Offers of a Pre-Departure Beverage (PDB) [2019 and Earlier]
Jan 28, 2019, 10:09 am
#226
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Programs: AS MVPG75k
Posts: 330
Agree with all points. Multiple things going on here.
Jan 28, 2019, 10:13 am
#227
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,957
This is what I'm realizing is a contributing factor. Many of the veteran pmVX crews have left and new hires have replaced them. The Airbus and Boeing crews are still, as of this date, kept separate and not yet allowed to merge or swap flights. As of December, all FAs have been trained on both types of aircraft, so perhaps soon they will be allowed to intermix, but no word on when that will be. This means 100% of the replacements for departed VX crews are newly trained hires.
Most of the flights I've had without any PDB are with FAs I didn't recognize. On two occasions since August, I learned from friendly convos with the FA that they were new, post-merger hires. That means their stance on zero PDB comes from their relatively recent Alaska training.
This past Friday, I had one of the veteran pmVX crews on LAX-SFO and they enthusiastically served full PDB (including mixed cocktails). This crew has been around for years and I recall flying with them last summer.
I think Eastbay1k is right that at least part of the problem is coming from the new hires that were trained in the last year. They never served full PDB in the past and now see it is a nuisance.
Most of the flights I've had without any PDB are with FAs I didn't recognize. On two occasions since August, I learned from friendly convos with the FA that they were new, post-merger hires. That means their stance on zero PDB comes from their relatively recent Alaska training.
This past Friday, I had one of the veteran pmVX crews on LAX-SFO and they enthusiastically served full PDB (including mixed cocktails). This crew has been around for years and I recall flying with them last summer.
I think Eastbay1k is right that at least part of the problem is coming from the new hires that were trained in the last year. They never served full PDB in the past and now see it is a nuisance.
Jan 28, 2019, 12:18 pm
#229
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I don't doubt this. There are bitter employees any time there's an acquisition -- I've been through enough of them to know this. It's not all about the paycheck... in fact employee happiness doesn't really change as much as people think as pay changes. Company culture is far more important. "Bitter" may not even be the right word here. You choose to work for a company (in part) because they do things a certain way. Then all of a sudden things change from A to B. It's not about whether A is better than B -- but you prefer A. If you preferred B you would have been working for a company that did things that way in the first place.
But I doubt that the lack of PDB service is some sort of passive aggressive revolt. It's completely ineffective... probably, 90% of passengers don't know what they are supposed to be getting anyway. It would also require coordination to happen at scale... and I don't think that FAs are huddling together in the break room whispering about how they hate AS and so their grand plan is that they are going to.... stop serving PDBs? That'll show em?
But I doubt that the lack of PDB service is some sort of passive aggressive revolt. It's completely ineffective... probably, 90% of passengers don't know what they are supposed to be getting anyway. It would also require coordination to happen at scale... and I don't think that FAs are huddling together in the break room whispering about how they hate AS and so their grand plan is that they are going to.... stop serving PDBs? That'll show em?
Jan 28, 2019, 3:43 pm
#230
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Kirkland, WA, USA
Programs: Marriott Gold; LEGO VIP, Amex Platinum, HHonors Gold
Posts: 563
AS 853: SEA-HNL, Jan 21
No water at seats. Water was handed out during boarding, but no other PDB offered.
Jan 28, 2019, 3:47 pm
#231
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Kirkland, WA, USA
Programs: Marriott Gold; LEGO VIP, Amex Platinum, HHonors Gold
Posts: 563
AS 852: HNL-SEA, Jan 27
Water at seats, no other PDB offered. It was really busy during boarding, and the flight was full and people were slow to sit down. PDB here would likely have delayed us a bit, but we did leave a few minutes late anyway
Jan 28, 2019, 4:06 pm
#232
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I assume, not airbus? (flight number < 1000? I know that that's not 100% any more, but it's still a pretty good indicator)
Also, I thought that those fruity mimosa things were "Alaska's thing" for Hawaii flights.
Jan 28, 2019, 4:32 pm
#233
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,644
Yes, that was. Suddenly at some point last year, it started to interfere with boarding. I was at nearly 100% to/from Hawaii for years, until a trip late last year. And then, tragically, I think Mr. Pog and Ms. Cheap Bubbles had an argument in the galley, causing the FAs to yack away while not even making eye contact with passengers while boarding, based upon my sample size of 1 Hawaii trip late last year.
Jan 28, 2019, 5:12 pm
#234
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Kirkland, WA, USA
Programs: Marriott Gold; LEGO VIP, Amex Platinum, HHonors Gold
Posts: 563
The POG Mimosa was available for the SEA-HNL leg, but not offered as PDB. Mr Pog and Ms Cheap Bubbles do complement each other - taking away the nasty bits of each other to make something that isn't terrible.
853 departs at 7am, and that's a bit too early for something that isn't coffee with Baileys. Sadly, also not offered.
853 departs at 7am, and that's a bit too early for something that isn't coffee with Baileys. Sadly, also not offered.
Jan 28, 2019, 5:14 pm
#235
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 621
I got upgraded to first class on SEA-YVR on Friday and the PDBs offered included champagne. I didn't hear the entire conversation, unfortunately, but from the pieces I did hear, I overheard what sounded like confusion on the part of one of the flight attendants over whether such a short flight has champagne as a PDB, and I did hear the snippet "someone lied to you" (or it was possibly "that person lied to you"—but definitely "lied to you"). So piecing it together it sounds like there's still at least some internal confusion about this.
Jan 28, 2019, 5:43 pm
#236
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
I flew JFK-PHX on 10/26, 7:30 am departure. Tray came around offering coffee, orange juice or champagne. I thought that was interesting since it was prior to 10:00 am.
James
James
Jan 28, 2019, 7:35 pm
#237
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AS, AA, BA, SQ
Posts: 164
AA 1487 leaves at 0630. I'm honestly surprised a L-AA crew offered a PDB, much less at that hour. I'd consider myself lucky.
Jan 28, 2019, 11:25 pm
#238
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
Really haven't been having luck with this- on 4 segments last week didn't get a PDB.
One segment I got my dasani water midway through the flight; apparently catering was late.
One segment I got my dasani water midway through the flight; apparently catering was late.
Jan 29, 2019, 12:51 am
#239
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,361
No catering = no PDB.
Jan 29, 2019, 7:03 pm
#240
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS
Posts: 2,293
Today LAX/SEA. Fly#1178. 1:30pm
LAX Based Crew
Water at seat.
FA, Zac, offered PDB when main boarding started. I mentioned to him he gets a Gold Star for offering PDB's. He smiled and asked if I was on Flyertalk!! I nodded and asked if he was VXCabinCrew. He said no, has not met that person yet. He recently came over from United. He says he regularly checks our Flyertalk Forum but has not contributed yet. Pleasant Fellow.
He was great with service and keeping everyones drinks replenished.
Interesting item happened during the AS Visa announcement. FA announces over system the usual AS Visa card details, but at the end of the list of perks was WAIVED CHANGE FEES. My eyes went big and went to rear galley to ask if she read from a script. Her answer was yes. I said, "THIS IS A BIG DEAL". Both FA's assured me this was what they were told.
Now.....I do not believe it...cannot find anything in T and C to confirm this. Not sure where the confusion comes from.....would be nice if they decide to include this.
LAX Based Crew
Water at seat.
FA, Zac, offered PDB when main boarding started. I mentioned to him he gets a Gold Star for offering PDB's. He smiled and asked if I was on Flyertalk!! I nodded and asked if he was VXCabinCrew. He said no, has not met that person yet. He recently came over from United. He says he regularly checks our Flyertalk Forum but has not contributed yet. Pleasant Fellow.
He was great with service and keeping everyones drinks replenished.
Interesting item happened during the AS Visa announcement. FA announces over system the usual AS Visa card details, but at the end of the list of perks was WAIVED CHANGE FEES. My eyes went big and went to rear galley to ask if she read from a script. Her answer was yes. I said, "THIS IS A BIG DEAL". Both FA's assured me this was what they were told.
Now.....I do not believe it...cannot find anything in T and C to confirm this. Not sure where the confusion comes from.....would be nice if they decide to include this.