I emailed Consumer Affairs at 10:00 PM Eastern time last night to let them know that I found it unacceptable that we did not receive a beverage service on a CLT-DCA flight we took a few weeks ago on a Saturday (roughly a noon flight). I told them in the letter I know that they sometimes don't know what is going on in flights and I wondered if this was policy or oversight by the crew and/or catering.

I received a phone call this morning at 9:00 AM from Consumer Affairs informing me that this was not policy, we should have received a beverage service, and they would be filing a complaint on my behalf. WOW ... a phone call 11 hours after submitting the complaint! That's customer service ...

Bet you thought I was going to say something bad, didn't you? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

On my CLT-GSO flight recently, we received no drink service. It was mildly turbulent - I mean truly mild and episodic. When I asked as we were deplaning, the FA snittily responded "because the Captain told us to stay in our seats. We're not required to risk our safety". Granted, it was a short flight, so it's not like I was really inconvenienced.. still.. it would have killed them to explain en route? The "turbulence" didn't stop them from getting up to get their novels out of their carryons..

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by svpii:
On my CLT-GSO flight recently, we received no drink service. It was mildly turbulent - I mean truly mild and episodic. When I asked as we were deplaning, the FA snittily responded "because the Captain told us to stay in our seats. We're not required to risk our safety". Granted, it was a short flight, so it's not like I was really inconvenienced.. still.. it would have killed them to explain en route? The "turbulence" didn't stop them from getting up to get their novels out of their carryons.. </font>

There's a big difference in flying time between CLT-GSO and CLT-DCA. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I don't think they ever serve drinks in coach on mainline CLT-GSO flights ...

I was in coach on this flight (award ticket), and they were served in FC of course, just not coach.

To reply further to myself I just wanted to add that most (maybe all?) of my comments to Consumer Affairs have concerned cabin service and catering, and I have always received a very throughtful and personal response from them on such issues. In one case I commented on problems I had flying Envoy LGW-CLT (horrible service on that flight, plus other comments about the menus and preflight drinks), I received a personal letter addressing each of my concerns. In another case last year (pre-9/11) I was flying CLE-CLT and did not receive a snack even though the flight showed as snack, and I figured it was just the online schedule that was wrong, but I received a call from US asking me further about it ... apparently we were supposed to receive a snack, and they were wondering why that didn't happen too (again, they don't know stuff like this is going on in some cases unless we tell them!). Again, a similar situation here, US doesn't know that were not getting the service that even they expect us to receive unless someone tells them ...

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by svpii:
On my CLT-GSO flight recently, we received no drink service. It was mildly turbulent - I mean truly mild and episodic. When I asked as we were deplaning, the FA snittily responded "because the Captain told us to stay in our seats. We're not required to risk our safety". Granted, it was a short flight, so it's not like I was really inconvenienced.. still.. it would have killed them to explain en route? The "turbulence" didn't stop them from getting up to get their novels out of their carryons.. </font>

You're kidding me, right? CLT-GSO is 76 miles.

Speaking of drink service, I know USAirways serves an express (Coke, Diet Coke or Sprite) service on its PIT-DTW flights, which are about 30 minutes and 200 miles. Anything less than that I don't expect anything.. but on Continental, they provided a *full* service on it's 30 minute flight between IAH-AUS which is only 142 miles.

The shortest flight I've gotten drink service on? 35 miles and ten minutes on my way to Atlanta. We were grounded at a nearby airport due to storms. On the ten minute flight after the storms cleared USAirways served drinks, but only in first. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

When I worked at BWI cateromg a few years back, those flight crews were always calling us back. " Not enough bottled water, " " Short on coach meals," " We need extra wine in first class," etc. My point being that back then it was rare that the flight crews missed anything. It's too bad times have changed and even though I don't know the extent of what happened...( like possibility of turbulence)....you at least deserved an announcement that there wouldn't be a beverage service.

I've never sat in coach on the CLT-GSO flight Tom, ( http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ), but on the flights where I was forced to take the Dash or the Jungle Jet, I still got drink service as I recall ..

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by svpii:
I've never sat in coach on the CLT-GSO flight Tom, ( http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif ), but on the flights where I was forced to take the Dash or the Jungle Jet, I still got drink service as I recall .. </font>

Well, I've never been in coach CLT-GSO either, but notice I did specifically say coach on mainline flights ... they do tend to try and get drinks out on US Express flights, even on the short ones ... smaller cabin and such ...

Did GSO-CLT mainline in the back (F-100 or DC-9 - frget which). There was an express beverage service - water or OJ on a tray.

The level of food and beverage service on USAir is a crime given some of the fairs--particularly from PHL to CLT. I use to be a loyal USAir customer; however, I took a Continental flight a few months ago and decided to return to Continental. Their level of service is a bit better than USAir and they still have meal service and other perks. Unlike USAir and American who have both made major cut-backs, Contnental has not. I have taken several flights in Continental since and am saying bye bye to USAir except when forced to use them because of schedules.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by TTT103:
The level of food and beverage service on USAir is a crime given some of the fairs--particularly from PHL to CLT. I use to be a loyal USAir customer; however, I took a Continental flight a few months ago and decided to return to Continental. Their level of service is a bit better than USAir and they still have meal service and other perks. Unlike USAir and American who have both made major cut-backs, Contnental has not. I have taken several flights in Continental since and am saying bye bye to USAir except when forced to use them because of schedules.</font>

Well I'd rather be in FC on US than Coach on CO, and considering I've heard Golds on CO are lucky to upgrade 50% of the time these days, compared to 95%+ on US as a Gold, it's a no brainer for me ...

Don't even get me started about international upgrades on CO compared to US ...

But beckles, did you get a CS007 for your trouble? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by CLTFlyer:
But beckles, did you get a CS007 for your trouble? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif</font>

Not that I know of, but who knows, maybe it will come in the mail ... Honestly, that wasn't really my goal. I think if I had tried asking for such compensation they would have taken my complaint less seriously and looked at it as just trying to get something from them.

I sent 2 emails one night about 10PM. One complaint and one compliment. I sent them seperately since I wanted the compliment to stand on it's own since it was about an employee.
I got a call about the complaint at 9am the NEXT morning but it took 3 days for them to email me about the compliment. I think they take complaints seriously - especially from preferreds.