Aer Lingus no longer offering pre booked breakfast

AndyBoBandy

Just booked a flight there to LGW and there was no option to pre book the breakfast, as its a handy option on shorter morning flights as it meant you'd be served before the general meal service started.

Called them up and they said that the service had stopped from July 1st (I'm guessing that from July 1st they'll just no longer take the booking, and will still honour bookings made prior). The guy said they had been notified by an internal email (July 1st) that the service was no longer to be offered.

still, a shame to lose a decent service option.

munchkin_utd

is the brekkie gone or just the option of prebooking ?

AndyBoBandy

just the option for pre booking it,

you can still buy on board, but it's a first come, first served thing now!!

i.e. don't be sitting in rows 12-18

L1011

Was also handy on flights a bit after 11. Often I was the only one who had pre ordered though

AndyBoBandy

On the London flights (or shorter still to Manchester) it just meant you weren't being handed your breakfast as the flight crew began their decent, even though you'd still have more than enough time, you felt the need to be brisk as shortly the cabin crew would be collecting rubbish and asking for tray tables to be stowed etc..

You could order a breakfast (20 minutes into a 1 hour flight) and only get it handed to you 10 minutes later.

Seems odd that they stopped it (I would guess it was efficient in that it was an inflight sale, with the payment already made, meaning less time for the cc to take payment etc.. and more time for them to make more sales).

faceman

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

Cessna_Pilot

Simple solution. Have breakfast before the flight! Nicer brekkie to be had in the terminal anyway.

Tenger

Im a bit cheeky....I mention my desire for a breakfast to the crew when I board. They usually hold one for me.

afatbollix

BA reduced food offerings too on July 1st. I wonder if this is a AIG wide thing.

maximum12

Ryanair walk down the cabin taking hot food orders before the main trolley service. Seems to be a pretty efficient way of doing it.

I'd say there was very little demand for the pre-order so probably wasn't worth it.

AndyBoBandy

Theres always been at least 3/4 pre order breakfasts on any early flight I've taken.

AndyBoBandy

Tenger wrote: »

Im a bit cheeky....I mention my desire for a breakfast to the crew when I board. They usually hold one for me.

I would have thought though that there would be say 15-20 breakfasts on each flight (maybe more I don't know), and the pre booked ones would be the first ones dished out, then whatever was remaining was sold as requested.

I wouldn't have thought they'd actually need someone to verify that enough were on board to meet the demand of the pre bookers! (however, what if there were 25 pre bookers on a particular flight, then what you say makes sense, but whats the likelihood of more than 10-15 pre bookers?)

It shouldn't be an issue for me as I'm also usually sitting in the first 6/8 rows, so can still get one, its just a pain when you are in say row 7, and the service takes 25 minutes to make it to you! (though some cc are save enough and just preheat all the stock available).

Pat Dunne

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?

faceman

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 beats looking out the window

AndyBoBandy

When a flight departs at 6am - 6:30am, meaning leaving the house at 5am (as a Gold Circle member using fast track security), 4am if your relying on regular check in/security), and you then are in business meetings all day at your destination, it doesn't leave much time for sitting in a restaurant having a better quality breakfast, or preparing a better quality breakfast at home (see 4am/5am leaving the house).

I usually only have time for a very quick coffee in the gold circle lounge before my flight boards (I time it that way, it works for me).

On a day/morning like above, sometimes the most tranquil part of the day is that 1 hour flight.

Strumms

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.

The Aer Lingus breakfast I ordered a few times and it's pretty tasty and always had a freshness despite being 'pre cooked'. Good value too and a nice option for something hot if you didn't have time to eat at the airport.

AndyBoBandy

Does the Harvest Market up beside Burger King in T2 do a breakfast?

If so, any good?

ted1

what about having breakfast in the lounge ?

AndyBoBandy

ted1 wrote: »

what about having breakfast in the lounge ?

I do sometimes have a little bowl of cereal, but if you want a fry up, albeit a small one, its the on board one I go for.

Pat Dunne

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.

I'm afraid us civilians don't get "a nice whack of discount".

L1011

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Does the Harvest Market up beside Burger King in T2 do a breakfast?

If so, any good?

Yes. No. It's godawful and despite the DAA being suitably concerned about my tweets about filthy cutlery etc it's still the same.

The t2 fryup options are all crap and when the on-board was 8.50 is was hugely better value too. T1 has numerous better choices!

maximum12

Any good options for breakfast at the Ryanair (1XX) gates? Not necessarily a fry, just decent options.

Grandeeod

L1011 wrote: »

Yes. No. It's godawful and despite the DAA being suitably concerned about my tweets about filthy cutlery etc it's still the same.

The t2 fryup options are all crap and when the on-board was 8.50 is was hugely better value too. T1 has numerous better choices!

The T2 catering options are very poor. As for T1, I always look forward to any opportunity to visit the Garden Terrace. Be it breakfast with tea or lunch with a beer. Be it a business or pleasure trip, a gem of a place.

ted1

Pat Dunne wrote: »

I'm afraid us civilians don't get "a nice whack of discount".

This civilian will be getting his discout soon enough when we move to the new building

kevinandrew

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.

Elessar

I was just casually browsing the forums then I read this

I'm travelling on a 6am AL flight next week and was looking forward to getting the breakfast on board, and was just about to book it :mad:

I'm sitting on like, row 15, so it's probably safe to assume there wont be any left by the time it reaches me?

Really poor form from Aer Lingus.

roundymac

I used to like the fact that I got my brekkie before any one else. Now I'll have to sit somewhere around rows 1-5 to have any hope of getting a fry-up. It might not have been the greatest of fry-ups but at 6am it was magic.

AndyBoBandy

Elessar wrote: »

I'm sitting on like, row 15, so it's probably safe to assume there wont be any left by the time it reaches me?

Do what Tenger does, and just mention to the CC when you are boarding, give a nod and a wink and ask him/her to keep a breakfast for you, your in row xx, seat x

Something I'll try myself if I don't get in the front few rows (though I always check in at the airport (even if I've no checked baggage), and its at that point they usually give away the 'premium' front seats to GC customers).

what the hell!

They seem to have stopped the whole pre booking thing not just the breakfast. I was looking to pre book some of the Clodagh McKenna stuff for a flight to Athens next week but the option isn't there on the website anymore.

AndyBoBandy

yeah, I believe its all the Bia/food options have stopped taking pre booking

Strumms

what the hell! wrote: »

They seem to have stopped the whole pre booking thing not just the breakfast. I was looking to pre book some of the Clodagh McKenna stuff for a flight to Athens next week but the option isn't there on the website anymore.

The who Bia menu is pretty terrible especially when it comes to anything substantial. They did away with the pasta, the mini sliders, the sandwich medley and one or two other things. That's why the idea of being able to preorder stuff was so handy. Considering the fanfare that the whole Bia thing was introduced with Clodagh McKenna grinning at us like a deranged loon it's really very underwhelming.

edit : just to add you would wonder if EI might be deliberately running down the catering side of the operation with a view to outsourcing to say Gate Gourmet.

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!