UPDATE: It appears, at least concerning the clotted cream, that the afternoon tea cutbacks on British Airways were just a supply-chain issue and not a deliberate cost-reduction measure. Even so, the reports are still mixed so we’ll have to monitor the situation.
While “To Fly, To Serve” might be the official motto, “Death By A Thousand Cuts” strikes me as the better British Airways motto, as I found out on my recent afternoon flight from London (LHR) to Basel (BSL). Yes, British Airways is now serving afternoon tea sans clotted cream and green tea.
British Airways Cuts Clotted Cream And Green Tea From Club Europe
British Airways serves afternoon tea in Club Europe (business class) on flights departing between 14:00 to 16:59 (2:00 pm to 4:59 pm)…it has long been a staple of afternoon service on British Airways and something that I’ve rather affectionately written about over the years.
Recently, I flew from London to Basel on BA on a flight that departed at 3:50 pm, right in the middle of afternoon tea service. While I wasn’t all that hungry, I was not going to turn down the novelty of a cup of tea, a trio of sandwiches, and most of all, a warm scone with clotted cream…things I never eat or drink at home.
Even though I was seated in row two, the flight attendants appeared to take orders by British Airways Club status, and I was left with no choices (I would have opted for the vegetarian sandwiches), but no matter…at least I’d have my scone.
Notice what is missing from the tray? No clotted cream! When I asked for the clotted cream, the flight attendant sheepishly responded, “As of this month, British Airways has cut clotted cream from Club.”
I looked at him, and he sort of shrugged and offered that incredibly polite British apology. He then asked me what I wanted to drink, and I requested chamomile tea (I had originally written green tea, but meant chamomile).
“Oh, as of this month we’ve cut that as well.”
I started laughing…but I had just had two flat whites in the Qantas Lounge and had no more tolerance for coffee.
So I asked for an Aperol Spritz.
You should have seen the look on his face!
“Unfortunately, that’s on the buy-on-board menu. I could bring you one, but I’d have to charge you £6.50 for it.”
I really started laughing…this was comical.
“Ok, I’ll have sparkling water,” I said, “Unless you’ve cut that too!”
I want to really commend this FA…he apparently was a green tea drinker himself and brought me one of his own tea bags, which was such a sweet gesture. What a shame he has to apologize to customers for his employer cutting things that it should never have cut.
Oh, and I still enjoyed clotted cream…thankfully, I had snagged a tub from the lounge because I like it so much I find one tub is not enough. Instead of having two tubs (one from the lounge and one onboard), I only had one, but it makes all the difference when eating a scone…
CONCLUSION
I feel teabagged by British Airways…
For the life of me, I cannot fathom why the carrier claims to be premium and is constantly trying to find new things to cut. Just give customers a premium experience and they will pay a premium for your product…it’s not that hard of a concept!
BA
Simply Best AVOIDED whenever there’s an option..
While BA was forced to row back on the proposal to offer soup and sandwiches in business class on 11 hour-plus flights leaving after a certain time in the evening (ie the LHR-GRU I recently took, which would have been affected), they quietly reduced the portions of the normal dinner service to miniscule. I’m not a big eater, but after my dinner on that flight, I was still hungry. This post is so typical of how they are constantly looking to cut costs on the most stupid things, while all their competitors are offering better and better premium service and amenities. A bit of a shame really. I mean, how much are you going to save by cutting out clotted cream and green tea?
Are you sure you mean “teabagged”?
It’s a joke.
First rape jokes the other day and now this.
Thanks for having a sense of humor!
Is this Political US/UK anti tax teabagging or something else 😉
“I feel teabagged by British Airways…”
Breath through your nose, Matt.
All kidding aside, while green tea being cut isn’t that bad (as long as they still offer other types of teas), no clotted cream with scones is iust ridiculous.
And charging business class passengers for an alcoholic (or any) drink might be even more ridiculous.
BA stands for Best Avoided.
You fly them at your peril.
Who drinks green tea with British afternoon tea?
Certainly not the terrorists that have taken over the country and its storefronts.
These pussies fought us to keep our land but gave up without a fight on letting the Muslims take over.
Green tea actually came from China and is most popular in places like east Asia, countries that are know for being non-Muslim countries.
But who needs facts when you need to try and divert the comments section with your racist nonsense.
ESAD, MFer.
How convenient. A pocket full of clotted cream . I won’t ask questions
Sounds like clotted arteries to me. Ugh!
after getting Tea bagged hahaha
Hard not to see the similarities in the trends of British Airways and the country it represents (United Kingdom)
A sad, yet unsurprising, statement on what BA has become. It’s a real shame. Their Eurobusiness seats have never been good, but at least you had the meal service to look forward to. Now that’s been nickled and dimed as well. And, remember, the upsell to “business” class on most short haul BA flights isn’t cheap. For that, you get lounge access (nice, but not vital), a blocked middle seat (helpful), the same tight legroom economy seats as you’d get back in 34F, and the meal/drink service. Now even that is cheapened. And how dare they ask you to pay £6.50 for a drink! Talk about penny wise and pound foolish. Honestly, this is why Ryanair, Easyjet and Jet2 are killing them on short haul routes. Why pay the premium when the experience you get is not.
Those meals are likely assembled by immigrants. Nigel Farage for PM ! Make Britain Great Again.
Sieg heil!
Maybe if Brits applied for menial jobs in the first place, immigrants wouldn’t be needed. My mother was a manager at a hotel and the vast majority of her staff were Filipino and Eastern European. Why? Brits didn’t apply. There’d be the occasional cleaner who’d quit after two weeks. There’s plenty of jobs, so this narrative of immigrants stealing them has to stop. It’s a problem with benefit culture, not immigrants (who keep the NHS afloat and staffed, by the way).
“ I feel teabagged by British Airways…”
Nearly spat my morning coffee put, does the author know what being teabagged is ?
Yes, the author does thanks to Phil Hendrie.
Matthew- I love the fact that you brought your own clotted cream. In the US, I do the same thing with citrus (limes and lemons) for my Gin and Tonics since most airlines have stopped catering “twists” even in First. So, I generally stop by the lounge and get my supply for the flight. BYOC! Bring Your Own Citrus!
But he didn’t. He nicked it.
I just learned another anatomical phrase which is apparently well known. If you talk the talk you have to suck the … Very pithy!
That’s annoying and a stupid cut. Green tea probably has less wide appeal, but the clotted cream is a staple. Even as an admitted BA fanboy, I won’t try to defend this madness. I’ll make sure to bring my own as you did. That’s the real tip here. Did you get it at the QF lounge or BA?
I think this is click bate trash. I’ve flown two CE flights this week with tea service – LHR-DUB and return. There was clotted cream proactively offered on both flights. I drank champagne, which was freely offered and refilled, so can’t comment on green tea availability.
Why would I possibly make this up? Don’t shoot the messenger. FA said it was cut. Maybe it was brought back in September due to outrage from Club Europe guests?
You took the comments from a single FA and portrayed it as a policy change. It comes across as a lazy way to generate content. We all know crew say random things. Ask BA before you write an article.
Perhaps the FA did not actually know why they did not have any on your flight and just told you that? I had clotted cream on a MAN-LHR flight just last 5 days ago. I really like that BA afternoon tea service, by the way.
I flew on Monday and had the same menu….with clotted cream! I think your flight attendant made a mistake …..clotted cream is still on the menu.
Yay!
The clotted cream was never cut but there was a batch issue with the onboard clotted cream meaning a very large amount had to be thrown away and it’s taken a while to get them back on the trays…
I’m very glad to hear that, but the FA told me unequivocally it had been cut.
That may be the case but unfortunately with stuff like this, crew do not always have accurate information. I’m sorry to tell you but this whole article is essentially false based on one cabin crew members misinformation…
Your point is well taken, but I find it unacceptable that BA could not find an alternative source of clotted cream or chamomile tea…this was in the middle of August and apparently the “supply chain” issue had been going on for weeks.
Clotted cream was only off the menu for about 2 months due to an issue with the supplier. It’s back now
My flight was less than three weeks ago…
Well that solves the speculation…. It was gone from my Milan flight at the end of July the cabin crew were unable to provide an answer as to why.
“I apologize for how sorry my company is.”
Hello,
Clotted cream accompanied my afternoon tea on the LGW flight to Cagliari.
I thought the bar service was quite generous.
Just part of BA transforming them selves into IOAC – Indian Overseas Air Carrier!
Speaking as BA crew, green tea and chamomile tea have not been cut from Club Europe, and clotted cream was temporarily removed due to a quality issue.
Sorry to hear about your BA experience but happy to see the Phil Hendrie reference. Used to listen to him on KFI in the late 1990s-early 2000s. Good times.
I had clotted cream with my Club Europe afternoon tea on Monday 8th September
I thought the Basel flight departs T5? How did you get to use the Qantas lounge?
I landed in T3 on AA and strong-armed my way through security (even though I was told I did not have enough time) so I could have my flat whites and shower in Qantas lounge.
Interesting that they took orders by status. I was in Club Europe for a late evening LHR > NCL flight that ended up departing 2 hours late. I was sat on the aisle and the FA leant over to apologise to the passenger in the window seat for the late departure, and only that passenger – it was quite odd!
It’s not just Club Europe.
BA First to New York, afternoon tea as the second meal and it was served with whipped cream.