Aer Lingus no longer offering pre booked breakfast

Bussywussy

Strumms wrote: »

the best breakfast in the airport is in T1 in the Garden Terrace bar. Always busy so everything is always freshly cooked. Also airport staff get a nice whack of a discount. I cant remember what I payed there last time as I do earlys only once in a blue moon but it was really nice, you get plenty and sets ya up for the day and tea is included. Whatever you do don't try the breakfast in that god awful kip ReFuel down by the 300 gates.. muck and a rip off.

5.50 for the 5 items plus toast and tea/coffee for a euro, so a good filling breakfast for 6.50.The staff dinners there are good too 6.95.

Nonoperational

Pat Dunne wrote: »

Genuine question, what compells you to want to eat below average to poor pre'cooked food during a flight that lasts less than an hour?

It's actually not that bad. Rushing for the flight, it's nice to chill out and have a bit of breakfast before you get the train etc after landing.

Locker10a

kevinandrew wrote: »

It's probably down to cost cutting but uptake for the pre-orders was very low on almost all of my flights, usually I was the only customer.

Personally I think it's a shame to see Aer Lingus reducing options for passengers, if anything they need to be increasing choice across all their products to further set themselves apart instead of cutting. Unfortunately to make a pre-order product work they need manpower, marketing and a guaranteed return on investment but on board snacks and meals really don't provide that.

The Ryanair model works wonderfully, one member of cabin crew walks through the cabin taking hot food orders while the others prepare the standard service so everything is available at the same time. Aer Lingus could learn a lot from the efficiency of Ryanair but implementing new procedures appears to be difficult for them, a recent example is turnaround cleaning. Aer Lingus has stopped outstation cleaning of aircraft and instead cleans them at base with cabin crew encouraged to collect inflight and tidy the cabin themselves briefly on turnarounds, unfortunately this doesn't appear to be working but is no problem for Ryanair which appears to have spotless cabins these days.

I have no idea how it can be improved, whether it's a case of "not my job" syndrome from cabin crew, poor management or a combination of both but either way it's probably why Aer Lingus is slow/reluctant to successfully implement on board changes.

IAG cost cutting will also be a major feature going forward and Aer Lingus has set the bar very high for savings and will be expected to continue that.

I feel this is again what was discussed before on here about the EI brand and product deteriorating gradually over the past year or so, ever since Muler left really, it feels like who ever is in charge here is really tight and wants no investment in brand/product.
Cleaning and catering are two issues in particular where this new management have really shown disregard for customers, the pre order was a great option and I guess all you can do now is forward your complaints to EI about the removal of this option.
Cabin crew are not expected to tidy the cabin at outstation, they simply didn't want to pay for cleaners anymore and now just want to board return passengers asap!
The reason Ryanair planes seem tidy is because they have no seat pockets, people have no choice but to hand up rubbish or else it gets kicked on the floor somewhere !

Tenger

Lets all try to keep the focus on the EI food offering or indeed the alternatives in the airport or on competitors *


(*even if it is making me ravenous for an auld EI fry, no early morning flights expected for a while however, so no chance of one anytime soon!)

kevinandrew

Better make this the last comment...

I actually think removing outstation cleaning was a good idea if implemented properly, it has sped up turn around times and reduced delays considerably this summer. A member of cabin crew told me they were asked to do a quick tidy during the turn around but that they just don't have time. Fair enough. If it hasn't been communicated to them by management then it should be, I see no reason why they can't tidy the cabin briefly, nobody is expecting them to get the hoover out.

The lack of seat pockets on Ryanair may be a factor but if anything I think that increases the chances of a messy cabin, most stuff ends up on the floor yet the crew still manage to pick it up, they also carry out a more efficient on board service, it's faster and more organised meaning there's time for more than one rubbish collection, even on short flights.

Most evidence of messy Aer Lingus cabins shows trash on the floor, seats and in seat pockets. A more efficient inflight service and turn around tidy would go a long way. Yes the outstation cleaning was far more effective but it was expensive and time consuming, Aer Lingus weren't the first and they certainly won't be the last to remove it.

With regards to the pre-order, it should still be there and it's evidence of cost cutting unfortunately. I believe it still remains on long haul though, that might be more of a money earner and could survive a few rounds of cuts.

Bia itself is a lot smaller than it used to be, it was a great offering but is now rather limited. I usually go for the chicken sandwich as nothing else appeals, there's very few hot food offerings and everything else is basic. I'd be fine if the stuff in the lounge was decent but that's always been poor as well. The new coffee is great though, love it.

Might just stick to Burger King in Terminal 2 now!

JCX BXC

Burger King, oh no. Has to be a proper breakfast or nothing at all (even if it costs €12.99)

AndyBoBandy

I might actually have a bit of time before my flight to LGW in 2 weeks due getting an early lift to the airport, so I might venture over to the garden terrace for a fry up.

edit: just realised I've a rental car outside and I won't need a lift to the airport, and sacrifice the fry up for another hour in bed!!

highlydebased

I find the Aer Lingus fry very filling, very handy if you have engagements immediately after the flight and won't get to stop for a bite for a few hours

roundymac

Slightly off topic but do EI Reg offer in flight snacks or is it just juice/tea coffee. I flew with Aer Arran years AFAIR thats all we were offered. I'm flying with EI Reg at the end of the month.

AndyBoBandy

Stobart offer a trimmed down version of the Bia menu,

tea/coffee and a few sandwiches with a few of the snacks, no hot for as far as I remember.

billie1b

kevinandrew wrote: »

It's probably down to cost cutting but uptake for the pre-orders was very low on almost all of my flights, usually I was the only customer.

Personally I think it's a shame to see Aer Lingus reducing options for passengers, if anything they need to be increasing choice across all their products to further set themselves apart instead of cutting. Unfortunately to make a pre-order product work they need manpower, marketing and a guaranteed return on investment but on board snacks and meals really don't provide that.

The Ryanair model works wonderfully, one member of cabin crew walks through the cabin taking hot food orders while the others prepare the standard service so everything is available at the same time. Aer Lingus could learn a lot from the efficiency of Ryanair but implementing new procedures appears to be difficult for them, a recent example is turnaround cleaning. Aer Lingus has stopped outstation cleaning of aircraft and instead cleans them at base with cabin crew encouraged to collect inflight and tidy the cabin themselves briefly on turnarounds, unfortunately this doesn't appear to be working but is no problem for Ryanair which appears to have spotless cabins these days.

I have no idea how it can be improved, whether it's a case of "not my job" syndrome from cabin crew, poor management or a combination of both but either way it's probably why Aer Lingus is slow/reluctant to successfully implement on board changes.

IAG cost cutting will also be a major feature going forward and Aer Lingus has set the bar very high for savings and will be expected to continue that.

This is the post where you made your mistake for the mods to jump in, nowhere on the aviation forum are you allowed to compare or say Ryanair have a better model than Aer Lingus, it just doesn't work here on this forum, you're lucky a hand didn't jump out your computer screen and punch you cause of it.

andy_g

billie1b wrote: »

This is the post where you made your mistake for the mods to jump in, nowhere on the aviation forum are you allowed to compare or say Ryanair have a better model than Aer Lingus, it just doesn't work here on this forum, you're lucky a hand didn't jump out your computer screen and punch you cause of it.

Careful there billie1b, your starting to sound like a mod. Or is that back seat mod?

billie1b

andy_g wrote: »

Careful there billie1b, your starting to sound like a mod. Or is that back seat mod?

Sorry Andy, I wasn't trying to mod/back seat mod, its just the general feeling I get around here, its like Ryanair is no holds barred, people can say what they please but with Aer Lingus you're not allowed talk bad of them, put them down, compare them to other airlines or say they've gotten abysmal in the last few years without people jumping in and taking your head off. Its fan boyism at its worst

Strumms

this thread makes me hungry... Just sayin.

roundymac

Strumms wrote: »

this thread makes me hungry... Just sayin.

Know what you mean.:D

Tenger

billie1b wrote: »

Sorry Andy, I wasn't trying to mod/back seat mod, its just the general feeling I get around here, its like Ryanair is no holds barred, people can say what they please but with Aer Lingus you're not allowed talk bad of them, put them down, compare them to other airlines or say they've gotten abysmal in the last few years without people jumping in and taking your head off. Its fan boyism at its worst

I have no issue with the comparison kevin andrew made. He didn't badmouth either airline. In my opinion he made a direct comparison which was honest and open. No inherent bias in his post that I could see. If he was coming out with a Daily Mail headline such as "old lazy EI hosties" or "shouting FR staff taking duty free bags from small children" then we would have an issue.

AndyBoBandy

So tomorrow is the day, and my breakfast dilemma is still unfulfilled!!

Do I get a seat close to the front and have breakfast on board?
Do I go to the harvest market (which someone said earlier was shïtê)
Or do I make the trek to the Garden Terrace in T1?

Flight is at 8:40am to LGW (so shouldn't be right down the end of the pier), and I plan on arriving at the airport at about 7am!

I'm torn between a breakfast on board and the garden terrace!!

Strumms

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

So tomorrow is the day, and my breakfast dilemma is still unfulfilled!!

Do I get a seat close to the front and have breakfast on board?
Do I go to the harvest market (which someone said earlier was shïtê)
Or do I make the trek to the Garden Terrace in T1?

Flight is at 8:40am to LGW (so shouldn't be right down the end of the pier), and I plan on arriving at the airport at about 7am!

I'm torn between a breakfast on board and the garden terrace!!

The Garden Terrace is the best option quality wise anyway.. much bigger and more filling too. If you are not checking in a bag you could always go through screening in T1 to save a few mins. The other option is to mention it to one of the cabin crew as you board. I did this before on a midday-ish flight to BHX and they had a couple left over and they sorted me out.

Cessna_Pilot

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

So tomorrow is the day, and my breakfast dilemma is still unfulfilled!!

Do I get a seat close to the front and have breakfast on board?
Do I go to the harvest market (which someone said earlier was shïtê)
Or do I make the trek to the Garden Terrace in T1?

Flight is at 8:40am to LGW (so shouldn't be right down the end of the pier), and I plan on arriving at the airport at about 7am!

I'm torn between a breakfast on board and the garden terrace!!

If that's the biggest "dilemma" in your life, I wish I was you. :pac:

AndyBoBandy

Cessna_Pilot wrote: »

If that's the biggest "dilemma" in your life, I wish I was you. :pac:

Unfortunately it's not the biggest dilemma in my life, not even my biggest dilemma tomorrow, but from 7-9am, it's all I've got, and if I don't get that right, the rest of the day could follow suit!

Noxegon

billie1b wrote: »

Sorry Andy, I wasn't trying to mod/back seat mod, its just the general feeling I get around here, its like Ryanair is no holds barred, people can say what they please but with Aer Lingus you're not allowed talk bad of them, put them down, compare them to other airlines or say they've gotten abysmal in the last few years without people jumping in and taking your head off. Its fan boyism at its worst

You've clearly not read any of my posts recently

duskyjoe

Those bloody fries as much as they fill the gap are heart attack specials.

AndyBoBandy

duskyjoe wrote: »

Those bloody fries as much as they fill the gap are heart attack specials.

And an indigestion fest!! I'll drop a 150mg Ranitidine upon boarding!!

homerjay2005

faceman wrote: »

That's odd. Wonder why they stopped the pre-book. It's definitely been handy on the early morning flight.

because its a service that is completely not necessary and a waste of their resources?

AndyBoBandy

homerjay2005 wrote: »

because its a service that is completely not necessary and a waste of their resources?

A service that was handled by an electronic web based booking system.

Resources indeed.

roundymac

homerjay2005 wrote: »

because its a service that is completely not necessary and a waste of their resources?

Apart from the fact that they are charging for it.

AndyBoBandy

and given the fact you are paying upfront, it gives the cabin crew more time to make more onboard sales as they don't need to collect payment from someone who has pre paid.

i.e. yesterday morning, I ordered my breakfast, and it took the girl 2/3 minutes to process the credit card transaction for my purchase (I got the impression she was new to it (no fault of hers), and wasn't overly familiar with the process, as she needed assistance from the other CC member with her). thats 2/3 minutes of additional sales they might have missed out on (particularly on shorter flights when the 2 sky cafe teams don't get to meet in the middle due to other essential activities that need taking care of).

allowing pre booking (and pre payment) of services reduces the workload on the crew, allowing them more time to perform other duties/make more sales etc..

faceman

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

and given the fact you are paying upfront, it gives the cabin crew more time to make more onboard sales as they don't need to collect payment from someone who has pre paid.

i.e. yesterday morning, I ordered my breakfast, and it took the girl 2/3 minutes to process the credit card transaction for my purchase (I got the impression she was new to it (no fault of hers), and wasn't overly familiar with the process, as she needed assistance from the other CC member with her). thats 2/3 minutes of additional sales they might have missed out on (particularly on shorter flights when the 2 sky cafe teams don't get to meet in the middle due to other essential activities that need taking care of).

allowing pre booking (and pre payment) of services reduces the workload on the crew, allowing them more time to perform other duties/make more sales etc..

I've always felt that most low budget airlines don't handle inflight sales as efficiently as they should.
Southwest in the US have a great system whereby they take orders first from everyone while someone else prepares and then it's just a case of handing them out.

Locker10a

faceman wrote: »

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

and given the fact you are paying upfront, it gives the cabin crew more time to make more onboard sales as they don't need to collect payment from someone who has pre paid.

i.e. yesterday morning, I ordered my breakfast, and it took the girl 2/3 minutes to process the credit card transaction for my purchase (I got the impression she was new to it (no fault of hers), and wasn't overly familiar with the process, as she needed assistance from the other CC member with her). thats 2/3 minutes of additional sales they might have missed out on (particularly on shorter flights when the 2 sky cafe teams don't get to meet in the middle due to other essential activities that need taking care of).

allowing pre booking (and pre payment) of services reduces the workload on the crew, allowing them more time to perform other duties/make more sales etc..

I've always felt that most low budget airlines don't handle inflight sales as efficiently as they should.
Southwest in the US have a great system whereby they take orders first from everyone while someone else prepares and then it's just a case of handing them out.

That's for drinks on southwest which a free! It's simple, quick and straight forward! European airlines buy on board menus tend to much more extensive, and talking everyone's orders and then preparing it would take hours! Especially on busy flights! It's much faster to instantly had the item desired by the passengers directly from the trolly

Tenger

Indeed. Similar on Jetblue. All softdrinks, nuts/ptrezels/cookies and hot bevvies are complimentary. Food items and alcohol are purchaseable.
Each crew member takes the orders for 8 rows by hand (3 crew, 24 rows) then delivers those orders by hand. I thought it was a good system.
Kept the aisles clear and all pax got attended to quite quickly. Crew then went thru with plastic bags for trash (I thought this look trashy!) Any other requests after this were on demand or you had carts with drinks and snacks set up in the galleys.