Airline breakfasts are rarely something that passengers look forward to… Dried-out eggs, suspect-looking sausages, frozen fruit, and soggy pancakes are just some of the horrors that make the ‘most important meal of the day’ one of the least favorite dishes that passengers can be served on a flight.
That grim reality, however, hasn’t stopped British Airways from massively expanding the number of flights where breakfast will become the primary meal and, in many cases, will actually be served at lunchtime.
British Airways has decided to extend its normal breakfast service by introducing a new brunch service for flights that depart between 8:30 a.m. and 11:29 a.m. The obvious problem, of course, is that by the time flights have actually taken off and the service has started, passengers will no doubt be hankering for lunch.
If that is the case, passengers will be left wanting because the new brunch menu leans heavily on traditional breakfast offerings like omelets, pancakes, and fruit plates.
British Airways has suggested that the new brunch service has been introduced based on customer feedback. The obvious thinking is that after passengers have already enjoyed one breakfast ahead of their flight on the ground, they are begging for a second breakfast at 35,000 feet.
Frequent flyers and staffers alike, however, have a slightly different theory behind the new service… stealth cost-cutting using cheaper ingredients and fewer meal options that will leave passengers hungry and angry.
“Timetable departure time was 1115. Actual take-off time was midday. By the time the main course arrived (I was towards the last to be served), it was 1350,” one passengers on frequent flyer forum Flyer Talk slammed. “Who would think it a good idea to sign off on a brunch service for this timing of flight?”
In response to a photo of the main course this passenger was served, another frequent flyer replied: “This really looks dreadful and completely unappealing… The menu is poorly conceived and looks very poorly executed too.”
The cost-cutting theory could be further supported by BA’s decision to also cut back its meal options on late-night departures.
On most of BA’s flights due to depart after 9 pm, passengers will now be served a lot less food, with main meal options reduced to paninis, soup, and salads. Appetizers have been eliminated altogether and customers will will no longer have a choice of dessert.
A full service will still be included on some of BA’s longest flights to the Far East, but even passengers flying on services like the eleven-and-a-half-hour flight from London to Cape Town will be hit by the new reduced menu.
British Airways says its new ‘goodnight’ service is designed to help customers maximize their rest onboard, especially on short red-eye flights from the East Coast of North America.
What’s strange, however, is that BA has admitted that post-pandemic, its Business Class cabins are full of premium leisure passengers who want to get the full experience when they fly.
Prior to the pandemic, British Airways launched a new partnership with upscale aircraft catering company DO&CO, which was meant to significantly elevate the airline’s inflight dining experience.
At the time, passengers were impressed with the choice and quality of the new options available in BA’s Club World Business Class, but the pandemic brought a new era of cost-cutting and a derided one-tray service designed to reduce contact between crew and passengers.
British Airways claims to be investing £7 billion to improve its customer experience, although customers are still waiting to see improvement in many areas of the airline’s operation.
The carrier was recently forced to slash hundreds of long-haul flights due to ongoing issues with Rolls-Royce engines on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, while the airline has also blamed air traffic control issues that frequently delay BA’s flights from its Heathrow hub.
Customers are also looking forward to seeing a long-promised new website and mobile app that will replace BA’s existing bug-ridden IT infrastructure. A timeline for the introduction of these new services, however, remains elusive.
