Inflight Service--Is the snack basket dead or dying?

[US1YFARE]

Looks like it's time to fax in for a status match and start shopping around, then :down:

Seriously, judging by FlyerTalk, if Parker kills the snack basket, that's gonna be the final straw for a bunch of US East frequent flyers...

But you see, it's not JUST the snack basket--it's everything else, combined with this change, they have done to the DM program and service amenities. As they take away these benefits and continue to charge fares comparable to UA, AA, DL, CO, and NW, more and more people will be driven away. The friendly faces of Dea, Travelpro and others will not even be able to keep the most loyal customers.

 

[AstroLounge]

US1, thanks for the PM.....unfortunately a sorry state of affairs (Management says one thing, does another and wants You to believe yet another). I seriously encourage ALL DM and FF members to bombard them with emails/letters/anything you can think of.....this LCC thing is getting out of hand, CHEAP plain and simple! They cannot be Everything to Everyone.....bottomline is either you offer FIRST CLASS with the expected ammenities or get rid of the cabin and you have now cut off a major source of revenue. The degradation of the F/C product is so bad I rarely work up there (out of embarassment) and my coworkers thought they would NEVER SEE THE DAY :down:

 

[Travelpro72]

Lets be honest. We do have some awesome folks that work up front. I hate when I go to an a/c and start to set up my galley for the next flight and find either 4 carts filled with bag after bag of snacks or a bunch of bags filled with nothing but empty bags. Then your left with nothing for the basket. I can honestly see where the waste part comes in. That being said, if the "new" US is going to charge fares as comparable to the other big five then US should offer something comparable. Not just a bigger seat. If US offers f/c at a lower rate then fine, the snack basket removal could be somewhat justified. How this company has stipped the f/c product the way it has and gets away with charging what AA,UA,DL,NW and CO does is beyond me. Dea you could probably even admit that the way the snacks are borded and where there stored is not right. If I have to clean another a/c galley ugggg. 🙄

 

[ringmaruf]

Like it or not, when HP talks about low cost, it means "low cost", which essentially means as little waste as possible, keeping catering expenses as low as possible while still offering first class seating, with food. When HP says "low cost, full service" they are referring to the amenities of advance seat assignments, first class seating, clubs to relax in, web check-in, food is not the driving factor here.

And yet HP has glassware, while US doesn't. Clearly, HP interprets "low cost" to mean whatever it wants to, and attempts to hide behind that term to justify whatever it wants. For that matter, US had removed pretzels in coach, which HP promptly added back.

(I'd gladly keep the current East situation of snack basket and no glass than trade for the reverse like West has.)

 

[AstroLounge]

I agree Travelpro but some of the issues you addressed are catering issues. I suggested L-O-N-G ago that the snacks need to be placed in drawers on the AB and in containers/bins on the Boeings.......all the caterer would need to do is #1)Show Up #2 Open Eyes #3)Fill Drawers....KEEP IT SIMPLE <STUPID>....we get it WHY DON'T THEY?

And DON'T even GO THERE on the glassware situation in the EAST. And like those former clowns called themselves Management, I am really the Shah of Iran eating bonbons on South Beach amongst the thong wearing crowd and looking for another lap dance.

 

[Travelpro72]

I do think it starts with organization and how the a/c is catered. I totally agree. The 757 is a prime example. Why if we have the designated drawers above the ovens for the snacks are there loads of bags empty and full of snacks. That is clearly a catering issue. All aside though, this does not make good business sense to strip the basket from the a/c. Get rid of the glass on the west side then if costs are to high. I would rather keep the basket if it meant glass or snack basket. If we DID get rid of the basket shall US-east get glasses back then? Pretty petty ehhh?

 

[flytchick]

I have to tell you that I am really amazed at these posts.... I work first at US West and I rarely have a problem with catering. My snacks - i.e pretzel/almond mix is placed on the top of my cart. All my hot meals are boarded in the oven and the place settings and salads with 4 different toppings are boarded on the meal cart. I cannot think of a time where I have been shorted by the caterer. They have greatly improved the salads and the first class hot sandwich is substantial..... it sounds like your catering is way off - hopefully they can rectify this with the merger - but I feel for you - there is nothing worse than working first and being embarrassed by your product. Hang in there.....

 

[PHLfa88]

Care For Something Out of The Snack Basket!

 

[US1YFARE]

Care For Something Out of The Snack Basket!

Great post!

And to all the A's, how about when they forget to put the chillers on for the PHL-SAN trip and the food spoils! (Either they forget, or they get too cold because the chillers are on.) That's always fun and that has happened to me more than once. They then have to go to the deli and buy sandwiches and stuff for the FC cabin which has 20 some seats in FC and is always full.

 

[legacy-to-LCC]

this is disappointing, yet not unexpected...
we are constantly reminded by management to take care of our customers, yet dp, in his relentless crusade to eliminate every pax related cost, is not taking care of those who most make his salary possible. in fact, he has publicly claimed (q3 financial results webcast) that pax do not want any ammenities, just on-time performance and a smile. it is embarrassing. and i apologize to our fflyers.
some things to consider:
how is it that continental has turned profits and is predicted to be among the profitable carriers in 2006 while still offering such "costly" free meals in coach? and, to be sure, offer a premium first class product which honors and rewards these valued customers?
with this pattern of service "dilution" now initiated, what will the face of transatlantic look like when dp gets done with it?
and--i can still see dp's mouth watering since this story was released--can we be expected to follow american eagle's lead in charging for a cup of soda on flights?
it is not easy to sit back and watch u morph into the north american easyjet, when, with continental-levels of management innovation and creativity, premium, if normative, services could be sustained and profits realized...again, my apologies to those valued fflyers whose experience on u will undoubtedly continue to crumble underneath them!!!

 

[USstew23]

Ok, I can understand eliminating some stuff (Fruit spears, free coach food, etc.) but come on with the Snack Basket, I try to be as level headed as they come but I think that this is the least we can do for our FF's!! Remember Dave tried to change the upgrade policy a few years ago, whoaa you would've thought they opened the church doors and let the hookers in! I mean come on some of this is getting ridiculous. I know we need to keep the costs in order but if we junk up the whole thing and run away our Bread and Butter (Frequent Flyers) there won't be any costs to keep in line. As one of my favorite gate agents put it "We can be Low Fare, but we don't have to be CHEAP". We need to be creative and empower all of the employees to come up with fresh new ideas. Anyone remember "Ideas that Fly"? After all isn't that how we (USAir) got our name? I can see it now, Picture it Phoenix Terminal 4 2006, 5,000 flight attendants (and a whole zip code of FF's) picketing USAirways to keep the Beloved Snack Basket!! LOL! 🙄

 

[US1YFARE]

Remember Dave tried to change the upgrade policy a few years ago, whoaa you would've thought they opened the church doors and let the hookers in!

these days, if they had hookers in US FC, it might be competitive

 

[SKY HIGH]

this is disappointing, yet not unexpected... my apologies to those valued fflyers whose experience on u will undoubtedly continue to crumble underneath them!!!

SKY High states: Nicely put, Legacy. How pathetic that the frequent flyers have to beg for snack basket (JUNK FOOD). I would be complaining that its the same old crap, NOT hoping they keep it. But, that's their track record....announcement: We're taking away "XYZ"...only to see it reinstated. Endless mind games!

GET OUT from behind your desks, Tempe and go fly coach. Ever arrive at C concourse in PHL and have a connection at concorse A in 30 minutes? Sit in coach on a friday night in a middle seat. Get a grasp on flying YOUR Airline, Management! Your decisions DO NOT reflect the reality of the situation.

 

[USstew23]

these days, if they had hookers in US FC, it might be competitive

well since its legal in Vegas, maybe someone could suggest that too!! 😀

 

[Dea Certe]

I've long said I think every management person from the CEO on down should be required to fly curb to curb as a coach customer. In fact, maybe they should start their journey by making a call-in reservation. Short haul, long haul, a mix of all our stages.

I think it would be a great way for them to understand what our customers go through. I know commuting has made me a better flight attendant and given me a much better appreciation of the front line.

To my mind, there's some things the company can't control, like the TSA, weather and mechanical delays. It could be a very educational experience for everyone.

Mr. Colodny always flew in the far back of the plane and always stuck around to answer questions and chat. I thought that was really classy of him.

Dea