With Christmas now just over three weeks away, British Airways is getting into the festive spirit by angling various aspects of its passenger experience towards the holiday season. Both at the airport and onboard its aircraft, the UK flag carrier is adding touches of truly British Christmas magic that will help raise the spirits of those traveling with the airline over the coming weeks as the big day approaches.
Whatever the occasion, one of the ways that airlines like to mark special dates is through the use of themed menus. With this in mind, 
British Airways will be offering long-haul passengers on certain routes “a traditional British turkey dinner featuring all the trimmings,” with over 250,000 of these expected to be served (including over 700,000 Brussels sprouts and 40,000 pigs in blankets) in four weeks.
The carrier has also devised a vegetarian option to be served alongside these Christmas dinners. Either way, whichever option passengers choose, they will be able to wash their food down with suitably festive drink choices such as Twinings Christmas tea and BrewDog’s Hoppy Christmas IPA. Long-haul premium customers will also be able to enjoy a special afternoon tea and winter warmer cocktail.
“Christmas is such a special time, and this year is no different. We want to make it truly special, so we have pulled out all the stops to spread some cheer and create a truly British Original Christmas.” – Calum Laming, Chief Customer Officer at British Airways.
It’s the little things
While festive food and drink are surefire ways of grabbing passengers’ attention, there are also aspects of BA’s offering that are more subtle but just as thoughtful. In First Class on long-haul flights, passengers flying over the holidays will get “a limited-edition Alice Temperley amenity kit, (…) with an intricate design inspired by flights through starry skies,” and a collectible bauble from December 23rd-25th.
Photo: British Airways
Meanwhile, Club World (long-haul business class) passengers can expect an extra treat in the form of fudge from Cartwright & Butler when flying between December 23rd and 25th. As for World Traveller (long-haul economy class), customers in this cabin will get festive cutlery and a Christmas hat to accompany their meal, albeit only on flights departing from London between December 15th and 27th.
Photo: British Airways
Of course, the offering isn’t limited to long-haul, with short-haul passengers able to buy festive treats. This offering features limited edition drinks, as well as food including “Tom Kerridge’s ultimate turkey feast sandwich, The Jolly Hog’ pigs in blankets’ roll, [and] sweet treats from Pullins Bakery.” Club World (short-haul business class) guests can also enjoy the festive menu from December 24th-27th.
Festive cheer on the ground
BA’s offering also extends to its facilities on the ground, with passengers flying from both London Heathrow (LHR) and Gatwick (LGW) set to benefit. Festive touches here include the use of pop-up stalls in its lounges where premium passengers can collect special gifts, as well as (in the Concorde Room from December 23rd-25th) the chance to sample 45-year-old Scotch whisky from Talisker.
