Drastic In-Flight Service Cuts

[RowUnderDCA]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 12/22/2002 5:41:10 PM USFlyer wrote:

Honestly, I'm all for cutting the food service on flights. There's no reason an airline needs to feed people with all the food places in terminals these days. Even when I do upgrade, I still purchase food in the terminal and eat it on the plane in lieu of the F meal. $6 at Au Bon Pain in PIT beats any of the F meals I've had on any carrier hands down.

People need to get over their obsession with eating on planes, IMHO. [img src='http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/images/smilies/1.gif']
----------------
[/blockquote]

I agree, but wouldn't be nice if the airlines could cooperate with the airport vendors and come up with a system by which the pax could purchase the standardized food package and deliver it to the gate, so that the pax doesn't have to haul it around and store it?

 

[RowUnderDCA]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 12/22/2002 5:41:10 PM USFlyer wrote:

Honestly, I'm all for cutting the food service on flights. There's no reason an airline needs to feed people with all the food places in terminals these days. Even when I do upgrade, I still purchase food in the terminal and eat it on the plane in lieu of the F meal. $6 at Au Bon Pain in PIT beats any of the F meals I've had on any carrier hands down.

People need to get over their obsession with eating on planes, IMHO. [img src='http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/images/smilies/1.gif']
----------------
[/blockquote]

I agree, but wouldn't be nice if the airlines could cooperate with the airport vendors and come up with a system by which the pax could purchase the standardized food package and deliver it to the gate, so that the pax doesn't have to haul it around and store it?

 

[Art at ISP]

One would think that eliminating meal service on transcons would help move passengers to UA code share transcons so eventually U could stop flying them.

Just a thought......

Best wishes to all my friends at U for a happy healthy holiday season and a prosperous and SECURE new year.

 

[Art at ISP]

One would think that eliminating meal service on transcons would help move passengers to UA code share transcons so eventually U could stop flying them.

Just a thought......

Best wishes to all my friends at U for a happy healthy holiday season and a prosperous and SECURE new year.

 

[Slam&Click]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 12/22/2002 11:03:02 PM RowUnderDCA wrote:

I agree, but wouldn't be nice if the airlines could cooperate with the airport vendors and come up with a system by which the pax could purchase the standardized food package and deliver it to the gate, so that the pax doesn't have to haul it around and store it?
----------------
[/blockquote]

That small coordination between airport vendors, airline personnel and a gate (health code acceptable) sanitary food storage facility would cost mucho bucks; drastic cuts are being made because there is no money! What appears to be a simple proposal would be inefficient, cost prohibitive, and one more way for the passenger to be dissastified with a missed (never arrived) meal, mix-up (incomplete or not what was ordered), a cold, hot meal or a warm, cold meal. The meal nightmares would begin all over again but in a whole new dimension!

 

[Slam&Click]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 12/22/2002 11:03:02 PM RowUnderDCA wrote:

I agree, but wouldn't be nice if the airlines could cooperate with the airport vendors and come up with a system by which the pax could purchase the standardized food package and deliver it to the gate, so that the pax doesn't have to haul it around and store it?
----------------
[/blockquote]

That small coordination between airport vendors, airline personnel and a gate (health code acceptable) sanitary food storage facility would cost mucho bucks; drastic cuts are being made because there is no money! What appears to be a simple proposal would be inefficient, cost prohibitive, and one more way for the passenger to be dissastified with a missed (never arrived) meal, mix-up (incomplete or not what was ordered), a cold, hot meal or a warm, cold meal. The meal nightmares would begin all over again but in a whole new dimension!

 

[JonC]

It's pathetic when "low cost" carriers have better in flight food than us (Southwest non-stops from Florida to New England already do). Guess our management wants to send the best of our customers elsewhere - the few that are left, that is. Hmmm...I'm a business traveller about to buy an expensive ticket to Europe. Am I going to fly US Airways, with plastic dishes, shoddy service and minimal flight attendants from PHL? Or perhaps a "real" airline like BA, AF, or even American or Continental? Make sure they take off the pillows and blankets, too. Heck, might as well remove the cushions from the seats too.

A look inside the last BOD meeting:

Glass: "Wow, I got this idea! Let's make the travel experience on US Airways absolutely miserable."

Baldanaza: "Gee, that's a great idea! We're a carrier of convenience anyway. People only fly us when they don't have a choice in air travel. I think eliminating services, complicated fare rules and so on will really make all of our customers hate us even more."

Bryant: "Remember, we also need to treat our employees worse than the customers. Threaten them, intimidate them, and make them fear leaving their serfdom. Pit work groups against one another and breed mistrust everywhere. The key to really ruining our customer base is to make sure they have to interact with agents who have been screwed by US Airways for the past ten years or so."

 

[JonC]

It's pathetic when "low cost" carriers have better in flight food than us (Southwest non-stops from Florida to New England already do). Guess our management wants to send the best of our customers elsewhere - the few that are left, that is. Hmmm...I'm a business traveller about to buy an expensive ticket to Europe. Am I going to fly US Airways, with plastic dishes, shoddy service and minimal flight attendants from PHL? Or perhaps a "real" airline like BA, AF, or even American or Continental? Make sure they take off the pillows and blankets, too. Heck, might as well remove the cushions from the seats too.

A look inside the last BOD meeting:

Glass: "Wow, I got this idea! Let's make the travel experience on US Airways absolutely miserable."

Baldanaza: "Gee, that's a great idea! We're a carrier of convenience anyway. People only fly us when they don't have a choice in air travel. I think eliminating services, complicated fare rules and so on will really make all of our customers hate us even more."

Bryant: "Remember, we also need to treat our employees worse than the customers. Threaten them, intimidate them, and make them fear leaving their serfdom. Pit work groups against one another and breed mistrust everywhere. The key to really ruining our customer base is to make sure they have to interact with agents who have been screwed by US Airways for the past ten years or so."

 

[TomBascom]

A widely held view here and elsewhere is that U will never get its costs down below those of, say, SWA. Therefore U must have higher revenue if the airline hopes to succeed.

Maybe I've suffered brain damage from all of those flights at 30,000 feet but I don't see how that can be accomplished by emphasizing reductions in service in areas that customers rated as the 4th most important in what was beyond a doubt an utterly bogus survey to start with (my guess is that Ben polled his fellow VPs).

Generally speaking if you're going to take the time to rate things from most to least important you'd want to improve the areas at the top and eliminate or rethink adjust those at the bottom. Going for the jugular with item #4 is inspired. That's a surefire turnaround strategy if I ever saw one.

 

[TomBascom]

A widely held view here and elsewhere is that U will never get its costs down below those of, say, SWA. Therefore U must have higher revenue if the airline hopes to succeed.

Maybe I've suffered brain damage from all of those flights at 30,000 feet but I don't see how that can be accomplished by emphasizing reductions in service in areas that customers rated as the 4th most important in what was beyond a doubt an utterly bogus survey to start with (my guess is that Ben polled his fellow VPs).

Generally speaking if you're going to take the time to rate things from most to least important you'd want to improve the areas at the top and eliminate or rethink adjust those at the bottom. Going for the jugular with item #4 is inspired. That's a surefire turnaround strategy if I ever saw one.

 

[cubfan02us]

I can't lay claim to the airmiles that many of the posters
here can.Those opinions that come from very frequent fliers
come from experience and should be respected.U is still in
the category of mature hub-and-spoke airlines,but they don't
possess the economies of scale of a Delta or American.U has
reduced aircraft ,property ,infrastructure leases probably
as low as possible but that part of costs are still probably
higher than SWA.U also reduced labor costs,w-2 rates,
benefits,productivity{head count},etc.,to get close to
SWA and CAL.The key is U's exploiting,or utilization of
commuters not only for feed to the hubs but to outsource
work that was previously done by mainline.Taken together
U should be able to compete with SWA,Jetblue on price and
with DAL,AMR,etc,on service and route system.U won't be
either I guess,some form of hybrid.Whether it's works or
not only time will tell...

 

[cubfan02us]

I can't lay claim to the airmiles that many of the posters
here can.Those opinions that come from very frequent fliers
come from experience and should be respected.U is still in
the category of mature hub-and-spoke airlines,but they don't
possess the economies of scale of a Delta or American.U has
reduced aircraft ,property ,infrastructure leases probably
as low as possible but that part of costs are still probably
higher than SWA.U also reduced labor costs,w-2 rates,
benefits,productivity{head count},etc.,to get close to
SWA and CAL.The key is U's exploiting,or utilization of
commuters not only for feed to the hubs but to outsource
work that was previously done by mainline.Taken together
U should be able to compete with SWA,Jetblue on price and
with DAL,AMR,etc,on service and route system.U won't be
either I guess,some form of hybrid.Whether it's works or
not only time will tell...

 

[Tango-Bravo]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 12/22/2002 5:41:10 PM USFlyer wrote:

Honestly, I'm all for cutting the food service on flights. There's no reason an airline needs to feed people with all the food places in terminals these days. Even when I do upgrade, I still purchase food in the terminal and eat it on the plane in lieu of the F meal. $6 at Au Bon Pain in PIT beats any of the F meals I've had on any carrier hands down.

Plus, I always ask for coffee in the styrofoam cups anyway -- you get twice as much coffee and reduces the hassle factor of asking the already overworked F/As in the A321s for a second cup.

People need to get over their obsession with eating on planes, IMHO. [img src='http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/images/smilies/1.gif']
----------------
[/blockquote]

Well said! With the level to which "meal" service on domestic flights within the U.S. has been dumbed down for more than a decade, I have maintained for some time that it would be a win-win for both airlines and pax if meal service were to be dropped altogether. Meal service is one example of a costly frill which "full-service" airlines offer(ed) to please very few of their customers.

 

[Tango-Bravo]

[blockquote]
----------------
On 12/22/2002 5:41:10 PM USFlyer wrote:

Honestly, I'm all for cutting the food service on flights. There's no reason an airline needs to feed people with all the food places in terminals these days. Even when I do upgrade, I still purchase food in the terminal and eat it on the plane in lieu of the F meal. $6 at Au Bon Pain in PIT beats any of the F meals I've had on any carrier hands down.

Plus, I always ask for coffee in the styrofoam cups anyway -- you get twice as much coffee and reduces the hassle factor of asking the already overworked F/As in the A321s for a second cup.

People need to get over their obsession with eating on planes, IMHO. [img src='http://www.usaviation.com/idealbb/images/smilies/1.gif']
----------------
[/blockquote]

Well said! With the level to which "meal" service on domestic flights within the U.S. has been dumbed down for more than a decade, I have maintained for some time that it would be a win-win for both airlines and pax if meal service were to be dropped altogether. Meal service is one example of a costly frill which "full-service" airlines offer(ed) to please very few of their customers.

 

[TomBascom]

[blockquote]
----------------
Well said! With the level to which "meal" service on domestic flights within the U.S. has been dumbed down for more than a decade, I have maintained for some time that it would be a win-win for both airlines and pax if meal service were to be dropped altogether. Meal service is one example of a costly frill which "full-service" airlines offer(ed) to please very few of their customers.
----------------
[/blockquote]

1) If you continue to take away everything that distinguishes you from those horrible low fare, no service carriers why exactly would anyone choose to buy a ticket from you? Because they get an assigned seat?

2) While I seriously doubt that that stuff that airlines refer to as "meal service" is breaking the airlines financial back I'm willing to go along with some changes in the spirit of getting through all of this. But given Fort Fumble's track record I'm not very hopeful that anything positive will come of it.

3) Food on longer flights is not a frill. Nor are snacks on shorter flights. Seven course meals with linens is a bit overboard. Basic hydration and nutrition is not.