BA Trials Removing Water Bottles in Economy on Long-Hauls
British Airways has quietly rolled out a trial on select Airbus A380 routes between London and Boston, Los Angeles, and Miami, where passengers in economy class, branded World Traveller, and premium economy, branded World Traveller Plus, no longer receive their own bottled water. Instead, flight attendants offer water poured into small paper cups from oversized bottles, and only in response to requests. This trial runs through June 22, 2025.
While BA touts this move as a way to reduce single-use plastics, the cut feels cheap and is clearly about squeezing costs. One frequent flier shared on Flyertalk that on his Miami-Heathrow flight, he declined Champagne and asked for water, only to be told, “We don’t have bottles.” With small cups and more work for cabin crew, this strikes me as a disaster.
My Thoughts
For an airline that, as recently as 2017, proudly served hot full English breakfasts on domestic flights—sausages, bacon, beans, mushrooms, eggs, even in economy class—this signals yet further decline. BA once held itself to a standard of hospitality. A hot fry-up at 35,000 ft on a one-hour flight between Edinburgh and London was both tradition and pride. What happened? Fast forward to 2025, and even basic hydration is being removed under the guise of sustainability. This is gaslighting and this is just plain stupid.
> Read More: The Death of the English Breakfast on British Airways’ Domestic Flights
As I mentioned above, it is not just inconvenient: it creates needless extra work for flight attendants and annoys passengers. Bottles of water allow you to hydrate on your terms, without worrying about spilling your cup. Whenever I get a cup of anything onboard in economy class, my tendency is to drink it quickly because I’m afraid it will spill. That creates more waste and ironically makes me drink more over the duration of the flight since water comes in sudden spurts.
Frequent flyers are calling it “Watergate,” accusing BA of greenwashing what is clearly a cost-cutting move. This is just the latest in a long list of irritants for BA travelers.
CONCLUSION
British Airways is trialing the elimination of water bottles on some longhaul flights in its economy and premium economy cabins. If BA truly cared about sustainability, it would notify passengers in advance, suggest bringing refillable bottles, or test boxed water. Instead, it is opting for stealth cuts that aggravate everyone. Hopefully, this trial will show British Airways the foolishness of removing such small amenities that make a longhaul flight just a little more bearable.
Hat Tip: One Mile At A Time
A stupid upper management decision made by the bean counters who don’t live or travel the way everyday people do. The higher up you go the more out of touch they are.
Ridiculously messy idea. Apparently boxed water is bad for the environment because box layers don’t recycle safely. BA wants to pull the plug on water? Have the flight attendants patrol with squirt guns and passengers can open their mouths to be watered like cattle. That will save cup usage
I foresee more alcohol being consumed as a result of this move.
There aren’t many certainties in life, death is one, taxes are another but I’ll add two more. Next time you fly BA you will pay more than you ever have for your ticket and second, the service will have been further downgraded for more money. It’s as certain as the sun rising in the mornings. I don’t understand why people are loyal to this joke of an airline.
This description is also appropriate to other airlines , no ?
It may be for some and not others.
BA seems like a 2 steps forward, 1 step backward kind of company…though many would also argue it’s the opposite.
How about one step sideways ?
Aaron seems to be more of a straightforward and up and down a$$ pirate instead of sideways.
Stop projecting your kinky famtasies on to me. Or just come out of the closet already. Whichever is easier for you.
Just like the old days of Bloody Awful in the early 80s. Miss the days British Airways was a brand to be proud of, as it showed the best of British values. As a flag carrier, an unwritten part of their job is to be an unofficial ambassador of their country, given the vastness of their network. Yet as we’ve seen for the last 8-9 years, BA shows more and more the culture of mediocrity, can’t do mentality, little to no imagination, and stagnation that has taken hold in the United Kingdom. These days it’s hard not to notice the similar trajectories of BA and Britain, and it’s not for the better.
The rot set in with Walsh, ‘shareholder value’ which of course was linked to obscene levels of executive pay and bonuses became the culture of BA and passengers almost became a liability on the balance sheet, staff certainly did and everything had to be cut to the bone to increase profit. Walsh was due to leave but remained involved at the outbreak of Covid because he saw an opportunity to make redundant long serving staff that he had yearned for over the years and destroy the company he did. No CEO will reverse anything and only look for more cuts because their pay and bonuses depend on it.
Yet no one will stop flying them. The “outrage” is from a few people who think they are elite.
Besides, what would the retarted girl say about this? Isn’t she risking her life to save the world from excess water bottles. You selfish bastards don’t appreciate the efforts she is putting in to making the world a better place for your kids.
You want a water bottles, buy a F’n water bottle at the airport, your wallet will survive you cheap bastards.
So by that logic, if we want to use the restroom, we should F’n go in the airport and not expect a clean functioning one airborne, no?
Horrible comparison, water, like a restroom is still available.
But the restroom is nicer in the airport in most cases. Same with the water option.
Yes, but won’t it diminish the purpose of sustainability if more people ask for cups, or people end up buying more plastic in the form of overpriced water bottles at the airport?
How about this: What about removing all seat padding and just telling passengers to bring their own pillow? Does that sound okay? Why not get rid of food on all long haul flights (for full service carriers) and force people to bring their own food?
Part of the job of the airlines is to look after the well being of passengers. Dehydration due to the dryer air while at a high altitude is a major problem, and many are already limited in the liquids they take due to onerous restrictions that the UK is much stricter about than even most of Europe, USA, etc. It might have made sense to reduce reliance on individual water bottles 20 odd years back when these requirements weren’t around, and we may see a return to this as more countries lift these rules. But for now, it is essential that they account for having enough water onboard.
Further, in some countries such as in the Gulf and South America, there is also a pre-boarding security check for certain destinations that prevent large liquids from being taken onboard, even if bought after general security. So that would make your argument of “buy a F’n water bottle at the airport” moot.
“But the restroom is nicer in the airport in most cases. Same with the water option”
Odd. Have noticed a clear issue with cleanliness on a lot of long haul flights recently. You’d think after COVID-19 airlines would be more meticulous on things like this. Guess not.
@Jay … Japan and it’s carriers are the cleanest .