Champers Availability - BGI-LGW?

It's my other half's (significant) birthday on the day we return from Barbados in March (well, with the time difference, it will be his birthday on UK time about two and a half hours into the flight). I have upgraded our seats to UC as a surprise and my question is this: I am sure I have read somewhere on the forum that sometimes champers is 'unavailable' as it has run out on the BGI-LGW flight - in practice, does this really happen, or should I be on the safe side and order a bottle from the pre-flight choice to make sure he has a glass??




edit to thread title by mod for clarity....Nick

If it's a special occasion, then I would pre-order a bottle for you both to share.

A lot depends on the pax load onboard the flight - i.e. families with children in UC will obviously drink less champagne, a full load of adults will probably drink more.

I can only comment on my recent return flight from Orlando to Manchester. 18:30 departure, so similar-ish to the BGI departure time (but with a shorter flight). Most people seemed to have a glass or two of champers pre-take off. Once airbourne, most had a drink or two (of varying kinds) before/with dinner. I'd say that 3hrs into the flight almost all the seats in Upper were converted into beds.

A VS crew member will be able to give you a much better idea... Tinkerbelle? (Edit: Tinks beat me to it!)

Asides from Tinks superior knowledge on BGI flights, champagne running out has not been a feature of my flights in the last year or so, before that, it was common. I hope this means the fore that VS is provisioning better.

People do tend to drink a lot more on the LGW flights so would agree with tinkerbelle that it's best to pre-order a bottle.

That'll be me

R-P

That'll be me

R-P

Me too! Lol

That'll be me

R-P

Me too! Lol

Oh dear. Another one guilty as charged . I've been on several BGI flights where they've run out of fizz (both ways :0 :0 ) .
My suggestion would be to pre- order a bottle and if there's no drought on board take it home and enjoy at your leisure.
Have a fab time regardless.
DL

I would agree with everyone else - do order a bottle as it's a special occasion. On the BGI flights in UC I have taken, it did run out on the outbound and the return and that was in May 2010, but things might have changed.

Horburyflyer

Thank you all for your advice. I will act on DragonLady's suggestion to order a bottle and then take it home if it is flowing on board!

I am amazed at this thread, pay for a Business class seat then have to buy your own Fizz, I thought BA were going down the pan.

I am amazed at this thread, pay for a Business class seat then have to buy your own Fizz, I thought BA were going down the pan.

oo)

Says it all B)

[Neil]

I am amazed at this thread, pay for a Business class seat then have to buy your own Fizz, I thought BA were going down the pan.

I have to agree, if I got on board at BGI to be told no Champers available, I would be mighty unimpressed v(

Surely this should be factored in and a)more loaded or at worse b)the crew should be told to save x amount of bottles for the return flight.

[Nottingham Nick]

I am amazed at this thread, pay for a Business class seat then have to buy your own Fizz, I thought BA were going down the pan.

+1. Not good!

Not having a go at staffers, who are offering advice to try and ensure the OP isn't disappointed It should be a VS policy to ensure there is some saved fir the return or source extra in BGI.


Nick

I am amazed at this thread, pay for a Business class seat then have to buy your own Fizz, I thought BA were going down the pan.

+1. Not good!

Not having a go at staffers, who are offering advice to try and ensure the OP isn't disappointed It should be a VS policy to ensure there is some saved fir the return or source extra in BGI.


Nick

y) y) Well said

For a staffer to suggest a paying PAX in J buy their own Champagne is just appalling; I would expect (and have seen lots of times) for the senior cabin crew get Champagne from the duty free, chill it and serve it as they are embarrassed not enough has been loaded. That is the sort of service I expect from cabin crew rather than "sorry - we have run out" !

[Neil]

For a staffer to suggest a paying PAX in J buy their own Champagne is just appalling; I would expect (and have seen lots of times) for the senior cabin crew get Champagne from the duty free, chill it and serve it as they are embarrased not enough has been loaded. That is the sort of service I expect from cabin crew rather than "sorry - we have run out" !

That's all well and good if nothing is loaded from the start, but if the pax drink all that is loaded, before the OP wants some for their other half's birthday, there really isn't much the CC can do about it.

At least if they pre-order some, it saves that potentially happening, and if it doesn't happen, they can save it to drink when the get home. Win win all around.

For a staffer to suggest a paying PAX in J buy their own Champagne is just appalling; I would expect (and have seen lots of times) for the senior cabin crew get Champagne from the duty free, chill it and serve it as they are embarrased not enough has been loaded. That is the sort of service I expect from cabin crew rather than "sorry - we have run out" !

That's all well and good if nothing is loaded from the start, but if the pax drink all that is loaded, before the OP wants some for their other half's birthday, there really isn't much the CC can do about it.

At least if they pre-order some, it saves that potentially happening, and if it doesn't happen, they can save it to drink when the get home. Win win all around.

Indeed what what if all the DF Champers has been sold?

I'd call it belt and braces to order some as has been said they can have it at home !

I'm with HG on this one, for VS staff members to say in a public forum that the only way to guarantee a glass of champagne is to buy more on top of an expensive ticket doesn't quite work for me.

It may be true, and it is no reflection on those who replied to the thread, but PM is sometimes a good tool on V-Flyer!

[Neil]

I'm with HG on this one, for VS staff members to say in a public forum that the only way to guarantee a glass of champagne is to buy more on top of an expensive ticket doesn't quite work for me.

It may be true, and it is no reflection on those who replied to the thread, but PM is sometimes a good tool on V-Flyer!

I'm not sure where it was said that the only way to guarantee champagne is to pre-order some ?|

The way I read it, people are suggesting with it being a special occasion the OP is wanting the champagne to help celebrate, ordering the champagne would be a nice touch. It would then mean their OH would have a bottle brought out to them by the crew, making more of a occasion of it, rather than just getting a standard glass like every other pax.

What it also does, is give a guarantee to the OP there will be some champers if it does happen to run out.

I'm not sure where it was said that the only way to guarantee champagne is to pre-order some ?|

.

It was said, in black and white, but the post has been deleted. However I still have a copy which I am seriously thinking of sending off to SRB to illicit a clear understanding of what the official position is. This is one thing I do take very seriously - service is service and we must let it erode further (well that's my 2c for what its worth)

[Neil]

Okay, well I haven't seen the deleted post you are referring to, but surely if all the loaded champagne is drunk then there really isn't much the CC can do about it once in the air.

Of course if there is some DF ones left, then I agree it would be the right thing to open some from there, I don't think anyone is disagreeing with that, but if that is not the VS policy, then again, it isn't the crews fault.

Back to the OP, I still think ordering a bottle would be the best thing to do, for the reasons I have said above.

Neil I think we're seeing different things. While I think it's perfectly right for customers to comment and critique (and praise where praise be due) the service received, what I am reading is that customers' expectation that parts of the service won't be delivered (due to whatever reason, but all under the service provider's control) is being corroborated by staff publicly.

So, next time we have the 'champagne drought on board' thread, it'll be easy to say, "well, VS CC tell us to expect it so even they recommend you buy your own, after paying X thousand pounds for your ticket". Which won't be a good thing. That's where I think a PM has benefit.

Oh Gosh - I do seem to have stirred things up with what was just a thought !!! Sorry!!

Oh Gosh - I do seem to have stirred things up with what was just a thought !!! Sorry!!

LOL....well when it comes to champagne!!!

I'm not sure where it was said that the only way to guarantee champagne is to pre-order some ?|

.

It was said, in black and white, but the post has been deleted. However I still have a copy which I am seriously thinking of sending off to SRB to illicit a clear understanding of what the official position is. This is one thing I do take very seriously - service is service and we must let it erode further (well that's my 2c for what its worth)

and potentially dump a fellow v-flyer and (trying to be ) helpful VS staffer ?? think again and if you do write try not to include any 'incriminating ' evidence.