British Airways ‘to sell M&S food on short-haul’

Following on from my story on Saturday that British Airways is training cabin crew to sell ‘buy on board’ food on short haul – but only after they sign a confidentiality agreement – the Daily Mail reported on Sunday that British Airways has signed a deal with Marks & Spencer to sell food onboard.

You can read the article here.

As I wrote on Saturday, this can hardly be worse than the current situation where a mini bag of crisps is considered to be a ‘snack’.

I would take the article with a pinch of salt (5p per sachet, probably) in some areas.  Whilst it may be true that “executives believe holidaymakers are increasingly prepared to pay for extras if ticket prices are lower”, it is also true that holidaymakers make up a minority of BA passengers and very definitely a minority of short-haul revenue.

And you will see that BA says: “Everything we do is with our customers in mind and we will make changes that reflect their feedback’ …….

In terms of implementation, it genuinely isn’t clear.  I have heard:

that Gatwick will get it first, but also that it will hit the entire fleet at once

that BA elite members will get their food and drink for free, but also that everyone will have to pay

that Club Europe meals will be scrapped in return for a free sandwich and drink, but also that Club Europe food will remain as it is

So, basically, there is no clarity.  Plenty of fun and games ahead I think.

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (December 2021)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up, no annual fee and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending ….. Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

25,000 Avios and the UK’s most valuable credit card perk – the 2-4-1 companion voucher Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points, such as:

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital On Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus:

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.

(Want to earn more Avios?  Click here to visit our home page for our latest articles on earning and spending your Avios points and click here to see how to earn more Avios this month from offers and promotions.)