British Airways once called itself “the world’s favourite airline.” Former BA CEO Alex Cruz is proud of having turned it into a low cost carrier. They eliminated water from coach over the summer but were forced to bring it back. Last year they served breakfasts in the afternoon in business class because it’s cheaper than other meals. They’re devaluing their miles again.
The airline is now surveying customers to learn what passengers are willing to do to save the carrier money next:
- “Opting out of receiving an in-flight meal ahead of flying” British Airways partner Japan Airlines has called skipping meals the ‘ethical choice’ for the environment, suggesting it’s unethical to eat on board. JAL, though, offered customers a reward of an amenity kit for opting out of the meal, so they probably aren’t even reducing waste.
Delta – which owns an oil refinery – suggested that customers opt out of meals for the environment as well.
United offers the meal opt-out and offers it as two different choices in their pre-order meal selection flow.
- “Travelling with fewer items of luggage” Less weight saves fuel, and potentially they could save on baggage handlers and equipment as well.
- “Bringing a reusable water bottle or travel mug to refill at the airport or onboard my flight” They’re back with another run at cutting down on the expense of bottled water in the cabin.
- “Opting out of receiving sleepwear ahead of flying” on routes that feature pajamas BA might save a few pair for future flights.
- “Packing less than the maximum luggage allowance weight” Another way of asking the baggage question to save fuel.
- “Opting out of receiving amenity kits ahead of flying” just like pajamas.
- “Selecting my meal preference ahead of flying” British Airways actually offered this option prior to the pandemic, but it never returned. Today they only offer pre-order of special (e.g. religious, diabetic, etc.) meals.
Here’s the actual survey question:
This selection does not appear to include anything that British Airways would add for customers, and or seem to suggest British Airways would offer customers anything in exchange (although it might be smart for them to do so). It’s likely instead that the narrative would be passengers are benefiting the environment by reducing food waste and disposal of single use items.
It reflects a mindset reminiscent of the 2017 move under CEO Alex Cruz to only offer cold airplane tank water for free on intra-Europe flights – even hot water for customers to make their own tea was charged. In 2018 they began testing offering water as a free perk to elite frequent flyers.
If you don’t like it when cuts are implemented? Flight attendants have been instructed not to apologize.
Another historic British Airways slogan was “To fly, to serve.” They’re reinventing it, it seems, as “To fly, to serve as little as possible.”
Ehem, it’s spelled favorite and color. Did y’all learn nothing after 1812? Looks like it’s time for another h’woopin’…
I mean, selecting your meal ahead of time (again) would be an improvement, so… how about we all choose that option? That one is a value add. The rest… yep.
A question they could add is “Is there an airline that you would prefer to use on a route currently served by BA?”
BA, along with the UK as a whole, has completely and hopelessly lost its way
I always thought that BA stood for “Best Avoided”.
Nothing that I read about BA makes me think otherwise.
This is what the Ivy League MBA class has brought over the past 40 years. Taking what once was pleasurable and turning it into misery. Now said class isn’t affected. They fly private and you can bet they’re not skimping on anything as they enter the luxury of that business yet, other than the miserable TSA experience.
How about skipping going notice where your gate is! That way people will miss flights and fly other airlines
Wait they already do that
How about skipping going notice where your gate is! That way people will miss flights and fly other airlines
Wait they already do that.
@George Romey — More like, this is what Reagan and Thatcher hath wrought…
@Coolio — Nah, they’re still a ‘serious’ country; like, they aren’t Putin’s puppet, unless Farage becomes PM, then they’re cooked.
Maybe they could make all meals as packaged, shelf stable food (sarcasm).
Wasn’t there a discussion about locking the toilets on board and only open them for an emergency?
It could save BA /airlines many millions
passengers would be forced to do their business prior to departure
But they might burn down the White House again. Oh, wait…
@Denver Refugee — Didn’t the original architect for the ‘ballroom’ just quit recently? Can’t make this stuff up…
Eh, at least those totally-not-corrupt-also fellas at FIFA created a made-up Peace Prize for our Dear Leader. That should fill his empty soul…
I wonder what the meetings were like when someone came up with this idea. Do they really think customers are that stupid.
Since more weight equals more fuel burn, passengers should offer to lose at least 10 pounds of body weight before each trip. Opting out of meals could help with that.
Choosing your meal before departure is a win for the passenger and airline. I have always been a big fan of this. You missed another scam. Asking me to pay extra or give up something for SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), which is a complete misnomer and, honestly, a fraud.
I often fly JAL between Vancouver and Melbourne (Au). Overall, 18 hours block time with a 2 hour connect both ways. JAL do a great pre-arrival “snack meal” and timings both ways mean I want to sleep on my next sector so the skip meal option just works.
In J, JAL donates meals to schools in lieu which works for me.
JAL also has a pre-order quick serve, one tray, meal option in J which can be awesome. When did you last get a runny egg to pour over your Waygu slices? (Sorry if you only fly US based carriers.)
Gary, just noticed that you got called out for misquoting JAL’s meal skip option in 2023, so why continue?
To save money and further diminish customer benefits, I recommend British Airways switch to one-ply toilet paper for its entire fleet. One-ply toilet paper is lower in cost and has less weight than two-ply toilet paper, which helps save jet fuel. Furthermore, one-ply toilet paper helps save trees, which in turn helps reduce BA’s carbon footprint.
The very best perk you can get out of BA is not to fly this trash airline.
That’s the “SPIRIT”!
If for any reason we actually needed further proof that overconsolidation in the airline industry, even for wildly profitable airlines like BA, is terrible for consumers then look no farther. BA needs to be split up into separate parts, and the Big 3 in the USA as well.
Cheap
@1990, ahem. No, they are spelled ‘favourite’ and ‘colour’, at least in English!
I received and completed that survey noting all of the options would save BA money. However, it also suggested that if you participated you would receive a distinctive boarding pass. Surely that would be the ultimate virtue signalling. Presume it a would also entitle the holder to group Net Zero boarding.
If they would just ditch the passengers and cargo totally, think how much fuel and money they would save and all that pollution eliminated.
Last time we flew on BA from Singapore to Heathrow the seat I was in the screen was blank. Complained to a stewardess re ply was sorry it will be sorted when back in U k. WHAT!!! Later in the flight they dimmed the lights & we never saw anyone for 7 Hours no water food or drinks. Never flew again with them . Flew with Singapore airlines no problems
Maybe they should cut the perk of passengers being able to fly with them (sarcasm). Think of all of the money that they would save.
@ScotCan — ‘Speak American!’ LOL.