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British Airways Is Shite

Anyone with any stories about British Airways, or who know people with stories about British Airways, please send them in.

Thanks.

Ken

BA Reservations

Well done BA for further damaging their already badly soiled brand value.

I made a bold and futile attempt to contact their reservations line this morning, on 0870 850 9 850 (the number specified on their website).

Having pressed the various option buttons, and listened to the "tinny" music, I was informed that I had dialed the wrong number and was given a new number to dial.

Can you guess what that was?

Yes, that's right 0870 850 9 850!

I rang the Executive Club, and was told that in fact the number should be 0870 850 4 850 and that the BA website was wrong.

I rang the new number...

Guess what?

I had the very same experience.

Well done lads!

BA truly deserves the "Worse Than Worthless" award.

BA's Shameful All Day Deli

I had the misfortune to fly by BA to Stockholm last week, and suffer the unpalatable and tasteless excuse for food that they insult their customers palates with.

BA is the national airline of Britain, yet in respect of its catering (performed by a third party company "Gate Gourmet", a title that most surely is a contradiction in terms) it more resembles British Rail's catering efforts of the seventies and eighties.

The in flight catering on the route consists of a boxed sandwich and some fruit in sugared water, this abomination in a box labours under the misnomer "all day deli".

Unlike many companies who have woken up to the idea that customers who are after all paying for the product deserve a choice, BA offered no choice on either the outward or inward bound flights that I took.

My outward bound "meal" was an egg mayonnaise sandwich.

This consisted of a small portion of chopped egg, a sad piece of lettuce and a hint of mayonnaise placed between two unbuttered pieces of brown bread.

The combination was bland, unpalatable and unsatisfying.

I fared no better on my return trip, again being offered no choice. This time my "meal" was a cheese and coleslaw soft roll.

I saw, nor tasted, any evidence of cheese.

Neither "meal" pack contained any salt or pepper to add life or luster to these culinary abominations.

I raised the issue as to lack of choice and poor quality with the very kind and service minded stewardess, she was very apologetic and said that the staff were embarrassed to serve them

She noted that they don't eat these "meals" themselves, and wished that someone would complain loudly enough to improve the situation. Indeed, she said that some of the food that they have served was in fact worse.

Let us hope that BA take note of this complaint this time. It is not the first time that I have had to chide them for their lamentable lack of culinary imagination or skill. They won the coveted "Worse Than Worthless Award" for their Ham and Cheese Bloomer in 2003.

The British Airways Ham and Cheese Bloomer

Usually my “Worse Than Worthless” award is made to an organisation or company. However, I am making an exception in this case; and presenting it to a sandwich.

This particular culinary atrocity has been served to me on two separate occasions on the BA London-Stockholm route, on both occasions the sandwich was “Worse Than Worthless”.

I am, as you can see from the “Frost Bites” and “Accountants Can Cook” sections of my site, a lover of good food and an amateur chef. This sorry excuse for a sandwich failed as a source of culinary delectation on a number of levels:

 The wrapper in which it was presented noted that it would “expire” the following day. This clearly meant that it was not freshly prepared on the day of the flight; instead, I suspect, they are prepared in batches and stored for a number of days.

 On close inspection, having taken a bite, the slices of bread that comprised the “bloomer” had a chalky white luminescent centre. This, from my experience, indicates that the bread has been deep chilled/frozen. Fresh, is clearly not the operative word here.

 The contents, ham and cheese, really lacked imagination. I think that for a return ticket, that cost around £150, we should be entitled to something a little more imaginative. I would note that the alternative, for the vegetarians, were egg mayonnaise baps (which looked as though they had been sat upon). Clearly the menu was designed by the same people who cater for primary school children.

 On pulling the sandwich apart, I noted that there was no spread (butter or margarine) of any description on the bread; even prisoners are allowed butter or margarine these days! I cannot believe that the cost saving made by serving dry bread really makes such a difference to the cash flow of BA.

 The thinly sliced ham (no surprise there), was placed in the middle of the bloomer. However, the slices of ham were so small that they did not reach the edges of the bloomer. The same was true of the plastic pathetic excuse for “mature cheddar” (as it was described on the wrapper), a misnomer if ever I have heard one. I estimate that approximately 10% of the inside surface area of the bloomer had no contact with either cheese or ham.

 Hiding, shamed faced, between the cheese and ham was a solitary sad piece of lettuce; clearly embarrassed to be associated with this culinary abomination.

 Bland, is too complimentary a word to use to describe the taste.

I for one think that it is perfectly reasonable that on a journey of two hours that sandwiches, rather than a full meal, are served. However, the sandwiches should at least be a little imaginative as regards to the variety on offer; and be tasty and fresh.

How can our national airline hold its head up proudly, and present such a poor and embarrassing specimen?

BA, as you know, I have written to you before about this; when will you improve the quality and taste?