| As an update, British Airways has now issued the following statement regarding this, stating that this is no longer happening: “There’s been a misunderstanding with one of our suppliers, and we can confirm we’re not reducing the length of time we spend cleaning our aircraft. We continue to clean every aircraft after each flight. In addition, our teams conduct a more intensive clean every evening on our aircraft at Heathrow and we carry out an ultra-deep clean of our aircraft around once a month.” |
British Airways is rolling out a new cleaning protocol for short haul flights, and passengers probably aren’t going to like it (thanks to reader Thomas for flagging this).
In this post:
Details of British Airways’ reduced aircraft cleaning
British Airways is rolling out a new cleaning protocol on select short haul flights, which will be referred to as “Express Clean.” Specifically, this applies during aircraft turns between 6:00AM and 9:29AM, and between 12:00PM and 2:59PM.
The new cleaning protocol is expected to take just six minutes, so here’s what won’t be done anymore:
- Headrests won’t be changed
- Seatbelts won’t be crossed
- Tray tables won’t be checked or wiped
- Seats won’t be wiped
- The floor won’t be vaccumed
- Air freshener won’t be sprayed
- Bathroom floors and surfaces won’t be cleaned
- Galley floors and surfaces won’t be cleaned
So, what will be done with this new cleaning protocol?
- Toilet bins will be emptied, and toilets will be stocked
- Galley bins will be emptied
- Any large items (such as bags of crisps) will be removed from the floor
- Rubbish will be removed from the seat pocket
- Seats will be checked for safety cards
This is typical airline doublespeak
In fairness to British Airways, the airline is far from the first carrier to reduce aircraft cleaning on turns. During the pandemic, airlines spent so much time talking about all their amazing cleaning protocols. Now they’re trimming cleaning expenses as fast as they possibly can.
It’s not surprising to see a change like this, because many airline executives are often looking for ways to cut corners. Reducing aircraft cleaning saves money (you don’t have to pay cleaners as much) and reduces the time between flights (and airlines only make money flying planes).
But still, I can’t help but point out the huge difference between what airline executives say and what they do. In 2022, British Airways’ CEO promised that as the industry emerged from the pandemic, British Airways would become more premium. As he explained at the time:
“There is room for optimism that we are on the way out. Putting the premium proposition into the heart of what we do is going to be key. We want people to come off a British Airways flight and talk about it as if it’s something different. Any airline can go out and buy products off the shelf and put them on a plane. It’s actually the confidence and the style and the intimacy that we deliver in service that is going to be a differentiator.”
But then the airline takes actions like this. Does it feel premium when you board a business class flight, only to find urine all over the floor even at the beginning of the flight?
I’m reminded of when Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker referred to British Airways as a “low cost carrier” (Qatar Airways owns a 25% stake in British Airways’ parent company, IAG), saying:
“British Airways is the flag carrier of the UK. You remember the motto? ‘To fly, to serve.’ That was not any more the motto of the company. It was only on a billboard.”
Al Baker is right. Anything about the airline being premium seems to only be a “billboard.”
Bottom line
British Airways is rolling out a new “Express Clean” protocol, whereby short haul flights over peak periods will only receive a six minute cleaning service between flights. Tray tables and seats won’t be wiped, floors won’t be vacuumed, and bathrooms won’t be cleaned. If British Airways wants to become more premium, the airline sure has an unusual strategy for achieving that.
What do you make of British Airways’ aircraft cleaning changes?
This and those awful uncomfortable slimline seats they now have on short-haul planes that are the same as WizzAir and easyJet definitely point to a low-cost experience. The worlds tiniest snack pack and a bottle of water can't change that.
Somehow I expected this from British Airways. Speaking of which, Bad Airline has many planes that are turning into a yellowish white and could definitely use a fresh new coat of paint. Particularly certain A320 family aircraft and 777-200ERs.
As of this point, BA has already failed to clean its planes even on long haul flights. Why doesn't BA just say that they will not clean their planes anymore? What I cannot accept is that they are not mopping the galley and bathroom floors! British Airways continues to race to the bottom!
Short haul inbound BA flights to LGW are now BA Euroflyer operated and the lucky cabin crew are tasked with cleaning the aircraft at the distant end. So, say for a Marrakech flight, 4/5 hours into Marrakech, an hours cleaning, then 4/5 hrs back to LGW. Some shift sans break!
They make us (the cabin crew) clean instead!!!
what a British thing to do
As we have always said - BA - Be Aware
Remember Cruz tried something similar (even less cleaning) on a Dublin- LHR flight. Was a very very short attempt to save money.
Really wish these corporations were not run by bean counters.
Interesting that it is about the flight times and not about the duration. I thought something like this should be more about the duration. May be more people will consider other carriers including the so-called cheaper carriers that clean their aircrafts!
TBH for short haul flights I'm not that fussed. I'd prefer they got the domestic connection frequency back to normal and fixed their useless app and website that are near permanently broken!
The only upside to this is reducing turnaround times and attempting to improve on-time reliability. Otherwise, it falls into the BA value proposition of over-promising and under-delivering.
My last three BA itineraries have been really poor - significant delays on departure and arrival, dirty planes, and missing meals and service items in Club Europe on sectors >4 hours. Seeing this occur once would be bad enough, but the CE cabin being significantly short-catered on meals...
The only upside to this is reducing turnaround times and attempting to improve on-time reliability. Otherwise, it falls into the BA value proposition of over-promising and under-delivering.
My last three BA itineraries have been really poor - significant delays on departure and arrival, dirty planes, and missing meals and service items in Club Europe on sectors >4 hours. Seeing this occur once would be bad enough, but the CE cabin being significantly short-catered on meals as well as missing ice and glassware on three of my six sectors shows how operationally weak they have become on soft service items as well as the hard product and basics of reliability.
Add to that their abysmal IT capabilities and insane Customer Service wait / response times, and I'd argue they've seldom been this bad in the last 20 years.
British Airways cleaned their aircraft? That’s news to me.
"We want people to come off a British Airways flight and talk about it as if it’s something different." says BA spokesthingy.
Well yes, many will, but it won't be the least bit flattering.
Unsurprising! Even during COVID I myself boarded an AA 777 between south america to DFW that was not cleaned between trips. Boarding started right when passengers began deplaning and as soon as the last incoming passenger deplaned, the first outgoing passenger entered the cabin (I was among the first passengers in line). All surfaces were filthy as heck, and this was back in the day of "electrostatic spraying" and all the mostly-fake "enhanced" cleaning protocols...
Unsurprising! Even during COVID I myself boarded an AA 777 between south america to DFW that was not cleaned between trips. Boarding started right when passengers began deplaning and as soon as the last incoming passenger deplaned, the first outgoing passenger entered the cabin (I was among the first passengers in line). All surfaces were filthy as heck, and this was back in the day of "electrostatic spraying" and all the mostly-fake "enhanced" cleaning protocols that airlines were advertising just to keep people flying. So, in this case, I see that BA is just announcing that their planes are going to be filthier (which might have already been true before the announcement) and, as usual, they don't miss the chance to twist reality by giving their lower standard a shiny new dumb name.
Let's be honest: This is all that is done anyways. AA is THE WORST. Sometimes beginning boarding as the last passengers are still walking off. NO WAY a dang thing was cleaned. Even during the pandemic.
So true!
the typical usa “cleaning”
Ben, what you are describing seems to me like an IMPROVEMENT. I want to smoke the same stuff as whoever wrote these instructions thinking it was a downgrade.
Whether this is no longer happening or not, this is so on brand for BA.
We've heard this isn't happening anymore. Is this true? Did you actually ask BA about it?
Yeah, that would be nice to have an update on.
So what about aircraft turns happening outside those hours? Will they not be cleaned at all or get the normal full/non-“express” service?
Seems pretty reflective of Britain in 2023. Keep raising prices and reducing services while at the same time claiming to be "posh" or "luxury".
Both America and the UK are on a "value spiral" - prices increasing, services decreasing.
I'm actually wondering about the part that "what won’t be done anymore:"
Have items such as below even been done consistently before?
Tray tables won’t be checked or wiped
Seats won’t be wiped
Now my short haul experience in not UK flights but to Schengen area. So that might be the case.