Food for Thought: F meal IND-PHX

[hp_fa]

Excuse me? Why in the **h e DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS** am I responsible for everyone else's job?

Is it your job to use the provisions that are for another flight? Did you notice I said the FA that flew the flight into IND, not the one who served what was shown in the photos who worked IND-PHX.

 

[Real tired]

Man, those look delicious!!!

I wish that flight would come in on my gate so I could steal those out of the galley and eat them in front of my jealous co-workers in the break room.

 

[veritasaequitas]

Think they'll friend me over at Facebook to check out the photos?

Seriously, if no one reports this, it can happen again if this isn't the norm.

And if I bought a full fare ticket, I'd be ticked to be served that!

How did the FFocus group start out? Which airline did they exclusively criticize in their infancy and were ignored?

 

[ExPit]

In fairness to the F/C FA, this is what the original source of the picture had to say:

"The FA apologized, said the flight had no snacks (the Inbound passengers ate them all on the way in, I guess) and they did not load plates for the dinner service back to Phoenix. She was so sorry, I gave her an A&B and ripped mgmt on the comment portion."

Jim

Even if someone on the inbound flight ate all the food ( snack, meal, etc) and catering fprgot to bring new plates, there is no reason to serve a meal that looks that bad. The salad wasn't unwrapped..., procedure says it should be.... and even if you have no plates, you can take the food out of the containers (procedure again) and spread it out in the metal container, then apologize and serve.

 

[N965VJ]

TV dinners they're goin' to my head
TV dinners my skin is turnin' red
Twenty year old turkey in a thirty year old tin
I can't wait until tomorrow.... and thaw one out again oh yeah!

TV dinners I'm feelin' kinda rough
TV dinners this one's kinda tough
I like the enchiladas and the teriaki too
I even like the chicken if.... the sauce is not too blue.

-ZZ Top

 

[Art at ISP]

How did the FFocus group start out? Which airline did they exclusively criticize in their infancy and were ignored?

FFOCUS was created in 2002 as an organized protest to a proposed change in DM. FFOCUS originally stood for Frequent Flyers Organized and COMMITTED TO US AIRWAYS' SUCCESS. We met with US management on a regular basis, and I was part of the Consumer Advisory Board, which met quarterly. Some of my ideas were actually adopted, and as a group. we did more to show support and advocate for customers and employees than your management did. Try reading the WHOLE history of the group before you attack us. We're just the messenger. We didn't create this apathetic management at US, we're just reacting to it. Also, it's not that they ignored us, they always listened, then just did what they wanted, which is their right--MY main issue is that I was lied to on a number of occasions to my face, and was promised that certain things would happen, and it later became apparent that they had no intention of doing those things.

While we're all arguing about who's to blame here, the common thread that I see here is that it is management's fault-they don't provision properly, they under equip flights on a regular basis, they FAIL AT THE FUNDAMENTALS OF OPERATING AN AIRLINE, and they JUST DON'T CARE. So what does that tell you? It tells ME they don't deserve my business. But for those who have to or still want to fly US, we will continue to advocate for change.

As some of you know, I still have many friends at US, and most of you still put your best face forward and try to do the best with what you are given. You may be right that you can't change anything, but we can continue to try.....by highlighting these deficiencies on a regular basis and bringing these issues to a public forum. They may not care, but when educated business flyers continue to leave the building, someone's hand will eventually be forced.

At the end of the day there is nothing in the world I'd like more than to report that US has decided that customers are in fact important, and that they are making changes which would enable us to return, but the contempt that they show for customers and employees alike make that nothing more than a dream at this time.

There's only so much furniture you can burn. So here's an idea Tempe: rather than dream up new ideas to nickel and dime your customers, alienate your customers and embarrass your employees, why not work on REDUCING your costs in a PRACTICAL manner to get your unit costs in line with other legacy carriers--like solving your labor issues, and not jumping over dollars to pick up nickels... INVEST in your PEOPLE and your PRODUCT and high value customers will likely return.

Nuff said....so don't shoot the messenger. At the end of the day, we are actually trying to help you guys and gals at US.

 

[galley princess]

Here's the deal- not having seen the picture, I can only imagine that the F/A had two choices.

1. Not serve the dinner and go with a beverage only service due to lack of supplies.
2. Explain the situation and leave it up to the customer to accept the meal as is (unacceptable) or go hungry.

Then, you write it up and call it a day. When/ If AWA management cares about what is going on within its company, assumably it will address it. Until then, she/he is just the unfortunate messenger. Cleaning up for the incompetence of others is a given by working at US, however angsting over it isn't.

The days of the rank and file getting upset over managerial incompetence are over. If I am in a business and I receive unacceptable service , I do not bother talking to the front line about it. They are simply the face of some numbers cruncher who has no clue or they are a reflection of an incompetent management who doesn't control their product. I go elsewhere. Useless verbiage gets you out of breath and nowhere.

If you have taken your business elsewhere you had a reason for it. You made the appropriate statement. If and when AWA notices, I'm sure they'll let you know. Until then, you're basically out of breath.

 

[Itestwell]

Then I would come down hard on the FA that flew the aircraft into IND and catering.

Well, wouldn't that be productive, and true to the old HP way of management through intimidation! Congrats, you're promoted!

Maybe before you embark on your firing spree, you should know that F/C snacks are not boarded to be flight specific, instead they are boarded in white, plastic trash bags, and strewn/ hidden about the F/C cabin, depending on aircraft: These snacks can be found in the meal cart, bev cart, overheads, various doghouse locations, and even shoved behind the last row of F/C. It's anyone's guess where to find them; almost like a fun little scavenger hunt. So, maybe you should think twice before you "come down hard" on the hard working front line employees, who are given little to work with, but consistently amaze me at how they turn 'nothing' into 'something'.... 🙄

With regards to the meal served in the tin it is supposed to be cooked in: Could it be possible that some plates were broken in the meal cart? Who knows how it happens, but I've had broken plates before in the F/C meal cart; presumably broken (by accident) in the catering truck....

 

[hp_fa]

Last I knew there were no new FA's just out of training even if the assigned FA's were reserves. Also, last I knew the bid books and pairings showed provisioning codes so the crew should have known the proper provisioning and all the other information which should have let them known that the return flight would or would not be provisioned at IND. Also, while I do not know it as a fact, I am assuming that this was on West metal and there isn't a FA around at this point who should not be aware of the appropriate provisioning.

If the FA's were working a turn the FA screwed him or herself on the inbound flight.. If they were heading for the hotel then they screwed their fellow FA by leaving the aircraft under provisioned.

As for the plating issue I would assume that Dr. Beth would not have bothered posting the photo on Facebook, nor posted a message here, if this ** one ** meal was served that way because of a broken plate. (In which case I would have assumed that the FA would have explained that ** one ** situation to the passenger and it would have been cool. I have seen Beth post enough on this forum to know that she is rationale and reasonable.

 

[DrBeth]

As for the plating issue I would assume that Dr. Beth would not have bothered posting the photo on Facebook, nor posted a message here, if this ** one ** meal was served that way because of a broken plate. (In which case I would have assumed that the FA would have explained that ** one ** situation to the passenger and it would have been cool. I have seen Beth post enough on this forum to know that she is rationale and reasonable.

It was the entire F cabin, according to the passenger who shared the photo. He said,

There were 12 in First. I was in row 3 so I could see everyone else and the reaction was silence. The FA apologized, said the flight had no snacks (the Inbound passengers ate them all on the way in, I guess) and they did not load plates for the dinner service back to Phoenix. She was so sorry, I gave her an A&B and ripped mgmt on the comment portion.

The other passengers didn't seem to care much. I was sitting next to a guy who has flown quite a bit in his career but not a tremendous amount on US Airways and he was more befuddled than anything else. So, my comments to the FA were directed toward the airline and (I won't get her in trouble) she nodded her head in agreement.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Now that the airlinemeals.net site is back up (after an outage and overhaul) , maybe the picture should be posted there?

 

[Coach Cabin]

It was the entire F cabin, according to the passenger who shared the photo. He said,

There are 2 meals in each tin for heating purposes, so only 6 tins for all 12 passengers. What did the f/a do, rinse out the tin pans in the lav between serving passengers? Yeah right. The more details I hear about this the less I believe it.

 

[N965VJ]

Yeah right. The more details I hear about this the less I believe it.

🙄

 

[Itestwell]

I would assume

In which case I would have assumed that

And there's the problem, you are hearing about all of this third hand, as is "Dr Beth", and no one knows exactly what happened. You're assuming, and thus your post has no credibility whatsoever. You would "come down hard" on the FA because plates were broken, or plates weren't boarded? You would "come down hard" because additional first class snacks weren't boarded? You would "come down hard" before even knowing the real, true story? 🙄

You chose to say that the company should "Come down hard" on the FA, without knowing any of the facts whatsoever. You are simply making wild assumptions, nothing more. It's just sad that you advocate "coming down hard on the FA" instead of having the facts. Typical, old school HP management style.

 

[DrBeth]

There are 2 meals in each tin for heating purposes, so only 6 tins for all 12 passengers. What did the f/a do, rinse out the tin pans in the lav between serving passengers? Yeah right. The more details I hear about this the less I believe it.

Believe what you want. But perception is everything. Whether it was six or 12 customers who were served meals in this manner, it is still not according to procedure, it looks bad, and it should be reported.

The customer who posted this photo is a PHX-based, Chairman's Preferred customer. He, more than most, wants US to be successful. In fact, after many of us left US, he stayed loyal. But I believe this may be one of his last straws. He's moving his business to CO.