Napkins: Check This Out!

[ktflyhome]

Jimntx: I just read your post, even though I posted Wal-Mart or K-Mart, which is what I was originally told, I agreed with you. It didn't compute. So I called to further investigate and was told it was Big Lots. WE have 2 in my home town. Even at that these napkins didn't look one-bit flawed and/or discontinued. They look exactly like the ones on the A/C. I live in a town that only serves Beechcraft 1900's which has no service onboard. I know this is trivial, but It really blew my mind. :huh:

 

[jimntx]

Jimntx: I just read your post, even though I posted Wal-Mart or K-Mart, which is what I was originally told, I agreed with you. It didn't compute. So I called to further investigate and was told it was Big Lots. WE have 2 in my home town. Even at that these napkins didn't look one-bit flawed and/or discontinued. They look exactly like the ones on the A/C. I live in a town that only serves Beechcraft 1900's which has no service onboard. I know this is trivial, but It really blew my mind. :huh:

The fact that they turned up at Big Lots does not cancel the possibilty that the "original" departure from US Airways possession was illegal. Big Lots was just the place they surfaced for retail sale.

There was a case in New York recently where the Feds confiscated several very high-priced paintings (in the millions of dollars) from a reputable art gallery. It turned out they had been stolen many years ago. They had gone through several private collector to collector sales. They surfaced when the last "owner" died and the family sought to dispose of them through public auction.

You're right that in the great scheme of things with all that is going on at US Airways right now, it ain't no big deal. But every little theft from the company adds up--like the expression about being nibbled to death by ducks. For most of the time you're just mildly annoyed.

Or, as the late, great Senator Everett Dirksen said about the Federal budget when objecting to some pork-barrel legislation, "I know it doesn't seem like much, gentlemen, but a million here, a million there...before long you're talking about real money."

 

[Hope777]

Sounds like an over run at the printer and of coarse Management didnt want them a Bargin Basement prices, they would rather pay FULL-PRICE. Remember folks, this is a Company that will spend Thousands of dollars to save a buck instead of just spending that dollar.

 

[ktflyhome]

Well, at the rate we go through napkins on board....just as ice and coffee. The Waste! I figure we have an endless supply on hand. Although in recent months, the did change the packaging of the napkins and you have to yank or chew like hell to get them opened. If you would see what we go through just to open napkins, it is rather comical. Would make for a great commercial advertising our airlines. It would show the public just how hard we work to get the job done. If we can get these damn napkins opened...the Public can put their trust in US!

 

[jimntx]

Sounds like an over run at the printer and of coarse Management didnt want them a Bargin Basement prices, they would rather pay FULL-PRICE. Remember folks, this is a Company that will spend Thousands of dollars to save a buck instead of just spending that dollar.

If this is the case, then it would be management's fault for not protecting the company. When I worked at Texaco, one of the things the company did assiduously was PROTECT THE BRAND. You didn't put the Texaco brand on anything that wasn't licensed by the company. And, they made sure that suppliers did not have the right to sell "overruns". They had to be destroyed by the supplier if the company didn't want them.

 

[ktflyhome]

Oh, I forgot! You don't have to yank, pull or chew. A F/A showed me recently that you just pound and beat it with your fist, they just, they just pop right open!

 

[Light Years]

kt- that is so true about the napkin packaging.

Back in the day (well last year) you just lightly tugged and they opened. Now they are concealed in government plastic. Ever had to open one in the aisle? Theres your inflight entertainment!

Everyone has thier own way of opening them. You really have to claw at them to get them open, or scrape them on the cart. One FA makes her own perforation with a stir stick. Some just attack them like a rabid dog, taking out all sorts of career frustration on them. Then when you do get them open you are exhausted and they are all crumpled and it looks like you are giving out used ones (our customers probably assume they are, as a cost cutting measure).

I think it is theft. This does go on quite often in the Carribbean... remember when the company wanted FAs to count every item on the plane?

US Airways, Siegel-era has shockingly little regard for its brand image. I've posted extensivly on this. Either they really have no idea of the power of impression and image (say what you will, Wolf understood this well) or they figure the brand wont be around much longer.

*Light Years wipes away a tear with a flag logo napkin*

 

[ktflyhome]

Light Years...You're soooo funny! I always get a chuckle fromyou. Thanks. I too, use to open them with the stir sticks, but even that has changed.We don't have the white stir sticks with the logo on them anymore. We have very, very, flimsy grey sticks to stir with. You can even get a little "sip" through them.Great for the kiddies. These new grey ones bend over if you even look at them. They are worthless. They have no "point" to them....in more ways than one.

I think I am going to make a run to Big Lots to see if I can find these napkins. I'll let you know if I do.

 

[Light Years]

Maybe you can find the old stir sticks there, so you can open them?

 

[ktflyhome]

IALMAO Yes, I must certainly do that and I will also look for our old styrofoam coffee cups while I am at it.

 

[ITRADE]

Just for kicks, I've amassed a number of USAir china items over time.

I've got haf a dozen bowls (ice cream/salad sized)
half a dozen 8 inch plates
half a dozen 4 inch plates (either bread plates or for cups).
half a dozen mini bowls (for either pats of butter or nuts)
half a dozen ramikens.

I had a chance to get a set of the rectangular plates - the ones likely used for serving some entrees (hot ones) since they're much heavier than other items. However, they were asking about $35.00 for 6 of them with a reserve and I wasn't going to bit on that price.

I see safety cards for sale all the time. Kinda disturbing.

 

[sfb]

The one other conceivable possibility (which seems more likely given the fact that the packaging of the napkins changed in the last several months) is that US Airways changed the supplier of its napkins, possibly as part of the bankruptcy filing. The supplier may have had some overstock of the napkins for which UAIR may have been unwilling to pay an "acceptable" price given that they would have had a new supplier. And if the contract had been cancelled, the old supplier presumably would have been able to dispose of the overstock as it saw fit.

 

[ktflyhome]

SFB sounds like youmight have hit the nail on the head. Makes sense.

Itrade.... I thought about looking for Safety Cards too, while I am at Big Lots, but thought that might be farfetched...now you are saying you have seen them for sale???Are they the old USAir one?

 

[ITRADE]

SFB sounds like youmight have hit the nail on the head. Makes sense.

Itrade.... I thought about looking for Safety Cards too, while I am at Big Lots, but thought that might be farfetched...now you are saying you have seen them for sale???Are they the old USAir one?

Not as far as I know. I'm not sure how often they're updated.

Here's an A321 card for sale:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...42&category=419

 

[ktflyhome]

Itrade: Looks exactly like the ones we have on the airplanes. The are only updated I believe if the Airplane has been reconfigureated. Don't believe it has been recently unlike the 757"s. But still the exits are the same. Although on the new reconfig of the 757's the exit row numbers have changed. Wow what a trip.....Who would want a Safety Card...noticed there hadn't been any bidders.