Concorde (by British Airways and Air France) (129 pictures & videos)

8/10

Howard Long

United States (LOZ) to Australia (ORR), 01 Jan 1970

Economy Class

Brunch - Pre-flight: Canapees & fruit. In Flight: Canapees; Oscietra Caviar and toast; Yogurt on with fruit; Lamb in pastry parcel with vegetables; Cheese with biscuits & l'Artisan chocolates; Chocolate dessert. (Menu Card)

Pre-flight: Tattinger 1988 Champagne. In Flight: Bloody Mary; Champagne - Alfred Gratien Cuvee Paradis 1996; White - Corton Charlemagne 1991; Red - Chateau Petit Village Pomerol 1994; Port - Warre's 1982 Coleira Port; Baileys & Amaretto on

"Standards of service certainly drop onboard when Concorde is full. I have taken BA Concorde three times prior to this occasion and it was never more than 2/3 full. There were only two free seats on this flight. The purser on this flight greated me with zero acknowledgment when it was announced to him that it was my birthday. If the purser was having a bad day, then it showed. The response in the Concorde lounge prior to the flight was thankfully totally different: I was given a free bottle of 1988 Champagne and a nice bit of fuss when they discovered that it was my birthday. The canapees and fruit on the ground were very good, and I've never seen strawberries as big as those served in the Concorde Lounge. The food on board was very good in general but the service was very very slow. There was understandable angst shown when it was over half an hour into the flight before any drinks appeared on the tray tables despite pre-ordering prior to take off. Apart from the purser, the rest if the crew were excellent. The purser seemed to have something else on his mind other than doing his job. The food service was similarly very very slow. It was 1 3/4 hours into the flight before any food arrived other than the canapees, and by this time we were all rather thirsty. The caviar was great, but too little for me, and it would've been great to have the usual accompaniments, but it wasn't to be. All china is Royal Doulton. The yogurt and fruit were very good indeed. The lamb in a pastry pocket was a disappointment. Not really anything special at all, although the presentation was good, as was the Pomerol. Cheeses were a good selection but not stunning. The Port was excellent. The whole thing became very hurried towards the end and there was not enough time for the FA's to do their duty free trip for the whole passenger cabin because of this. In conclusion, food was good, drink was exceptionally good, service was very slow indeed and the purser on this flight does not deserve to be an FA on Concorde, although the rest of the team were doing their best. BA need to reconsider how they can present Concorde as their flagship offering when it has a full load because of the appallingly slow service. Next time I'll fly First thank you very much."

Date added: 2008-05-21   //   Flight: 3:5   //   Aircraft: Concorde