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Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
British Airways trial introducing a major change to in-flight drinks
British Airways have introduced a controversial change to in-flight drinks as part of a sustainability trial. Economy passengers travelling from London 's Heathrow Airport to three major US cities, Miami, Boston and Los Angeles, will no longer be provided with water bottles while onboard. Instead, those travelling on the select routes will be served paper cups of water in a bit to 'reduce plastic waste'. The change does not affect BA's Club World and first class passengers. On a FlyerTalk forum, a passenger travelling from Miami to London's Heathrow was highly critical of the new trial, describing it as a 'cost-saving exercise under the guise of saving the polar bears'. Stating that they were 'not a happy camper', they added: 'All I asked for was a bottle of water and the response astounded me. I thought I had heard it all. Clearly not. 'I was told there were no bottles of water they could give me as BA is trialling not offering any bottles of water. Unbelievable'. British Airways confirmed that they are running the one-week trial reducing single-use plastic onboard from June 16 to June 22. A spokesperson for the airline said: 'This is a one-week trial on three routes as part of efforts to reduce plastic waste. The views of our customers are very important to us, and we'll be listening very carefully to their feedback.' It comes after British Airways controversially chose to stop serving three-course meals in its business cabin for late takeoffs in October last year, sparking significant backlash from seasoned flyers. Starters were completely stripped from the menu, while the choice of main courses and deserts was also significantly scaled back. A source close to British Airways says it cut three course meals on its Club World departures after 9pm to help passengers sleep on late-night flights. In a similar move to other airlines, they said most passengers had already eaten in the Club Lounge - and found that at that time of night most customers wanted to sleep rather than eat. However, several BA passengers were upset by the move - and expressed their disapproval at the decision. One said: 'I would love to see the amount saved per passenger from these cost cutting measures. It surely cannot be worth the damage?!' Another hit out about the 'cost cutting exercise by BA'. British Airways confirmed that they are running the one-week trial reducing single-use plastic onboard from June 16 to June 22 (file image) He added: 'Just because I am flying after 9pm from Miami doesn't mean that I want to sleep. 'If I want to drink I will – problem is now there is very little food to go with it. 'I guess they don't want the crew to work too hard.' A spokesperson for British Airways said: 'We're incredibly proud of our premium dining experience, which includes a wide range of meal options to suit the preferences of our customers depending on the time of day they're travelling. 'We trialled our new brunch offering with thousands of customers across numerous routes and received extremely positive feedback on both the quality and variety of options offered.'
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Southwest Airlines quietly cuts fan favorite flying perk... and staff flood social media with excuses
Loyal Southwest Airlines passengers say the budget carrier is quietly cutting back on its once-beloved freebies — and using turbulence as an excuse. Customers have taken to social media to complain that flight attendants are increasingly skipping in-flight drink and snack service, allegedly claiming it's 'too turbulent' to safely roll out the cart. But many fliers insist the skies were perfectly smooth. 'I have noticed this has increased drastically over the last four to five months,' one frequent flier who takes two to four Southwest flights a week wrote on Reddit. 'The issue is, 90 percent of the time, the flight has been completely smooth. Literally not one bump or sign of turbulence the entire flight,' the customer explained. Another agreed: 'Seems like a way for them to save on drinks and snacks — and there's nothing anyone can do about it.' The forum has since flooded with similar complaints, as long-time customers say this is just the latest in a series of disappointing changes at the airline. Southwest has already rolled back a number of perks that once set it apart — including axing its first-come, first-serve seating and two free checked bags. Now, even pretzels and a Coke may be in jeopardy. 'Anecdotally, I feel like I have noticed this too,' one agreed. '100%. They are definitely exaggerating,' another added. However, Southwest pilots and flight attendants hit back claiming that there has been more frequent bad weather in recent months and that protecting staff safety is of paramount importance. 'I'll tell you that weather has been rough for the last couple of months,' one Reddit user claiming to be a Southwest flight attendant wrote in response to the accusations. 'We at Southwest don't have carts like other airlines... and I sure as hell ain't going out there risking injury for a Diet Coke.' Another user claiming to be a pilot for the airline said the decision not to issue snacks is the cockpits call. 'That is our call, and we err on the side of caution everyday,' the user added. 'The last thing we want is to see anyone get hurt.' Bob Jordan, CEO of Southwest Airlines, recently announced harsh workforce cuts Southwest claimed any change noticed by customers was simply the result of increased safety onboard. 'Last December, we implemented a change in procedures as part of our focus on safety,' a spokesperson said in a statement issued to 'The change in procedures is designed to reduce the risk of in-flight turbulence injuries for our Crew Members and Customers. 'It is the result of our close collaboration with Labor partners and a robust approach to Safety Management. 'Nothing is more important to Southwest Airlines than the Safety of our Customers and Employees,' they added. Southwest began charging for checked bags in May after more than 50 years of a much-loved two bags fly free' policy. The move frustrated longtime customers and many have vowed to take other airlines where possible. In July 2024, the company also revealed that it was ending its first-come-first serve seating policy. For five decades, the company didn't assign seating when passengers purchased the tickets but the change allowed the company to launched tiered pricing models used by other brands. In February the airline announced plans to cut 15 percent of its corporate workforce in a bid to cut costs. The layoffs - a first in the airline's 53-year history - slashed around 1,750 jobs.
