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British Airways has cut back on its lunch service for business and first-class passengers in a cost-cutting move branded “crackpot” by industry watchers.
The airline has begun swapping lunch on some of its flights for a smaller brunch menu – even though the timing of the service means it it may be served well into the afternoon. The new menu has been introduced on all long-haul flights departing between 9.30am and 11.29am.
Flyers in Club World – BA’s business-class cabin – are now served a “Great British Brunch” offering a choice of starters such as a fruit plate, smoked salmon, goat’s cheese and grilled artichoke or cheese and crackers.
This is followed by a choice of brunch main courses including chicken or sausage with mushrooms and hash browns, a cheese frittata or Belgian waffles. Dessert is a slice of chocolate marble cake, followed by coffee and liqueurs.
First-class customers would previously have been offered a range of main course options for the post-take-off meal, including grilled lamb rack, chicken wellington, grilled halibut and shrimp sauce or vegetarian kofta in korma sauce.
Instead, flyers will choose from dishes such as prawn salad, poached egg on sourdough, or pancakes. This will be preceded by an amuse bouche and starters, and followed by dessert and a cheeseboard.
As food cannot be served until the aircraft is at cruising altitude, passengers on flights leaving later in the morning may not be served their brunch until 1.30pm under the new system. Rob Burgess, editor of Head for Points, a blog that helps flyers maximise their air miles, called the changes “crackpot” and predicted they would be a “disaster”.
At the same time, British Airways has sharply cut back its evening meal service on flights departing after 9pm.
While Club World passengers were previously offered a three-course meal, they will instead have to settle for a main course and dessert.
BA has said the “one-tray” meal service will allow passengers on late-night flights to get to sleep more quickly. However, the airline already offered this quicker option for people who did not want the standard full menu.
Mr Burgess said the changes were most likely a cost-cutting measure.
He wrote on his blog: “The biggest structural issue with the airline business is that most of your costs are fixed. Fuel costs are fixed. Aircraft leasing costs (or debt repayments) are fixed. Staff numbers are set by law and pay scales are fixed in the medium term.
“Whilst it seems petty to start attacking the in-flight food budget, it is one of very few levers to pull.”