View From The Wing shares of being denied water as a pre-departure beverage on British Airways. This has happened to me so many times I now have a way to deal with it.
Being Denied Water In Business Class Is Actually Not So Uncommon
Gary was flying from Austin to London and flight attendants offered a pre-departure beverage choice of orange juice or “Champagne” (probably just sparkling wine). He asked for water and was told, “You already have a bottle of water at your seat, sir.”
British Airways business class pre-departure beverage, I was just denied a glass of water.
Champagne and orange juice only: "You already have a bottle of water at your seat, sir." pic.twitter.com/rzyr5M19S2
— gary leff (@garyleff) November 22, 2023
He was surprised. I’m not. This has happened to me often on United and happened to me on my last American Airlines flight (from New York to LA).
To be clear, I find this unacceptable. Rather than pushing cheap swill or sugary OJ, flight attendants should be happy to accommodate requests for water, which keeps passengers hydrated, healthy, and well-behaved.
The problem is that if you consume your water bottle before the flight, there is often not another one to replace it. That water bottle, for me at least, is critical when I wake up…I want to stay hydrated, especially on an airplane, and rather than having to flag down a flight attendant or walk up to the galley, it is great to have water at your seat.
Denying a request for water is pure laziness.
But since that is the reality (it has happened on a least five United flights over the last few years plus the recent American flight), I now take the water bottle that is placed on my seat and hide it. If a flight attendant tells me, “You already have a bottle of water,” I ask him or to her to point it out.
Often, I will order seltzer water even if I prefer still water just to avoid the “you already have a water bottle” quip.
Until airlines start boarding extra water bottles, cabin crew should stop telling passenger to drink their in-flight water bottles before the flight even takes off. And even if there was enough water bottles for every passenger to have several, it is also nice to sip water from a glass rather than a bottle.
To flight attendants: just say yes.
CONCLUSION
It is more common than you might think to be “denied water in business class.” While this is pure laziness, the path of least resistance is just to hide your water bottle so that you get another one or a glass of water and don’t have to hunt down a flight attendant in the middle of the flight when trying to sleep.
Finally, and just as a point of comparison, I was not denied pre-departure water on my last British Airways flight in Club World.
I just don’t see it as that big of an issue…that the flight attendant has to drop everything to get your cup of water upon boarding is no less inconvenient than you getting served a cup of water when you wake up.
At the end of the day, you won’t go thirsty. I can think of plenty other reasons to rag on BA.
I see people ordering all sorts of pre departure drinks on Delta domestic first class and they always get it no questions asked. From coffee to mimosas so deny a glass of water is cheap and lazy from the FA.
You have no idea what the crew is responsible for in that time before the door shuts. Lazy may happen but we are busy, and not getting paid on top of that!
In that case change to another work with a better salary…is simple.
I have never encountered this issue on any airline, although I am not well-informed about any of the airlines mentioned in the post (I avoid BA and have never flown UA/AA). It might help that I do tend to ask for sparkling water.
One sparkling water and one sparkling wine please.
Gary looks for stuff to complain about. Hopefully things turn around for him and he can afford an extra $5 bottle of water before boarding in the future.
A better story would be the lady urinating on the Frontier flight.
I’ll get to that story tomorrow. But that’s such a cop out on the BA story. A premium cabin passenger should not have to bring his own water onboard.
I actually think what you are saying is a cop out.
Dave, like me, is considering the source of this “great travesty.” Gary is always looking for any small service lapse to jump on and post about. Which is especially funny given how little he actually travels or posts trip reports. It’s like he walks in to a place and pronounces “The Thought Leader Has Arrived” expecting its SQ Suites. I’m sure if he asked nicely she would have brought him a glass of water. Instead he had an “aha moment” of something he could write about.
He’s a bright guy. He has interesting commentary on the industry. But he’s also a bit of a tool.
Stuart and Dave, I agree with you both. I stopped reading him after years. While there were several good articles a month, I was fed up wading through myriad pieces that were about full-size toiletries (semen semen semen!) or what someone did wrong. I think it’s the tone of entitlement too.
Matthew borders on it with the political posts, especially when he goes all Israel/Palestine without thinking deeply enough because once he tried to go to Gaza, but the Bible tells him to “stand with Israel.” Like maybe focus on travel, on all human beings affected, regardless of borders, and stop griping over 1) petty issues 2) politics that travel bloggers may actually not know as much about as they think (I say this not taking a stance on my post but here to read reviews, tips, and useful things that help me be a better traveler).
Finally, we do need to remember that Gary and Matthew are both part of “Boarding Area,” so they are scratching each other’s backs.
Don’t reduce my support for Israel to my reading of the Bible. That’s not the basis of my support for Israel.
If you want to see some serious nitpicking, read any review from TPG’s site…
Also you’re that wrong about Gary.
Sorry, meant to say not that wrong.
He gets them free from the lounge!
Lol I was just perseverating on the opposite problem. They tend to push water on you at bedtime. No, I don’t need to have a water bottle fall on me during turbulence, I’ll grab one from the nice spread set up in the galley if I want one.
I’ve never had an issue with this. Even if I have been given a water bottle, I ask for “a glass of water to take a pill, please,” Nobody has asked me to produce the pill (even though my claim was legit).
That’s a good way to ask for it, but it really shouldn’t be necessary.
A waterbottle and an option to refill the waterbottle is a good idea. I don’t like glasses full of liquid while flying on a flight.
Another first world issue…
I don’t drink alcohol but I do drink. On occassion I do fly the aspirational first class international flights and the staff do push the alcoholic beverages. A drink other than water or ginger ale would be nice. I think Asiana did have an extraordinary citrus beverage with seasonal availability. Nothing special on the recent JAL first class flight. I suspect the tea is extraordinary, though.
I have never had this issue, ever. But these “incidents” always seem to happen to Gary. From being yelled at by hotel managers, rude engagement from FA’s, water shortages on flights, etc. It makes one wonder.
No Stuart this happens. I have commented about my worst experience. Missing a AF connection and booked on a later flight that had not been loaded any bottled water. I drink nothing but still water when flying, full stop. This is not by choice, it is medical. While I am happy to hear you’ve not been inconvenienced for some, it is a big deal. I would have never boarded had this been disclosed.
That’s an awful experience and you were right to be upset. But it’s not even closely resembling what Gary experienced. Which was, in essence, a whatever:
Okay his was a whatever but called attention to the importance of water. ( as did Matthew long before) . Thank you.
Though it’s never happened to me over decades of weekly flights around the world, I can imagine a flight running out of water would be really awful. But as you say “bringing attention to the issue” by citing Gary’s example, which is not even remotely related, actually makes a mockery out of any legitimate experience, like the one you had. It does more harm than good.
I feel like Gary throws down eggshells, and waits for people to step on them. Also, “thought leading” seems to mean posting trashy aviation incidents faster and more frequently than other blogs.
Oh FFS. Yes, but it’s not the precise water I want.
I thought you wanted H2O, not whine?
No, Voss.
This happens a lot. I always hide away the water bottle once I get settled into the seat. The only fail safe solution
Let’s play hide the water bottle!
I would expect nothing less from Gary to find something else to complain about! His entire blog has turned into one huge place from him to either rant about something he doesn’t like or hawk more credit cards.
It has become the new norm as you said, but If I look at it from the other side, it makes sense. First it’s water (which you do have at your seat) then isn’t multiple different juices and soft drinks and next thing you know someone in the last row didn’t get a drink and they complain. A better solution would be a tray of water, juice and champagne. But, water isn’t endless in flight as we’ve all experienced.
Now your boy Gary is crying about when the cookie is served. I understand he is your friend. But come on, either he is starved for attention or is truly a whiny little bitch. He is the type person who gets their food spit on in a restaurant, as I’m sure more than a few FA have thought of doing after dealing with him.
I encounter the same water issues in both United and American ..
Services in business class deteriorating while charges is going up ..
lates test Yesterday flying from JFK to Delhi India… while requested Pure Vegetarian food, I was served Chicken food.. I recognized the problem I didn’t eat the food, later Attandant came sir I am very sorry I gave you wrong food…
These people are not paying attention all of them get together having parties instead of doing their job serving business class passengers..
why are we paying extra ? For sleeping space, quality food etc..
sleeping space is ok …
We make our own bed now in flight instead of the Attandant
Quality food is not the same as it was served before
Pajamas and other stuff – one must ask them do they provide ..
They don’t give a damn .. if you complain the. They will throw you off the plane in mid sir if it goes their way or drop u off nearest airport under any accusation they feel like ..
Go with the flow !!! If you have to fly with them .. or go with other airline
Mistakes happen. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but every person makes mistakes at the expense of others at times. I am guaranteed you’ve made a mistake at work before. Again I understand it sucks when it happens to you, but it’s important we give people some grace for mistakes; especially the ones they can fix.
@ Stuart.
I am unsure of your of your meaning of regarding my experience. While I absolutely do not question your experience (blah blah blah), and yes you know I admire your views, but my comment was just happy to have any talk about the simplicity of assuring water was always available. Why the push back?
Now can we talk about your recent G
I think he was saying your example was a legitimate one to complain about. Gary’s example, not so much.
Just got off a Singapore Airlines flight, they were providing people with water before take off in economy on request!
Yes and the cabin crew on SQ have also the time to prepare the departure on time…so it’s pure lazyness and non pro attitude to not serve a glass of water in J if requested.
You already have water at your seat so you can enjoy it at your convenience. No, we’re not going to drop everything to bring you a glass of water. You already have water at your seat. No, the water that gets poured into a glass isn’t different or better, it’s literally the same crap, just from a bigger bottle. You. Already. Have. Water. At. Your. Seat.
It’s because on international flights there are certain customs rules where they cannot open the carts that contain alcohol, which also contain the big bottles of water, soda, etc. People saying FAs are lazy, that’s not the case, the airline can get a fine, and the FA that does it will get in trouble. The cheap stuff that’s offered is boarded in separate buckets, and they’re cheap bc they’re meant to be dumped out before takeoff. (On international flights all the open bottles of alcohol are poured down the drain before we land).
Recent economy class flight with LOT Mia-Waw,flight attendants came around with water before takeoff.Actually felt LOT economy service was better than my business class experience with them,very energetic young crew with perfect manners.
Come on Matthew. You know that FAs are here primarily f̶o̶r̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶s̶a̶f̶e̶t̶y̶ to sell credit cards. Don’t bother them with customer service.
You’re not being denied, they are just informing you that there’s already water at your seat which some people miss. Maybe if you phrased it and said “Can I have an extra bottle of water?” then you wouldn’t have that encounter!
Exactly. I think he missed that. If you ask, they are just letting you know that there’s already one there. If you simply ask for an extra one, they just may accommodate you.
You know, there’s these things called reusable water bottles that you can take through security if they’re empty. Then you fill up in the secure area. Don’t depend on others for bare necessities. Take care of yourself.
I was once denied water on Lufthansa first class, I woke up 30 min before landing as as a flight attendant was passing by, I asked for some water, He told me that they have already packed everything up for landing and the service is now finished.
Ouch. I’ve been served a full breakfast in that time.
Never had this problem with LH but understandable half an hour before landing on almost final approach.
I’d be far more concerned about BA running out of food (and alcoholic drinks) part way through the flight…
Their cost cuts habe gone too far when a business passenger has no choice of meal and they run out of wine 2 hours into an 11hr flight!
BA =#BestAvoided if you want: reliability, comfort, quality, convenience or value!
Why aren’t you bringing your own water? Why is the flight attendant expected to take care of every single thing for you? Should they also wipe your mouth for you when you’re eating?
They are overworked, unappreciated and generally treated like garbage. Boarding is their busiest time and you are adding to that by asking for something that you can easily provide for yourself.
Bring a reusable bottle and fill it at one of the many filling stations in every airport.
Do you take pride in providing service in premium cabins?
Absolutely, and if you made this entitled request I would smile and say ‘certainly’ while internally rolling my eyes and then make the extra trip through the river of boarding passengers to get you the thing that you could have made sure you already had – and in fact DID already have.
Again, flight attendants are BUSY during boarding. They have fifteen other responsibilities to attend to in addition to providing you a pre departure beverage. Why would you insist on making that time more difficult for them and then shame them about it?
Because that IS part of the service flow.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
This.
Thank you!
OMG you & Gary are serious drama queens!!
So done with u bloggers.
On one hand, no it shouldn’t have to be an issue for a FA to get someone a glass of water if they don’t drink Champagne or orange juice, it’s understandable how that could be annoying.
On the other hand, anyone complaining about this should get a grip and stop whining. If theres a bottle of water by your seat and you need a drink of water, just drink it; Thats what it’s there for. If you’re so worried they won’t have a spare bottle for you later on in the flight, then do what everyone else does and buy an extra bottle at the airport kiosk before you board and stop being a cheapskate; I’m pretty sure you can manage a bottle of water no?
People are just so entitled and ungrateful whilst so many people have literally nothing. If you’re privileged enough to be flying in business or first class in the first place, then count your blessings and stop finding nonsense to complaint about.