least within Europe, which is what you seem to be covering.
Technically yes, but that blocked middle seat makes all the difference in Club Europe. BA Y is worse than EasyJet and in Ryanair, depending upon the aircraft.
Well said!
BA do indeed serve a hot meal in first class. Here’s a recent trip report with plenty of photos:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/2025719-good-bad-ugly-our-17-hour-day-ba.html
One thing I will say in BA’s favor regarding catering is that they still serve Champagne in Club Europe. UA doesn’t serve sparkling wine of any sort in Polaris, just single-serving swill normally served in coach.