Champagne Shenanigans
 

I seem to remember some discussion of this earlier but my jet lagged brain couldn't find the thread...

Got my first DL up-op today ZRH-JFK!

This past summer I flew BE (award) MSP-LHR and DUB-ATL and the Jacquart Champagne flowed freely. Kind of enjoyed it and as they don't have any decent beer I thought I'd use my luck to partake again.

When the FA came by after takeoff to take drink orders, I ordered the Jacquart and even pointed to it on the menu as I am sure I mispronounced it.

What I got was the stuff they give you as a PDB. I was offered a couple of refills but she never brought the bottle out. I saw another FA in the galley open a bottle of the Jacquart (I was in row 6) so I popped in and asked for a refill. I got a funny look -- sort of "Not my station" -- and she said "I have to serve these other people first ..." and then disappeared with the bottle. Hmmm.

I got two or three refills from "my" FA the last being totally flat, with no bubbles, as if the bottle had been open a while. At about an hour and a half into the flight she announced it was all gone. "Don't you stock like 6 bottles?" I asked. "Yes," she replied, "all six are gone." Double Hmmmm.

About a half an hour later I saw the FA I talked to in the galley opening a fresh bottle of Jacquart and I flagged "my" FA as she went by, pointed across the aisle and said "Good news, she found another bottle.' My FA went over with a glass, had a bit of a discussion with the other FA and poured me half a glass. The bottle never made another appearance but the couple on the other side got plenty of refills (but filled in the galley).

No big deal, I switched to Woodford and was happy -- hey I got an opup I'm not going to make a fuss -- but there clearly was something going on.

Much more that a banana :)

And a footnote: We landed at a remote and were bussed in so no "meet and greet" -- I was really looking forward to that, one reason I routed thru JFK over ATL. Glad I had Global Entry because the Immigration and Customs lines were huge. Thru the whole thing in about 5 minutes.

Drop a note about that as it's not SOP. IIRC Itsaboutthejourney has had issues with getting the right bubbles in air before.

I believe FAs have the reserved right to control the amount of alcohol served to passengers. Strange nonetheless.

He always seems to have issues :rolleyes:

I've also had issues repeatedly with FAs on some DL flights trying to serve the PDB sparkling wine (usually proseco) in the air and say it's champagne. I can tell it isn't by the taste--I don't need to see the bottle. You should certainly report this. Do you think the FAs were saving it to be a nice "doggie bag" gift, either to the couple or for themselves?

The fact that you had an OPUP is irrelevant; revenue passengers, including those on award tickets paid with miles or upgrades on revenue/award tickets, deserve the same treatment in the air. This is bvasically company policy.

However, do you think the FAs or your FA in particular could have thought/assumed that you were flying nonrev? Nonrevs are not supposed to ask for stuff like drink refills. Especially if catering shorted the flight one or more bottles of the real champagne, the FAs could have been trying hard to save it for weho they thought were the revenue passengers and resist giving it to nonrevs if they feared running out. If they were being proper, they would avoid tellling you it's because you were (they thought) a nonrev as nonrev status isn't supposed to be discussed. Your boarding possibly late and possibly not appearing on the manifest they were consulting for BE could have caused the crew to assume you were an airline employee travelling in BE for almost free as part of employee benefits.

They were willing to give the OP Woodford rather than champagne. This is more alcohol.

Coach was oversold -- when I got to the front check in area I was given a piece of paper asking for volunteers as the flight was oversold. When I got to the agent she said they didn't need anymore volunteers -- and by the way, you've been upgraded. I was maybe 3rd or 4th on the flight so not late boarding. No idea if they thought I was non-rev but I guess not too many non-revs made the flight. Nobody came by and thanked me for being DM but that is about 50% anyway.

Any one thing wouldn't have made me suspicious, but the combination, especially being told 6 bottles we drunk in less than an hour and a half when I couldn't see anybody but one couple drinking bubbly gave me pause. If they she had said "catering messed up" I might have believed it.

I don't know if she was keeping bottles for herself or just making sure that other folks got a steady supply across the Atlantic I don't know. I hesitate to report it as it will sound like I am 1) fishing for compensation or 2) being ungrateful after getting an upgrade. If I could report it anonymously, I would.

Now if they pulled the same "stuff" with Woodfords -- that is another matter altogether.

"Nonrevs are not supposed to ask for stuff like drink refills." Huh? Never heard that one before.

1) Say up front you don't want compensation (you will get it anyway probably), this will allow you to frame your concern as one where the FAs were not providing customers what they ordered.

2) You got the u/g because you are a loyal DM. It's hard to be grateful for an upgrade if you were not treated fairly on the flight.

This would be cause for an in-flight incident!!

Perhaps someone could consider this a report, even if not really a report done anonymously.

[Given all the details you've provided in this thread, I doubt DL would have much issue in figuring out how to undo anonymity if intent upon figuring it out.]

Unacceptable behavoir on so many levels. I'd write to Delta and let them deal with it. They either start to address the BE service issues or they'll have some serious issues with their HVCs.

I was served the PDB swill on a HNL-NRT last year while travelling up front on the big bird. There were IIRC just 7 revenue passengers on the flight, but then 40+ non-revs basically filled the cabin at the last moment. That's great that the non-revs got awesome seats for this flight, I don't begrudge for one moment. What irritated me however is that the FA assumed my friend and I (actually on J mileage upgrades from YBM) were also non-revs and therefore was not willing to open the good stuff.

When I politely asked for the "real" stuff instead of the (flat) cheap PDB stuff, I was told somewhat firmly that I shouldn't be asking for the crew to open bottles for non-revs. I politely but firmly explained that while everyone else in the cabin might be NRSA, I was not - and would she now kindly go open the bottle. :rolleyes:

If you get this again, just politely but firmly ask if the champagne as listed on the BE menu was loaded, and if so, can you get that instead of the substitute / pre-departure wine you've been given.

For the non-champagne drinkers... It'd be like asking for Woodford and getting something akin to Cutty Sark, but with the FA insisting it was Woodford. Methinks there'd be a revolt! ;)


WhiskyCritic.com on Cutty Sark: "It’s initially rather rough – a bit like being beaten across the face by a mad Pole armed with a stiffened trout.... actually rather unpleasant. A bit of oak, some citrus, and that unmistakable smell of morning breath the day after a bender..."

I have never heard or seen a policy restricting what drink we as employees flying NRSA may request or be served, only that that we get our choice following revenue passengers and in addition to drinking in moderation.

I'd send a message and inform them about the issue, since this seems to be a somewhat common problem. If you request the real champagne, then they should be pouring it for you and not saving it for who knows what.

So now the NRSAs are even being victimized by on-board Shena.

I quote Vince Lombardi, "What the hell's going on around here!"