AS service reductions. Mediocrity by a thousand cuts.
Jul 17, 2019, 11:10 am
#16
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 1,445
Wonder how much of this is actually AS policy/service reduction vs flight attendants wanting to keep service simple for themselves or a catering issue. What was the route/flight duration? I could see if it is really short and they were limited somewhat in service time further due to turbulence that they may elect to offer a more limited service vs none at all, but that wouldn't explain the flight attendant's explanation. Perhaps they were uninformed or wanted to blame policy vs their own decision.
Jul 17, 2019, 1:23 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,718
Jul 17, 2019, 5:02 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS
Posts: 2,293
We fly SEA/LAX 12 times a year. Last few times, dramatic change in FA attitude. Of course, the no PDB. When chatting later with FA, they indicated that they are told to no longer offer it to F passengers. OK but, that does not explain the attitude toward passengers while boarding. They huddle in front, talking among themselves. No interest in boarding passengers. Last trip, passenger in Row 6 , was calling for assistance. I was in row 2 and went up and asked if they could assist the passenger in row 6. They looked toward 6 , rolled their eyes and shrugged their shoulders. They were not interested in helping. A couple of men went back and assisted women in row 6 with bag.
My reaction, WOW. Pretty bad. LAX based crew and they could have cared less. Quality of food offerings has also declined. Protein plate size is half of what it was last year.
I am sure we will end up with just snack basket soon.
My reaction, WOW. Pretty bad. LAX based crew and they could have cared less. Quality of food offerings has also declined. Protein plate size is half of what it was last year.
I am sure we will end up with just snack basket soon.
Jul 17, 2019, 6:17 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: sometimes, strangely, I find myself at home
Programs: I need to do better in managing my affiliations. Oops, I overshot the runway for status next year.
Posts: 649
Jul 17, 2019, 9:34 pm
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: sometimes, strangely, I find myself at home
Programs: I need to do better in managing my affiliations. Oops, I overshot the runway for status next year.
Posts: 649
Jul 17, 2019, 10:04 pm
#23
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,953
At least some of the time, it's the latter. Speaking of short mainline flights, my wife and I were on SEA-YVR in F a few months ago. On the way up there were about six people in the cabin and the FA claimed the short duration of the trip meant no service at all, and sat out of sight reading her magazine. On the way back, same a/c, different FA, full cabin, and we had PDBs and full drink service. Weather fine on both sectors. That seems to me to be purely an FA opting not to execute to a service standard.
Jul 17, 2019, 10:05 pm
#24
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 5,953
We fly SEA/LAX 12 times a year. Last few times, dramatic change in FA attitude. Of course, the no PDB. When chatting later with FA, they indicated that they are told to no longer offer it to F passengers. OK but, that does not explain the attitude toward passengers while boarding. They huddle in front, talking among themselves. No interest in boarding passengers. Last trip, passenger in Row 6 , was calling for assistance. I was in row 2 and went up and asked if they could assist the passenger in row 6. They looked toward 6 , rolled their eyes and shrugged their shoulders. They were not interested in helping. A couple of men went back and assisted women in row 6 with bag.
My reaction, WOW. Pretty bad. LAX based crew and they could have cared less. Quality of food offerings has also declined. Protein plate size is half of what it was last year.
I am sure we will end up with just snack basket soon.
My reaction, WOW. Pretty bad. LAX based crew and they could have cared less. Quality of food offerings has also declined. Protein plate size is half of what it was last year.
I am sure we will end up with just snack basket soon.
Jul 18, 2019, 5:59 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,718
OK, another flight in Premium, ORD-SEA, in late May... 3h 45m in the air... the first (food) cart did not appear in the aisle until 1h 40m had elapsed, and it took another 20m after that to get a drink. For almost half the flight the cabin staff were entirely not visible. Would that count as "poor performance" worthy of comment, or merely adherence to a really minimal service script?
Jul 18, 2019, 6:04 am
#26
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,361
OK, another flight in Premium, ORD-SEA, in late May... 3h 45m in the air... the first (food) cart did not appear in the aisle until 1h 40m had elapsed, and it took another 20m after that to get a drink. For almost half the flight the cabin staff were entirely not visible. Would that count as "poor performance" worthy of comment, or merely adherence to a really minimal service script?
Jul 18, 2019, 6:55 am
#27
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,844
I know that that on most US airlines you don’t get much on shorter flights so if I fly first or premium, I just expect more leg room or a bigger seat. So I won’t be upset if I get nothing else worthwhile. On Ansett when they existed they had full meal and drink service on a flight from Sydney to Canberra which is less than an hour. They worked like mad and yet you could still feel relaxed and have time to finish the meal and I still remember the experience years after the airline went bankrupt. I wasn’t expecting anything and got much more. That said, if the next time I flew there was no service at all and management didn’t really care about the inconsistency, then I would be more likely frustrated—wondering whether the crew does nothing, goes above standards, or somewhere in between.
Jul 18, 2019, 7:20 am
#28
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,361
Well to be fair, it does follow a common theme which is inconsistency and management’s failure to set proper expectations and hold those not following standards to account. If one crew goes way above standards and the next crew on the same route meets or is below them and the customer never knows what to expect, this can have an impact on customer perception of the airline.
I know that that on most US airlines you don’t get much on shorter flights so if I fly first or premium, I just expect more leg room or a bigger seat. So I won’t be upset if I get nothing else worthwhile. On Ansett when they existed they had full meal and drink service on a flight from Sydney to Canberra which is less than an hour. They worked like mad and yet you could still feel relaxed and have time to finish the meal and I still remember the experience years after the airline went bankrupt. I wasn’t expecting anything and got much more. That said, if the next time I flew there was no service at all and management didn’t really care about the inconsistency, then I would be more likely frustrated—wondering whether the crew does nothing, goes above standards, or somewhere in between.
Jul 18, 2019, 9:35 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,718
That is all anyone here is asking. None of us is running a macro-scope, JD Power-style scientific survey of AS service delivery. All any of us have is a bunch of anecdotes, and I've shared a few of mine.
Jul 18, 2019, 10:17 am
#30
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,844
Right, but there still need to be standards. If a flight attendant goes to a Michelin star restaurant to get take away to serve to passengers because they don’t like what AS is catering that is admirable but ultimately undermines the airline unless management decides that every flight would serve food up to the same standards.