LONDON – British Airways will be bringing back its free food and drinks for all its passengers on short-haul flights again after the CEO has admitted that scrapping the perks was a mistake.

The reason for returning to offer the free services is because British Airways wants to reestablish itself as a luxury brand.

Were was outrage among some BA customers 6 years ago when they decided to scrap the complimentary food from flights to save £400 million. This meant that the passengers had to make sure they had something to eat or drink before boarding.

During the pandemic, however, the airline temporarily brought back the service as a “freebie” as a gesture of goodwill. The CEO, Sean Doyle, has decided that the service will remain thanks to a lot of positive feedback from the passengers.

In an open letter, he wrote: “You’ve also told us you appreciate the complimentary water and snacks we’ve been offering on short-haul flights in our Euro Traveler cabin, so we’ll be continuing with these too.”

He added: “I’m not seeking to make excuses for things that should have gone better. What I am doing is making a personal commitment to you that we will build a better British Airways.

“I know your loyalty has been tested and I want to assure you that we don’t ever take it for granted.”

Critics said that the airline was offering a level of service similar to a low-cost airline after the cutbacks, despite offering flights at a higher rate than its competitors.

The airline will also add another service that will allow passengers to track their luggage through an app throughout their journey.