Offering of bottled water
 

Just curious to ask. As a DM/GO, when you are travelling in Y for regional/long haul, how often do you get bottled water from ISM/FP when they do the greeting?

Offering of bottled water
 

Yes if it's available.

I'd say 80-90% of the times, along with a "If you need anything else, please just let us know".

That said, they do try to be subtle when sliding the bottle across - had this one time when the lady sitting next to me (a first time CXflier) - asked for some water as well, just before take off.
They got her a glass, to which she requested if she could get a bottle (pointing to mine) as she was quite thirsty. Well handled by the CX gals - they got her a bottle right after take-off.

As GO the last year or so, I have not been been given a bottled water. Of the 8 long haul and 8 short haul, I think I've been greeted twice.

I have always wondered why bottled water seems to be given to elites or else treated as some kind of bonus. Surely this is not an expensive item. Is there a particular reason?

Well Evian for 300+ Economy passengers is expensive, + huge weight if they supply so many bottles of water.

F, J, Y+ Are given bottled water (Y+ strictly 1), and elites in Y are often but not exclusively given a water bottle in Y.

I was on HKG-YYZ last week and one of the junior FA's came round with a big tray of Evian for the DM/GO, but other people started asking for bottle, so she stopped. She never came to my row :( Not the end of the world as I always bring water from the lounge.
I think this perk is more exclusive for USA/Australia bound flights as DM/GO in Y cannot bring their own water onboard due to security restrictions.

Australia bound flights in J can't bring water onboard either.

Yes but J/Y+ Passengers are given a bottle of water anyways. We are talking about a perk in Y class, where normal passengers do not get bottle water automatically.

+1
For this very same reason, its understandable if on some flights the Crew does not offer GO/DM's in Y a bottle of water. Not every passengers on board would realize a bottle was offered due to your MPC status.

They are better off providing GO/DM's in Y a glass of champagne, and then ask "If you need anything else, please just let us know." Where then at that point, you could request for a bottle of water. That way, if you really don't need the bottle of water (like many pax in J)....you could help save some cost and be a bit more environmentally friendly.

This water thing led to one of my most embarrassing moments ever on a flight - happened recently. I was returning from China on KA (Y class) and the section FA gave me a water bottle, presumably because I'm DM. Two Taiwanese pax across the aisle called the FA back, complained in Mandarin about me only being offered water, and implied it was because I am Caucasian and everyone else in our section was not. They keep going on and on and the FA - some young HK girl - apologized a lot in HK-accented Mandarin (which seemed to make them even more agitated), explained I was an elite, and got the ISM. The ISM came over and apologized some more and brought them water. Very, very awkward even thinking about it. They didn't bother saying anything to me in English, I assume they figured I didn't understand what they were complaining about, of which I understood every word. Then they asked for comment cards, where they complained about bad service (I found this out because they handed the card to the young FA unsealed, and she read it before submitting it. We talked in the galley and I wrote her a positive comment card, hoping it would negate their completely baseless complaints).

I talked to the ISM later, she said they were non-status pax. I guess they were very sensitive to this issue but they got it completely wrong. One of the most awkward moments I have ever encountered.

Anecdotally, I know this water bottle issue comes up all the time on CX. I've been told by a few FAs that it is one of the most common issues on board - pax seated near DMs (oftentimes it is GOs and SLs who were not offered water) get angry because they didn't get one. The usual strategy by the FAs is just to lie and say they ran out of water bottles. It sounds like as policy, DMs are supposed to be greeted and get water on long-haul flights. It is up to the discretion of the ISM and managers whether or not to do this for GOs or lower. I suspect the inconsistency probably doesn't help CX.

U.S. Passengers can bring bottled water on board, as long as it's purchased at an airport Shop AFTER the security check. I do it all the time. On my recent CX flight in Y+ I was given a bottle of water and offered another at least two more times.. maybe because the Y+ section was only about 1/3 full.

...this is inaccurate in HK, unfortunately. What you're referring to is in the US only. All US-bound flights from HK have an additional screening at the gate, and water bottles (if discovered) will be confiscated, regardless of where you bought them.

Half-jokingly ... perhaps not...

Perhaps an easy solution would be for there to be a printed sheet saying CX offers bottled water to DMs (or GOs), available to be shown to irate passengers.

(more on a joking level ...) then the sheet can go on to say water is available to others for US3 or whatever. Plus, CX hopes you fly more with them, blah, blah.

Perhaps a solution to the problem of other pax complaining that they aren't getting water bottles would be to place the bottles in the seatback pockets of eligible pax (DM/GO) prior to boarding?

Oops, so sorry to hear and it should not have happened go such a kind person!

Wouldn't it have been a good idea for the FAs to give the others each a glass of water?