Worst service: food on AC business
Jun 6, 2004, 1:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: UAL, NWA, AA
Posts: 181
Worst service: food on AC business
Our family of 3 flies more than 500k total p.a., on various airlines.
The most bizare lack of service happened recently on AC.
Usualy the bad service is towards economy passengers, this time it was business.
On a long-haul flight husband asked to have the lobster. Answer was "no more". Half hour later he passed the galley, and saw the paid-to-attend women to eat ... lobster.
While the full paying business customers had to put up with economy-quality food. My husband was not the only one forced to eat beef. I think all on the last rows were treated that way.
I doubt AC will ever recover financially if attendands continue that way.
The most bizare lack of service happened recently on AC.
Usualy the bad service is towards economy passengers, this time it was business.
On a long-haul flight husband asked to have the lobster. Answer was "no more". Half hour later he passed the galley, and saw the paid-to-attend women to eat ... lobster.
While the full paying business customers had to put up with economy-quality food. My husband was not the only one forced to eat beef. I think all on the last rows were treated that way.
I doubt AC will ever recover financially if attendands continue that way.
Jun 6, 2004, 8:50 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: winnipeg
Posts: 12
I doubt AC will ever recover financially if attendands continue that way.[/QUOTE]
Please note that crew meals are often, but not always, similar to business meals on a long haul. Because the FAs are not allowed to eat until the first service is completed, the meals are not heated until 30 mins or so before they eat.
The meals are in a back stowage and have foil on them. At times, when there is enough time for FAs to check meals before a flight, (there often is not time for more then a passenger meal choice count) the crew may see there is a meal like Business and offer it as a choice. It would then have to be heated and the passenger waits. Please note this is not a requirement, but a courtesy. (And I did it as often as I could, and encouraged my crews)
Although it is entirely possible you got the one FA in 1,000 who might be mean enough to what you said, please know that FAs desire to please passengers, not to tick them off. (she/he certainly should have eaten elsewhere, regardless.)
Please note that crew meals are often, but not always, similar to business meals on a long haul. Because the FAs are not allowed to eat until the first service is completed, the meals are not heated until 30 mins or so before they eat.
The meals are in a back stowage and have foil on them. At times, when there is enough time for FAs to check meals before a flight, (there often is not time for more then a passenger meal choice count) the crew may see there is a meal like Business and offer it as a choice. It would then have to be heated and the passenger waits. Please note this is not a requirement, but a courtesy. (And I did it as often as I could, and encouraged my crews)
Although it is entirely possible you got the one FA in 1,000 who might be mean enough to what you said, please know that FAs desire to please passengers, not to tick them off. (she/he certainly should have eaten elsewhere, regardless.)
Jun 6, 2004, 9:18 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2000
Programs: AA Platinum 1MM, AC SE*100k, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,353
shame on the crew
pi4er,
I would send Air Canada a complaint letter... totally unacceptable for the crew.. I would have confronted the crew and written down their names
I would send Air Canada a complaint letter... totally unacceptable for the crew.. I would have confronted the crew and written down their names
Jun 6, 2004, 2:51 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Well, whatever the reason is, this is definitely not good for perception... and perception is the kicker beyond anything else.
Jun 6, 2004, 4:29 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: YXU, ON Canada
Programs: AC LT E50K; AC*MM; SPG LT Gold
Posts: 4,665
As adamadam4 says (Welcome, BTW. I assume you're an AC employee), sometimes the FAs don't know what is in their meals until later. While this may be a perception issue, it may not reflect the true situation at all. Rather than ranting about what you thought the situation was, you could have resoloved it by asking politely how come the flight crew were getting what looked like a J meal they said wasn't available. If it was as adamadam4 said, you'd get an explanation. If not, you'd have the satisfaction of embarrasing someone who was breaking the rules, and the grounds for making a complaint. With few exceptions, the flight crews are doing a very good job these days, and in some cases a great one.
Jun 6, 2004, 5:05 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 8,005
While were complaining about J meals.
I recently flew YHZ-YYZ scheduled 17:00-18:21 and
YYZ-YVR scheduled 19:55-21:50.
Both these flights are not considered hot meal times. The first flight was an hour late. No big deal. My beef, or lack thereof, is that there isn't alot of food between these two flights. The 5 hour transcon had a very hard bun and cold plate. Not even desert
If the first flight was on time I could have bulked up in the lounge and been relatively content.
I recently flew YHZ-YYZ scheduled 17:00-18:21 and
YYZ-YVR scheduled 19:55-21:50.
Both these flights are not considered hot meal times. The first flight was an hour late. No big deal. My beef, or lack thereof, is that there isn't alot of food between these two flights. The 5 hour transcon had a very hard bun and cold plate. Not even desert
If the first flight was on time I could have bulked up in the lounge and been relatively content.
Jun 6, 2004, 5:11 pm
#7
Company Representative - Air Canada
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Canada
Posts: 24,215
Originally Posted by tracon
The 5 hour transcon had a very hard bun and cold plate.
Jun 6, 2004, 5:17 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K MM * DL MM * HH Diamond * Marriott Lifetime Titanium * Queen's '92
Posts: 5,950
Dessert is often hard to come by on non-transcon NA flights. Oftentimes it's either those hydrogenation friendly Lindt chocolates, or a solitary chocolate dipped strawberry 
No complaints on the cookies, though ^
I do seem to remember when I first flew CP that they would have a basket of muffins and whatnot in J in case anyone got peckish. Sure beats cashews and sesame mix all the time
No complaints on the cookies, though ^
I do seem to remember when I first flew CP that they would have a basket of muffins and whatnot in J in case anyone got peckish. Sure beats cashews and sesame mix all the time
Jun 6, 2004, 5:22 pm
#9
Company Representative - Air Canada
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Canada
Posts: 24,215
Originally Posted by Simon
a solitary chocolate dipped strawberry
Jun 6, 2004, 5:26 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E50K MM * DL MM * HH Diamond * Marriott Lifetime Titanium * Queen's '92
Posts: 5,950
I just remember my first ever flight in AC J, and this was short haul, I had a great, great, great apple crumble type thing with caramel sauce drizzled over it. Little has compared since within NA
Jun 6, 2004, 5:26 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: YYZ at this time
Programs: ACMM / Altitude S100K / HH Diamond
Posts: 6,285
Originally Posted by Empress
Yes, for some reason they think cold plate = cold buns too. The least they could have done was heat up the buns like all other meals!!
Jun 6, 2004, 8:21 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson; Avis PC
Posts: 35,255
Originally Posted by Academic
As adamadam4 says (Welcome, BTW. I assume you're an AC employee), sometimes the FAs don't know what is in their meals until later. While this may be a perception issue, it may not reflect the true situation at all. Rather than ranting about what you thought the situation was, you could have resoloved it by asking politely how come the flight crew were getting what looked like a J meal they said wasn't available. If it was as adamadam4 said, you'd get an explanation. If not, you'd have the satisfaction of embarrasing someone who was breaking the rules, and the grounds for making a complaint. With few exceptions, the flight crews are doing a very good job these days, and in some cases a great one.
Jun 6, 2004, 9:02 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: YYZ
Programs: A3&O6 Gold,IC AMB & HH Diamond
Posts: 14,132
Originally Posted by pi4er
Our family of 3 flies more than 500k total p.a., on various airlines.
The most bizare lack of service happened recently on AC.
Usualy the bad service is towards economy passengers, this time it was business.
On a long-haul flight husband asked to have the lobster. Answer was "no more". Half hour later he passed the galley, and saw the paid-to-attend women to eat ... lobster.
While the full paying business customers had to put up with economy-quality food. My husband was not the only one forced to eat beef. I think all on the last rows were treated that way.
I doubt AC will ever recover financially if attendands continue that way.
The most bizare lack of service happened recently on AC.
Usualy the bad service is towards economy passengers, this time it was business.
On a long-haul flight husband asked to have the lobster. Answer was "no more". Half hour later he passed the galley, and saw the paid-to-attend women to eat ... lobster.
While the full paying business customers had to put up with economy-quality food. My husband was not the only one forced to eat beef. I think all on the last rows were treated that way.
I doubt AC will ever recover financially if attendands continue that way.
Jun 6, 2004, 9:12 pm
#14
At Large
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: oakville Ontario canada;AC*SE
Posts: 16,985
I have been on several long haul international flts this year and the service was great on every flt...in J of course. There was always plenty of choices(being SE helps there) and always fresh food available in the galley if one wanted a snack when they were not coming around.
Of course I will hit a bad flt one day but then again I hit bad traffic some days and some days other things do not go as planned..such is life.
Of course I will hit a bad flt one day but then again I hit bad traffic some days and some days other things do not go as planned..such is life.
Jun 7, 2004, 12:39 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: UAL, NWA, AA
Posts: 181
I could not say that their service was perfect. Still, AC are not on my "worst economy" service - BA (ground London) and LH (crew) jointly hold the palm there. Just that this AC case was "bizare", out of repetition with anything else good or bad witnessed before, and easily preventable (I think Asian crews check their own meals if they notice a business passenger lacks his choice - since they always check three times before "no"), and this was business class.
I said we travel way too much. My 4yr old kid probably has million miles on record. We are way too used to flying in Asia - not only Asian airlines, but UAL and NWA till Narita match that too. Maybe that explains my sensitivity, too.
Putting myself and the kid usualy in economy, I have seen satisfying special meal requests with bringing me food from business (kid wants apple, I want chocolate) - on any in-Asia airline tried.. If the lobster mishandling happened on Asian airline the first crew reaction would've been to go to the "mistreated" business passenger - or at least to the ones that passed by the galley during crew meal time - and to offer them second meal of lobster - if they still have the stomach, that way crew still "keep face". I mentioned earlier that I think crew are instructed to check their meals and not say "no" before that but I can't be sure. On SQ I've witnessed immediate handling of a dicsount voucher immediatelly after noticing a small "lack of X" in business class.
I actually posted here after reading thread on "food on UAL business" (where I have most of my airmiles). I quote PUNKI posted today in that thread:
"""We did have one flight recently, however, where they (UAL) only boarded 6 meals for 12 people. Go figure. The flight attendants were furious with the caterers. Both the pilot and co-pilot gave up their meals and I got a free BOB meal, which was actually my first choice anyway. Because of this and a couple of other inconveniences associated with this adventure, we also both received a $100.00""""
Perception matters.
I said we travel way too much. My 4yr old kid probably has million miles on record. We are way too used to flying in Asia - not only Asian airlines, but UAL and NWA till Narita match that too. Maybe that explains my sensitivity, too.
Putting myself and the kid usualy in economy, I have seen satisfying special meal requests with bringing me food from business (kid wants apple, I want chocolate) - on any in-Asia airline tried.. If the lobster mishandling happened on Asian airline the first crew reaction would've been to go to the "mistreated" business passenger - or at least to the ones that passed by the galley during crew meal time - and to offer them second meal of lobster - if they still have the stomach, that way crew still "keep face". I mentioned earlier that I think crew are instructed to check their meals and not say "no" before that but I can't be sure. On SQ I've witnessed immediate handling of a dicsount voucher immediatelly after noticing a small "lack of X" in business class.
I actually posted here after reading thread on "food on UAL business" (where I have most of my airmiles). I quote PUNKI posted today in that thread:
"""We did have one flight recently, however, where they (UAL) only boarded 6 meals for 12 people. Go figure. The flight attendants were furious with the caterers. Both the pilot and co-pilot gave up their meals and I got a free BOB meal, which was actually my first choice anyway. Because of this and a couple of other inconveniences associated with this adventure, we also both received a $100.00""""
Perception matters.
Last edited by pi4er; Jun 7, 2004 at 2:58 am