Absolutely amazed at something mentioned in the article in the latest MPC newsletter. The article reports that in the short span of a few months, 4,500 japanese cup and saucer sets went walkabout with pax, and 7,500 of those salt and pepper shakers resembling rocks disappeared with pax as well.

I know you pay an arm and a leg to sit in biz or first, but really - do you think you're entitled to make off with the whiteware and accessories? I'm sure a few pax probably asked (and were most likely quietly told just to take them), but I'm guessing the majority would have just pocketed the stuff and believed that it was their right to take it off the plane.

I'm sure that I'll cop a bit of flak for this post, and I'm certain some replies will have the "I paid a huge amount for the seat so I am entitled to take anything away that isn't bolted down". But where does this stop? Cutlery? Blankets? Noise Cancelling Headphones?

When we treat ourselves to a nice meal at a fancyish restaurant, despite the higher cost of eating there we certainly don't feel that it's our right to make off with salt and pepper shakers or the espresso cups. So what makes it different on a plane?

Do you think you're entitled to take stuff from First / Biz if it's not bolted down? At what point do you stop?

I think it's simply tacky that people do that. If you want it so bad, just go to G.O.D and get yourself a set of CX cutlery or whatever you fancy in CX F or J class. Some people just so tam sum (cantonese word) over little things like that.

I'm glad you agree!

Sometimes the sense of entitlement from F / J pax is a little inflated, to say the least.

There's a reason that the inflight magazine says "Please feel to take this with you when leaving the aircraft". and the crockery does not.

Personally I will admit to having pocketed a couple of the toothpicks for later use, and a few of the little clothes-peg type things that are designed for holding your napkin up but which are also good for clipping all sorts of things together (and feeling slightly guilty for doing so). But certainly taking any of the cutlery, crockery or condiments seems well out-of-order.

I have never swiped cutlery, salt and pepper shakers, blankets, cups or whatnot from CX or any airline, nor do I think I'm entitled to them. So... when you come to this forum to hurl your accusations, which you were you referring to?

Whoa! Come down off your high horse. Ann Tyrol's use of the word "you" in its impersonal sense is perfectly normal and correct in my version of English (the original one). It's not directed at any specific person in particular.

Could it be that someone other than the PAX are taking the stuff (or that it gets lost or broken).

I remember when I used to date stews that when you went to their place often it was decked out with lots of little liquor bottles, airline blankets, airline silverware and lord knows what else from the airlines.

FTers would never do such things.

Your reading comprehension isn't top notch, but I'll let it slide. Do you actually think I'm accusing every FTer flying in F + J of swiping stuff?

There seem to be a lot of F + J travellers here, and I was merely canvassing to see whether this sort of pilfering was the accepted norm amongst F + J pax.

I just find it interesting that some F + J flyers (and let's clear any doubt here - I'm not "hurling accusations" at anyone on this board) think they are "above" economy travel, but not above theft

A friend of mine who was a cabin attendant for CX in the late 70's / early 80's said that Singaporean passengers were known to walk off with anything that wasn't fastened to the cabin interior.

At times CX sells in duty-free various service items, such as the rock shaped salt/pepper shakers (something like HKD 200 for the set). Probably other items are also available for purchase from the airline on the ground.

That's what I thought, too. We shouldn't blame it all on the passengers. A few years ago, I was introduced to a few people who worked for CX, and their houses were just full of CX stuff (cutlery, cups, plates, etc.). One of these guys even had half his living room covered with CX carpeting (I'm truly not joking). Amazes me how they get these things...

Some of that is surplus, for example when there is a change in pattern, and sold by the airline for a cheap price. I have some silverware (sterling) from BA that was bought from a surplus house, so it doesn't have to be stolen. Several airlines have sold their seats (after they were obsolete). Large items like seats or carpeting are unlikely to have been stolen and were probably bought as surplus. A house full of CX stuff must be Feng Shui heaven.

These days they count the salt and pepper shakers. I've seen FAs come back to pax and politely ask the pax to give them back.

It may be that because the airline industry is such a throwaway industry, that it gives a bit of a mentality on board that pax can take anything that's put in front of them.

I recall that the late, lamented TWA had a policy that if you had any sort of TWA stuff used in flight such as silverware, dishes, blankets, etc. you would get fired. But, it was hard to enforce unless you invited your supervisor over for dinner. I did hear about one stew who had a TWA blanket in her car when she parked in the TWA lot, a super saw it and she was history.

As to the carpeting, where do I get some CX carpets?

Maybe as a kid I used to flog knife and forks in Y. Never flog anything in J apart from those pegs they have... got like 5-6 of them sitting on my desk in the office.
Never even thought about taking those cute CX salt and pepper... Honestly... I don't see value in them coz I don't use salt and pepper.