Random observations from flights yesterday
Apr 12, 2007, 9:00 am
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: A menace to everything in the sky. Yes. Even birds.
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Random observations from flights yesterday
I'm not a big fan of doing trip-reports for your basic trips but yesterday's seemingly routine journey had me noticing a few interesting things.
HPN - PHL on the Dash. Got the "short duration = no service" speech from the FA which is understandable. But then it was followed by a 5 minute credit card pitch in which she made a lot of claims that were less than true. i.e. "Dividend Miles never expire", "no black-out dates on the $99 companion cert., good anywhere in the US, Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada", "board the aircraft with first-class customers by waving the card" and that was only the tip of the iceburgh. I thought about pointing this out to her, that she was unwilling doing a bait and switch but after she berated a pax for getting up to use the lav I decided against it. I pick and choose my battles and I definitely didn't want to pick one with her.
Parking at HPN with B6 and FL brining full-size jets in there officially sucks. I think I left my car somewhere near Albany.
PHL, I officially think the club over the food-court in PHL is the worst in the system. I actually prefer F'ed. LAS is a dungeon but at least they put something out.
Has anyone ever noticed the "sink of mystery" in the men's room in the over the food court club? If you're facing the mirrors it's the second from the left. What's the deal with this sink - there's no way to turn the water on. It's always perplexed me. Anyone else?
PHL - MCO. Upgraded at my window which is rare for me on the 757, even as a CP. Late departing due to "crew scheduling."
But at least the GA kept us updated.
When the FA asked the GA for the manifest the GA said "hon, you're in PHL, you don't get manifests here." At first I took this as a SHARES quirk. But then I thought maybe it was a PHL employee issue. And then considered that there was only one person working the flight. Not really sure what the issue was. Anyone else?
No pre-departure drink, which I don't think I've seen on the East side in about a year. FA was very nice and professional however.
Snack basket - first time I've seen "chewy" bars in there. Perhaps this is Tempe's answer to our pleas for something remotely breakfast related?
And I found a candidate for the plane in most desperate need of a repaint. A 737 at the gate next to us in MCO looked like an AA jet because so much paint had peeled off of it. It literally looked like it should be doing a Baghdad - Beirut shuttle route. Grand branding for the company. ^
HPN - PHL on the Dash. Got the "short duration = no service" speech from the FA which is understandable. But then it was followed by a 5 minute credit card pitch in which she made a lot of claims that were less than true. i.e. "Dividend Miles never expire", "no black-out dates on the $99 companion cert., good anywhere in the US, Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada", "board the aircraft with first-class customers by waving the card" and that was only the tip of the iceburgh. I thought about pointing this out to her, that she was unwilling doing a bait and switch but after she berated a pax for getting up to use the lav I decided against it. I pick and choose my battles and I definitely didn't want to pick one with her.
Parking at HPN with B6 and FL brining full-size jets in there officially sucks. I think I left my car somewhere near Albany.
PHL, I officially think the club over the food-court in PHL is the worst in the system. I actually prefer F'ed. LAS is a dungeon but at least they put something out.
Has anyone ever noticed the "sink of mystery" in the men's room in the over the food court club? If you're facing the mirrors it's the second from the left. What's the deal with this sink - there's no way to turn the water on. It's always perplexed me. Anyone else?
PHL - MCO. Upgraded at my window which is rare for me on the 757, even as a CP. Late departing due to "crew scheduling."
But at least the GA kept us updated. When the FA asked the GA for the manifest the GA said "hon, you're in PHL, you don't get manifests here." At first I took this as a SHARES quirk. But then I thought maybe it was a PHL employee issue. And then considered that there was only one person working the flight. Not really sure what the issue was. Anyone else?
No pre-departure drink, which I don't think I've seen on the East side in about a year. FA was very nice and professional however.
Snack basket - first time I've seen "chewy" bars in there. Perhaps this is Tempe's answer to our pleas for something remotely breakfast related?
And I found a candidate for the plane in most desperate need of a repaint. A 737 at the gate next to us in MCO looked like an AA jet because so much paint had peeled off of it. It literally looked like it should be doing a Baghdad - Beirut shuttle route. Grand branding for the company. ^
Apr 12, 2007, 9:23 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2007
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And I found a candidate for the plane in most desperate need of a repaint. A 737 at the gate next to us in MCO looked like an AA jet because so much paint had peeled off of it. It literally looked like it should be doing a Baghdad - Beirut shuttle route. Grand branding for the company. ^
Apr 12, 2007, 9:27 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
According to the investor guidance issued last Friday, 5 737's are going back to the leasor's by the end of the year. Wonder if that was one of them.
Jim
Jim
Apr 12, 2007, 9:34 am
#4
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: UA, AA
Posts: 1,821
I think I saw that plane at PIT on Tuesday.
The addition of the Quaker bars is nice.
The addition of the Quaker bars is nice.
Apr 12, 2007, 10:46 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The views I express here are not necessarily supported by any airline or codeshare partners, nor do I represent their views and/or opinions. They are my own OPINIONS dont like them dont read them.....
Posts: 1,615
HPN - PHL on the Dash. Got the "short duration = no service" speech from the FA which is understandable. But then it was followed by a 5 minute credit card pitch in which she made a lot of claims that were less than true. i.e. "Dividend Miles never expire", "no black-out dates on the $99 companion cert., good anywhere in the US, Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada", "board the aircraft with first-class customers by waving the card" and that was only the tip of the iceburgh. I thought about pointing this out to her, that she was unwilling doing a bait and switch but after she berated a pax for getting up to use the lav I decided against it. I pick and choose my battles and I definitely didn't want to pick one with her.
^
^
While I can't speak for ALL your concerns, I can address the following:
Short Bev flights...No serve or request only flights are a part of parameters the company put out to be consistant. It has nothing to do with cash cow. The 2 minute (or should be) announcement and 2 minute walk thru the cabin is optional and is not tied into the bev service one way or the other.
Cash Cow...Call her/him on the false info. The company has written memo after memo about false info and has printed too many info pages on what to say and what NOT to say. If she berates YOU, write her up as shen sounds like a potential power hungry person. Her actions will only hurt it for all.
Berating customers... There is a right way and wrong way to tell people about the seatbelt sign being on. I kindly remind them and unless we are in bad turbulence am ALWAYS professional. Since missy was able to pimp the credit card, I doubt bad turbulence was the case.
Predeparture bev...Unless insanely late or not yet being catered, ALL flights provide predeparture. Again, call the f/a out on it. If you get an attitude, write a letter. If you guys just keep quiet and complain here, nothing will change.
Sink of Mystery... Many times these clubs are staffed by females and unless this problem is reported to one of the Club agents, there is no way of knowing...much like when customers dont tell the f/as a light bulb is burnt out. Why a cleaner wouldn't notice is beyond me.
Battered 737? Gotta a camera? This one is just plain unacceptable!!!
Hope I helped some.
Apr 12, 2007, 1:44 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: London, UK
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When I was in NAS a few weeks ago, I noticed that both "black-op" 737s had paint peeling from around the *A logo to halfway back on the cabin. It looked frightful, but amusing in some sense. The FA did tell me that those planes would be gone before long.
Apr 12, 2007, 6:02 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K, Avis President; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 495
The sink in the US Club has a sensor, just wave under it and it will work (Sometimes)
Apr 12, 2007, 8:38 pm
#9
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Washington, D.C. & Westchester County, N.Y.
Programs: US CP, *A Gold, Intercontinental Plat. Elite, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 169
Also, inside is bad! HPN used to have two X'rays/Metal Detectors - they added a third by doing this awful re-configuration, which backs up the entire line. They also put US/UA check-in in this weird spot, giving B6 a better desk spot. Now with B6, the airport can't handle that type of traffic. I can't wait to see what it is like on the Sunday after Thanksgiving! Also, with NetJets, Citicorp Flight Ops, IBM Flight Ops, GE Flight Ops, etc., I am sometimes hearing lately "We are #14 for takeoff. HPN is the new LGA! This is just bad.
Apr 14, 2007, 9:54 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: US-CP, UA, Marriott Rewards, HHonors, Avis,
Posts: 4,549
Sensor-sinks everywhere-- not just in the Clubs-- don't sense you right if you are wearing mostly or all black. I wear all black a lot--- it is great for travel, everything matches, easy to dress it up, etc etc--- and often find myself doing the Sink Dance to get water. Some are more sensitive (or maybe less sensitive?) than others and I occasionally have to stand in front of Sink #1 but wave hands under Sink #2 and wash hands diagonally. Maybe that is what's up with the Sink of Mystery?
Apr 14, 2007, 10:16 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: USA
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Posts: 1,650
. . . Predeparture bev...Unless insanely late or not yet being catered, ALL flights provide predeparture. Again, call the f/a out on it. If you get an attitude, write a letter. If you guys just keep quiet and complain here, nothing will change . . .
Flight62,
Thanks for this and other insights. It's useful to know what is and what is suppossed to be.
I agree that it's incumbant upon the pax to let CA what's going on. Given all of the issues and shakey transitions these past several months, I've taken to sending CA an e-mail efter each flight to give my impression of how things went. Lately the Fates & Furies have been kind to my wife and I so we've been able to give mostly praise which is as important as criticism.
I think that the most important thing elites can do at the moment is to give clear feedback so that Tempe can't say they didn't know what was going on.
Barry
Flight62,
Thanks for this and other insights. It's useful to know what is and what is suppossed to be.
I agree that it's incumbant upon the pax to let CA what's going on. Given all of the issues and shakey transitions these past several months, I've taken to sending CA an e-mail efter each flight to give my impression of how things went. Lately the Fates & Furies have been kind to my wife and I so we've been able to give mostly praise which is as important as criticism.
I think that the most important thing elites can do at the moment is to give clear feedback so that Tempe can't say they didn't know what was going on.
Barry
Apr 14, 2007, 11:53 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Westfield, NY (BUF)
Programs: USAirways, SPG gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 451
Another point you may be able to shed some light on...
Hubby & I volunteered to take a bump on a marginally oversold flight. We were asked to wait and board last if not needed. When we did board, we discovered that our exit row seats had been given to other people. The FA said something about being standby and we said no, we have assigned seats, we were volunteers. She refused to give us our seats and put us in the last 2 single seats on the plane. Does volunteering mean surrendering your seat assignment automatically, regardless of a VDB?
Don't know if her offer of a "comp" glass of wine was sparked because she had time to look at the manifest and saw a preferred customer, or because she was aware that she wasn't pleasant about the incident.
Eileen