Flight Attendants Dining and Cabin Issues

[flybynite]

Absolutely!!

We can certainly offer the choice of a salad or a fruit plate.

It's embarrassing not having a meal of some sort in first. I know the passengers would certainly appreciate it.

Give 'em a little bang for their buck!!

 

[SS255]

I wish US would consider having their regular BoB and a premium BoB and do a test market on Transcons and see which generates the most unit sales over a 90 day period. There are people who will cheerfully pay three bucks more for a better meal. I know I'm one of them. The question is how many more are out there?

I agree with you, Bob. US's best BOB was when they had Wolfgang Puck and TGI Friday's as their vendors. The meals sold for $10 apiece, but the food was good quality. I believe that the reason why they stopped using these vendors was because the price point was too high. But it wasn't too high for me. Once they switched to a cheaper vendor, the "you get what you pay for" factor kicked in........and I stopped buying BOB on US.

I know it's alot to ask or expect, but if US is not going to serve free meals on transcons, I would really prefer to be able to order and pay for my meal at check-in, and I would prefer for the quality of the food to be edible. What they have now is better, but not as good as the early days of BOB......and even then, only if you are in the first several rows of Y, before they run out.

 

[WhatBag?]

Absolutely!!

We can certainly offer the choice of a salad or a fruit plate.

It's embarrassing not having a meal of some sort in first. I know the passengers would certainly appreciate it.

Give 'em a little bang for their buck!!

I think a pilot got fired for that.

 

[US1YFARE]

A novel concept it is..


Effective 9/1, according to the hub DCS:

Sauza Gold Tequila Minis
Stirring's Pomegranate Margaritas
Stirring's Margaritas
Stirring's Mai- Tais
Beck's Beer
Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino
Red Bull Energy Drinks
Arizona Iced Tea/ Arnold Palmer
Turning Leaf Merlot in Y, in addition to the Cabernet
Higgins and Burke Mystique Coffee

Which of these are available to FC passengers for no charge?

 

[Travelpro72]

I brought up "the bagel" so I'll go at it again. All they have to do is load onboard a foil wrapped package of bagels that can be heated for 10 minutes. Hell I'd even set up the tray if they wanted to send on 12 plastic wrapped plates with a bag of individual cream cheese.

How about the Pre-departure inconsistency. I have friends of my own that I know even take it upon themselves to do it or not. I do it on the A321 ALONE up front along with the E190. Why not simplify it to consist of OJ and water in the morning and simply water as "something" offered. It would be much easier to accomplish and would keep the galley work down to a minimum freeing the f/a up to monitor bags and say hello.

How about making first class just as much a priority as coach sales ideas? Does the company have to focus on just coach while first class gets no improvements? It DOESN'T take this long to get it together. 🙄

 

[SS255]

I brought up "the bagel" so I'll go at it again. All they have to do is load onboard a foil wrapped package of bagels that can be heated for 10 minutes. Hell I'd even set up the tray if they wanted to send on 12 plastic wrapped plates with a bag of individual cream cheese.

CO serves packaged breakfast bagel sandwiches (bagel with egg & cheese) in Y. I believe that they heat them for 15 minutes, then slap them on a tray with a pre-packaged fruit cup, muffin, napkin & silverwear. It's very efficient.

 

[US1YFARE]

I know this is kind of controversial but if it were my airline I'd charge EVERYONE for the Premium Items. In F it would be the difference between the standard offering and the Premium on. In the beer example $2 to $3. Fact is I'd pay that for anyone of the above beers antday of the year.

DL doesn't charge extra for their specialty cocktails in first. I think US would need to reduce its FC fares on the level of Airtran before they started charging FC customers for premium meals. I mean it is the premium cabin. I could maybe see if they were offering a standard FC meal and an upgraded option, but US doesn't serve meals in FC on flights that most of its competitors do, e.g., PHL-MIA, PHL-IAH, PHL-ORD.....

 

[Travelpro72]

US1YFARE, those are perfect examples of routes I'm talking about. We are so far behind the competition. They need to get a move on.

 

[700UW]

Bob,

Are you looking to replace Kirby? lol

 

[FutureUScapt]

Personally, I think the new setup DL advertises (never experienced it, so correct me if I'm wrong or it's different than advertised) strikes a good balance between offering a worthwhile F experience and being cost conscious.

For flights between 900-1500 mi (2.5-3.5hrs typically): A meal (cold, only IIRC) is offered. US should look at copying this as in Y this would fall under the window where just the Snack Box is offered, yet F customers are offered nothing more than the snack basket???

For flights >1500 mi (more than 3.5 hrs): Choice of 2 entrees. Same as US, basically.

Additionally, they offer fresh fruit with their snack baskets on flights where a meal would not be normally be served, either due to the shorter distance or time of day.

 

[Travelpro72]

The selling of snack boxes on flight segments such as PHL-TPA or PHL-MIA has been going on for a VERY long time. It was addressed in a crew news session almost 2 years ago now. It was brought up to Doug and he asked Sherri to answer the question. She told the f/a to only make the announcement in coach. Well the f/a asking replied, "you can't do that on the 767, 757 or 737. Man was she a moron. Well Doug said he'd "look into it" and followed up by saying, "Why do I know I'll hear about this a month from now"? Ya just had to love that little swipe at Shamblin during the session. Well fast forward and we have implemented selling soda/not selling soda, HHD's, updated BOB (if ya wanna call it that), individual snack items yet NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING for first class. It isn't just a little issue to complain about. It all comes back to the value proposition. Why on earth US doesn't get a move on with the spruce up to F/C is beyond me. I know Hector has a "wish list" but it seems they are focusing on the coach cabin while ignoring their first class cabin. Hmmm imagine that. 😉

 

[US1YFARE]

For flights >1500 mi (more than 3.5 hrs): Choice of 2 entrees. Same as US, basically.

I just flew F on DL DEN-ATL and the meal they served was far better than what US serves. Also, we individual IFE with a good selection of TV shows and Movies. So, no, US is not "basically" the same as DL. I think there are other areas where DL and US are similar, but FC service is not one. I still prefer AA and CO's FC service over DL, UA and US.

 

[az_wild727]

During summer of '05 I was flying PHL-LAX in First and it was the short period of time when they offered the buy on board meals in First. I had a simple ceasar salad but it was so good I still remember that meal today. I'm not saying that cold buy on board meals in F are the way to go, but those were also meals sold in coach and it was a quality product. It was the 'Your Favorite Fare in the Air' meals and if I recall correctly they were presented in a nice woven basket. There was also an article in the Attache magazine about how they try to offer something unique during November and December since people eat holiday foods and expect something different when they travel. Good thinking!

I don't really have much to say about snacks, since I stopped snacking away, but the meals they sell in coach now are still healthy alternatives and Mom (who's very picky and reads those nutritional labels top to bottom so nothing gets passed her) found the sandwich fresh, tasty and contents healthy on a recent PHX-RDU flight.

I really don't know what more can you expect in from coach buy on board. Sure Midwest does something with hot meals and I have no idea what they serve, but are they really healthy or quality wise worth it? Do they still sell 'em? And in the direction Midwest is heading, did those premium meals earn that much of a profit that they are continuing to do this? Because, US on the other hand does a good job selling those buy on board items.

As to Piney's idea about gifts. It only works on international flights. Even Swiss doesn't do it on the European flights. If you're going to sell gifts, you need a wide variety since everyone has something different on their mind. Wide variety on a domestic flight= unnecessary weight US is looking to drop off.

-Kinglobjaw

 

[LGA777]

I just did a LGA-MCO-JFK R/T on DL as a non-rev and was fortunate enough to get First both ways. Southbound on an MD88 it was considered a Lunch service, choice of cold salad or cold sandwhich. I had the salad entree, fairly tasty and healthy, and the whole meal filled me up. But at the function I was attending a friend had flown LAS-ATL on DL in F the same day and had the same two choices on the longer transcon service, and was a little dissapointed (rev pax) and understandibly

My return was a Dinner flight (757) to LGA that went out full so I ended up on the 2030 (738) to JFK. This was basically just like US, bev service (except glassware) with snack basket (one pass and no fruit as mentioned by futureUSCaptain in an earlier post) in First. Coach had similar BOB to US. After two cocktails and realizing I was starving I ask the FA (who was great BTW) if I could purchase a coach snack box if any where leftover after serving rev pax. She said which one do you want I will get it right now no problem (they where in the middle of the coach service). She was very apologetic about charging me, yet for me I was happy to be on the airplane, be in First, so the $5 was no big deal. But for many rev paxs it would be a big deal and she said we have to charge them to and many complain. BTW the snack box was tasty and actually filled me up!

My point is why can't US (and DL) serve something light in F on flights that offer BOB in coach? I remember a nice DL F snack they served some time ago on short flights like ATL-Florida. A simple Caesar salad on a dinner plate with warm bread sticks on the side. Nothing more, healthy, filling, and I would assume cost effective.

I hope Hector can convince his bosses US really needs to be doing something similar?

Thanks for reading

LGA777

 

[flyus2]

Exactly! ! ! ! Ya see, all I seem to hear is the actual logistics of putting a bagel on the airplane for first class. How much preparation it actually takes to get that little product rolling yet they can pump out all this stuff for coach sales. It simply goes to show what priority you give to those that are still paying the top dollar for a ticket vs. the crowd in back. Sure the business travelers have slowed a bit but as I see it first is still full. And please people don't come back with full doesn't mean profitable. Those first class passengers either paid for first or flew enough to use their miles to be there. Whatever the reason US needs to get on the ball with the upgrades to first class. I know what Hector is promising but they need to feed the hamster some cheese and get the wheels turnin'. 🙄

I agree that there should be food served in f/c but just remember, the buy on board snacks in the back are not really US Airways product. It is LSG. The A La Carte Snacks are ours and we are making lots of money on the sales. Too bad we had to stop selling beverages. We made lots and lots of money! Unfortunately, the customers were not happy with us....but they still paid.