Enhanced TCON Service Trial
Nov 23, 2017, 7:29 am
#16
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: TK *G
Posts: 3,099
I am glad that AC is trying, and I know it's better to make a comment after I have tried it, but I will say it anyway.
I would prefer things like one extra FA, better cleaning, good quality food, etc, over fancy glassware for PDB, ceramic salt shakers, amenity kits, etc.
One huge problem is that the meal service takes too long to finish, I suppose that's due to lack of FAs and/or galley space. Please correct me if I am wrong. Yet AC decided to plate the main onboard to make it slower. I don't really care if the main is plated onboard or not, but I would be more than happy if AC can bring the meal quality back to 2010 era.
It's interesting that AC has made many visible improvement over the years, such as new J seats, new IFE, Hawksworth dishes, yet secretly cut back in invisible areas such as FA/pax ratio, cleanness, food quality, etc. That's how AC is set apart from BR, NH, SQ IMO.
I would prefer things like one extra FA, better cleaning, good quality food, etc, over fancy glassware for PDB, ceramic salt shakers, amenity kits, etc.
One huge problem is that the meal service takes too long to finish, I suppose that's due to lack of FAs and/or galley space. Please correct me if I am wrong. Yet AC decided to plate the main onboard to make it slower. I don't really care if the main is plated onboard or not, but I would be more than happy if AC can bring the meal quality back to 2010 era.
It's interesting that AC has made many visible improvement over the years, such as new J seats, new IFE, Hawksworth dishes, yet secretly cut back in invisible areas such as FA/pax ratio, cleanness, food quality, etc. That's how AC is set apart from BR, NH, SQ IMO.
Nov 23, 2017, 7:36 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: sqrt(-united states of apologist)
Programs: *$ Green
Posts: 5,403
+1
Nov 23, 2017, 7:51 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 12,068
On AC 109 next Friday. Will be interested to see if this new test service will be available .
Nov 23, 2017, 8:02 am
#19
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
As for comparing with Asian carriers, AC just may have a fighting chance on that front. Airlines like NH do not provide this kind of service on their domestic routes. The personnel is better, but everything is inferior (including the lounges), and NH is a 5* Skytrax rated airline. (Before I get flammed, no, AC still cannot compete on international service.)
NH has several versions of their 787, some with all-aisle access layflat, some with 2-2-2 recliners as described above. NH might have rectified the YVR-HND situation since then because when I asked them what's up with that seat they said they were supposed to change the aircraft for that route "in the future". Looking at Google Flights it seems NH still uses the 787 version that has the recliners, and a quick look at NH's website confirms the 2-2-2 layout as well for sample dates.
To be honest, until NH fixes this situation, I will book AC J no matter how cheap the NH J flight is, because it simply cannot be compared to AC J due to the seat.
So perhaps it's not SparseFlyer who is going to get flamed, it's me
Nov 23, 2017, 8:30 am
#21
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: I'm From Here
Programs: AC*SE & MM/*Wood Gold/HHonors Diamond/Marriott Silver/AirMiles Gold
Posts: 4,567
Nice report. Thanks for taking the time.
IMHO, serving elites and disregarding other paid J passengers is a huge "faux pas". It only happened once to me, but it's REALLY weird. Everyone around you gets meal and beverage requests, and you are just there looking at the ceiling. It really makes you wonder what you paid for.
But it's nice to see a J like experience on TCONs. I wouldn't read into the service times too much though. With an OSM and new procedures, it's bound to go slow/weird.
As for comparing with Asian carriers, AC just may have a fighting chance on that front. Airlines like NH do not provide this kind of service on their domestic routes. The personnel is better, but everything is inferior (including the lounges), and NH is a 5* Skytrax rated airline. (Before I get flammed, no, AC still cannot compete on international service.)
IMHO, serving elites and disregarding other paid J passengers is a huge "faux pas". It only happened once to me, but it's REALLY weird. Everyone around you gets meal and beverage requests, and you are just there looking at the ceiling. It really makes you wonder what you paid for.
But it's nice to see a J like experience on TCONs. I wouldn't read into the service times too much though. With an OSM and new procedures, it's bound to go slow/weird.
As for comparing with Asian carriers, AC just may have a fighting chance on that front. Airlines like NH do not provide this kind of service on their domestic routes. The personnel is better, but everything is inferior (including the lounges), and NH is a 5* Skytrax rated airline. (Before I get flammed, no, AC still cannot compete on international service.)
Nov 23, 2017, 8:30 am
#22
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: I'm From Here
Programs: AC*SE & MM/*Wood Gold/HHonors Diamond/Marriott Silver/AirMiles Gold
Posts: 4,567
Oh yes...please a new omelette !
Nov 23, 2017, 8:37 am
#23
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Mississauga Ontario
Posts: 4,098
In the airline business, things go from great to worse to great and back to worse again and then to great. Revisit this thread in a few years when a recession hits and Transcend service is one of the first cutbacks...
But awesome to see though.
Nov 23, 2017, 8:59 am
#24
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: AC SE, SPG Lifetime Plat, ACMM
Posts: 3,535
She will probably get good service when she travels with you..like Mrs.ac777 does when she is with me on the flight (E50k)but when she travels on award ticket in J she gets totally ignored...NRT-YYC last year the FAs did not even give her any coffee in the am claiming lapses in memory, on YYC-FRA a few days ago, they took her breakfast order, she had to ask for it in the am as they conveniently missed her and then was told it was not available. There us no way FAs knew she was on an awards ticket and that should not make any difference whatsoever
Nov 23, 2017, 9:16 am
#25
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: AC SE100k, Marriott Titanium, UA Silver
Posts: 2,648
NNNooooo! Please dont change the omelette!!! LOL
Before there were many Asia flights direct from YYZ, most of them departed ex YVR... And they used to serve the omelette on YOW-YYZ flight.... i would always get an omelette on that flight , then get another one on the YYZ-YVR flight as well. Yum!!
Before there were many Asia flights direct from YYZ, most of them departed ex YVR... And they used to serve the omelette on YOW-YYZ flight.... i would always get an omelette on that flight , then get another one on the YYZ-YVR flight as well. Yum!!
Nov 23, 2017, 9:27 am
#26
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: I'm From Here
Programs: AC*SE & MM/*Wood Gold/HHonors Diamond/Marriott Silver/AirMiles Gold
Posts: 4,567
Nov 23, 2017, 9:57 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: FOTSG Tangerine Ex E35k (AC)
Posts: 5,612
Well in my vast FOTSG TCON a year I found I got no PDB, no amenity kit, and not even a bottle of water. I assumed the latter two were enhancements and the first was down to ACs standard hit and miss approach (it was before PDBs were apparently outlawed).
Can we quantify were just SE getting priority or all E+? Meal selection first is one thing, actual service first seems flawed and would possibly slow down overall service, not to mention irritating paid J Tangerines.
Can we quantify were just SE getting priority or all E+? Meal selection first is one thing, actual service first seems flawed and would possibly slow down overall service, not to mention irritating paid J Tangerines.
Nov 23, 2017, 9:58 am
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 12,068
She will probably get good service when she travels with you..like Mrs.ac777 does when she is with me on the flight (E50k)but when she travels on award ticket in J she gets totally ignored...NRT-YYC last year the FAs did not even give her any coffee in the am claiming lapses in memory, on YYC-FRA a few days ago, they took her breakfast order, she had to ask for it in the am as they conveniently missed her and then was told it was not available. There us no way FAs knew she was on an awards ticket and that should not make any difference whatsoever
I am now asking FAs to give my choice to Mrs.acysb87 and come back to me later
Nov 23, 2017, 10:14 am
#29
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: TK *G
Posts: 3,099
Well I certainly would not flame you, in fact I would note that the last time I flew YVR-HND on NH, not only did I not get a lie-flat seat in J, but it was not even an angle-flat seat either, it was a recliner seat! In 2-2-2 layout to boot. So compare that with AC's layout with all J seats with aisle access for a 10+ hour flight, all I can say is wow NH, wow. I walked in that NH flight thinking "AC cannot compete" and came out thinking "at least on AC I can sleep". I am not aware of any 5* airline which has recliner seats for 10+ hour flights nowadays, but I might be wrong.
NH has several versions of their 787, some with all-aisle access layflat, some with 2-2-2 recliners as described above. NH might have rectified the YVR-HND situation since then because when I asked them what's up with that seat they said they were supposed to change the aircraft for that route "in the future". Looking at Google Flights it seems NH still uses the 787 version that has the recliners, and a quick look at NH's website confirms the 2-2-2 layout as well for sample dates.
To be honest, until NH fixes this situation, I will book AC J no matter how cheap the NH J flight is, because it simply cannot be compared to AC J due to the seat.
So perhaps it's not SparseFlyer who is going to get flamed, it's me
NH has several versions of their 787, some with all-aisle access layflat, some with 2-2-2 recliners as described above. NH might have rectified the YVR-HND situation since then because when I asked them what's up with that seat they said they were supposed to change the aircraft for that route "in the future". Looking at Google Flights it seems NH still uses the 787 version that has the recliners, and a quick look at NH's website confirms the 2-2-2 layout as well for sample dates.
To be honest, until NH fixes this situation, I will book AC J no matter how cheap the NH J flight is, because it simply cannot be compared to AC J due to the seat.
So perhaps it's not SparseFlyer who is going to get flamed, it's me
However I will book YYZ-ORD-NRT on NH over YYZ-YVR-NRT on AC every time.
Nov 23, 2017, 10:30 am
#30
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AC E35K, NEXUS
Posts: 4,368