Flight Attendants in First Class
 

I'm starting this thread to have an area to discuss the slightly off-topic discussion occurring in the PDB thread about staffing numbers in the first class cabin. I have been reading many posts about the suggestion of 2 attendants being staffed in F. My experience this year so far has been quite the opposite - I cannot think of a flight on a 737-900 (16F) in which I didn't have 2 flight attendants in F. I think that's 7 flights IIRC (SFO-SEA, SEA-ANC, ANC-LAX, SFO-BOS-SFO, SFO-MCO-SFO). It seems as if @AS Flyer is saying the normal staffing is still one FA in F? Or is that on flights <16F? I can say that the food service is much nicer and more efficient with 2 attendants in first, but I'm 0/7 on PDB (and I've written up every occurrence)...

Flight attendants float to assist each other. I have never seen two flight attendants assigned exclusively to first.

My last flight in F was a redeye and there were two FAs working to get drinks and the light meal out quickly, which I appreciated. I did wonder after the flight whether it helped that they did not need to get any meal options read to sell in Y.

Maybe OT, but I could do without the water service, even when in Y. If I want more water than what I have with me I'll ask for it during the normal beverage service. Skipping that would certainly allow a FA to help with the F service.

AS does not staff F with 2. It simply pulls one from Y.

A serious F cabin would have 2 FA's, but that is not going to happen on AS.

What airline has 2 FAs in F domestically?!? Do you want tickets to be $100+ from where they are now? AA does the same 1 FA in F with a 16 person cabin, and occasionally a float FA during boarding to help with PDBs and after Y service is completed. Considering most of my flights are on an A321 the second FA came to maybe clear up plates and help refill drinks, if that.

no U.S. airline typically staffs more than the FAA minimum anymore. You will almost always find the same number of FA's at every airline on the same planes. I don't disagree that having 2 FA's would provide a nicer First Class service, but if any other U.S. airline has 2 FA's working the F cabin on a 737 or Airbus narrow body airplane then they are leaving only 2 in the back to do the main cabin service. Alaska's service procedure is that one FA stays up front to do the hot towels and the first beverage service then goes to the back to continue service there. To another posters comment about skipping the water service to enable another FA in F - the water service is meant to be done by two FA's routinely, with the third joining only if the two haven't yet finished it. While a few may not care about the first water service, they will usually go through 7 or 8 bottles of water then so it seems that many others do appreciate it. It literally takes 5-10 minutes to do the first water service - it really doesn't detract from any other part of the service.

In theory -- perhaps. In my experience, the water service in Y appears to be a way to slow down dispensing more costly drinks and alcohol, as it can easily be an hour after takeoff before the beverage cart trundles down the aisle. Of course many pax drink the water offered – apart from thirst, it’s something in their hand that helps them feel attended to, much like a waiter filling water glasses at the start of a meal. Water service is great, as long as the beverage cart is also in play.

AA used to have two FAs in F on its specially-configured MD80s with 20F. At least for dinner and maybe other meal flights.

I really appreciate the water service in Y, and often notice that that will come out sooner than the FC drinks make it all the way through. It does not bother me however, even when I am in FC. Over the length of the flight itself I normally get very good service, even when there is only one up there (the other having gone back to Y for service in main cabin) The one thing I have noticed is that the main cabin attendants get time to sit much more so it seems than the FC attendant does. Ive been on many flights where the FC FA constantly roamed the aisle checking on status of beverages, food, snack basket, and garbage, etc.

I think everyone here is going to have varying experiences. For half my flights this past year one FA comes to help the first FA at varying points during the flight while on other flights, the first FA is on her/his own. I for one, know when I have an experienced or perhaps efficient FA when they take the first drink order on the ground and at times, give the meal options, with or without a PDB.

How long ago? I mean, Alaska used to staff their 727's with 5 FA's too - but that was a long time ago. If there were 20F I would think it would be necessary because 16F is right at the edge of what one person can comfortably tend do.

I'd pay that for better service overall (food, drinks, & lounge access for the other airlines). Most people wouldn't, so that's why we have this issue.

This is exactly how it normally works on AA, which I generally appreciate, since it tends to create some efficiency. But I would take one friendly, caring, smiling person in AS F (the norm at AS) over two disinterested, scowling FAs (more than not, the norm at AA) any day.

A long time ago. And yes, two were required with 20F.

I may be stretching my memory, but I think some AA flights might have had 6 FAs, when it was 20F and a full meal was served in Y (I said it was a while ago).