Only water, EWR-BOS?

Old Oct 29, 2014, 2:07 pm
  #31  
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There should be a cart service, but there is no way of knowing what the fas were told by the cockpit about potential turbulence, or actual flight time. On these short flights it is common to only have ~25 min of usable time. Often the service does not get finished. I wonder what is worse, only offering water to everyone? Or missing the last 4 rows and these people get nothing??
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 2:08 pm
  #32  
 
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For some reason this gets under my skin. I've had it happen on 1.5 hour IAH - ABQ RJ flights. I think it's simply f/as who are tired and don't feel like pulling out the cart, and I think it reflects a poor service culture.

Yes, I get that in the big scheme of the world its something that is small. Will I die if it doesn't happen? Of course not. However, if we're going to apply that criteria to all UA decisions / complaints, then really, the only thing we can count on is the plane taking off and landing safely.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 2:36 pm
  #33  
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This was just a case of the FA making a call on her own with no policy to back it up. I am not usually a fan of Southwest Airlines but I do like how they manage drink service on many of the shorter routes. As soon as you are seated and before take off the FA goes around taking drink orders. They don't take out the cart and the FA just comes around with a tray of drinks and passes them out.

US based airlines are capable of full catering even on the shorter routes. I used to take the DL Shuttle from LGA-DCA regularly back in the day and because it was a highly profitable route you got a free beer or wine and a snack bag. If you ordered a soda they gave you the whole can and a cup of ice so they didn't have to slow down to pour.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 3:39 pm
  #34  
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I fly RDU-IAD fairly frequently (similar length to BOS-EWR) and you're lucky on that route if you get water. Often it's nothing.

Frankly, WN can serve a drink to everyone RDU-BWI (f/as will take orders on the ground) so there's no excuse to not do it on UA.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 3:43 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by prncess674

US based airlines are capable of full catering even on the shorter routes. I used to take the DL Shuttle from LGA-DCA regularly back in the day and because it was a highly profitable route you got a free beer or wine and a snack bag. If you ordered a soda they gave you the whole can and a cup of ice so they didn't have to slow down to pour.
Back in the 1990's, I flew DCA-BOS several times a month in FC and it had a full hot meal service. It seemed to also have a dedicated set of FAs, as I often recognized them and they, me.

Awesome US Airways Club at DCA as well--wonderful staff.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 4:12 pm
  #36  
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Only water, EWR-BOS?

I've seen this too sometimes on CVG-ORD and vv. Flight time, depending on direction, winds, etc. Is usually 45-50 minutes in the air. Which means they have maybe 30 minutes to do the service.

Usually it's not a problem and they do the full cart. Occasionally, I've seen the water/OJ only tray. There were a couple of flights with fairly bad turbulence pretty much the whole time so there was no service - and I don't have a problem if this is the case. But I've also seen a couple of flights on the late night run from ORD, both times completely full ERJs, where they simply said due to the short duration of the flight, they won't be doing a service (both times, I think it was Trans States). If there's turbulence, I understand, but that's pretty unacceptable when it's a smooth flight. Half of the people on the 9pm are sleeping anyway (myself included), and those of us who fly the route frequently know it's not due to the "short duration" as we've seen the full service done most of the time, including on full flights.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 4:35 pm
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Happened to be on SFO-LAX in the past, too.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 5:45 pm
  #38  
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EWR-BOS is usually 41-43 minutes which is something like 20 minutes at cruising altitude. I have seen anything from full service to no service on this route and I fly it often. If they do full service they maybe get to the exit row and then they have to terminate it and return the carts ... so either water/OJ for the entire Y cabin or full service for E+ ...
It's such a short flight, if you really want service then you'll have to buy F.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 6:24 pm
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Just happened to me on this past Friday from ORD to DCA.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 7:13 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by cfischer
if you really want service then you'll have to buy F.
It depends how you define "service".
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 7:40 pm
  #41  
 
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Only water, EWR-BOS?

EWR-BUF regular. Sometimes it's nothing.

Echo the sentiments if a poster up thread - Asian airlines can do it rapidly / efficiently. RGN-BKK springs to mind - full meal and drink service. Not UA...
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 7:44 pm
  #42  
 
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I had a flight last week that was water only. 2.5 hour flight. FAs apologized but it was a situation where the aircraft came in international, everything was stripped, and the ship was towed over to C at ORD and there was a choice to delay one hour or go without so the crew had them rush bottle water at least. Pilots decision which honestly I didn't mind too much. I usually only drink water anyways.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 9:00 pm
  #43  
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Originally Posted by seanp7
EWR-BUF regular. Sometimes it's nothing.

Echo the sentiments if a poster up thread - Asian airlines can do it rapidly / efficiently. RGN-BKK springs to mind - full meal and drink service. Not UA...
How is the staffing? I've been told many times they have more fas to do the work.
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Old Oct 29, 2014, 9:27 pm
  #44  
 
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For comparison's sake, about 7 or 8 years ago I flew PIT-DTW (40 mins in the air) and DTW-PIT (35 minutes) on NW DC-9s both ways. There was full, albeit rapid, drink service on both flights.
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Old Oct 30, 2014, 9:12 am
  #45  
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I had enough time to put down 2 Budweisers on that flight last year.
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