How much discretion do FAs have giving out free drinks?
Sep 18, 2014, 10:30 am
#92
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Aussie in ORD
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I run about 1/3 comped 2/3 paid.. Conditionally sample on INT its is more 50/50.
I often find I get charged for my first drink.. on second service it is comped.
I often find I get charged for my first drink.. on second service it is comped.
Sep 18, 2014, 11:58 am
#93
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I am around 33% on comped booze; I get out the chit, and the FA says, "Oh, that's not necessary." OTOH, I have been on flights this year where the FA had no clue what the chit was. "Did something go wrong at the airport? It seems like a lot of people have one of those today."
That is always the way to do it if the FA or other UA employee does anything remotely against the rules. IMHO they definitely deserve praise, but we don't want to get them in trouble!
Sep 18, 2014, 4:41 pm
#94
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Sep 18, 2014, 6:15 pm
#95
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: Marriott Titanium & Lifetime Platinum, United Platinum, Delta Silver
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I have been comped drinks in Y on United twice this year (and the only times I remember this happening):
- The first time was SFO-IAD. I had been upgraded but was traveling with my SO, who was not upgraded --I gave him my seat and sat in his seat in Economy Plus (his ticket was bought as an Award, so could not be upgraded). It turned out E+ was filled with children and kettles (I think there were 2 people on the upgrade list who did not clear). The FC flight attendant brought back a Bloody Mary with two Tito's served from the silver tray about 1 hour into the flight. I purchased 2 more with drink tickets. All of the flyers around me though I was a celebrity and were asking what was going on (they'd never seen drink tickets before)
- The second time was ORD-DCA. One of the recent summer thunderstorm nights, our flight was delayed ~2-3 hours and was packed. FA came through Economy Plus and poured remaining red wine from FC bottle for anyone who wanted it (until bottle ran out)
- The first time was SFO-IAD. I had been upgraded but was traveling with my SO, who was not upgraded --I gave him my seat and sat in his seat in Economy Plus (his ticket was bought as an Award, so could not be upgraded). It turned out E+ was filled with children and kettles (I think there were 2 people on the upgrade list who did not clear). The FC flight attendant brought back a Bloody Mary with two Tito's served from the silver tray about 1 hour into the flight. I purchased 2 more with drink tickets. All of the flyers around me though I was a celebrity and were asking what was going on (they'd never seen drink tickets before)
- The second time was ORD-DCA. One of the recent summer thunderstorm nights, our flight was delayed ~2-3 hours and was packed. FA came through Economy Plus and poured remaining red wine from FC bottle for anyone who wanted it (until bottle ran out)
Sep 18, 2014, 6:17 pm
#96
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Not at home
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Posts: 2,312
Sep 18, 2014, 6:59 pm
#97
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,603
Years ago on a SFO-IAD flight, MsHalls120 and I were in F. It was her first time up front, and she was of course excited. I mentioned it to the Purser, and he gave her an unopened bottle of wine to take home. Needless to say that made a huge first impression on MsHalls120, and to this day she still speaks warmly of UA employees and flying UA.
Sep 18, 2014, 8:34 pm
#98
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Last November, SYD-SFO, due to a weight/balance issue everyone in E+ (still 747 then) had to move back to E-. FA's were very apologetic and booze was free (at least for me - no idea about others 
).
Certainly miss the days when UA was a full-service airline. Another TPAC this weekend. <sigh>
).Certainly miss the days when UA was a full-service airline. Another TPAC this weekend. <sigh>
Sep 18, 2014, 9:16 pm
#99
Join Date: May 2009
Location: San Diego
Programs: Star, Oneworld, Skymiles, SPG
Posts: 243
I had a flight a week ago ORD-SAN where drinks were comped the entire way. We departed on time, but went back to the gate after the plane made a sudden stop on the taxiway to avoid a baggage cart. Two flight attendants were injured during the stop, so we ended up departing about 1.5 hours late as replacements had to be found. I didn't hear a single complaint from anyone, more sympathy than anything (it was a jolting stop). During the flight, drinks were comped by he FAs but this was only mentioned when someone ordered. And of course, but the second round of beverage service in Y, they were out of almost everything but beer and wine. So yeah, I think the crew has discretion to do this.
As for FAs comping individual drinks, a lot of it has to do with sloppy catering. An aircraft is supposed to be catered with a set amount of beverages which is specified by the airline. Because catering is done by minimum wage people who don't care, it is not unusual for a flight to be under/over catered.
So if a flight manifest says that the flight was catered with 200 bottles of liquor and the FA gets on board and finds 250 bottles of liquor, she has 50 bottles she can give away without anyone knowing it. When a beverage cart goes back to catering, they are supposed to count the number of each type of liquor left over from the previous flight. A lot of times they don't and just add in a bunch of new bottles of liquor and send the cart on its way.
You can see this when on some flights the FAs will always give you a whole can of soda and on other flights, they will give you only a cup of soda. I have been of flights where they inexplicably run out of something like vodka for no apparent reason.
Sep 19, 2014, 7:40 am
#100
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 821
How much discretion do FAs have giving out free drinks?
I was on a SFO-IAD flight on a 757-3. I sat in the bulkhead coach seat that's right behind the galley. I took my seat and the FA was so nice. I told her I just ran the SF 1/2 Marathon. She offered me a free preflight Budweiser. I had plenty of drink chits in my pocket but she refused and kept giving me free Buds throughout the flight.
Sep 19, 2014, 7:42 am
#101
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As for FAs comping individual drinks, a lot of it has to do with sloppy catering. An aircraft is supposed to be catered with a set amount of beverages which is specified by the airline. Because catering is done by minimum wage people who don't care, it is not unusual for a flight to be under/over catered.
Sep 19, 2014, 8:32 am
#102
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That's a big issue with Express -- there can be many cycles between liquor refills, they can often be out of stuff, especially on longer flights with a turn (e.g., SFO-SAT-SFO), where they may have high consumption due to the long flight, and then also high demand on the return also due to the long flight.
Sep 19, 2014, 11:34 am
#103
Join Date: Jan 2000
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The captain has the authority to comp drinks (or really the authority to do almost anything he wants on the plane). FA's don't have the authority to do this.
As for FAs comping individual drinks, a lot of it has to do with sloppy catering. An aircraft is supposed to be catered with a set amount of beverages which is specified by the airline. Because catering is done by minimum wage people who don't care, it is not unusual for a flight to be under/over catered.
So if a flight manifest says that the flight was catered with 200 bottles of liquor and the FA gets on board and finds 250 bottles of liquor, she has 50 bottles she can give away without anyone knowing it. When a beverage cart goes back to catering, they are supposed to count the number of each type of liquor left over from the previous flight. A lot of times they don't and just add in a bunch of new bottles of liquor and send the cart on its way.
You can see this when on some flights the FAs will always give you a whole can of soda and on other flights, they will give you only a cup of soda. I have been of flights where they inexplicably run out of something like vodka for no apparent reason.
As for FAs comping individual drinks, a lot of it has to do with sloppy catering. An aircraft is supposed to be catered with a set amount of beverages which is specified by the airline. Because catering is done by minimum wage people who don't care, it is not unusual for a flight to be under/over catered.
So if a flight manifest says that the flight was catered with 200 bottles of liquor and the FA gets on board and finds 250 bottles of liquor, she has 50 bottles she can give away without anyone knowing it. When a beverage cart goes back to catering, they are supposed to count the number of each type of liquor left over from the previous flight. A lot of times they don't and just add in a bunch of new bottles of liquor and send the cart on its way.
You can see this when on some flights the FAs will always give you a whole can of soda and on other flights, they will give you only a cup of soda. I have been of flights where they inexplicably run out of something like vodka for no apparent reason.
Sep 19, 2014, 12:00 pm
#104
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,803
Yesterday on a UX flight, guy next to me asked for a can of club soda and the FA refused the request. She said "You cant have the whole can, just a glass at a time". She handed the cup to him, he downed it and asked for a refill.
Sep 19, 2014, 12:16 pm
#105
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 8,634
