I was looking at the latest About US. I always get a kick out of "About US" and it's third grade school newspaper reading level. I also enjoy the spin. It's not done well like Attache's Your Turn, it's just entertaining to read propaganda from people who appear to know less about my job and our industry than I do, but believe the opposite.
I read with great interest the main article Making US A Better Business Casual Airline. As I suspected, looks like alot of casual, no business and no brand. Apparently a meeting was had to discuss the brand. No one I know knew anything about the meeting. I thought maybe I had missed the email until I read the article. As far as flight attendants go, US Airways has found about six of them that they find agreeable and recycle for these things over and over. They are the same ones that are at the airplane dedications and provide "I Make US Fly" type quotes in About US about this and that. Bill from the west, Audrey from the east, yawn yawn yawn.
Alot of our customers on here have been wondering about the product enhancements that were promised in the desperate sounding email from Tempe. Here's some highlights that I thought some of you without access to it might find intersting. Words in quotes are thiers, negative diatribe is my own.
Envoy Class- The experience will apparently be "uniquely American" (I assume the country, not the airline) that "travelers seek out on an American carrier." The cynic in me sees this as Tempe doesn't know much about fine dining and doesn't care to find out. So I expect we will be serving cheeseburgers in our premium international cabin and claiming patriotism. Focus for food will be "quality over quantity"- I just read this as less food, how about you? There is also mention of trading "fluff for quality"- big cheeseburger, less amenities?
Economy Class- Upgrade coach meals, returning to traditional tray service instead of US Airways much joked about "meal in a box."
Buy On Board- "Roll out better quality fresh meals and expanded snack options. Also, provision greater quantities on board." Sounds like they will actually change the items and we'll also be hawking Pringles and such. At least it will be more in line with other airlines buy-on-board programs. Five years of chips and salsa and the scary Christo sandwich might finally be over.
Premium Beverage Test- Is anyone out there wishing they could get specialty teas and energy drinks on US? Or a glass of "restaurant level"wine? And buy it? Well US says you do! There isn't much detail on this, but it just looks like more sales and advertising to me. You'll probably see a 15 minute video proclaiming the virtues of Celestial Seasonings or Full Throttle and maybe an ad on the seatback in front of you. These items will probably be stored in overhead bins or under your seat, or just not catered at all.
US Airways Club- "Upgrade food and beverage choices and make them consistent with in-flight offerings." I don't really know much about the Clubs, but if improving it is getting it in line with the cabin service they must be pretty bad? What, does each club have one pillow, granola bars but no Cape Cod chips?
Travel Like Travelers program- part time employees will be sent on trips (hey look! Bill and Audrey!) and report back. No explanation as to why not just sit down with, well, your actual customers who pay money. Must be too expensive to arrange.
Inflight Handling devices- sounds like credit cards will be accepted on board as well as cash, not instead of as previously suggested. I guess this is progress, but I don't see flight attendants getting on board with this nor do I expect an airline that can't get a coffee pot lid on every airplane to have a functioning one of these on every airplane. It also implies more inflight sales which I feel customers and staff have already revolted against.
Service Standard Training- Sounds like we will all go through (Lower Your) Service Standard training in the beginning of next year (similar to this years (dis)Integration training). I don't expect we will be learning etiquette or hiding our wispys with this crowd. It should be entertaining to say the least.
On a serious note though, let me be the first to officially say that this is a dreadful mistake- forcing non-required propaganda training during stalled contract negotiations and all time low morale. This is another one of thier terrible ideas in the making, and it will backfire terribly, liking having an opposite effect. Just my opinion!
So, what does business casual mean? "A more approachable and friendly attitude and demeanor" says old standby Bill, and some res agent thinks it means not using customer's last names but thier first. Friendly is a word used over and over, and it is stressed that the main point (actually, the only point I could find) is good customer service. So, folks, just be nice and friendly. Computer systems, on-time performance, and onboard product do not matter, just be nice. It costs the company nothing, and when it goes bad they can blame you and say you weren't nice enough. Business casual, to this reader, means hope that both your customer and employee are stupid and need US more than US needs them. Just be nice, and more importantly, and at all cost- cheap.
I read with great interest the main article Making US A Better Business Casual Airline. As I suspected, looks like alot of casual, no business and no brand. Apparently a meeting was had to discuss the brand. No one I know knew anything about the meeting. I thought maybe I had missed the email until I read the article. As far as flight attendants go, US Airways has found about six of them that they find agreeable and recycle for these things over and over. They are the same ones that are at the airplane dedications and provide "I Make US Fly" type quotes in About US about this and that. Bill from the west, Audrey from the east, yawn yawn yawn.
Alot of our customers on here have been wondering about the product enhancements that were promised in the desperate sounding email from Tempe. Here's some highlights that I thought some of you without access to it might find intersting. Words in quotes are thiers, negative diatribe is my own.
Envoy Class- The experience will apparently be "uniquely American" (I assume the country, not the airline) that "travelers seek out on an American carrier." The cynic in me sees this as Tempe doesn't know much about fine dining and doesn't care to find out. So I expect we will be serving cheeseburgers in our premium international cabin and claiming patriotism. Focus for food will be "quality over quantity"- I just read this as less food, how about you? There is also mention of trading "fluff for quality"- big cheeseburger, less amenities?
Economy Class- Upgrade coach meals, returning to traditional tray service instead of US Airways much joked about "meal in a box."
Buy On Board- "Roll out better quality fresh meals and expanded snack options. Also, provision greater quantities on board." Sounds like they will actually change the items and we'll also be hawking Pringles and such. At least it will be more in line with other airlines buy-on-board programs. Five years of chips and salsa and the scary Christo sandwich might finally be over.
Premium Beverage Test- Is anyone out there wishing they could get specialty teas and energy drinks on US? Or a glass of "restaurant level"wine? And buy it? Well US says you do! There isn't much detail on this, but it just looks like more sales and advertising to me. You'll probably see a 15 minute video proclaiming the virtues of Celestial Seasonings or Full Throttle and maybe an ad on the seatback in front of you. These items will probably be stored in overhead bins or under your seat, or just not catered at all.
US Airways Club- "Upgrade food and beverage choices and make them consistent with in-flight offerings." I don't really know much about the Clubs, but if improving it is getting it in line with the cabin service they must be pretty bad? What, does each club have one pillow, granola bars but no Cape Cod chips?
Travel Like Travelers program- part time employees will be sent on trips (hey look! Bill and Audrey!) and report back. No explanation as to why not just sit down with, well, your actual customers who pay money. Must be too expensive to arrange.
Inflight Handling devices- sounds like credit cards will be accepted on board as well as cash, not instead of as previously suggested. I guess this is progress, but I don't see flight attendants getting on board with this nor do I expect an airline that can't get a coffee pot lid on every airplane to have a functioning one of these on every airplane. It also implies more inflight sales which I feel customers and staff have already revolted against.
Service Standard Training- Sounds like we will all go through (Lower Your) Service Standard training in the beginning of next year (similar to this years (dis)Integration training). I don't expect we will be learning etiquette or hiding our wispys with this crowd. It should be entertaining to say the least.
On a serious note though, let me be the first to officially say that this is a dreadful mistake- forcing non-required propaganda training during stalled contract negotiations and all time low morale. This is another one of thier terrible ideas in the making, and it will backfire terribly, liking having an opposite effect. Just my opinion!
So, what does business casual mean? "A more approachable and friendly attitude and demeanor" says old standby Bill, and some res agent thinks it means not using customer's last names but thier first. Friendly is a word used over and over, and it is stressed that the main point (actually, the only point I could find) is good customer service. So, folks, just be nice and friendly. Computer systems, on-time performance, and onboard product do not matter, just be nice. It costs the company nothing, and when it goes bad they can blame you and say you weren't nice enough. Business casual, to this reader, means hope that both your customer and employee are stupid and need US more than US needs them. Just be nice, and more importantly, and at all cost- cheap.