Changes in First Class Catering?

[US1YFARE]

The catering changes impact First Class, where we'll now serve meals on all flights greater than 3.5 hours departing between 6am and 730pm.

they've played this game before....watch how many flights depart at between 731 pm and 8pm to avoid the meal service.

what are they going to do about SAN catering?

 

[luvn737s]

STARBUCKS TO DISCONTINUE ALL FLIGHTS

What a minute. Starbucks has become one of America's most profitable companies by sticking to doing what they do best, making pretty good coffee. Everywhere.

Maybe LCC should try to become one of America's most profitable airlines by sticking to what they do best; providing safe, convenient and affordable air travel. The incredibly high cost of catered service (think 2-3 times what an equivalent meal would cost in the terminal) is very hard to justify unless they are really getting top dollar for the seats and the flight is extrordinarily long.

I hired a plumber to come replace some piping in my house. $780 and the guy never brought me a cup of coffee. Not once! I wonder what the roofers are serving when they come to do the $13,000 repair on my roof ?

Again, just one fat guys opinion.

 

[US1YFARE]

Again, just one fat guys opinion.

Once again, you are missing the point--the meals are in FC. Why offer FC if you are not providing the amenities, including coffee and meals? Your logic works for Y only. And, if your fares are more in line with Airtran for FC, then it is more understandable, but they are not.

 

[FCYTravis]

If US Airways is going to offer "First Class" it had better offer something that at least has the look and feel of First Class service and amenities. If all it is is a bigger seat and free booze, just call it Premium Coach or something. I fly US Airways because of the comp elite upgrades, and when I get an upgrade I expect that that upgrade means something... I like having something to eat on board, because for one it kills time.

No, I don't expect American and United-style FC service. Fine. But don't tell me I shouldn't be expecting meals in a First Class cabin.

 

[US1YFARE]

No, I don't expect American and United-style FC service. Fine. But don't tell me I shouldn't be expecting meals in a First Class cabin.

Exactly, although UA/AA style would be nice, the VFFs on US were used to an okay FC product--to minimize even more is insane. I truly felt sorry for the people who paid for a FC ticket who thought they were getting real FC. It's just like the Envoy tickets. You pay for J class and then you get on the plane if you don't know the level of service and think, are they kidding me...I spent all of this money for what? A broken seat and an inoperable IFE unit?

 

[Squonk]

Art,

No meals in F Class from TPA to DCA this morning. Food for Sale in coach. In the aftermath of raising the bar on our efforts to sell upgrades to non DMP passengers, the company has decided to remove an incentive for someone to do so. Seems counter productive to me! Not tha those meals were worth $100.00, but the aroma of fresh baked bread coming up the jetway was an subliminal message that people should buy the upgrade. It would be an insult to offer Food For Sale to our First Class customers. We might as well remove the seats in first and hand out boarding cards on a first come first served basis.

:down: :down: :down:
😛h34r:

 

[US1YFARE]

Art,

No meals in F Class from TPA to DCA this morning. Food for Sale in coach.

Are you serious? I thought if food was for sale in Y, they either gave FC a snack (1/2 sandwich or bagel/croissant and fruit)? And, if no food onboard for FC, then the BOB goes to FC.

This is exactly what I am talking about. Even with an upgrade purchased at the gate, how can you give your Y customers more. And, they don't even give the FC pax the opportunity to buy the meals in the back first. There were times I begged the "A" to allow me to buy the meal in the back because the meal in FC was so bad--and the response--NOPE, can't do it, even if you are willing to pay. Then it turned into, ok, but, sorry, we ran out of the meals in back...should have asked sooner.

US doesn't know where it is going or what it is....half thought out as usual.

 

[FCYTravis]

Fhat the wuck? Meal service sold to buy-on-board Y pax but NO FOOD AVAILABLE FOR FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS?

This is utterly and completely insane. If this is really true, and not just some catering bone-up, it's time for another letter-bombing campaign to Tempe.

 

[desertgal]

Art in ISP, I don't know how long the flight is from PHL/LGA to Florida, but if it is under 3.5 hours, than according to the memo from Ron Cole, your answer would be 'No'. No meal in FC on flights blocked under 3.5hr.

It does seem strange that BOB was offered in coach with nothing offered in FC.
West has always aligned the food service so that if coach has BOB, FC has something as well. That may be an oversight being that today is the first day.
In addition, on West flights FC pax may purchase BOB if they would like to, and they do not have to wait until coach has been served.

I'm seeing some 'growing pains' for lack of a better description. USAirways was in chapter 11 and the future was not looking too bright. New management, who had shown they could run a profitable LCC came along, and merged the OLD USAirways with the profitable America West.
We now have the NEW USAirways. Try to imagine it's a different airline. Because it is. The only thing the same is the name. And that was probably a mistake.
Don't continue to expect the same amenities and levels of service that took the OLD USAirways to the brink of death. The goal here is to make the NEW airline profitable as well. Period.

 

[US1YFARE]

Don't continue to expect the same amenities and levels of service that took the OLD USAirways to the brink of death. The goal here is to make the NEW airline profitable as well. Period.

Don't kid yourself. If you think the "amenities" brought the old US to the brink of death, then you are sadly mistaken. It was a lot deeper than amenities. Trust me, we drank bad wine, got brown limes, and boxed meals in FC. The champagne and caviar were not free flowing. I find it hysterical if you really believe that the old US was about costly amenities.

 

[LCC_#1]

Art,

No meals in F Class from TPA to DCA this morning. Food for Sale in coach. In the aftermath of raising the bar on our efforts to sell upgrades to non DMP passengers, the company has decided to remove an incentive for someone to do so. Seems counter productive to me! Not tha those meals were worth $100.00, but the aroma of fresh baked bread coming up the jetway was an subliminal message that people should buy the upgrade. It would be an insult to offer Food For Sale to our First Class customers. We might as well remove the seats in first and hand out boarding cards on a first come first served basis.

:down: :down: :down:
😛h34r:

I PROMISE you it was that nasty $5 Skyfun box they were selling and nothing else. Tell the entire truth. I have worked those flights and have sold those things, but there should always at least be fruit and bagel..imo.

 

[FlyOnWall]

You cant even get the BOB meals on any EMB flight anymore now that theyve been outsourced to Republic. When it was MDA (MAINLINE!!!) they served them on flights to Dallas , Kansas City, Houston etc, midcon flights. Republic gives you a cup of soda and thats it. They dont even have pillows or blankets. So once they finish furluoghing the mainline people and give the planes/jobs to Republic you can expect even less if youre on those ones. They earned peoples business back with the EMBs and the great service from the MDA people, now theyll chase them away again!

Aside from transatlantic USAirways service and amenities like entertainment and meals was always worse than the other big airlines... I dont think pots of coffee and glass cups brought them to "the brink of death". They dont have to be super fancy but they dont have to be so tacky either. Theyre becoming a joke.

 

[US1YFARE]

I PROMISE you it was that nasty $5 Skyfun box they were selling and nothing else. Tell the entire truth. I have worked those flights and have sold those things, but there should always at least be fruit and bagel..imo.

I read the smell of fresh bread as being overly exaggerated. When is the last thing you smelled anything fresh served on a plane.

But, anyway, LCC#1, you are right, they should at least serve a fruit and bagel. Some of the people here can say what they want about roofers bringing coffee or whatever. But, when US's management tells the best customers that they are doing away with benefits because of their "rich upgrade policy" you have think someone is smoking crack. What is rich about their upgrade? Do I want my butt in a big seat, sure I do. But that's all it is and the fares I pay, I think I deserve to be there. So, when your management touts that upgrades are so worthwhile to make up for their decision to go against what they initially promised and to make the DM program worse, I take exception to that when their FC product is junk. When FA's are scrubbing seats with wet napkins because she is so embarrassed that one of pax has to put his head on goo on his seat, that is pathetic--that poor FA--she cares more than her management.

 

[Art at ISP]

I'm seeing some 'growing pains' for lack of a better description. USAirways was in chapter 11 and the future was not looking too bright. New management, who had shown they could run a profitable LCC came along, and merged the OLD USAirways with the profitable America West.
We now have the NEW USAirways. Try to imagine it's a different airline. Because it is. The only thing the same is the name. And that was probably a mistake.
Don't continue to expect the same amenities and levels of service that took the OLD USAirways to the brink of death. The goal here is to make the NEW airline profitable as well. Period.

Desert Gal,

The amenities were not what brought the company to the brink of death-not even close. The issue is IF you're going to offer a first class product, make it FIRST CLASS. This is further proof that US doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up. And for what its worth at the fares US is charging, I expect an IMPROVEMENT in the amenities and service levels, not a decline. I do expect some adjustments, but when I am in an airplane for 2 and a half hours, and they are selling meals in the back, I expect at least a sandwich up front.

If these changes are a portent of the future, and the prices stay where they are, then United just got ALL my business...comparable fares, and MUCH better product.

I expect VALUE for my money. If you're going to be an LCC, then go all the way--reduce prices to LCC levels. And I do NOT advocate for a moment the $29-$99 fares which don't come close to recovering costs. I want to see FAIR fares-for business travelers, not 21 day advance purchase.

Just for your information, what brought the old US to the door of extinction was mismanagement plain and simple.

I will chalk some of this up to growing pains, but I think it's a big mistake, and you will wind up losing many of your highest yield customers if you don't listen to them....


My best to you all......

 

[US1YFARE]

You know, how many of the US West employees have ever flown US East? Obviously either very long ago or never, because they don't know what US East offered--they only hear stories. On the other hand, many of us VFF have experienced both US West, US East, and many many other airlines.