Flight Attendants Inventory Catering Supplies

[jimntx]

You are not being asked to sit there and count every swizzel stick and packet of sugar, it is a bulk count to ensure we are getting what we pay for. This isn't a system wide issue and won't be something done over a long period of time. The company will make its case against the provider, then threaten or change providers and the problem will be solved. It is a very simple taks that can be completed while you are being paid to work.

First off, the real issue is service to the customer. Once you have taken off, it is too late to discover that you've been shorted food or beverages. The passenger could care less that you (and me, before I was furloughed) are going to fill out more forms to report the shortage. If you don't count it the minute it comes on board, it's too late.

Second, it CAN be an issue of every swizzle stick, packet of sugar, etc. Some of these vendors are ripping off the airlines big time by shorting the bulk packs. If you put 1-4 less bags of chips in the bulk pack than what is called for (At American it was 24 bags of chips to a bulk pack), it doesn't take long before you have charged for a whole bulk pack that was not delivered. Now I am not saying that we, the f/a's, should have to count every bag, but we do have to write it up when we run out of supplies during the service.

There are problems at EVERY catering station in the US, just not for every carrier at every station. But for every United flight that goes out of PSP perfectly catered, I can promise you there is an AA flight that is short of bottled water in F/C. So, if the Carribean experiment proves advantageous to the company, it will spread.

And, these sorts of things are almost NEVER temporary. Before I started being a flight attendant, I was a systems consultant for many years. I can't tell you how often I have asked the why of some corporate procedure or inventory item (typewriter ribbon, for instance, in a company that owned not a single typewriter). And, every single time the person(s) being questioned would get this incredulous look on their face (as in, that is the most stupid question I ever heard), and say with all seriousness, "Because, we have always done it that way."

If I were the USAir flight attendants, I would try to get the union involved in spelling out exactly what is to be done, where, and for how long.

 

[PITbull]

First, for the union to get involved, it can not cost a job in catering.

 

[PITbull]

jmntx,

First, for the union to get involved in any discussion to add responsibilities to f/as ((I don't care if it is for carribeans) it can not cost a job in catering.

Second, if U wants now the f/as to participate in not only cleaning stations, serving on the ground, preboarding responsibilities, and now catering, and counting supplies, it can not be withou a wage for that. So, before anyone starts talking to f/as and adding more responsibilities to an aready reduced f/a staff on the planes....


'SHOW ME THE MONEY'.

 

[MarkMyWords]

I did not see any memo on this, but you are saying that the inventory check is requested to be done 5 minutes prior to landing and 5 minutes prior to departure?

Is this correct? If you are to count the inventory 5 minutes prior to landing, why would you need to do it gain prior to departure? If catering brings on new supplies prior to departure, then you are counting this stuff when they bring it on, and that is NOT 5 minutes prior to departure. It is actually before boarding.

So which is it?

No, I am saying that if doing the inventory is an issue, because you are not paid to do the work on the ground, then you can do the inventory prior to landing and after departure. It shouldn't take that long to inventory the bulk items.

You are counting the items on the aircraft before you land to see what is on the airplane, and then after you depart to come up with a total of the items that the catering vendor put on the airplane. If you count and say they only boarded 4 packs of napkins, 50 sodas, 10 packs of coffee, etc, but they are charging us for 8 packs of napkins, 100 sodas and 25 packs of coffee then you see there is a problem there.


Dea -

i understand what you are saying, and no, doing this inventory should not interfer with the service you provide to the customer. By all means serve your f/c people and when you have a minute, take inventory. You would know how many sodas you used, if you open any packs of napkins or coffee.

I agree that it may prove to be beneficial to cater round trip, but you have to prove that there is a problem there. Doing the inventory will help to prove that there is a problem and address it accordingly.

Jimntx -

The issues isn't about leaving short meals or sodas, it is an issue of being charged for items that we are not receiving. I also agree that there could also be fraud with short changing bundled or packaged items, but that could be caught with spot audits by the company.

 

[Light Years]

Jimntx-
Why do other airline employees insist on calling us USAir? I know some passengers and some empoyees do, but youd think people in the industry would use the airlines name. We dont say "United Air", or "American Air". Is the extra syllable real difficult? Just curious.

 

[phllax]

Wouldn't the easiest solution to the problem be just to have the trash emptied on the islands and double cater the aircraft at the originating airport? I am sure there is more than enough room in the galleys these days to store everything that is needed for both legs, including first class. If they tried this for a while they could easily keep track of what was "deplaning" and what wasn't.

 

[PITbull]

You want inventory count..."Boarding Pay" please.

You will not have accuracies in inventory count when we serve on the flights pre departure. And, it is not contractual. See you in 2009.

 

[UFO]

Pitbull,

You are right! If it is not in the contract then it is not part of your job. When employees are treated as assets and respected they will respond in kind. Keep up the vigilant work!

 

[flyin2low]

I'm not going to rquire my F/O to preflight the aircraft then. It's not in our contract to do so either............

 

[wrx]

Jimntx-
Why do other airline employees insist on calling us USAir? I know some passengers and some empoyees do, but youd think people in the industry would use the airlines name. We dont say "United Air", or "American Air". Is the extra syllable real difficult? Just curious.

Your parent company name is USAir (USAir Group). For those of us who have been around for a while have always known you as USAir. Even your employees call it USAir. If it wasn't for Steven Wolfe, you would still be USAir. It's just like everyone calling us American and not American Airlines.

 

[Hope777]

And the Call Sign with ATC.............USAir

 

[Twicebaked]

Those are all good and reasonable questions. The fact that there aren't apparently answers or complete information about all this, yet folks are all set to condemn the mere notion of any kind of inventory by flight attendants, is what I don't understand. If it were clear that this was going to be a very tedious and burdensome task, then I could see getting upset about it...

It is tedious!!!! I refused to do it, but I watched another flight attendant "attempt" to do it on a dead head.

This is not a figment of our imagination!! This IS happening.

 

[BostonTerrier]

Baked,

When I had to do inventory it was on an island leg. Were you asked to do it on a domestic flight?

 

[Light Years]

The call sign remians "USAIR", however our parent company is US Airways Group.

 

[Twicebaked]

Baked,

When I had to do inventory it was on an island leg. Were you asked to do it on a domestic flight?

No, it was an island trip. The original post on this thread did mention that is was JUST the islands.

Light Years,
Our parent company may be US Airways Inc. but our planes do say US Airways as well not USAir. Therefore, you are correct, we should be refered to as US Airways. United's parent is UAL...we don't call them UAL..we call them United.