AANYC1981

This

jamesteroh

And Delta also advertises free alcohol when they try to get you to buy up to C+. I was on a DTW/YYZ flight once where an infrequent flyer bought a C+ ticket and one of the selling points was it advertised free alcohol and they didn't read the fine print of no beverage service on that short of a flight and they weren't happy when they found out only first was getting drinks on that flight.

I was on a ATL/CHS flight last month and the FA did do a service in just C+ and I noticed he asked a guy sitting a couple rows back if he wanted anything. At least five other people boarded with me during PREM that sat in the back of the bus so that means at least six diamonds were on board in coach and I am wondering if they did a beverage service when he saw the manifest and the guy he offered the drink to in C- boarded with me during PREM so maybe the FA was trying to take care of the diamonds.

jdrtravel

I believe the point is that it often seems like DL FA's wait longer than necessary, and certainly longer than other (esp. non-US) airlines to get up and start service.

flyerCO

Ah, ok. I feel a lot just don't seem to want to do it. While only anecdotal, the FA I posted about two months ago (SAT-LAX, that ended up fired) along with some other experiences make me believe a number just want to sit in the seat and sleep/chat.

ryw

Yikes, "reduction in service" sounds right. (Though I'm also hoping that OAK-LAX is classified in the 350+ length...)

As others have said, WN seems to be able to get a beverage service to everyone in coach, even on short hops (like the LA area to LAS), so it can be done. I've heard FAs make the announcement early for anyone wanting a drink to be ready or to look at the menu - no asking "what do you have?" or you'll be skipped! I'm guessing that taking orders (instead of using the carts) lets them go faster (plus on shorter flights they'll usually only give out peanuts not really give a choice, saving a couple seconds per passenger).

jamesteroh

I forgot that WN also passes out peanuts (and sometimes has pretzels) on short hauls in addition to the beverage service. If WN can do both a peanut and beverage service then DL should be able to do a full beverage service in C+ and at least a limited beverage service in C-.

On WN having the drink orders ahead of time and no carts has to make the service easier for them. I've been on WN flights before where NRSA's would be on board and help pass out peanuts as well which I think is kind of cool when you see a off duty pilot or FA flying home and helping the FA's pass out peanuts and talking to Passengers.

KDCAflyer

Yeah DL's FAs are definitely not doing that lol.

fly747first

SJC ORD LDR

I remember Aloha doing a full beverage service on HNL - KOA, KOA - OGG, and OGG - LIH.

DL FAs are just lazy or slow. I'm not quite sure which.

KDCAflyer

I honestly think that DL tolerates the culture of laziness (and deepens it in this case) in exchange for the FAs not unionizing.

readywhenyouare

PMDL was always very good about getting everyone served. MCO-ATL could be as short as 48 minutes and they always got everyone served on the MD-11, 777, and 764.

I remember flying BOS-CVG and the flight crew was stuck in traffic. Some deadheading flight attendants volunteered to go onboard and get the aircraft ready so that we could get going as soon as the crew arrived. But around 2008 something changed.

flyerCO

In the US labor law environment, you don't want off duty employees helping out. Might be a nice gesture to co-worker, but awful legal idea. Thus most companies have explicit policies against it.

teCh0010

MEM to ATL on Sat we were offered coffee or water, I was sitting in my wife's (gold) seat in main cabin.

ATL - MEM today didn't get upgraded so sitting in C+. Wouldn't do anything about a mixed drink, they did eventually go get me a ginger ale.

C+ is marketed with free drinks, then they offer you coffee and water. So the same as jail.

WN manages a full service on all their flights, AA manages a full service on MEM - DFW and gives me a free drink as a Plat on any flight I'm in the main cabin.

So as a 50k Plat AA makes sure I have a free drink no matter which cabin I sit in, but as a Diamond DL gives me free water and coffee. Just like jail.

jdrtravel

Agreed. Totally absurd that they can't offer a drink. I once flew GVA-ZRH on Swiss (159 miles!) and they served the whole main cabin of an A320 offering bottled water, beer or wine and a snack.

So they might not have time to scoop ice and open cans and liquor bottles for everyone, but they could certainly hand a C+ pax a beer or wine bottle and plastic cup and let them open it themselves. They could probably also hand them a glass of ice, an unopened can of mixer and a liquor bottle.

ATLflyer2017

Oh please, if it weren't for Delta you would have no base of blog followers and no sponsors.