I’ve gotta say, this strikes me as being notably low-cost (due to WingTips for flagging this and Gastrocnemius for the title inspiration)…
British Airways tries to chop corners on hydration
On lengthy haul flights, it’s fairly normal for airways to supply passengers particular person bottles of water, in order that they’ll keep not less than a bit of hydrated. British Airways is all the time on the lookout for new business main methods to chop prices, and that is the newest instance of that.
In accordance with a FlyerTalk thread, for a interval of not less than two weeks (ending on June 22, 2025), British Airways is trialing chopping particular person water bottles in financial system on choose lengthy haul flights. Particularly, that is being trialed on Airbus A380 routes to Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX), and Miami (MIA).
The airline is loading extra further giant water bottles together with new paper cups, and if a buyer requests water, that’s how will probably be served.
British Airways is in fact operating this trial to asses passenger suggestions, and presumably analyze how consumption modifications. Some individuals don’t understand this, however these post-flight surveys matter loads to airways. So for those who’re on a flight impacted by this variation, you’ll want to fill out that survey and share your unfavourable notion of the change, or else this may grow to be everlasting.
This sort of service lower doesn’t appear sensible
I can completely recognize that bottled water isn’t very environmentally pleasant. Then once more, having huge bottles and cups isn’t splendid both (neither is flying on a airplane, I suppose). Nonetheless, I feel it is a service lower that may actually be seen over time.
Not having bottled water will improve the workload for the crew, it’ll make it powerful for passengers to remain hydrated, and it’s simply going to result in unhappiness. There are going to be so many extra spilled drinks when everybody has two cups on their tray (water and one thing else), somewhat than getting the bottle on the tray, and with the ability to fill it up later.
Additionally, can I simply level out the humor in British Airways main the way in which right here? Look, I don’t suppose anybody truly thinks that British Airways is premium, however let’s do not forget that in 2022, CEO Sean Doyle touted how British Airways was going to grow to be more and more premium:
“There may be room for optimism that we’re on the way in which out. Placing the premium proposition into the center of what we do goes to be key. We would like individuals to return off a British Airways flight and discuss it as if it’s one thing completely different. Any airline can exit and purchase merchandise off the shelf and put them on a airplane. It’s truly the boldness and the model and the intimacy that we ship in service that’s going to be a differentiator.”
Backside line
British Airways is operating a trial on choose lengthy haul routes, whereby the airline is not offering water bottles in financial system. As a substitute, water is simply poured into paper cups. I don’t suppose any of us are literally stunned that British Airways is attempting to get away with this. I’m curious if post-flight surveys are taking a success on these flights.
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