Can we get an update from the in-flight service FOCUS group/Task Force

[US1YFARE]

I haven't heard anything about how the Focus group/task force is making out. I hear that SS is out tasting wine and food, but how is the group making out? What progress are they making? Is Tempe listening? Any word on glassware? Anybody mention that when people want a consistent product, they don't mean consistently bad?

 

[N965VJ]

From the 1-31-08 issue of About US:

Looks Right, Works Right

Pop Quiz! NEF is an acronym for...
A) Needs Emergency Funding
B) Nobody Ever Focuses
C) Non-Essential Equipment and Furnishings
D) Never Ever Fixed

If you answered D, you’re probably a Flight Attendant. If you answered A, you work in Finance. Managers out there possibly chose B. But as in all pop quizzes, there are right and wrong answers. The correct response is C.

Non-essential Equipment and Furnishings refer to maintenance items that require attention but don’t affect the airworthiness of the airplane. Many cabin appearance items – torn carpets, torn seats, classify as NEFs. They’ve been known to end up on the bottom of the priority list (hence, “Never-Ever Fixedâ€), but that’s changing thanks to our focus on Reliability, Convenience and Appearance in 2008.

As part of the Appearance – “Looks Right, Works Right†-- tier of RCA, Maintenance Operations Control (MOC) is testing a special hotline and e-mail address that will allow employs to report NEFs directly to the MOC. The system is being tested with in InFlight now, starting there because flight attendants, after all, spend the most time with NEFs.

Once it’s out of test, the number and e-mail address will be published systemwide. This direct connect will help us get on top of NEFs andget them fixed in a more timely manner.

Stay tuned for more details as the test progresses.

 

[PHLfa88]

I haven't heard anything about how the Focus group/task force is making out. I hear that SS is out tasting wine and food, but how is the group making out? What progress are they making? Is Tempe listening? Any word on glassware? Anybody mention that when people want a consistent product, they don't mean consistently bad?

I Still Don't Understand Why You Post These Things On Our US Board When You Have Said Many Many Times You No Longer Give US Any Of Your Money! Why? Why Do You REALLY Care? 🙄

 

[US1YFARE]

Why? Why Do You REALLY Care? 🙄

It irritates you...which is really no challenge. 🙁 and, (this will really irritate you)...if they improve suffciently to offer value, I will return.

 

[Edward]

You two knock it off now.

 

[HP_JACK]

I would like to know. We haven't heard anything. The catering still sucks, our new uniforms are cheap, and SS is busy tasting food. Where is the leadership?

 

[cactusflyer]

I would like to know. We haven't heard anything. The catering still sucks, our new uniforms are cheap, and SS is busy tasting food. Where is the leadership?

Leadership? You're kidding right? Our "leadership" is busy brushing her horses and tasting wine. We don't have leadership in the inflight department and we never will until someone figures our Ms. Shambles is incompetent. But we have a fabulous uniform roll out to look forward to and the supervisors will be out in full force to issue tickets for non-compliance, because we all know that is more important than giving us the tools we need to do our jobs! The new uniform is just window dressing, to give the appearance of "real" airline. Oy vey..... 😉

 

[Travelpro72]

SSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH We can't let you know what the new changes to domestic will be. We wouldn't want airlines like Continental, Delta or American trying to emulate us. We MUST keep our killer service secret. Just WAIT until you all get to see our "pimped out" beverage cart. Ya know, I gave the benefit of the doubt and appreciated their interest in f/a's views and ideas but nothing is changing. I don't see how you need MORE TIME to make improvements. It's been over 2 years and we don't even do the same beverage/meal service between east and west. Is it really THAT hard? Write it down on a napkin while having a cocktail and POOF send it to inflight to administer. 🙄 We also STILL can't get a real reason as to why we don't have glassware on east metal when ALL and I repeat ALL of the US glassware out west was OURS. It's BS and "ask inflight" has NOTHING to say about it. If it's a cost thing then pull the glassware off of ALL west flights IMMEDIATELY! Instead of calling it a Focus Group they should call it a Hocus Pocus group. It's PURE BS. 🙄

 

[USstew23]

You know I agree with you, however when it comes to the cart situation on the AB, I'm finding that alot of the problem is stubborn f/a's and catering who absolutely REFUSE to even attempt to do it they way they changed it to last year. Personally, I don't like that blue "tub thing" with the ice but I do like having ice on top and sometimes will divide the tub and put ice on one side and the cups/creamer little tub thing on the other. It seems to work smoothly and on the longhauls if you recycle the cans in the drawers on pickup it leaves some trash space. I'm a virgo so I'm a perfectionist and very picky about apperance and having things run smoothly and it fires me up when I get on a plane and have to work for an hour just to get it to where its not a mess. If it is done right the bev carts do not have to be restocked and catering should take them off and replace the entire cart when they come on. I also tried doing the inflight cafe service the way the west does it (bev with can first then pick up and do food with water/coffee only on top) and feel that is the stupidest way it could ever be done because by the time you get the food going everyone has already finished their drink and thinks they have to throw it all away when you come through with thrash and then when they eat they are asking for coke or are ringing the bell for stuff. I like the idea of push/pull with the can, then pick up, do a coffee service, then 90 minutes prior to land do another service only with the cup. It's basically the same as when there were hot meals except it leaves out the initial bev service.

I also find that some people are not doing the arrival service on the AB only because of the trash space, which would be taken care of by putting the cans back in the drawer on pickup. It's not that hard and I cannot see what the hold up is here. Also if they would cater the fwd galley properly there is enough room for the glass as well so here again what is the hold up?? Personally I think the 321 at the very least needs to have the small half galley aft of 1R re-installed as they could put 2 half size refuse carts, a half cart with food supplies and or glassware and another half cart with extra softdrinks/water, put the other oven back in where it belongs and they could use the space in the atlas containers for the snack basket supplies and maybe even build in a spot for some of the emergency equipment to get it out of the overhead. They would have to stagger the F/C seats and remove a row from coach but in all honesty as much of a pig as that plane is, 1 row being removed would probably help the situation.

 

[Travelpro72]

I understand they implemented the new cart design but again they were grabbing at straws to please both sides. That big tub of ice on top is not used by ANY AIRLINE out there. WHY in hell do we have to look like a packed donkey coming down the aisle? It's ludicrous. I just don't understand for the life of me why we can't have a drawer of ice, drawer of coke/diet coke, mixers, liquor and beer/wine. It would fit on BOTH east and west. If pulling a drawer out back and fourth makes for a horrendous service then we have some issues. The top of the cart should be used so you have some space to work. I mean really, "tidbit" (hate that word) bags hanging off of wine bottles with napkins and everything else stuffed all over the place. It's a mess no matter how much you try to comprehend it and just move on. Though not necessarily what the company wants but tried and true is tried and true. This cart setup will NEVER catch on......EVER. If I'm with a crew that wants to do the new setup fine I roll with it. I do agree with the glassware issue. Glassware CAN be made to fit in ALL the airbus f/c galleys. It's just a joke and unprofessional. They put NO thought into implementing ANYTHING. 🙄

 

[USstew23]

Damn straight Debbie!!! And "Tidbits"!!!!!!!! Oooh that just fires me right up, it sounds so, I don't even know just stupid stupid stupid. I think I read that word in some dog training book and they refer to dog treats as "tidbits"

 

[airportman]

You know I agree with you, however when it comes to the cart situation on the AB, I'm finding that alot of the problem is stubborn f/a's and catering who absolutely REFUSE to even attempt to do it they way they changed it to last year. Personally, I don't like that blue "tub thing" with the ice but I do like having ice on top and sometimes will divide the tub and put ice on one side and the cups/creamer little tub thing on the other. It seems to work smoothly and on the longhauls if you recycle the cans in the drawers on pickup it leaves some trash space. I'm a virgo so I'm a perfectionist and very picky about apperance and having things run smoothly and it fires me up when I get on a plane and have to work for an hour just to get it to where its not a mess. If it is done right the bev carts do not have to be restocked and catering should take them off and replace the entire cart when they come on. I also tried doing the inflight cafe service the way the west does it (bev with can first then pick up and do food with water/coffee only on top) and feel that is the stupidest way it could ever be done because by the time you get the food going everyone has already finished their drink and thinks they have to throw it all away when you come through with thrash and then when they eat they are asking for coke or are ringing the bell for stuff. I like the idea of push/pull with the can, then pick up, do a coffee service, then 90 minutes prior to land do another service only with the cup. It's basically the same as when there were hot meals except it leaves out the initial bev service.

I also find that some people are not doing the arrival service on the AB only because of the trash space, which would be taken care of by putting the cans back in the drawer on pickup. It's not that hard and I cannot see what the hold up is here. Also if they would cater the fwd galley properly there is enough room for the glass as well so here again what is the hold up?? Personally I think the 321 at the very least needs to have the small half galley aft of 1R re-installed as they could put 2 half size refuse carts, a half cart with food supplies and or glassware and another half cart with extra softdrinks/water, put the other oven back in where it belongs and they could use the space in the atlas containers for the snack basket supplies and maybe even build in a spot for some of the emergency equipment to get it out of the overhead. They would have to stagger the F/C seats and remove a row from coach but in all honesty as much of a pig as that plane is, 1 row being removed would probably help the situation.




AS FOR THE SERVICE IN COACH, REMEMBER POLICY IS A CUP OF BEVERAGE NOT A CAN ALL THE SERVICES CAN BE DONE WITH AMPLE TRASH SPACE IF PROCEEDURE IS FOLLOWED.

RE-READ POLICY AND PROCEEDURE MAN. ON THE HUB.


MANY MANY OF OUR CITY PAIRS ARE DOUBLE PROVISIONED WHEN A CREW ELECTS TO GIVE THE CAN THEY SCREW THE OUTBOUND CREW AS THEY DO NOT GET ANY BEVERAGES IN THAT CITY SOMTIMES NO ICE EVEN.

AND ANOTHER THING........AFET BUY ON BOARD IS COFFEE SERVICE WHY DO F/A DECIDE TO MAKE IT HARD. ITS NOT A COFFE AND WATER SERVICE.

THERE ARE ALSO NO SELF SERVE WATER SERVICES . THE TRASH CANS ARE FOR TRASH NOT A WATER STATION GET OUT OF THE MAGAZINES AND GET THEM A CUP OF WATER.


THE BEVERAGE CART HAS BEEN REDONE JUST WAITING FOR ROLL OUT.


ALL OTHER ONBOARD SERVICES ARE BEING RE WRITTEN........BY A GROUP.


IN THE MEAN TIME IF EVEYONE WOULD JUST FOLLOW PROCEEDURE ON THE AIRPLANE THERE WOULD BE NO ISSUES.

 

[lildutchgrl]

I personally do the service with the ice on top as we are supposed to do. Occasionally I get the flight attendant that thinks complaining in the aisle about the cart is going to change things, but it really just makes her look miserable instead. I would serve just the cup if we had smaller cups. Face it, the new cups we got during merger takes 3/4 of the can anyway, so why not serve the can to begin with? I was told by a friend that the west does a quick service instead of our express on the east which consists of a can of soda and a cup of ice. I think that works better than our express any day. Finished a service that way on the airbus with 2 of us in 15 minutes as we were told turbulence would be bad in 20 minutes. Either way, as long as we have active flight attendants working with the new procedures, I think it will all work out.

 

[Jetsetter2Ord]

I personally do the service with the ice on top as we are supposed to do. Occasionally I get the flight attendant that thinks complaining in the aisle about the cart is going to change things, but it really just makes her look miserable instead. I would serve just the cup if we had smaller cups. Face it, the new cups we got during merger takes 3/4 of the can anyway, so why not serve the can to begin with? I was told by a friend that the west does a quick service instead of our express on the east which consists of a can of soda and a cup of ice. I think that works better than our express any day. Finished a service that way on the airbus with 2 of us in 15 minutes as we were told turbulence would be bad in 20 minutes. Either way, as long as we have active flight attendants working with the new procedures, I think it will all work out.

Well first off, there is another Focus group slated for Feb 26/27 in CLT for the Focus group. So am sure there will be new items for discussion.

Just a clarification: On the West, a beverage service is done on all flights except LAS-ONT, and PHX-TUS. An express service consists of the cart in the aisle, a full cup of ice and pour beverages. *1 can will get you two full cups with the plastic cups (party cups as some call them) you just have to fill the cup with ice. Placing the ice on top filled with ice will save you time of having to constantly run back and forth to the galley.
A long haul flight consists of an initial beverage service, full can and full glass of ice. Followed by a trash pick up with the trash cart/empty drawers on top of the cart to recycle cans. Stack empty cups for trash management. BOB service provided with coffee/water on top. Followed by another trash service. An hour and half prior to landing, an additional beverage service pouring beverages.

Just providing the facts.

 

[Travelpro72]

Ok it's not about resistance but more so plain ridiculous. What other airline that uses carts similar to ours has that huge freakin tub of ice on top of their cart with a huge wet bag in it? It's tacky looking no matter how you make it work. The current cart packout and setup was a "last ditch" attempt. It's a joke. You can fly ANY major airline or low cost carrier that uses carts and it doesn't look like THAT. It's Bojangles at it's best. You have NO room to work or even set a damn cup. You look like your pulling your donkey loaded with goods to sell to the villagers. It's tasteless. PERIOD. Not shocking though as it fits well with all of the other changes. I can count on ONE hand how many crews out east do that setup. I go with the flow but it's just not gonna happen.