Inconsistent Service
 

Just had a R/T JFK-DCA and I must say I might prefer the CRJ :)

JFK-DCA on a Pinnacle CR2, single flight attendant makes it through the cabin offering a full beverage selection, beer/wine for purchase, free peanuts/pretzels, and other snacks available for purchase

DCA-JFK on a Mesaba CR9, lead FA announces that due to short duration of flight the other FA will only be coming through the cabin with water. Not sure if the lead FA was lazy or what because outside of 2 beverage runs in F/C she was seated the entirety of the flight while the second FA had to refresh her bottle of water 3 or 4 times to make it through the cabin. In that time the second FA could have either offered a small snack or the two of them working together could have provided service to the entire cabin

1 FA can somehow serve 50 people with more service than 2 people serving less than twice that. Maybe I got unlucky, but that is unacceptable

Consistent inconsistency is DL management mantra.

Submit an e-mail comment and reference Anderson's Sky magazine editorial on "one consistent Delta service standard."

Part of this is the FA. Part is the carrier (DL or the affiliate, depending who you believe) as to the service.

Overall, I find Pinnacle to be consistently a great crew. I have often emailed DL about great service on them. I've not flown Mesaba, so I can't say.

But, in defense, part of the "issue" is the altitude (which, BTW, it TOTALLY a US thing....I've seen BA FAs set up a cart and serve bevs in literally 30 secs after take off (set up cart, 90 secs to first drink service starting).

Dave

The cruising altitude of JFK-DCA was FL160 while DCA-JFK was FL170 so that should not be an issue

Hmmm - "attitude" not "altitude"........

Are the "no moving around the cabin" restrictions still in effect on approach into DCA? Might that not affect the amount of time FAs have to provide service?

I'll agree with that assessment of the Pinnacle crews. I've had a fair number of flights on Pinnacle CR2's flying DTW-PVD in the past few months, and the FA's on Pinnacle have consistently offered good service within the confines of what DL standards allow.

The only place such restrictions seem to exist are on the regional carriers. Fly an A320 DTW-DCA and dance in the aisles. Fly a CRJ-7/900 and get shot if you stand up.

Never makes sense...

The JFK-DCA sector is 211 miles. The service standard for DL and Delta Connection flights are that flights LESS than 250 miles are not scheduled for a service in Y class. All flights receive service in F class, regardless of sector length.

Given the policy, there should have been no service on the Pinnacle operated flight and only the F cabin should have received a service on the Mesaba operated flight. Most FAs still make an effort to provide at least something on these short flights, even though the service standards do not require them to. This unfortunately is a double edged sword. It makes the FAs who follow the policy look lazy, when in fact they're just doing their jobs.

A few things to think about... the CRJ200 galley carts are packed differently than the CRJ900 carts and require far less set-up. Therefore it's much easier for 1 FA on the CRJ200 to perform a quick service. It's also a lot easier to do a quick service when the flight isn't full.

On the 900, consider this: the only galley on the plane is in the front. Both Y and F carts are in the same place and there is very little room to move around. Given the fact that the F class FA has to perform a full service, it would make it very difficult for the Y class FA to set up his/her entire cart and prepare to serve 64 people, all the while the F class FA has to set up his/her cart to serve the F cabin. Once again, the carts on the 900 are packed differently and require much more set up (time) than the ones on the 200.

In the end, the FAs on both your flights were going above and beyond the service standards which are again, set by Delta.

I've never had a problem with drink service in F on a two-class RJ from DCA to JFK (in either direction). On the drink after takeoff, you may only have 10 minutes to consume it (you get served overhead Dover, DE and have to give up your glass at about Toms River, NJ), but you do get served.

As I said... there is always a service in F, regardless of length. The issue is service in Y class on such a short flight.

Funny, when I flew JFK-BWI on a CRJ (very similar distance to JFK-DCA), we only got water. I think I'd take water only on a CR9 over beverage/pretzel service on a CRJ any day.

Booked on AA DCA-JFK last week. Flight went mechanical and AA rebooked me on DL on a CRJ900. As soon as we get in the air they make an announcement that there would be a full beverage service in first, but "due to the short duration of the flight," nothing at all in coach.

The FA "working" coach shushed several passengers before and during the saftey announcement, then later on in the flight scolded a young child for having the audacity to ask for water - "we don't provide any service in coach." (To be fair, after the scolding, she did grudgingly provide a cup of water.)

Two FAs and they can't offer anything in coach? :rolleyes:

On the way back on AA the single FA offered a full beverage service plus items for sale. Glad I don't have to fly DL on a regular basis.

I have done DCA-JFK or JFK-DCA about 6-7 times in the last year. Thankfully I have never missed the UG. All have been on the C900 and C700. I'd say the FA's do pre-flight beverages in first about 50% of the time. My two most recent trips (June and July) did not have pre-flight drinks and one didn't even have the little Dasani bottles. The FA's also announced no service in coach, but they did serve drinks and snacks in first. I have found this "lack" of service to be fairly consistent with this route. With that said, you're in the air for 45-50 minutes, so it's not that terrible.