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Introduction of "new" sleeper service on some flights

Introduction of "new" sleeper service on some flights

Old Sep 17, 2003, 9:02 pm
  #46  
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by 44C:
To prevent people being woken up by FAs when they don't want to be, why don't they just give pax a sticker or similar that you could put on top of your seat to indicate you want to sleep?</font>
United, among other airlines have this sticker in thier amenity kit.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 9:04 pm
  #47  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by 44C:
To prevent people being woken up by FAs when they don't want to be, why don't they just give pax a sticker or similar that you could put on top of your seat to indicate you want to sleep?</font>
Because BA's staff are meant to be trained well enough that if you inform them of your wishes before going to sleep they will remember them well enough to leave you alone when needed.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 9:49 pm
  #48  
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Sounds great in theory.
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Old Sep 18, 2003, 12:57 am
  #49  
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by alexwuk:
There certainly are dayflights from the US to Europe (I've probably taken the majority of them by now).</font>
Not usable if you

a) have to make a US domestic connection first to reach JFK/EWR/BOS...

and/or

b) have to make a Intra-Europe connection at LHR

And I don' want to include a stopover at LHR.

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Old Sep 18, 2003, 1:45 am
  #50  
 
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My penn'orth: it's a good option in a segregated area (upper deck of 747 etc) for those who do want to sleep and not be bothered late and early by the dinner/breakfast crashing and banging (Amen to those who cite the DEN route, even in F you can't get a wink of sleep for hours).

But, it should be just that, an option. And only implemented on routes where the timing makes sense. And only in one area (so it's already sounding like a seat-allocation nightmare!)

My experience of JFK pre-dining is confined to walking in the room once, smelling a mix of stewed vegetables and gas-burners like the worst buffet you ever went to and walking right out. Plus not everyone has the time to eat on the ground and some of us are still not so jaded that we enjoy eating in the air.

Clearly a cost-cutting exercise; nothing wrong with that (any of you guys BA shareholders?) as long as it can be configured with providing an additional option and nor p***ing-off core customers. I hope to try it out sometime;no doubt others will first and we'll come back to it.
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Old Sep 18, 2003, 3:10 am
  #51  
 
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by number_6:
</font>
BA already offers exactly those services (but in F). And the non-trans Atlantic longhaul service on BA is quite a bit better (at first I thought it was an aberration, but it happens too often to be accidental). I suspect BA calibrates its service based on the competition on each route.[/b][/QUOTE]

And, basically, what VS offers in Upper Class.... Think that those people who are free to choose (i.e. not tied into corporate travel deals), will be thinking hard when the new UC suites come into service. BA may help that decision easier if they make too many "enhancements"....

DEN appear to be doing (done?) away with F: will be a 3 class (CW, WT+, WT). Will be travelling that route again next ski season - still DEN in CW still beats DEN in WT/WT+... If anyone (Pucci?) has any idea why the Cabin Crew don't seem to want to let their passengers sleep on that route, I would love to know...

Boo
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Old Sep 18, 2003, 3:36 am
  #52  
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I think the general consensus is there is no consensus.. some like it, some don't... the answer that satisfies everyone is to make it a choice, i.e. in the 747 bubble.

But this is not going to happen. Depite the spin, this is clearly an 'enhancement' exercise... i.e. costcutting on the shorter overnight flights. To load two lots of catering, print two lots of menus, have two different FA service schedules, and then not be able to guarentee the proportion of either is not going to cut costs, its going to increase them.

I suspect this idea will either die a natural death or be implemented regardless (due to customer feedback of course! )
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Old Sep 18, 2003, 4:27 am
  #53  
 
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No, no, no, no, no!

IMHO this is a very bad move.

Over the last few years more than 60% of my Premium Cabin travel has been on leisure, therefore I don't have a great need to be fully awake and refreshed on arrival. As it is, even with the CW bed I find sleeping on aircraft very difficult. I'm not a very deep sleeper and even minor turbulence tends to wake me. I also find the cabins too hot. As others have mentioned being forced to sleep at 8:00 pm is not good. As someone who rarely goes to bed before midnight I would not find it easy to sleep at these times. I much prefer to eat, have a few drinks and catch up on all those movies I've been wanting to see!

I am all for a quick meal service in the air and an early lights out, but they have to allow those of us who want to enjoy the service to do so.

The suggestion of a VS style snooze cabin is good, but I don't think I would be too pleased to find myself being forced in to such a cabin. 99% of the tme it would not be a problem as I would prebook a seat in the normal cabin. Having only flown VS UC twice (LHR-JNB-LHR) I have no real experience of their overnight service. Does it work? What happens if you wnat full service but find yourself in the snooze zone?

Regardless of how BA are dressing this up I suspect it is purely a cost cutting measure.

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Old Sep 18, 2003, 6:00 am
  #54  
 
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Scott – I’m actually a little confused by your posts…do you like the idea or not?

You first few posts gave me the impression it was a great idea and a “very smart move” and sounds like now “it sucks”…?

On a side note, the information I have is that the entire cabin ISN’T concerned – at the moment, there isn’t even a way to select this option other than by a comment added for Seating – at some stage they will then assess how many people have elected to use this option (which isn’t really advertised, so I guess it will be to a target group informed by email, etc) and will then decide which cabin is being used. At the moment, the res. agents do not seem to have much idea…
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Old Sep 19, 2003, 6:22 am
  #55  
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Have you heard it all?

We are instructed that this will apply to a designated cabin. Passengers will be required to remain silent and not to chatter after take off, and the night-night drinks have been finished and cleared away. Head sets will not be given out in case the white noise disturbs others. The TV screens will be off so that the flicking does not disturb other passengers.

All passengers will be required to visit the lavatory after dirnks as there is to be a minimum of fussand too-ing and fro-ing, and snacking will take place in the galley so as to stop crunching of sweet papers. Blinds are to be left down until the passenger is authorised to raise them by the Cabin Purser.

any passengers unable or unwilling to comply will be allowed to sit in another non-sleeper Club seat if available, if not they will be moved to any seat in WT. They may return only after the last passenger has woken up. We are told that only one warning is to be given per passenger. Lights out means that, and no cabin lights or reading lights will be available. No alcholol is to be served in the cabin.

The part that you may like is that effective 1st october no passengers with babies or children under the age of 12 will be allowed to sit in Club World as they may prove too disruptive. First is fine.

Anyone who cannot be moved - wait for this - will have all miles and points for the flight removed, and serious offenders will have their Silver/Gold whatever status stripped and their mileages emptied.

You really hope that I am making this up don't you?

Well I am!!! But I wish that I could see some of your faces!!

Do you get the drift of what I think about the whole thing.

Quite - Forgive me if you started replies before you reached the end or if your blood pressure is through the roof!


Hugs to all the lovely BA Board!!
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Old Sep 19, 2003, 7:53 am
  #56  
 
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Pucci - I am glad you are making it up, however, you have unwittingly given the Latte crowd at Waterworld some new ideas.

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Old Sep 19, 2003, 7:56 am
  #57  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Canista:
Scott – I’m actually a little confused by your posts…do you like the idea or not?

You first few posts gave me the impression it was a great idea and a “very smart move” and sounds like now “it sucks”…?

On a side note, the information I have is that the entire cabin ISN’T concerned – at the moment, there isn’t even a way to select this option other than by a comment added for Seating – at some stage they will then assess how many people have elected to use this option (which isn’t really advertised, so I guess it will be to a target group informed by email, etc) and will then decide which cabin is being used. At the moment, the res. agents do not seem to have much idea…
</font>
The initial email I got made it sound like it was a dedicated cabin you could select, the follow-up documents I got on it said it was Class-wide, I DID like the idea of selecting the sleeper cabin but to force everyone to just sleep and shut up seems over the top and a very bad idea.
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Old Sep 19, 2003, 12:46 pm
  #58  
 
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Pucci- hilarious! Sounds very much like prep. school......will there be "reading time/prayers" five minutes before lights-out?
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Old Sep 20, 2003, 4:25 am
  #59  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BahrainLad:
Pucci- hilarious! Sounds very much like prep. school......will there be "reading time/prayers" five minutes before lights-out?</font>
Are you telling me that this service has been missing from your flights? These new crews, they'll forget the barbed whips next!

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Old Sep 20, 2003, 7:31 am
  #60  
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There's a nice article in today's Guardian from a 'once in a lifetime' Concord passenger here. Surprised that a kir royale could not be served - surely they could have used some of fbgdavidson's Ribena.

More importantly, the accompanying report on VS vs. BA states that 'Sleep is uppermost on BA Club World customers' minds and in response, BA will be trialling a 'sleeper service' on 16 overnight flights from JFK to London Heathrow in October. Aimed at helping minimise red-eye, customers will be encouraged to get their heads down for longer in the air by making greater use of pre- and post-flight dining in the lounges.'

Sounds like Pucci's threats could be true - how far will passengers be 'encouraged'?

There's also a good article about BA's process for selecting in-flight food by chef Shaun Hill, who describes himself as 'financially and sartorially, an economy-class person...in first class it's only an impostor like me that sits there half the night drinking Krug'. Quite right!
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