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

[Travelpro72]

Thanks for the pics. All to familiar though. I'll stick by what I said earlier in that that cart setup looks like a packed donkey with goods to sell to the villagers. It's unprofessional looking and junky. It's not about resistance to change but refusing to adhere to something that was in MOST eyes nuts. I'll agree with Zarah that the cups standing in front of that "Tub" or "Dirty Bucket" fall over easily. As for that bucket not falling off of the cart in 20 years. I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe in violent turbulence that that would NOT slide off that cart. I'll call BS on that one. I have been in the back of the a/c during some pretty rough air where we lost almost EVERY can off the side of our Boeing carts.

 

[bigbusboy]

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Those who are resistance to this set up mainly has been they say the ice tub will fall off....in 20years it has NEVER fallen off.

Your carts are very different from ours. You have a flat surface to work with. Our carts have "handle bars" that run the length of the cart on each side. For the life of me I don't know the purpose of those "handle bars" but whatever...we deal with them. We got them long before Tempe. So let's not blame "west" for them. The ice tub must sit ontop of these stupid "handle bars". That's why they slide off all of the time, unless you turn the bucket lengthwise. But then you are left with little work surface on either end of the cart. If and when these carts are ever replaced, the ice tub will work nicely on east a/c. I hope this helps to explain the difference.

 

[N965VJ]

<SNIP> As for that bucket not falling off of the cart in 20 years. I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe

Yeah, but west metal flies in a special part of the jet stream where there is never any turbulence.

 

[Travelpro72]

Bibusboy you hit the nail on the head. I know the carts that west use and the new gray ones we see now have a ridge around them but our old carts have a pretty rail all around it. It slides all over the place in bumpy weather.
N965VJ....that was funny.

 

[bigbusboy]

Thanks for the pics. All to familiar though. I'll stick by what I said earlier in that that cart setup looks like a packed donkey with goods to sell to the villagers. It's unprofessional looking and junky. It's not about resistance to change but refusing to adhere to something that was in MOST eyes nuts. I'll agree with Zarah that the cups standing in front of that "Tub" or "Dirty Bucket" fall over easily. As for that bucket not falling off of the cart in 20 years. I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe in violent turbulence that that would NOT slide off that cart. I'll call BS on that one. I have been in the back of the a/c during some pretty rough air where we lost almost EVERY can off the side of our Boeing carts.

I really don't want to start an argument here...but. Any flight attendant's cart caught in the aisle during "violent turbulence" will have items slide off, take flight, flip over, etc. I don't care what type of cart you have. Turbulence will cause anything not bolted to the floor or strapped in be tossed like croutons in a salad. Like I said before, our problem is the ice tub sitting ontop of those stupid handle bars that makes it so unstable. And for cups falling over, don't stack them so high. Now coffee cups are another story. They are styrofoam and light. They do fall over easily. Wedge them between a stack of plastics and a water bottle...it works. As for appearance, what can I say? Our ticker symbol says it all....LCC

 

[Travelpro72]

Oh I don't have trouble with cups falling over usually as I can't even remember the last time I did a trip with "The Tub" on top. Serving in turbulence is not always intentional. This trip alone we were thrown around like rag dolls out of nowhere twice. We got the call as we were cleaning up coffee and soda from everywhere. The guys didn't see it. So anyway......it's NOT all about the Scarebus. Let's move on to the next little troubled birdie shall we...the E-190. There is NO real way to stock that airplane and do the service besides how a few f/a's feel is "The best" setup. Doing a meal up front on that aircraft is just ridiculous. The cart with everything for service is taken OUT to put the half cart with food IN. You don't get any of it. Passengers get on and the overheads are filled with JUNK. It's a joke. The "doghouse" on the FLOOR...yes FLOOR where we keep SNACKS is filled most times with enough granola bars to build a bomb shelter. It's a joke and needs to be addressed. The carts are broken often as well due to those jackass blue drawers. I'm just sick of "making it work". This is what most employees are talking about. 🙄

 

[EMBFA]

I'm sure this an industry wide problem for operators the world over...

Where to put ice on a f-ing beverage cart.

What a joke

 

[N965VJ]

Nice vest.

 

[jimntx]

Don't have a dog in this hunt, but I've followed this thread with interest. At AA, the ice goes in inserts IN the cart. Top-down, the beverage cart has (on each end) an insert of ice, a space for an insert of our "premium" snacks or For sale snacks, two inserts of sodas, a liquor insert, and at the bottom an insert with beer and white wine and dry ice to keep them cold. Our carts also have the rail all the way around the top, but there are notches in the rails to hold inserts in place.

We normally have two inserts sideways on top of the cart. One insert has service items--plastic glasses, styrofoam cups, sugar, equal, tea bags, garnishes, creamer, napkins--and bottles of water, "boxes" of OJ. The other insert has more water and oj and the coffee carafes. The galley f/a refills inserts, coffee pots, etc. from the galley as needed. (Some f/as set up the inserts so each f/a has some of everything--except for the coffee carafes--in the insert nearest to them.)

Forgot to add...even with two inserts on top of the cart sideways, we still have "work" room on each end of the cart for cups, glasses while you are filling them. Are our carts larger or longer than yours?

 

[bigbusboy]

The last time I flew on AA was a DC-10 SAN/ORD and an A300 JFK/SXM. So it's been a few years. But I seem to remember your carts being the same length and width but are higher. That gives you more room inside for extra inserts/drawers. Your beverage cart sounds alot like how we set up our beverage cart on the A330. It seems to work nicely. But it would be nice to have space inside the cart for a drawer of "Tidbits"....OOOOEEEEE I hate that word.

 

[jimntx]

But it would be nice to have space inside the cart for a drawer of "Tidbits"....OOOOEEEEE I hate that word.

Why? As EMBFA might say, "It's those bits of tid that keep them quiet and munching."

 

[Jetsetter2Ord]

Your carts are very different from ours. You have a flat surface to work with. Our carts have "handle bars" that run the length of the cart on each side. For the life of me I don't know the purpose of those "handle bars" but whatever...we deal with them. We got them long before Tempe. So let's not blame "west" for them. The ice tub must sit ontop of these stupid "handle bars". That's why they slide off all of the time, unless you turn the bucket lengthwise. But then you are left with little work surface on either end of the cart. If and when these carts are ever replaced, the ice tub will work nicely on east a/c. I hope this helps to explain the difference.

I am aware that your carts have handle bars, afterall, we get those carts in our catering provisioning from time to time. One easy suggestion, use it if you want is to place either two wet napkins on the handle bar and set the ice tub ontop of them, it will not slide off. Or you can use the styrofoam sleeve that the dry ice is wrapped in. Just a helpful suggestion for those who choose to place the ice ontop.

 

[EMBFA]

Ugh, I hope I never fly with this wet napkin...

 

[FlyDCJets]

Have heard that CC readers BOB have been approved, and should be announced very shortly. So for those customers who are looking for a receipt, they won't have to turn in cocktail napkin on there expense report.
Regards
DC

 

[legacy-to-LCC]

Have heard that CC readers BOB have been approved, and should be announced very shortly. So for those customers who are looking for a receipt, they won't have to turn in cocktail napkin on there expense report.
Regards
DC

have heard that we have alienated all customers who, in addition to knowing what an expense report is, don't need a verifiable monetary transaction receipt.
regards,
swoosh