Cabin crew don't care about GO anymore
May 9, 2018, 9:40 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: CX Green, QF Platinum, BAEC Silver, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 10,780
Just to nit-pick, this is not the reason why AA status members don't get domestic lounge access. It's because AA has a profitable (?) club membership scheme.
May 9, 2018, 11:09 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: MPC,CA,MU,AF
Posts: 8,171
AA EXPs have plenty of bonus miles while CX DMs don't. My view is that AA gives her members a choice of using 50-85K of their 120K+ bonus miles on AC memberships.
May 9, 2018, 11:22 pm
#18
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: CX MPC DM
Posts: 416
I've been GO for 2 years but only fly LH NYC-HKG. I book PEY and do a lot of upgrades to J, occasionally book J (I) when there's a big sale. I almost always get ISM or SP greeting. Very frequently I am asked to reserve meal choice in J and get served before non status pax. I don't really care about the attention, but it is nice.
For the last year I've been doing redemption upgrades, but before that I was getting a lot of op-ups, of course dependent on overbooked PEY. My year is up in November, if I stay on track I should be just short of DM with 1135 CP. I'm planing on asking for an extension and hope they just bump me up. After that, I may consider switching to AA and see if I can reach EX PLT over the year. I don't know if I can sustain the pace needed to reach DM, but GO has been very good for me.
For the last year I've been doing redemption upgrades, but before that I was getting a lot of op-ups, of course dependent on overbooked PEY. My year is up in November, if I stay on track I should be just short of DM with 1135 CP. I'm planing on asking for an extension and hope they just bump me up. After that, I may consider switching to AA and see if I can reach EX PLT over the year. I don't know if I can sustain the pace needed to reach DM, but GO has been very good for me.
May 10, 2018, 12:37 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAS/DXB
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 1,193
CX does a good job with OWE in general, that's why I choose to add up their revenue in return. Add The Pier F in HKG and it makes the perfect trip. Otherwise I could also fly QR or MH to Europe (or even BA F).
May 10, 2018, 2:06 am
#20
Suspended
Join Date: May 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: A3, TK *G; JL JGC; SPG,Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,952
As a data point I have noticed that since switching crediting flights from BAEC (where I am Gold/Emerald) to MPC (where I am Gold/Sapphire) about two months ago, the 'cabin crew greeting' no longer occurs on every flight. I assume this is mainly down to numbers (e.g. flights with loads of Golds/Sapphires they probably only have time to greet the Sapphires).
I also haven't had a single op'up since switching to MPC, whereas the rate was about 30% when I had my BAEC number in the booking.
Doesn't really bother me to be honest, the whole greeting thing gets a bit grating after a while (as I am normally already watching something on the IFE), although it is nice when flying Y when they bring you a pre-departure Cathay Delight!
However, in contrast I have never had a single op'up or cabin crew greeting with BA!
I also haven't had a single op'up since switching to MPC, whereas the rate was about 30% when I had my BAEC number in the booking.
Doesn't really bother me to be honest, the whole greeting thing gets a bit grating after a while (as I am normally already watching something on the IFE), although it is nice when flying Y when they bring you a pre-departure Cathay Delight!
However, in contrast I have never had a single op'up or cabin crew greeting with BA!
For the last few years, I've been between OWS and OWE of JAL flying CX a bit (hard to avoid being in HKG). Service as OWS since late 2015 is a notch down as compared to say, 2013-14 unless you have a good team - i dont mean the full "order early and ISM greeting ordeal" but in the past OWS usually get the water (or if you buy lots of duty free), and lately they always say "We dont give water to Sapphires"). It does actually feel like CXSL where you're nobody... but even CX GO sometimes gets treated as such so there's not much i can complain about re preferential treatment.
May 10, 2018, 2:24 am
#21
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: HKG, TXL
Programs: CX DM
Posts: 566
maybe the elite-load was so poor that they felt like they needed to? I really dont understand why they would though. Or to approach them for in-flight purchases or to sign up to MPC?
May 10, 2018, 2:30 am
#22
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
Water is for DM/DMP only, no one else, not EMER. In fact, I think it might even be a valid complaint if an FP was reported for giving out water to anyone else (including OWE).
According to my cabin crew friends, it was officially clarified in their weekly newsletter one or two years ago that partner elites should not be treated the same. Of course once on the plane, they dare not challenge their seniors so it still happens.
More likely an ignorant FP - since the manifest/ipad records down to AM, one who might not be able to distinguish between EM/SA/SL/RU/GR/AM etc might just copy everything down and let the SP to decide how much extra attention to give for these. There are also other markings like ID, our favorite 'arrow', etc...
The only thing(s) on the chart they are 100% aware of, or have been brainwashed enough to be aware of, is 'DM', and to a lesser extent GO. That's about it.
According to my cabin crew friends, it was officially clarified in their weekly newsletter one or two years ago that partner elites should not be treated the same. Of course once on the plane, they dare not challenge their seniors so it still happens.
The only thing(s) on the chart they are 100% aware of, or have been brainwashed enough to be aware of, is 'DM', and to a lesser extent GO. That's about it.
May 10, 2018, 3:33 am
#24
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
Maybe this is already a known fact, but just had some very good conservation with flight crew (won't say which route in case some Cathay management are lurking here). I made the comment that I've noticed on their paper that they tape on the galley, in the old days I remembered they write down every elite member: DM/GO and their respective seat number. But on the last few flights, I've noticed it's only DM and EMD (don't remember seeing OW EMD being highlighted before). They've confirmed with me that the old training routine is to treat DM/GO well, but the new standard is to pamper DM and EMD, but ignore the GO.
Another reason if you can't make DM with Cathay, there's no point trying.
Another reason if you can't make DM with Cathay, there's no point trying.
Not to say, the passenger seating overview on the food carts did have some GO's listed (as far as I could see), it was manually written on the overview.
My name did not have the GO, because I forgot to enter the MPC number in my booking.
But, my name did have another scribble on that paper, something like a "W" and separately "Co...". No idea what it stands for, though I was treated very well, got everything I asked for, treatment was much more at the personal interaction level then with other recent flights with my GO known to the crew. And I gave them another written heads-up recommendation towards CX, which they really seem appreciate. I did not have the feeling, I missed anything, due to the missing Go-status.
Looks to me, the GO/DM status does trigger an obligatory act, without further meaning, whereas interaction with the crew at a more personal level, makes life on board easy, so to say.
May 10, 2018, 5:01 am
#27
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
Last edited by andersonCooper; May 10, 2018 at 5:08 am Reason: grammar
May 10, 2018, 5:33 am
#28
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: SYD/PEK
Programs: MPC CXGO, IHG RA
Posts: 104
Being a GO for 2 years and I only received greetings from SP and nothing else
And when flying PEK route, I think I have never been greeted even in paid J (well consider they usually carry a plastic bag to distribute water to DM on this route, I really don't expect anything lol)
And when flying PEK route, I think I have never been greeted even in paid J (well consider they usually carry a plastic bag to distribute water to DM on this route, I really don't expect anything lol)
May 10, 2018, 5:37 am
#29
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,372
And also that if AA allowed in their own Emeralds and Sapphires, the clubs would be overrun and unusable. You think the Pier F is crowded? Imagine an Admirals Club in Philadelphia or Miami if ExecPlats and Plats could use it on every itinerary.
May 10, 2018, 5:48 am
#30
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,372
Water is for DM/DMP only, no one else, not EMER. In fact, I think it might even be a valid complaint if an FP was reported for giving out water to anyone else (including OWE).
According to my cabin crew friends, it was officially clarified in their weekly newsletter one or two years ago that partner elites should not be treated the same. Of course once on the plane, they dare not challenge their seniors so it still happens.
According to my cabin crew friends, it was officially clarified in their weekly newsletter one or two years ago that partner elites should not be treated the same. Of course once on the plane, they dare not challenge their seniors so it still happens.
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.