At the end of a recent trip from LHR - JFK in J two FA presented me and my traveling companion a bottle of Champagne as a gift from them to enjoy in NYC.
Granted J was only at half capacity and we chatted with a few of the FA's during service and I previously had given each of them an Applause Certificate (which they say are basically useless). I was blown away and thanked them.
Senior Moderator/Moderator: American AAdvantage, iDine, and Talkboard Topics
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA EXP / 5 MM; HH <>; SPG Gold; Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 35,225
Yes, many have had similar experiences. And they probably do not post about them, and certainly provide no specifics, as the old saying says "no good deed goes unpunished". They might look at the gift as a way of rewarding customers, the customer might look it as a nice surprise, AA might look at it as theft.
And yes, AA does read this forum (and elsewhere on FT).
__________________ Visit FlyerTalk Cares! Forum: GIVE FOR BOSTON and more! link.
This has happened to me and my wife a couple of times, but as JDiver points out, it was for a deed that they thought needed to be rewarded (not AAplause certs)
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 15, 13 at 10:10 am..
Reason: correct handle
Senior Moderator/Moderator: American AAdvantage, iDine, and Talkboard Topics
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA EXP / 5 MM; HH <>; SPG Gold; Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 35,225
I dunno - I tend to minimize consumption of sparkling wines in flight. Having said that, there are some decent sparklers out there that are not Champagne - cavas, spumantes, crémants, mousseux, sekts, etc. can offer decent drinks and better prices than some Champagnes.
I've also had to say "no, thank you" to a gift bottle because I was connecting to an onward flight where I knew I'd have to pass through security again and have the bottle confiscated by security employees because I had no checked baggage to slip it into. I've also had such gifts on other airlines (e.g. BA, QF, etc.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by will2288
I bet they do. I doubt AA likes their employees giving away bottles of wine just because they chatted with them during the flight.
AA might approve of a purser giving a bottle away to make up for some type of serive failure, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.
Does AA actually serve Champagne in J, or was it sparkling white wine?
__________________ Visit FlyerTalk Cares! Forum: GIVE FOR BOSTON and more! link.
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, HH Gold, DL/UA/CO/AS Elite
Posts: 14,353
AA has champagne in business class on European flights, however, in my experience, this is not what is served in J as a PDB. Of course, just because it is from Champagne doesn't mean it is better than a sparkling wine not from that region. The whole champagne name thing is overblown, IMHO, but then I live in California, not France.
The whole champagne name thing is overblown, IMHO, but then I live in California, not France.
Where Korbel has been grandfathered in to allow their product to be called Champagne. (And they do have some good Champagne, just not the mass marketed stuff).
Yes, many have had similar experiences. And they probably do not post about them, and certainly provide no specifics, as the old saying says "no good deed goes unpunished". They might look at the gift as a way of rewarding customers, the customer might look it as a nice surprise, AA might look at it as theft.
And yes, AA does read this forum (and elsewhere on FT).
I figured as much. Deliberately left specifics (dates/times/FA) vague.
I bet they do. I doubt AA likes their employees giving away bottles of wine just because they chatted with them during the flight.
its a service industry - I'm sure the FAs have a fair amount of latitude on who they give free food/drinks to and not. As long as their overages are not significant, I'm sure its not a problem... although does make good fodder on FT.
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, HH Gold, DL/UA/CO/AS Elite
Posts: 14,353
Quote:
Originally Posted by austin_modern
its a service industry - I'm sure the FAs have a fair amount of latitude on who they give free food/drinks to and not. As long as their overages are not significant, I'm sure its not a problem... although does make good fodder on FT.
Just what we need, FA's to determine which business class passengers are deserving of free stuff, and which aren't.
there are some decent sparklers out there that are not Champagne - cavas, spumantes, crémants, mousseux, sekts, etc. can offer decent drinks and better prices than some Champagnes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mvoight
Of course, just because it is from Champagne doesn't mean it is better than a sparkling wine not from that region. The whole champagne name thing is overblown, IMHO, but then I live in California, not France.
Agreed. I was just curious as to what AA serves in J.
Quote:
Originally Posted by austin_modern
its a service industry - I'm sure the FAs have a fair amount of latitude on who they give free food/drinks to and not. As long as their overages are not significant, I'm sure its not a problem... although does make good fodder on FT.
Perhaps, but it still wouldn't surprise me if AA looked down on this. A lot of potential for abuse. Although AA doesn't always have the best loss prevention procedures (IIRC, it was AA caterers in JFK that were stealing thousands of mini bottles)
Programs: AAGld, HHonorsSilver, HertzGold, BaExec (GLD soon), Iron Maiden FC
Posts: 186
I'd ask the cabin crew what they serve to confirm (i have definitely had french stuff on TATL J before - Pommery I suspect it was), but on internal US flights/short international business hops when i correctly ask for sparkling wine (or cava etc which i asked for on SFO-MIA flight last weekend with a menu stating it was cava...), I invariably get an odd look, a list of entirely unrelated drinks that I might have possibly meant, and i give up and say the champagne....ooohhhh the champagne, certainly sir. I very much enjoy champagne, I enjoy sparkling wine just as much, especially certain US sparklers (even insisted on one from anderson valley at my wedding in Scotland), and I especially enjoy drinking it all flight long as I never seem to get hammered on it, but fact is the french have the deal on the champagne name. I have tried changing my Scottish accent to no avail, so please AA, educate your staff. Not being poncy, its just the way it is. I don't call my blackberry an iphone just because it too can make phone calls. Now, someone pass me a sparkling wine please. Cheers.
Oh and on one flight (not AA), a very nice chap in that airlines J poured my wife and I a rather nice bottle of red into mineral water bottles so we could sneak through customs and guzzle at the destination airport. Very nice it was too.
