British Airways brings back free food and drink for economy passengers – as airline boss apologises for ditching snacks
BRITISH Airways is bringing back free food and drink for economy passengers.
The decision comes after the airline apologised for axing complimentary snacks in a £400m-a-year cost-cutting decision that was made six years ago.
The luxury BA brand took a hit as passengers were forced to pay for Marks & Spencer sandwiches onboard, mirroring the policies of budget airlines Ryanair and easyJet.
Economy passengers on short-haul BA flights are now entitled to a free snack and bottle of water.
Throughout the pandemic, the airline offered free food and water to passengers as a gesture of goodwill.
Now, CEO Sean Doyle has decided to keep the offering after receiving positive feedback from customers.
He announced the change in an open letter, in which he admitted that scrapping the free food and drink was a mistake.
He wrote: "You’ve also told us you appreciate the complimentary water and snacks we’ve been offering on short-haul flights in our Euro Traveller cabin, so we’ll be continuing with these too."
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The letter added: "I’m not seeking to make excuses for things that should have gone better. What I am doing is making a personal commitment to you that we will build a better British Airways.
"I know your loyalty has been tested and I want to assure you that we don’t ever take it for granted."
In addition, BA is launching a new app so passengers can track their luggage throughout their journey, in an attempt to set it apart from budget airlines.
Mr Doyle wrote: "We’ve been working hard to create a more premium experience for you, putting you at our heart and doing it in a way that’s sustainable.
"For example, our operations teams are working on a new baggage tracing system, allowing you to track your bag via your phone throughout your journey."
The announcement comes just days after a BA jet's door was ripped off just moments before take off.
A BA jumbo jet which was bought for £1 has been transformed into a luxury bar to host plane parties.
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