Cabin crew don't care about GO anymore
May 10, 2018, 7:40 am
#31
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAS/DXB
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 1,193
May 10, 2018, 7:51 am
#32
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
Well, on my last JFK-HKG and HKG-AKL round-trips last November, as an AA OWE in PE, I was greeted personally by the ISM, who said I should let her know if I needed anything. And then they gave me bottles of water, made sure that I got to pre-order my meal, etc. All this to say, it doesn't seem like it's just that junior FAs carrying it out because they are scared to challenge authority. Seems like the authority themselves never got the memo.
And sure, if what you say is true, it may be not according to the rules. But someone has to be pretty damn entitled and personally insecure to lodge a complaint against a FA when they get the benefits they've earned, ONLY because someone else got treated just as well as they did. They've got massively bigger problems than ensuring a DM greeting and a bottle of water.
And sure, if what you say is true, it may be not according to the rules. But someone has to be pretty damn entitled and personally insecure to lodge a complaint against a FA when they get the benefits they've earned, ONLY because someone else got treated just as well as they did. They've got massively bigger problems than ensuring a DM greeting and a bottle of water.
I was told at BA forum that BA Gold at PEY even asked for J drinks and were offered as well, which I never did. I know CX secrets had complaints about it.
Don't think CX could see AA CK. On my flight I could only see DM and EM on the paper sheet.
Last edited by andersonCooper; May 10, 2018 at 8:11 am
May 10, 2018, 8:22 am
#33
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: HKG, DTW
Programs: CX Diamond, UA Gold, DL Platinum, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 32
I think it really depends.
I was on CX711, a flight from Hong Kong to Singapore, in late March. My seat was at the last row of the Business Class Cabin (21A). After taking off, the Singaporean ISM came and greeted even I am only a Gold Member... During the pre-meal drinks service, the Senior Purser asked for my meal preference when offering me drinks. I asked him whether I could take a look at all the choices before making my decision. "Certainly," he answered.
During the main course service, after serving the main Business Class Cabin (Row 11-19), he, with his trolley, came to my row first and he showed me all the choices. After serving me, he went back to row 20 to continue with his service. (Noted that there was a Passenger in 21D but the purser simply ignored the passenger after serving me)
Furthermore, every time when I am in Cathay Dragon's Economy Class, the Flight Purser always come and greet me before take off. She will get me a bottle of water (Only Bonaqua is available on Cathay Dragon) if I ask for it.
I was on CX711, a flight from Hong Kong to Singapore, in late March. My seat was at the last row of the Business Class Cabin (21A). After taking off, the Singaporean ISM came and greeted even I am only a Gold Member... During the pre-meal drinks service, the Senior Purser asked for my meal preference when offering me drinks. I asked him whether I could take a look at all the choices before making my decision. "Certainly," he answered.
During the main course service, after serving the main Business Class Cabin (Row 11-19), he, with his trolley, came to my row first and he showed me all the choices. After serving me, he went back to row 20 to continue with his service. (Noted that there was a Passenger in 21D but the purser simply ignored the passenger after serving me)
Furthermore, every time when I am in Cathay Dragon's Economy Class, the Flight Purser always come and greet me before take off. She will get me a bottle of water (Only Bonaqua is available on Cathay Dragon) if I ask for it.
May 10, 2018, 8:28 am
#34
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,447
To clarify, bottled water is a standard offering for all PEY pax on medium- and long-haul flights. I forget if that's the case for regional flights too, or if it is an "above and beyond" token for certain elites.
May 10, 2018, 8:29 am
#35
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
Think we are talking about a separate bottle of water here. (can't believe we spent this much time talking about a $1 bottle of Evian)
May 10, 2018, 8:31 am
#36
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: PVD, BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,664
Absolutely agree with this. MPC status is shockingly difficult to attain (the CP resets are killer) and when you do attain it, the benefits aren't all that good. DM is more akin to AA CK or UA GS (in terms of difficulty/cost to achieve), and yet its benefits are worse than EXP.
May 10, 2018, 8:56 am
#37
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Asia Pac
Programs: AA UA DL AS CXDM JL NH Hilton Hyatt Marriott SPG IHG
Posts: 545
Absolutely agree with this. MPC status is shockingly difficult to attain (the CP resets are killer) and when you do attain it, the benefits aren't all that good. DM is more akin to AA CK or UA GS (in terms of difficulty/cost to achieve), and yet its benefits are worse than EXP.
May 10, 2018, 9:13 am
#38
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Jose, CA
Programs: CX Diamond, AA CK (quit 2018), Starwood Platinum, National EXC Elite
Posts: 283
Absolutely agree with this. MPC status is shockingly difficult to attain (the CP resets are killer) and when you do attain it, the benefits aren't all that good. DM is more akin to AA CK or UA GS (in terms of difficulty/cost to achieve), and yet its benefits are worse than EXP.
But, if starting at green, 300 reset, 600, reset, then 1200 for DM = 2100 CP's which equals 12 RT's in J SFO-HKG = $72K !
May 10, 2018, 10:08 am
#39
Suspended
Join Date: May 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: A3, TK *G; JL JGC; SPG,Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,952
but u can spread the 12 rts in 3 years albeit progressively, w only 7 trips on the last year.
May 10, 2018, 10:11 am
#40
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Location: HKG
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Posts: 9,952
May 10, 2018, 10:57 am
#41
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
In fact, I was Emerald for 2016 and the first half of 2017, GO in 2H 2017 and DM starting this year. And I've done the bulk of my flights with CX, mixture of longhaul, shorthaul and KA, so maybe I have a universal and comprehensive sample size LOL
If we are strictly talking about onboard treatment, then I would rank DM >>>>>>>>>> tie-ish between EM and GO or maybe EM marginally over GO.
Here are some things that I got as a DM (I didn't do any Y after DM, sorry) that I never got as EM/GO
- meal order and display of meal for both me and +1 (by hand, not trolley)
- the meal card
- u can tell they try to go above-beyond. For example, on a supper flight I was proactively offered items on request, such as cheese and ice cream.
- 100% consistent greeting from both ISM and SP, before menu distribution, a bit more personal chitchat.
- (one portion of all) snacks proactively held up on long haul flights
- I've been constantly checked on in a very non-CX fashion on longer flights. More than once, once I woke up they came to me holding the whole snack box or offering drinks.
- whenever a lav was occupied, the cabin crew would proactively call the other galleys to check if there are any empty lavs/block and allow me to cut the line if shorter at those lavs.
EM and GO
- quite consistent ISM greeting, but not for SP, and occasionally ignored on regional.
- water - only for EM, never as a GO.
- (completely) ignored on KA (J)
- never did I get any meal order taken, but I've been told sometimes it's because I'm always in row 11.
- as a DM and GO, the ISM is able to say "Goodbye Mr. G-CIVC" upon disembarkation. Not so much as an EM, but this is really too trivial.
- screwups - for EM, they do not care at all, since they do not have your complaint record on file. EM complaints are dismissed with little compensation/acknowledgement compared to DM/GO.
What I mean is the authority is too stuck in the past and hence ignore the latest instructions given out by CX management, since promotion within CX crew is as slow as it can get. So yeah, essentially what you said.
Personally, if I see that happening I would not go as far as lodging a complaint, but I would love to see better differentiation between DM and Emerald whenever it's possible.
A mini-aside on CX DM vs AA EXP
There are other benefits such as 3888 that make me side to DM without regret having been an Emerald before. And Asia miles is not that sh***y as the US bloggers put it if one looks into the charts more carefully.
The biggest benefit of EXP is the fee-free-for-everything award ticketing. And the EP desk is normally fantastic (I've noticed a decline, tho). That's about it. Yes, I will miss both when I lose that in 2019. But anecdotes point out that if your AA ressie has an EMER # (ie a CX DM for example), your call still gets routed to the EP desk.
For UDU, I don't care. Dom F food is horrible. So are the new seats like those on the 32B (let alone the 737-8Max). In fact I'm pretty happy now in row 15 as I get to eat (much better food) at the FL, but still get a free food item/drink onboard in AA Y.
Flagship check in is great, even more for those with PRE. I get to use it without any restriction as a CX DM.
For SWUs, the biggest scam ever. And it will be PE-J soon. Still, compared to the CX equivalent of SWU, the AA ones are worthless since CX's is virtually auto-confirmable, good luck w that on AA...
If we are strictly talking about onboard treatment, then I would rank DM >>>>>>>>>> tie-ish between EM and GO or maybe EM marginally over GO.
Here are some things that I got as a DM (I didn't do any Y after DM, sorry) that I never got as EM/GO
- meal order and display of meal for both me and +1 (by hand, not trolley)
- the meal card
- u can tell they try to go above-beyond. For example, on a supper flight I was proactively offered items on request, such as cheese and ice cream.
- 100% consistent greeting from both ISM and SP, before menu distribution, a bit more personal chitchat.
- (one portion of all) snacks proactively held up on long haul flights
- I've been constantly checked on in a very non-CX fashion on longer flights. More than once, once I woke up they came to me holding the whole snack box or offering drinks.
- whenever a lav was occupied, the cabin crew would proactively call the other galleys to check if there are any empty lavs/block and allow me to cut the line if shorter at those lavs.
EM and GO
- quite consistent ISM greeting, but not for SP, and occasionally ignored on regional.
- water - only for EM, never as a GO.
- (completely) ignored on KA (J)
- never did I get any meal order taken, but I've been told sometimes it's because I'm always in row 11.
- as a DM and GO, the ISM is able to say "Goodbye Mr. G-CIVC" upon disembarkation. Not so much as an EM, but this is really too trivial.
- screwups - for EM, they do not care at all, since they do not have your complaint record on file. EM complaints are dismissed with little compensation/acknowledgement compared to DM/GO.
Well, on my last JFK-HKG and HKG-AKL round-trips last November, as an AA OWE in PE, I was greeted personally by the ISM, who said I should let her know if I needed anything. And then they gave me bottles of water, made sure that I got to pre-order my meal, etc. All this to say, it doesn't seem like it's just that junior FAs carrying it out because they are scared to challenge authority. Seems like the authority themselves never got the memo.
And sure, if what you say is true, it may be not according to the rules. But someone has to be pretty damn entitled and personally insecure to lodge a complaint against a FA when they get the benefits they've earned, ONLY because someone else got treated just as well as they did. They've got massively bigger problems than ensuring a DM greeting and a bottle of water.
And sure, if what you say is true, it may be not according to the rules. But someone has to be pretty damn entitled and personally insecure to lodge a complaint against a FA when they get the benefits they've earned, ONLY because someone else got treated just as well as they did. They've got massively bigger problems than ensuring a DM greeting and a bottle of water.
Personally, if I see that happening I would not go as far as lodging a complaint, but I would love to see better differentiation between DM and Emerald whenever it's possible.
A mini-aside on CX DM vs AA EXP
There are other benefits such as 3888 that make me side to DM without regret having been an Emerald before. And Asia miles is not that sh***y as the US bloggers put it if one looks into the charts more carefully.
The biggest benefit of EXP is the fee-free-for-everything award ticketing. And the EP desk is normally fantastic (I've noticed a decline, tho). That's about it. Yes, I will miss both when I lose that in 2019. But anecdotes point out that if your AA ressie has an EMER # (ie a CX DM for example), your call still gets routed to the EP desk.
For UDU, I don't care. Dom F food is horrible. So are the new seats like those on the 32B (let alone the 737-8Max). In fact I'm pretty happy now in row 15 as I get to eat (much better food) at the FL, but still get a free food item/drink onboard in AA Y.
Flagship check in is great, even more for those with PRE. I get to use it without any restriction as a CX DM.
For SWUs, the biggest scam ever. And it will be PE-J soon. Still, compared to the CX equivalent of SWU, the AA ones are worthless since CX's is virtually auto-confirmable, good luck w that on AA...
May 10, 2018, 4:41 pm
#42
Suspended
Join Date: May 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: A3, TK *G; JL JGC; SPG,Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,952
not sure if they still do it now, besides for teh few things that they still have
In fact, I was Emerald for 2016 and the first half of 2017, GO in 2H 2017 and DM starting this year. And I've done the bulk of my flights with CX, mixture of longhaul, shorthaul and KA, so maybe I have a universal and comprehensive sample size LOL
If we are strictly talking about onboard treatment, then I would rank DM >>>>>>>>>> tie-ish between EM and GO or maybe EM marginally over GO.
Here are some things that I got as a DM (I didn't do any Y after DM, sorry) that I never got as EM/GO
- meal order and display of meal for both me and +1 (by hand, not trolley)
- the meal card
- u can tell they try to go above-beyond. For example, on a supper flight I was proactively offered items on request, such as cheese and ice cream.
- 100% consistent greeting from both ISM and SP, before menu distribution, a bit more personal chitchat.
- (one portion of all) snacks proactively held up on long haul flights
- I've been constantly checked on in a very non-CX fashion on longer flights. More than once, once I woke up they came to me holding the whole snack box or offering drinks.
- whenever a lav was occupied, the cabin crew would proactively call the other galleys to check if there are any empty lavs/block and allow me to cut the line if shorter at those lavs.
EM and GO
- quite consistent ISM greeting, but not for SP, and occasionally ignored on regional.
- water - only for EM, never as a GO.
- (completely) ignored on KA (J)
- never did I get any meal order taken, but I've been told sometimes it's because I'm always in row 11.
- as a DM and GO, the ISM is able to say "Goodbye Mr. G-CIVC" upon disembarkation. Not so much as an EM, but this is really too trivial.
- screwups - for EM, they do not care at all, since they do not have your complaint record on file. EM complaints are dismissed with little compensation/acknowledgement compared to DM/GO.
What I mean is the authority is too stuck in the past and hence ignore the latest instructions given out by CX management, since promotion within CX crew is as slow as it can get. So yeah, essentially what you said.
Personally, if I see that happening I would not go as far as lodging a complaint, but I would love to see better differentiation between DM and Emerald whenever it's possible.
If we are strictly talking about onboard treatment, then I would rank DM >>>>>>>>>> tie-ish between EM and GO or maybe EM marginally over GO.
Here are some things that I got as a DM (I didn't do any Y after DM, sorry) that I never got as EM/GO
- meal order and display of meal for both me and +1 (by hand, not trolley)
- the meal card
- u can tell they try to go above-beyond. For example, on a supper flight I was proactively offered items on request, such as cheese and ice cream.
- 100% consistent greeting from both ISM and SP, before menu distribution, a bit more personal chitchat.
- (one portion of all) snacks proactively held up on long haul flights
- I've been constantly checked on in a very non-CX fashion on longer flights. More than once, once I woke up they came to me holding the whole snack box or offering drinks.
- whenever a lav was occupied, the cabin crew would proactively call the other galleys to check if there are any empty lavs/block and allow me to cut the line if shorter at those lavs.
EM and GO
- quite consistent ISM greeting, but not for SP, and occasionally ignored on regional.
- water - only for EM, never as a GO.
- (completely) ignored on KA (J)
- never did I get any meal order taken, but I've been told sometimes it's because I'm always in row 11.
- as a DM and GO, the ISM is able to say "Goodbye Mr. G-CIVC" upon disembarkation. Not so much as an EM, but this is really too trivial.
- screwups - for EM, they do not care at all, since they do not have your complaint record on file. EM complaints are dismissed with little compensation/acknowledgement compared to DM/GO.
What I mean is the authority is too stuck in the past and hence ignore the latest instructions given out by CX management, since promotion within CX crew is as slow as it can get. So yeah, essentially what you said.
Personally, if I see that happening I would not go as far as lodging a complaint, but I would love to see better differentiation between DM and Emerald whenever it's possible.
Should CX make a MPO GO/DM menu as well for every flight with DM having better offerings?
Last edited by kaka; May 10, 2018 at 4:48 pm
May 10, 2018, 7:02 pm
#43
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: CX DM, BA Gold
Posts: 135
Just to share a data point. Was on a 77H to PEK (the DM-heavy 390) earlier this week. the First/DM line had about 30 people. Water wasn't offered until asked but they did block the seat next to me (the flight was Y2 with F/J/W 0 I believe). I still think on short-haul, having the seat next to me empty is one of the biggest benefits of being DM (not sure the same for OWE?) as a lot of us have to fly Y (even though on ridiculously priced full Y) on short-haul due to company policy.
May 10, 2018, 7:12 pm
#44
Suspended
Join Date: May 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: A3, TK *G; JL JGC; SPG,Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,952
Just to share a data point. Was on a 77H to PEK (the DM-heavy 390) earlier this week. the First/DM line had about 30 people. Water wasn't offered until asked but they did block the seat next to me (the flight was Y2 with F/J/W 0 I believe). I still think on short-haul, having the seat next to me empty is one of the biggest benefits of being DM (not sure the same for OWE?) as a lot of us have to fly Y (even though on ridiculously priced full Y) on short-haul due to company policy.
May 10, 2018, 7:46 pm
#45
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,372
W/r/t the DM/OWE benefits and recognition...I do think it would be fair for CX to add some perks for its DM members above those offered to other OWEs. But I also wonder, beyond the DMs-are-hub-captives-so-therefore-we-don't-need-to-work-that-hard-for-their-loyalty justification, if it's merely that other OWEs contribute revenue to CX at levels significant enough to warrant the level of attention they get. Not individuals (I certainly don't), but as a whole.
For example, I imagine most HKG-originating passengers are MPC members. But on the 4 JFK flights, the 3-4 LAX flights, the BOS and ORD flights, the 2 SFO flights, etc., all markets with very high fares, especially in F and J, I imagine a significant percentage of those flyers are AA CKs or EXPs or PLTs, and for whom sticking with AAdvantage makes sense because the program is better for people who live in the US (not to mention partner redemption rates, which I know is its own controversy here!). I also wonder if the same might be true for passengers originating in LHR or LGW, or SYD/MEL/PER/ADL.
So you've got OWEs originating all around the world, whose own home FF schemes are the best for them, and who are spending a lot of money on CX. I may be totally wrong, but I'd be curious to know!
For example, I imagine most HKG-originating passengers are MPC members. But on the 4 JFK flights, the 3-4 LAX flights, the BOS and ORD flights, the 2 SFO flights, etc., all markets with very high fares, especially in F and J, I imagine a significant percentage of those flyers are AA CKs or EXPs or PLTs, and for whom sticking with AAdvantage makes sense because the program is better for people who live in the US (not to mention partner redemption rates, which I know is its own controversy here!). I also wonder if the same might be true for passengers originating in LHR or LGW, or SYD/MEL/PER/ADL.
So you've got OWEs originating all around the world, whose own home FF schemes are the best for them, and who are spending a lot of money on CX. I may be totally wrong, but I'd be curious to know!