On my most recent round-trip, just before Christmas, all 4 out of 4 flights mainly consisted of reserve crew (I found this out through my typical chit-chat with FAs on these flights)...Understandably, people with seniority tend to take more time off this time of year.

While the crews were definitely friendy, the service was less than stellar, I think mainly due to lack of experience...

One flight in F on a 757, the FA did meal choice by status. I was in row 3, and was approached LAST (of course all that was left was exactly what I didn't want). Seemed odd, so I got a glimpse of the manifest--I'm a PE, and of the 24 pax, there were 3 other PE's and 1 1K, all others were Premiers or general MP members...Guess she didn't know how to read the manifest.

On my other long flight, same 757, people were moving by the masses from Y to the F restroom, with nothing more than a glimpse from the FA...I really have no problem with Y people using the F restroom (I'm not some eliteist who thinks people flying in Y don't deserve to 'experience' an F restroom--I've snuck up to the F restroom on a 737 from Y row 3 before), but at one point I counted 5 people up from Y waiting in line for the F restroom, at a time when I really needed to use it. I politely asked the FA if the Y restrooms were out, and she said she didn't notice the people coming up...Another sign of limited experience.

There were a few other minor instances, and none of the aboves were all that terrible.

Anyone else notice large numbers of reserve crews on their flights this time of year?