- Mr Plane Guy
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
British Airways Keeps Downgrading Club Europe, Goodbye Sausage, Hello Soggy Pastry
By Mr Plane Guy | Plane Honest Airline News
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British Airways cutting hot breakfasts from short-haul business class isn’t, on its own, headline-worthy.
But as part of a wider pattern, it says a lot.
From 7 January 2026, British Airways will remove hot breakfast options from Club Europe on several key UK and European routes. In their place: fruit, yoghurt, and a single warm pastry.
No eggs. No bacon. No choice.
Officially, the change is about giving cabin crew more time to “engage with customers”Unofficially, it looks like another quiet downgrade in a premium product that’s been steadily shrinking for years.
Hot Breakfasts Out, Cold Reality In
BA hasn’t made a public announcement, but internal documents shared within frequent-flyer circles confirm the change.
From London Heathrow, hot breakfasts are being removed on flights to:
Amsterdam
Belfast
Brussels
Paris
Dublin
Jersey
Manchester
Newcastle
These aren’t obscure leisure routes. They’re some of BA’s most business-heavy short-haul sectors, exactly where passengers expect speed and substance.
Instead of the traditional hot options, Club Europe passengers will now receive:
a fruit plate
a small yoghurt
one warm pastry (croissant, pain au chocolat, or pain au raisin)
Goodbye sausage. Hello soggy pastry.
Club Europe: Premium Cabin, Shrinking Experience
Short-haul business class in Europe has always been a compromise. The seat is the same. The flight is short. Expectations are realistic.
What justified Club Europe historically was service consistency and catering. That justification is getting harder to defend.
Hot breakfasts were one of the last remaining differentiators on early-morning flights. Removing them narrows the gap between Club Europe and economy even further, while fares often remain several times higher.
I’ve broken down what Club Europe actually delivers in 2026, warts and all, here:👉 Is Flying British Airways Business Class in Europe Worth the Extra Cost?
With onboard catering being pared back, many frequent flyers have quietly changed habits. Rather than relying on what’s served onboard, they eat properly before boarding.
If you’re flying from Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, I’ve reviewed both the Plaza Premium Lounge and the Aspire Lounge, both of which offer a more dependable breakfast than what’s now being served in the air.
For travellers without airline status, lounge access has quietly become one of the simplest ways to protect the pre-flight experience. Priority Pass is the easiest way to guarantee access before early-morning departures, including at Terminal 5.
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This Isn’t About Engagement, It’s About Efficiency
British Airways says the change allows crew more time to interact with passengers.
But the underlying issue is obvious.
Club Europe has become bigger than ever:
more rows
deeper cabins
higher passenger density
What hasn’t changed is:
galley space
crew numbers
service time
Rather than redesign the product to match its new size, BA has simplified the service. Cold breakfasts are quicker to plate, easier to cater, and far less demanding operationally.
From BA’s perspective, it’s efficient. From the passenger’s perspective, it’s another premium cut dressed up as progress.
Not an Isolated Change, Part of a Pattern
This breakfast downgrade doesn’t exist in isolation.
Over the past few years, passengers have seen:
reduced catering consistency
frequent menu substitutions
premium touches quietly removed
a growing gap between marketing and reality
Even within BA’s own short-haul operation, the experience varies depending on where you fly from. British Airways Euroflyer already runs with a leaner, lower-expectation service model, but Heathrow Club Europe is still sold as a flagship short-haul product.
Many passengers don’t realise the difference until they’re onboard. I’ve explained it properly here:👉 What Is British Airways Euroflyer And How Is It Different?
Bad Timing for Yet Another Downgrade
The timing couldn’t be worse.
British Airways recently confirmed its Chief Customer Officer will depart in March 2026, following a period marked by repeated criticism of onboard service, food quality, and value for money, particularly in premium cabins.
At the same time, BA’s wider reputation is under pressure.
In my upcoming industry analysis, Best Long-Haul Airlines for 2026, British Airways ranks 17th out of 19 airlines, finishing below carriers it once comfortably outperformed.
When long-haul standards are slipping, cutting breakfast on short-haul business class sends exactly the wrong message.
From Flagship to Functional
British Airways still positions itself as a premium airline.
But increasingly, its short-haul product feels functional rather than aspirational.
Cold breakfasts won’t drive customers away overnight. But repeated compromises like this change behaviour slowly:
frequent flyers downgrade cabins
corporate travellers question value
loyalty becomes transactional, not emotional
And once loyalty becomes purely about price and schedule, premium branding loses its power.
Plane Honest Verdict
This isn’t about eggs versus yoghurt.
It’s about direction.
British Airways keeps trimming its short-haul premium product while expecting passengers to keep paying premium prices. Each individual cut might seem small, but together, they add up to a product that feels thinner, less generous, and harder to justify.
Goodbye sausage. Hello soggy pastry.
And another reminder that Club Europe’s decline didn’t happen overnight, it’s been served course by course.
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Hello, I’m Paul a professional jet-setter and all-around plane travel pro. After 15 years working in and around planes, I became a flight delay expert at a London airport and mastered plane travel hacks, a PLANE flight expert with BIG travel plans but small carry-on.
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