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BA’s bonkers no water bottle trial
I’m all for reducing plastic waste, but in my opinion BA’s latest trial is madness. A customer on a long-haul flight was told this week that they are conducting a two-week trial where they will have no individual water bottles available on board for customers. Obviously, there will be large bottles, but in every cabin but First, how do they expect the poor cabin crew to possibly pour enough water for everyone to keep hydrated? We all know the glasses are pretty small, so one or two glasses is not going to cut it.
While I know some people carry water bottles with them, I don’t always, and I know a lot of people who never carry a water bottle, such as many elderly people. Also, will they have enough of the bigger bottles to carry the amount of water needed? Even if you carry water on board, many water bottles would not hold anywhere near enough for a long flight. And how many people remember to fill up just before going on board?
I personally think the solution would be to include instructions at the start of emails about your flights saying that in efforts to reduce plastic waste on board, please think about bringing a full reusable water bottle with you. Then they could give out less water bottles. Also mentioning where the water filling stations are at the airport in question would help or even just at their UK bases. Hopefully, it would jog a few people to consider that and reduce the amount of water given out. I also think they should have texted people to warn about the trial to give them a chance to prepare. (probably some by buying a plastic bottle of water at the airport…)
At least this may mean BA stop refusing to give out glasses of water in Club World as a welcome drink.
We don’t know which routes this is affecting (Miami was the route in question for this individual), but thankfully, it is only a two-week trial.
What do you think about this initiative? Do you carry water on board?
ANA’s new business class seats (Good Virgin redemption)
ANA used to offer a fantastic redemption bargain for First Class using Virgin Points. Sadly the bargain has gone but you can still get business class for 120,000 points return. ANA fly from a wide variety of European starting points which is worth considering if you struggle to get a recedemption from the UK.
ANA’s The Room suite was also a great business class product apart from the foot cubby hole being a little small. Now they have announced the next generation of business class
“THE Room FX,” was revealed at the International Paris Airshow. The seat will be for the Boeing 787-9 aircraft and will b e the world’s largest seat in its class on a mid-sized aircraft.
“THE Room FX,” developed in partnership with French leading aircraft seat manufacturer Safran Seats and British design company Acumen, builds upon the success and design principles of the larger Boeing 777-300ER “THE Room” seat.
Beginning in 2026, ANA will gradually introduce “THE Room FX” private seats on major long-haul international routes. We don’t yet know which routes this will apply to, but the B787-9 is used on other airlines between Europe and Tokyo.
The space has been reconfigured with thinner privacy doors and walls, curved lines in the backrest area, and an alternating front and rear-facing seat arrangement, similar to Qatar’s QSuite. This design optimizes the Boeing 787’s cabin, creating a spatial experience comparable to a larger aircraft.
IHG Rewards Double Nights promotion
Check your inbox to see if you have been sent an email for IHG’s latest Double Night promotion. This seems to be available in a number of countries, but it is not clear if it is targeted or not. Even if you do not have the email, it may be worth trying to register and seeing what happens if you have some stays coming up. It is only for a short period, but could be valuable for some people.
First, you need to register here.
Then, if you are eligible, you will earn 1 Bonus Elite Night Credit for every night you stay before 31 July 2025, up to 5 total nights.
20 comments
And yet they will hand out around 120 on every domestic flight. To save plastic, bring back the tea, coffee and water and use paper cups!
Like it – yes!
Your source is incorrect. It’s a trial on the A380 only…the removal of the small water bottle that is on the tray in World Traveller and World Traveller Plus ONLY. Still ridiculous, but you need to have the correct facts.
Quite right, it is ridiculous. Not only that, it’s money-saving using environmental protection as a screen, bringing the entire EP movement into disrepute.
The honourable thing to do would be to move to using cartons of water, thereby replacing penny-pinching with actual environmental credentials!
I prefer to have a small bottle of water to sip from when the need arises. If we could be reassured that a cup of tea or coffee was to be offered after a meal and that there would be regular passes of water and juice throughout the flight it might work. Unfortunately, too many of us know the answer to that one.
I rely on BA giving out small water bottles on the long haul flights. I do carry a water bottle but I tend to save that for my arrival destination. It takes up too much space and is heavy to take lots of bottles of water in my carry on. Hopefully as you say it’s a trial and BA will see it’s not feasible to continue this policy. What are they thinking!!
I always travel with plastic water bottles. Often BA refuse to fill it up instead wanting to give me a tiny glass
‘Quintessentially’ British Airways!
Paper cups? And plastic minimisation – give me a break. You’re taking a flight with a carbon footprint the size of a black hole. Talk about 1st world problems.
Several months ago on a short haul BA to Malaga cups of water were given when the drinks trolley came through in Economy. Appears idd trials back then. One of the problems with the small hand out bottles was a lit left as the caps were difficult to take off!!!
They have been doing this for the last few months on european flights. I flew to Faro in February and May and Mykonos in June. All club class flights and water was served in small plastic glasses. I asked for a bottle on one flight and was told that they are no longer giving out bottles of water.
I’m torn on this one. On the face of it encouraging passengers to bring their own refillable bottles is very sensible. The environmental argument is futile, it’s an airline consuming over 6 billion kgs of jet fuel each year, a plastic bottle that’s recyclable isn’t going to touch the sides. It’s cost cutting dressed up as environmental consciousness. As Michele says it’s ok as a policy provided fair warning is given, it doesn’t appear to have been the case.
Equally torn.
What did we do before bottled water was available? I honestly can’t recall. I appreciate the importance attached to hydration these days (blimey – I sound old), but there’s a party of me that wonders if there is a correlation between the increasing number of heat waves being experienced year on year and the increasing amount of water that’s stored in warehouses and stores around the world at any given time.
Water is not limitless, though it may appear plentiful. But there is a cycle of (natural) water production, consumption and reproduction. Putting it in plastic bottles removes it, albeit temporarily, from that cycle
Which *** signed off this stupid idea? At some point BA need to recognise that they are in the business of providing customer service, and yes, that will incurr a cost, but to remove all service will either see your customers leave in droves even more, or the prices people are prepared to pay for “BA Lite” will drop.
I bet no matter how hard you ask they will never release the cost benefit analysis that led to this latest puerile attempt to increase profit and in turn management bonuses.
Fingers crossed the bonus enhancing cost accountants and never allowed into Maintenance and Service…..
I’ve been on a couple of EuroFlyer trials in the last week where water wasn’t handed out in Euro Traveller, just snacks, followed by the High Life Cafe service with no explanation that passengers should ask for water off the trolley.
I’m all for reducing plastic waste, but agree announcements and preflight updates need to be amended to clarify this policy (also, there are now umpteen extra plastic cups going into the waste bin!).
Flights, not trials! 🥴 Clearly getting BA PTSD!!
Cost cutting as usual.
OK, whoever thought of this at BA should be fired. Some airlines are already using recycled. and re-recyclable mineral water cartons in Biz Class. Alaska airlines hands out the eco friendly brand “Boxed Water” for example.
I suggest drinking more BA champagne! Unintended consequences for those BA cost accountants
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