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beverage policy in coach for "short" flights

beverage policy in coach for "short" flights

Old Apr 18, 2017, 7:40 am
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by AANYC1981
On BOS-JFK (on the 738) I have seen the FC FA serve FC from the cart and keep going back into coach while the YC FA's start from the back of coach and they go until they meet somewhere in the middle. Then FC pax get another round on the FC FA's way back up to the galley. Simple and effective.
I've seen this on LAX-SFO 738's, ORD-STL MD-80's, and DFW-AUS MD-80's. I agree that it is simple and effective, and that way everyone gets a drink.

I'm always impressed by the service on LAX-SFO flights.

Originally Posted by GNRMatt
The more frustrating item with this, is when they say this, but they still serve first class while ignoring economy. Unless they invented a plane where the first class cabin is free from turbulence when the economy cabin isn't, it's 100% BS.
I notice this a lot, and it always amuses me. I'd like to think that the crew would stay seated if genuine, moderate turbulence were forecasted. I guess people would ask more questions/make more requests if service were suspended due to a short flight duration.
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Old Apr 18, 2017, 1:42 pm
  #32  
 
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ORD-FNT suffers from this problem a lot. I always give the FA's who do full beverage service applause certificates, because there's normally not any time to spare, and they really do have to rush to get everyone served.

Extra kudos to the ones who do it cartless and that one FA who actually asked me if I wanted my free alcoholic beverage and premium snack for being EXP.
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Old Apr 18, 2017, 5:08 pm
  #33  
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Originally Posted by brewdog11
What really gets me is"turbulence." It can be a clear day with no turbulence forecasts, and service get suspended for the duration of the flight due to "turbulence."

I understand that crew safety is important and service does have to be suspended, but I'm willing to bet that it has been falsely invoked as an excuse on some of these short routes. I'm also willing to bet that it happens more often than one would think.
I have personally overheard FAs and cockpit crew collude to claim turbulence at least a dozen times over the years. Sometimes, this has resulted in service for FC but not coach.
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Old Apr 18, 2017, 5:11 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by GNRMatt
The more frustrating item with this, is when they say this, but they still serve first class while ignoring economy. Unless they invented a plane where the first class cabin is free from turbulence when the economy cabin isn't, it's 100% BS.
I generally agree, however -- FC can be reasonably served with no cart, whereas doing a reasonable service in coach (at least with full choices) requires the additional risk of the carts.
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Old Apr 18, 2017, 7:05 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by Fine Art Landscape Photographer
I'm on LGA - DCA flight tomorrow (so far still economy since upgrade didnt clear)
LGA-DCA is the shuttle, which means you should expect not only a full beverage service but free beer, wine, and snacks!

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...es-shuttle.jsp
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Old Apr 18, 2017, 9:17 pm
  #36  
 
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just got off PHX-ABQ on a CR9. Y beverage choices (from the cart) were water, apple juice and OJ. F got full choice and full PDB.
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Old Jun 27, 2017, 12:03 pm
  #37  
 
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no bev service for RDU-DCA-RDU; what about EXP?

RDU-DCA is 227 miles but for many years there was an exception. Now it looks like it is gone.
In June I made a few trips in both F and Y and all the time only warm water was served from plastic cups.
Of course, no predeparture bev in F - FA was too busy with her cellphone. In F, some snacks from a basket have been offered to complement warm water (no ice).
Question: what is the official policy for offering complementary snack and drink to EXP on flights without bev service?
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Old Jun 27, 2017, 1:27 pm
  #38  
 
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The snack items are not typically catered. You can ask, but they can say no. Sometimes, they have a few select items (nuts) that are in the cart to fulfill the benefit.

Rasheed
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Old Jun 27, 2017, 2:00 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by rasheed
The snack items are not typically catered. You can ask, but they can say no. Sometimes, they have a few select items (nuts) that are in the cart to fulfill the benefit.

Rasheed
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Old Jun 27, 2017, 2:15 pm
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by Alex_I
RDU-DCA is 227 miles but for many years there was an exception. Now it looks like it is gone.
In June I made a few trips in both F and Y and all the time only warm water was served from plastic cups.
Of course, no predeparture bev in F - FA was too busy with her cellphone. In F, some snacks from a basket have been offered to complement warm water (no ice).
Question: what is the official policy for offering complementary snack and drink to EXP on flights without bev service?
To confirm your experience, as it has not been posted in this thread, the short haul beverage policy supposedly changed on June 1, 2017 to water/OJ on all flights under 250 miles and specifically removed all exception markets.
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Old Jun 27, 2017, 3:00 pm
  #41  
 
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Originally Posted by Alex_I
RDU-DCA is 227 miles but for many years there was an exception. Now it looks like it is gone.
In June I made a few trips in both F and Y and all the time only warm water was served from plastic cups.
Of course, no predeparture bev in F - FA was too busy with her cellphone. In F, some snacks from a basket have been offered to complement warm water (no ice)
Are you saying there was no in-flight beverage service in F (aside from water)? Did you ask for something other than water? That's completely unacceptable and certainly doesn't comply with the new policy, which was intended to apply only to the main cabin. Even on previous flights for which there was not an exception in Y, there was always a full drink service provided in F (unless weather/turbulence precluded service - and even then most FAs will try to do a quick service in F).

-FlyerBeek
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Old Jun 28, 2017, 12:50 am
  #42  
 
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Did LAX-LAS r/t last week. PDB and full bar for F, water or oj for coach. There was a snack basket as well
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Old Jun 28, 2017, 10:17 am
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by TheSkyGuy
This is the official AA policy on beverage services in Main Cabin...

Up to 119 - Request Service: No formal service scheduled, individual water bottles and juice cups available upon request.

120 - 250 miles - Short Haul Beverage Service: Individual water bottles and juice cups
EXCEPTION MARKETS that receive Beverage Service:
DFW to/from AUS, HOU, IAH, OKC, SAT, TUL
JFK to/from BOS, DCA
LAX to/from LAS

251 to 699 miles - Beverage Service
No food for sale

700 to 1,099 miles -Beverage/Snack Service
Food for sale (A la cart snacks/snack boxes)

1,100 miles or more -Beverage Snack Service w/Marketplace Cart
No food cart between 2001-0459

1,500 miles or more - Arrival Beverage Service
We are EXCEPTIONAL at AUS
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Old Jun 28, 2017, 10:28 am
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by teemuflyer
We are EXCEPTIONAL at AUS
Not any more! AA has deemed you unexceptional as of June 1st!

-FlyerBeek
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Old Jun 28, 2017, 10:41 am
  #45  
 
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In my experience west coast flights (esp. Compass) consistently have beverage service and as you move east, it seems that the number of excuses for not doing beverage service increases, especially on short hops ORD-, JFK-, DFW-, DCA-. Just my limited experience though, but I flew SAN-LAX a lot of times this year, which is a ~100 miles market... I seem to recall beverage service most of the time. Also it seems like SkyWest, Republic, PSA and Envoy have significantly worse FAs than Compass. Again, based on my experience...

(Just got off a SkyWest flight where the FA wouldn't stop yapping about connections for 10 minutes, and kept announcing we were 20 minutes early every few minutes --- At least there was full beverage service though -- YYZ-ORD, so I guess that makes it ~400 miles.)
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