BF Debranding?
 

I am not sure if this was a fluke or intentional but I flew over the other day on UA 99 in BF and noticed some subtle changes. The menus were the newer PMUA style and did not make any reference to BF. The menu choices and presentation were still in traditional BF style, however. I noticed the headrest covers that had BF printed on them were completely missing. Additionally, the clips that hold the silverware were blank (not rubbed off) where they previously had the BF logo on them. The blankets and pillows remained the same old BF ones but I do not think it would be worth throwing them out yet. Has anyone else been noticing this quiet debranding?

Same observation in BF on UA6/7 (IAH-NRT-IAH) last week.

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I hope service isn't downgraded to UA business

+1, keep BF service!

From what i heard from a flight attendant BF will be the new standard for C cabin. Food will be using bfs catering. Maybe they are just taking off the BF logo. Not sure

If the standards are the same, and the misleading, deceptive "First" aspect of the name and logo are gone - then its a great change. ^

Yeah, because that's really, really important. :rolleyes: Anyone who is misled by the BusinessFirst branding has to be pretty dumb.

Well we know most non PMCO people don't really like the BF name. Now that you have an airline with both 2 and 3 class aircraft with First and Business, they might need to rebrand BF into simply Business or some other name so as to not lead people to believe it is First.

One way or the other
 

Howeer they do it, UACO needs to rebrand one way or the other:

1. First Class
2. BusinessFirst
3. Business
4. Economy Plus
5. Economy

The question becomes what UACO calls the premium cabin on a 2-class intl. flight. Is it "First Class" or "Business?" All harder when there are 3-class on same route, so people get confused between First Class and BusinessFirst.

All they need to do is call it Business, but keep service the same, and upgrade current UA C service to current BF service.
And then, they can act like BA. Use 3-cabin a/c on routes that require it, and use 2-cabin on routes that don't require F

Well, I think the branding is much less important than what the new service standards are going to be. First is the question of what the 2-class J product will offer, clearly a lot of people like the PMCO BF service (me included). Will that stay the same? And will 3-class J have a similar offering as historical, or an improved offering to put it on par with the 2-class J product.

My biggest worry is that the First class-like elements of the prior BusinessFirst service (appetizer trolley, cheese trolley, desert trolley) will migrate up to 3-class F and disappear altogether from J.

FWIW, AA does not make any differentiation in the branding. They offer First and Business Class internationally. However, the service offering on 2-class J is significantly better than on 3-class J. I personally think the service differentiation is confusing for consumers in the absence of a branding differentiation.

Current BF service should be the standard for all Business Class, whether on a 2-cabin plane or a 3-cabin plane.
First should be even better.

CO already has a "business" product in use on their non-BF international flights.

Unfortunately if they drop the BF branding it's going to make it tough to distinguish between domestic-F-type routes and international-J-type routes.

Really? Because there are people in this forum who will argue till theyre blue in the face that BF is a hybrid product and somehow a cross of business and first class.....

Also International Business Class when domestic F ("big front seat") is used for regional international markets.

Trolleys as a First class-like element? LOL lay off the COol-Aid.

I never saw a single trolley on Cathay F last month, nor did I expect to or want to. If anything trolleys are the hallmark of mass market services, thus their ubiquity for meal service in coach.