Mexico city and pay to eat...

Aug 20, 2002
167
0
What is going to happen with all of the left over food, I feel we are going to have to pay for the food one way or the other, if it's part of the service or charge for it. I really doubt the majority of the pax are going to pay for it. They will bring their own from home, ate at the airport and ect. Folks that are flying are watching every penny they spend, I doubt buying food on the aircraft is in their budget. Plus sorry Flight Attendants, but how many times when you receive money for the Drinks, there is only a couple of dollars in the envelope, on the front states comp comp comp and ect....Will there be account ability for this money? Dave, if you read this, trust me make sure everything is checked and balanced, not like alcohol beverage sales, which I know several people that make their monthy house payments with........
 
From USAirways today:
1/US Airways is considering adding flights between Charlotte and Mexico City and is looking into the service in great detail, Andrew Nocella, vice president of planning and scheduling, confirmed today. Yesterday''s Charlotte Observer reported that US Airways is considering addition of the new service, noting the opportunity for exposure to an ample number of business travelers. Meanwhile, Mexicana Airlines, a current member of the Star Alliance, has also expressed interest in the route. US Airways expects to join the Star Alliance by 2004, as part of its code-share relationship with United, a founding member of Star.
2/US Airways is teaming up with LSG Sky Chefs to evaluate the feasibility of offering customers food service through a Buy On Board program in which customers can choose to purchase various food items while onboard the aircraft. The test will take place in mid-March for a two-week period, and will include a variety of flight segments and aircraft types. The test will help to evaluate the technical aspects of providing this service as well as to assess customer responsiveness. This concept is also being tested by other airlines as an alternative to traditional onboard food offerings. More details about US Airways'' tests will be provided in the coming weeks.
 
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On 2/10/2003 9:59:00 PM hopethingswillbeok wrote:

What is going to happen with all of the left over food, I feel we are going to have to pay for the food one way or the other, if it's part of the service or charge for it. I really doubt the majority of the pax are going to pay for it. They will bring their own from home, ate at the airport and ect. Folks that are flying are watching every penny they spend, I doubt buying food on the aircraft is in their budget.
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In the tests done by HP and DL with selling food, the number of people who purchased food was surprisingly high. HP reported that over a third of the passengers on those flights bought food and others that were surveyed said they would have bought food on the plane had they known in advance.

Many people don't like lugging food from home as it can be a real pain especially with the TSA nimrods. Also, many pax don't have time to buy food when connecting through hubs. I know I've had a few tight connections in ATL where I had no time to stop and buy food.

It will take some time to develop the program and work out the kinks, but if you provide pax with quality food and reasonable prices, you might be surprised how well it works.
 
How can you ask Management to take accountability on this matter when they don't even take accountability for thenselves? Remember it is because of them that we are in the postion that we are in today!
 
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On 2/10/2003 9:59:00 PM hopethingswillbeok wrote:

...Plus sorry Flight Attendants, but how many times when you receive money for the Drinks, there is only a couple of dollars in the envelope, on the front states comp comp comp and ect....Will there be account ability for this money? Dave, if you read this, trust me make sure everything is checked and balanced, not like alcohol beverage sales, which I know several people that make their monthy house payments with........
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So now we're thieves? Thanks for the vote of confidence, "HOPE". When and why are you opening envelopes, anyway? What kind of houses are being paid for by liquour money? I don't sell enough to pay for a decent dinner, much less my mortgage. Just so you're in the know, HOPE, I comp liquor all the time. Why? Because people are po'd about something stupid our company has done to them; no one has correct change("Does anyone in the cabin have change or a hundred?"); the headsets on that particular row don't work; they did't get the special meal they ordered a year ago; the aisle seat assignment they got at usairways.com is now a center on the last row with no recline; and my personal favorite, because after a long day when many customers have been "difficult" that one passenger says something nice or simply smiles and says thank you...THEY ARE ALWAYS GONNA GET A COMP DRINK!

Hope, think about what your fingers are typing when you post here. You're just likely to p i ss people off when you hit the send key with bs like this.
 
I would definitely buy food, but I do NOT want to fumble with cash and bother a flight attendant with all that extra work. Don't bother a professional that should be more concerned with safety and security with a task that could be taken care of by the internet and a credit card. Hell, in coach, it's hard enough just to get your wallet out.
 
CLTBWIDAYSYR wrote:

So now we're thieves? Thanks for the vote of confidence, "HOPE". When and why are you opening envelopes, anyway? What kind of houses are being paid for by liquour money? I don't sell enough to pay for a decent dinner, much less my mortgage. Just so you're in the know, HOPE, I comp liquor all the time. Why? Because people are po'd about something stupid our company has done to them; no one has correct change("Does anyone in the cabin have change or a hundred?"); the headsets on that particular row don't work; they did't get the special meal they ordered a year ago; the aisle seat assignment they got at usairways.com is now a center on the last row with no recline; and my personal favorite, because after a long day when many customers have been "difficult" that one passenger says something nice or simply smiles and says thank you...THEY ARE ALWAYS GONNA GET A COMP DRINK!

Hope, think about what your fingers are typing when you post here. You're just likely to p i ss people off when you hit the send key with bs like this.


DCAflyer responds:

Amen, CLT..., Amen! If the other departments didn't fv(k up when we're the ones who have to spend three hours in an aluminum tube at 35,000 feet with our customers, we wouldn't be comping so much. But to call us thieves is uncalled for.

FYI, I haven't seen a lot of evidence that HOPE has thought about what he/she types before hitting enter, so I don't know why he/she would start now. Just my observation.

Keep up the good work. CLTBW...

DCAflyer
 
Selling food on-board is not essential to the mission. Food is only a cost center.

Let the cattle select from that damned bistro cart by the jetway. The 1st class pax pay for food service, so give it to 'em if you must.

Fumbling for wallets, dropped change, unsold inventory, added aircraft weight etc -- where would food sales show up in the bottom line?

And hopeok -- either report it or apologize.
 
Well, I am not sure about selling food on the aircraft. Sounds like a mess in the making with the money and all that drama.
Maybe a system like the Gatwick-Victoria Station train would work. They have portable credit card systems that might work and I think we use them on duty free international anyhow.
 
I wonder how difficult (logistically) it would be to set up a pre-order system -- i.e. pre-pay at ticket purchase time as a surcharge to the fare or at the ticket counter or gate. I can see that it might get sticky if seat assignments got mixed up, but it would allow better planning as to how many meals to bring on, as well as reduce the amount of cash changing hands onboard.

To add to that, the airline could comp the meal service on higher fare classes -- as a thank you to its "more valued" customers.
 
I think selling food on the plane would be great. There's just no way that a passenger can count on being able to get food ahead of time or between flights, and it's hard enough cramming what I really need in my carry-ons. Most of the time I don't need to add a lunch into that mix. I would like to see the airlines making money on it too, as long as it went towards supporting the flight attendants wages. I'd be glad to pay for the convenience and service.
 
This whole board is getting a bit ridiculous. Other airlines are also test marketing the pay for food deal. It is not a major news story. However, we are seriously considering a major new destination, Mexico City, and everyone is arguing over the merits of paying for meals on board. MOVE ON PEOPLE!!! This group is so the glass is half empty, that if they we dying of dehydration in the desert, and someone gave them a half a glass of water, they would ***** it is only half a glass, and promptly roll over and die without drinking it.
 
A pre-order system would be a joke... ask any flight attendant that has had to "create" a special meal because it wasnt boarded. I really do think that if were flying someone transcon or international they should get a hot meal. On a shorter flight they should get a beverage and a light snack. Arent we trying to get people to fly us? Lets be the one with a little bit of dignity, who cares what the other airlines do. If the major airlines continue to try and emulate the Lowfare carriers, why would anyone in their right mind pay a higher fare to fly us if they're getting the same crappy service?