British Airways frequent flyers are concerned that the airline’s penny-pinching finance department is now seriously considering eliminating champagne for business class passengers on short-haul flights within Europe as yet another cost-cutting move is sounded out.
Thankfully, for the time being at least, champagne is still very much available in BA’s Club Europe business class cabin, but a recent survey sent out by the airline to some of its top flyers has got them scared about the future of the luxury tipple.
The supposedly confidential survey was directed to members of BA’s Future Lab community, where members are expected to sign a nondisclosure agreement in an attempt to stop the contents of the polls from being made public, although, well, some frequent flyers are clearly so fed up with British Airways that they are beyond caring.
A recent survey was focused on the future of Club Europe, the branded name for BA’s business class cabin on its fleet of Airbus A320 series aircraft that operate short-haul flights across Europe, as well as slightly further afield.
Referencing the way that some airlines call cost-cutting measures an ‘enhancement,’ one frequent flyer wrote on the popular Flyer Talk discussion forum: “They seem to be particularly interested in whether Champagne is really needed in CE [Club Europe] so clearly, there is an opportunity to enhance.”
Another person then cheekily responded: “They seem obsessed with offering Kombucha as an alternative.” And a third wrote: “I too rumbled the questions skewed to enhancing-away Champagne.”
Others mused whether champagne could be on the chopping block because British Airways was recently forced into a humiliating u-turn on catering cuts it made its in Club World business class cabin, which had seen premium passengers offered pancakes for lunch and paninis for late-night dinners.
The fiasco, dubbed ‘Brunchgate’ by the media and frequent flyers, brought this wry reply from one person on Flyer Talk: “The u-turn on brunchgate will have consequences.”
It might not, however, be all bad. After all, if British Airways is seeking feedback before making changes, then it might be stopped from making a change that it quickly regrets.
The airline is still facing criticism over its handling of major changes to its frequent flyer club that many lifelong supporters fear will soon price them out of achieving sought-after elite status and perks like premium lounge access and priority boarding.
British Airways has insisted that the new revenue-based program will result in most elite members retaining their status and that customers didn’t fully understand how the revamped British Airways Club would work.
Those reassurances haven’t stopped the airline from sending out yet another survey asking frequent flyers what improvements they would make to the loyalty program, along with questions that appear to be gauging whether high-spending customers are following through with threats to book future flights with BA’s rivals.
You don’t spend enough money on a short haul flight so we figure you don’t deserve any luxuries. I think that is what is going on here.
An awful lot of BA short haul business is connecting passengers to or from long haul. Considering BA’s perpetual efforts to make things worse for passengers I suspect that their numbers will get worse. remember the last time BA did something – anything really – that smacked of altruism in the least? Something to be an actual enhancement? All I can come up with is back in the 90’s when they were the first to introduce lie flat seats.
The hard product in CE is rubbish (just economy with no middle seat), so by making the soft product rubbish as well, why would anyone want to pay extra for a CE ticket?
Economy basic tickets with First Wing access, drinking plenty of champagne in the First Lounge, and free exit row seat selection with the seat next to me blocked is fine for me and overall better than CE.
When I finally lose my Gold and then Silver status, I won’t be flying BA again anyway, apart from getting rid of all my Avios.
1st { “Club ? } World” problems as BA ( LH & others ) continue their “descent’ in the race to the bottom !
WNy not offer English Sparkling Wine? That is very nice
Not sure why people think that English sparkling wine is any better than the cheap champagne cuvées BA has in CE. To my taste buds, only one English sparkling wine is in a similar league, but of course BA will try to get them cheaper as part of their constant cost cutting…er…innovation.
Gold for years but will not even try again. I will have it again for 2025/26 then that’s it. No more ‘loyalty’ which was in any case just a one way street.
LH just announced it’s going on the same direction so I will use my Amex Plat or PP for lounges and get the cheapest business/first tickets I find on any half decent airline. BA has for years got nearly all my flight bookings but time to say bye-bye.
On the champagne issue in BA Club class it is truly awful anyway so no loss there!