British Airways Begins Beta Test of Long-Haul Meal Pre-Orders, More Than Six Years After Suspending Them

November 3, 2026 — British Airways (BA) is bringing back meal pre-ordering on a small number of flights from London Heathrow as a beta test, according to Paddle Your Own Kanoo. The service was suspended in early 2020 and never restored.

Airline: British Airways (BA) · Country: United Kingdom

What happened

Before 2020, BA let long-haul passengers from London in First, Club World and World Traveller Plus choose their main course ahead of the flight. BA planned to bring it back in 2023, including a test on Heathrow flights to Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles, New York JFK and San Diego, but that test never happened. In January 2024 the airline said the return was delayed indefinitely.

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The new trial covers only select services from Heathrow. There is “no confirmed date for a full rollout,” the report says. BA is also testing an app that cabin crew use to take meal orders in Club World; its rollout date is also TBA.

It is not yet known whether economy (World Traveller) will be included, whether pre-orders will use the normal onboard menu or a wider range, or which routes will be added next.

What it means for non-revs

There is no effect on pass travel or loads. The story still matters to airline folks: for cabin crew, the Club World ordering app is a change to service workflow worth watching, and for anyone riding in a premium cabin on a paid or upgraded ticket, pre-orders may become available on more routes over time.

Sources

• Paddle Your Own Kanoo — Three Years Later Than Planned, British Airways Is Finally Bringing Back Meal Pre-Orders… Maybe