Cava back in World Traveller Plus from tomorrow … and other BA catering changes

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British Airways has, not unfairly, taken a lot of grief for its on-board catering. Some additional money has recently been allocated and the impact is beginning to be felt this month.

It is unlikely to have Qatar, Emirates, Cathay, Etihad, Singapore etc quaking in their boots but any improvement is welcome. Some of these changes have already taken place as they were introduced on July 1st. Others, such as the cava in World Traveller Plus, start tomorrow. This is what you will see:

British Airways Club World main course

World Traveller (long-haul economy)

Pretzels introduced. You no longer need to feel jealous of World Traveller Plus passengers who are given a free mini pack of pretzels.

World Traveller Plus (premium economy)

Cava introduced from tomorrow, July 14th, as a pre-take off drink. This is currently available on A380 routes only.

Across both World Traveller and World Traveller Plus

The breakfast box on overnight flights on the US and Canada East Coast flights will be replaced by the substantially larger breakfast box given on West Coast flights.

Cheese and biscuits was added to main meals on flights TO the UK on July 1st. India, Japan and Korea will not get this.

The food offering to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco has been upgraded. In the past, World Traveller and World Traveller Plus customers received a poorer food offering on these routes than they would have received on a similar 12-hour flight elsewhere. This has now been aligned. You will receive a 2nd hot meal (either a hot breakfast or hot light meal) and an additional mid-flight snack on day flights.

Flight FROM New York JFK and Boston will get an extra item in the snack box.

All flights FROM the USA will have a higher quality dessert.

All flights FROM the US and Canada will get a tomato and mozzarella salad with basil pesto as an improved appetiser.

Flights FROM the Middle East and West Africa will have an improved breakfast box or snack box.

The Japanese food options on Tokyo routes have been completely redesigned.

Club World appetiser

Club World

(The photos in this article are BA Club World food)

The food offering to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco has been upgraded and a second hot meal will now be available.

On Middle East and West Africa routes, the second meal will be pre-set on the infamous ‘small trays’ with improved breakfast fruits, cereals and bakery items. Plastic pots will be replaced with china. Because the meal will now be on trays it can be served more quickly and the crew can ‘spend more time with customers’ (apparently serving food does not count as ‘spending time with customers’).

The scones served with afternoon tea will be enlarged.

As with World Traveller and World Traveller Plus, the Japanese food options served on the Tokyo route have been completely rethought.

The menus on Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Kuwait are being changed completely in all cabins.

The ‘breakfast to go’ bags are being scrapped on all routes due to ‘excessive levels of waste’. Enough said.

British Airways Club World dessert

First Class

No changes, except on the Middle East routes where some tweaks have been made – primarily the scrapping of the amuse bouche.

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This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

RICO says:

13 Jul13 July 12:34

“Because the meal will now be on trays it can be served more quickly and the crew can ‘spend more time with customers’”

Excellent, thinking of introducing an airplane aisle boule tournament on my next flight and it would be great if the cabin crew all had time to pitch in.
nick haley says:

13 Jul13 July 12:38

Flew the 10pm from LAX to LHR in WTP last Friday 10th July. Got dinner, but then also a choice of hot breakfasts (full english or omlette). Wonder if that’s the ‘new’ food then? No cava offered though, so maybe just the breakfast was a trial?
- nick haley says:
  
  13 Jul13 July 12:44
  
  and now, come to think of it, we started with the tomato and mozz pesto salad, and we had a red velvet cake pudding (in a sealed cup) which was actually pretty good – so that is an example of improved dessert.
Liz says:

13 Jul13 July 13:51

We flew LHR to San Francisco mid June in Economy – booked this flight last year before I seriously started collecting miles via this site – we were given a hot meal just after take off then nothing again until an hour out of SF – no snack no nothing in between – I wouldn’t go that long at home without having something to eat! Should have packed a Scooby snack! Not impressed! Next year hopefully we will be in BA CW or Virgin UC!
Lady London says:

13 Jul13 July 14:31

It’s still slop according to the picture. I suppose it’s acceptable though if they’re comparing themselves to the US airlines, at least in Y. I’m very close to just deciding who I fly with at the best offer at the time going forward. Rather than checking BA first and generally flying on them as I have been doing.
Jon says:

13 Jul13 July 17:44

Free Cava for WT plus – so what’s available for people who don’t drink alcohol? The bias towards alcoholic drinks is quite astounding. I flew CW a few months ago and there’s a huge menu with lots of flowery descriptions about the “full bar” and all the wines available. I asked what soft drinks were available and was told anything you’d like – but this turned out to be exactly the same as World Traveller offerings: Coke, Sprite, Fanta and Mixers. Basically, British Airways soft drinks are only those which are commonly mixed with alcohol. If they think premium customers deserve a glass of champagne, what is the equivalent offer for people who don’t drink alcohol? Just a little imagination here would be wonderful to see: cordials, smoothies, milkshakes, iced coffee, mixed berry drinks. Even the orange juice is cheap and not the Tropicana squeezed type.

Is it just me? This winds me up every time! I wrote to customer service with these suggestions and you can guess the response I got!
- John says:
  
  13 Jul13 July 19:50
  
  It’s not just you. A few weeks back they ran out of Diet Coke which I’d asked for in preference to alcohol. There was nothing else I even vaguely wanted available.
  
  Suggested to the CSD that they should try getting cans of Starbucks, Naked fruit juices, energy drinks on board.
  
  Was politely reminded I could purchase them at the airport before departure.
- ankomonkey says:
  
  13 Jul13 July 21:43
  
  +1. I will be flying CW later this year and will need to drive home from the airport, heavily restricting how much alcohol I can drink on the flight. I’d really welcome a premium soft drink, but have resigned myself to supermarket fruit juice, water or fizzy rubbish.
- Jon says:
  
  14 Jul14 July 07:41
  
  Glad to hear I’m not the only one! I think the mentality is that alcohol = expensive therefore it looks like we are getting lots of premium things if there’s lots of alcohol selection. But it just shows a total lack of imagination. American Airlines do the Nakd smoothies in the lounges which is much appreciated – just offering this or similar on BA would be a token gesture. I’m flying Qatar business next week and I expect it will be much better (middle east airlines usually better at offering soft drinks).
  - Nick says:
    
    14 Jul14 July 10:18
    
    Qatar have some really nice mocktails and fruit drinks, including a really lovely coconut-based drink. They also have a non-alcoholic champagne substitute (although I didn’t try that).
    
    You are right, Qatar business is much better than BA. They really aren’t even worthy of comparison, the gulf is huge.
Thomas says:

13 Jul13 July 20:54

After flying CW for years I have tried QR for the first time this year. NO COMPARISON really!!! BRU DOH was like a dream(liner) food amazing, seat great, good ambience, addressed by name ALL the time, food as and when you liked it. Even had the CSD coming to my seat on the flight between DOH and DXB(next leg) to say “welcome back on board Thomas, would you like to continue with your preferred drink champagne?” (I had only had champagne on the first leg!) Attention to detail much? CW is a comfortable way of travelling, QR is a special way of travelling! BTW paid £840 PP for a return flight thank you very much! BA will never come close to ME carriers as they do not grasp the concept of hospitality, making pax feel as guests in your home! Its a ME thing I suppose!
Smithy says:

14 Jul14 July 11:16

While BA offering something sparkling to WTP passengers before takeoff brings it more in line with Virgin, I still don’t understand why they dont have a separate check in for WTP like most other airlines. Obviously cost is a factor, but the product is so far behind that of other airlines that this would seem like a easy win to me…