Mar 24, 2020, 6:20 pm
Last edit by: xliioper
**Update 7/21/21 North America, Latin America, and Caribbean***
- 6/15 Hot meal service returns to select D1/FC Transcon flights - JFK-SEA/SFO/LAX + BOS-SEA/LAX
- 6/15 Snack basket returns to select FC/C+/and D1 flights as well as Y Flight Fuel Box sales returning
- 7/28 (limited to SEA/SFO/LAX/SLC to/from hubs/focus cities) Meals on FC flights over 1500 miles departing before 9PM. Meals will likely be cold/uncooked items like salads and sandwiches.
- 8/17 and 8/24 Remaining FC flights over 1500 miles get meals.
- 8/24 hub-to-hub (inc. focus cities) routes between 900 and 1500 miles get meals
- 8/31 full restoration of old meal service standard (meal windows seem to be gone) with all FC flights between 900-1500 miles getting meals
https://news.delta.com/la-chefs-jon-shook-vinny-dotolo-headline-return-fresh-meals-deltas-premium-domestic-cabins
**Update 4/14 North America, Latin America, and Caribbean***
All Cabins, Purell wipe or similar during boarding
Beverages: 7.5oz mini cans: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Tonic, Club, Orange, Cran, Bloody Mary Mix, Coffee Tea, Water.
Spirits: Finlandia Vodka, Jack, Bombay Gin, Woodford, Tip Top Old Fashioned & Margarita, Sweetwater 420 & Hazy IPA, Miller Lite, White/Red/Sparkling Wine
F/C - All Flights - NO PDB OR PRE-SET WATER - Full Beverage Selection, Sweet & Salty Snack
F/C 900+ - Choice of Non-Perishable flight fuel box.
F/C 1500+ - Pre Arrival Second Beverage Service
**you can always request refills**
C+, M/C - < 251 - No Service
C+, M/C - 251+ - 8oz water, Coffee/Tea, 2 Snacks (Sweet/Salty) C+ Only: Beer/Wine
C+, M/C - 500+ - Full Beverage, 2 Snacks (Sweet/Salty), Ice On Request, C+ Only: Complimentary Spirits
C+, M/C - 1500+ - Pre Arrival Second Beverage Service
**you can always request refills**
Tap To Pay activated on Flight Attendant Devices For Contactless Payments.
*on domestic widebodies D1 gets domestic FC service. A/C that have PS are C+ service and C+ is MC service.*
For your convenience, note that the contents of the Bistro (orange) box are pictured in post #3814 while a detailed list of the contents of the Market (yellow) box is given in post #3471.
- 6/15 Hot meal service returns to select D1/FC Transcon flights - JFK-SEA/SFO/LAX + BOS-SEA/LAX
- 6/15 Snack basket returns to select FC/C+/and D1 flights as well as Y Flight Fuel Box sales returning
- 7/28 (limited to SEA/SFO/LAX/SLC to/from hubs/focus cities) Meals on FC flights over 1500 miles departing before 9PM. Meals will likely be cold/uncooked items like salads and sandwiches.
- 8/17 and 8/24 Remaining FC flights over 1500 miles get meals.
- 8/24 hub-to-hub (inc. focus cities) routes between 900 and 1500 miles get meals
- 8/31 full restoration of old meal service standard (meal windows seem to be gone) with all FC flights between 900-1500 miles getting meals
https://news.delta.com/la-chefs-jon-shook-vinny-dotolo-headline-return-fresh-meals-deltas-premium-domestic-cabins
**Update 4/14 North America, Latin America, and Caribbean***
All Cabins, Purell wipe or similar during boarding
Beverages: 7.5oz mini cans: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Tonic, Club, Orange, Cran, Bloody Mary Mix, Coffee Tea, Water.
Spirits: Finlandia Vodka, Jack, Bombay Gin, Woodford, Tip Top Old Fashioned & Margarita, Sweetwater 420 & Hazy IPA, Miller Lite, White/Red/Sparkling Wine
F/C - All Flights - NO PDB OR PRE-SET WATER - Full Beverage Selection, Sweet & Salty Snack
F/C 900+ - Choice of Non-Perishable flight fuel box.
F/C 1500+ - Pre Arrival Second Beverage Service
**you can always request refills**
C+, M/C - < 251 - No Service
C+, M/C - 251+ - 8oz water, Coffee/Tea, 2 Snacks (Sweet/Salty) C+ Only: Beer/Wine
C+, M/C - 500+ - Full Beverage, 2 Snacks (Sweet/Salty), Ice On Request, C+ Only: Complimentary Spirits
C+, M/C - 1500+ - Pre Arrival Second Beverage Service
**you can always request refills**
Tap To Pay activated on Flight Attendant Devices For Contactless Payments.
*on domestic widebodies D1 gets domestic FC service. A/C that have PS are C+ service and C+ is MC service.*
For your convenience, note that the contents of the Bistro (orange) box are pictured in post #3814 while a detailed list of the contents of the Market (yellow) box is given in post #3471.
DL In Flight Service Changes during COVID-19 (Consolidated Thread)
Nov 20, 2020, 11:20 pm
#2311
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: CONUS
Posts: 947
That's fine. And I don't blame you if you cwant traditional service in non-traditional times. I hate DAL's service. But how is that working for AA? Delta's internal (and reported) metrics show that's strict adherence to reduced service, interaction, and seat blocking is working. Do you think DAL just decided to go with blocked middle coach seats through end of March for the hell of it? Hell ho. The numbers show it's working.
100%. Of my remaining flights until Feb 2021, everything is going to AA. Even to the Caribbean, Id rather connect in MIA with full service than Delta direct with nothing. This is paid J. If in economy I would take the direct, but when Im paying for a premium experience I expect the service to come with it.
Nov 21, 2020, 5:13 am
#2312
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast
Programs: AA CONCIERGE KEY & 1MM, HILTON DIAMOND
Posts: 11,970
That's fine. And I don't blame you if you cwant traditional service in non-traditional times. I hate DAL's service. But how is that working for AA? Delta's internal (and reported) metrics show that's strict adherence to reduced service, interaction, and seat blocking is working. Do you think DAL just decided to go with blocked middle coach seats through end of March for the hell of it? Hell ho. The numbers show it's working.
If you want to live in an alternative reality, go ahead. DL has ZERO evidence of actually providing a safer experience onboard. All their competitors, including ultra low-cost Spirit, are offering far better inflight services and yet you don't hear of any of these having a wave of Covid on their flights. DL has chosen to act in a highly dishonest manner and in the long-run, they will pay the consequences. I wouldn't be surprised if the mega lies DL is trying to pull backfire on them... once there is a Covid vaccine and travel demand grows overnight, they will be forced to bring back inflight services but their super lazy cabin crews will object (how dare DL demand they actually provide service to the passengers building their revenue!) and still opt to unionize.
Nov 21, 2020, 6:06 am
#2313
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Mexico City
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold, IHG Silver, Choice Platinum, Wyndham Gold
Posts: 3,849
I was on the fence with DL. But, since I've flown many times on DL since covid and their partner Aeromexico who packs their flights with no empty middle seats, the only thing now I find beneficial with DL is nobody will be sitting next to you in a three seat configuration. That's about it. AM has also equipped their planes with HEPA filters, and do the same sanitizing as DL. I don't believe one empty middle seat changes much, other than provides passengers with extra elbow room.
Nov 21, 2020, 7:35 am
#2314
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.4MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,223
You should become DL's spokesperson
If you want to live in an alternative reality, go ahead. DL has ZERO evidence of actually providing a safer experience onboard. All their competitors, including ultra low-cost Spirit, are offering far better inflight services and yet you don't hear of any of these having a wave of Covid on their flights. DL has chosen to act in a highly dishonest manner and in the long-run, they will pay the consequences. I wouldn't be surprised if the mega lies DL is trying to pull backfire on them... once there is a Covid vaccine and travel demand grows overnight, they will be forced to bring back inflight services but their super lazy cabin crews will object (how dare DL demand they actually provide service to the passengers building their revenue!) and still opt to unionize.
If you want to live in an alternative reality, go ahead. DL has ZERO evidence of actually providing a safer experience onboard. All their competitors, including ultra low-cost Spirit, are offering far better inflight services and yet you don't hear of any of these having a wave of Covid on their flights. DL has chosen to act in a highly dishonest manner and in the long-run, they will pay the consequences. I wouldn't be surprised if the mega lies DL is trying to pull backfire on them... once there is a Covid vaccine and travel demand grows overnight, they will be forced to bring back inflight services but their super lazy cabin crews will object (how dare DL demand they actually provide service to the passengers building their revenue!) and still opt to unionize.
Nov 21, 2020, 10:11 am
#2315
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,638
I know a lot of people have a dim view of DL's competence, but do people believe
- DL is too stupid to segment their survey results by F/J
- DL is unaware of what its own J bookings look like both recently and in the near future
We weren't in the middle of a prolonged global pandemic situation years ago. Context matters. Which is why all the snickering "beer cans can't carry COVID but soda can" or "I guess you can't catch COVID on international flights" are misplaced, IMO. Sure, if you focus extremely narrowly on that specific thing, I agree it seems ludicrous for anyone to think that handing out a can of beer is inherently any more or less risky than handing out a can of soda, and obviously the risk in eating a meal on a plane doesn't change based on the plane's destination.
But those decisions aren't being made in a vacuum. Of *course* some of it is cost cutting, but some of it is safety related, some of it is practical/logistics, some of it is keeping FAs happy, and some of it is keeping customers happy (and different customers prioritize different things). Presumably they are balancing all these factors, and while we will surely continue to argue about the relative proportions of those factors, it seems understandable to me that different routes/markets could have different pressures and so maybe they make different compromises domestically vs. internationally. Marketing isn't going to come out and say it in those terms of course...
So while it's great that everyone's announcing they're moving all their business to AA (do we get points or something for announcing this publicly?) unless you think DL is happy flying F cabins full of upgraders and nonrevs, presumably they have macro data vs. anecdotal complaints on FT and they believe they can sustain what they're doing or weather the storm for at least a while longer. It's entirely possible they're wrong about that, but I imagine they'll re-evaluate as the situation continues to evolve.
Plus, the active discussion in the status match thread, plus discussions in other airline forums on FT shows that interest in switching airlines goes in both directions.
- DL is too stupid to segment their survey results by F/J
- DL is unaware of what its own J bookings look like both recently and in the near future
We weren't in the middle of a prolonged global pandemic situation years ago. Context matters. Which is why all the snickering "beer cans can't carry COVID but soda can" or "I guess you can't catch COVID on international flights" are misplaced, IMO. Sure, if you focus extremely narrowly on that specific thing, I agree it seems ludicrous for anyone to think that handing out a can of beer is inherently any more or less risky than handing out a can of soda, and obviously the risk in eating a meal on a plane doesn't change based on the plane's destination.
But those decisions aren't being made in a vacuum. Of *course* some of it is cost cutting, but some of it is safety related, some of it is practical/logistics, some of it is keeping FAs happy, and some of it is keeping customers happy (and different customers prioritize different things). Presumably they are balancing all these factors, and while we will surely continue to argue about the relative proportions of those factors, it seems understandable to me that different routes/markets could have different pressures and so maybe they make different compromises domestically vs. internationally. Marketing isn't going to come out and say it in those terms of course...
So while it's great that everyone's announcing they're moving all their business to AA (do we get points or something for announcing this publicly?) unless you think DL is happy flying F cabins full of upgraders and nonrevs, presumably they have macro data vs. anecdotal complaints on FT and they believe they can sustain what they're doing or weather the storm for at least a while longer. It's entirely possible they're wrong about that, but I imagine they'll re-evaluate as the situation continues to evolve.
Plus, the active discussion in the status match thread, plus discussions in other airline forums on FT shows that interest in switching airlines goes in both directions.
And suddenly, DL's spin is now the "most dishonest spin ever to come out of an airline" while we all know that airline policy PR spin, as an industry, is the highest royalty of PR spin.
Do I love DL's current cornucopia of opulent inflight offerings? No.
Are they ok enough for the time being? Pretty much.
Nov 21, 2020, 10:43 am
#2316
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast
Programs: AA CONCIERGE KEY & 1MM, HILTON DIAMOND
Posts: 11,970
To quote one of my favorite strategists who always remains objective and isn't willing to compromise her professional integrity: "Do you know how to spell hypocrisy or should I spell it out for you"?
Nov 21, 2020, 10:48 am
#2317
formerly wchinchen
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Honolulu
Programs: AA CK, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,298
That's fine. And I don't blame you if you cwant traditional service in non-traditional times. I hate DAL's service. But how is that working for AA? Delta's internal (and reported) metrics show that's strict adherence to reduced service, interaction, and seat blocking is working. Do you think DAL just decided to go with blocked middle coach seats through end of March for the hell of it? Hell ho. The numbers show it's working.
So did Delta pigeon hole itself to not resume in-flight services until the vaccine is widely distributed? The time when business have a better chance of allowing business travel?
Nov 21, 2020, 10:53 am
#2318
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,638
Go on Linkedin and Facebook and witness for yourself DL stating how they aren't serving meals for safety reasons when in reality it is for pure cost-cutting and attempting to prevent FAs from unionizing, yet DL's dishonest marketing team is trying to look like heroes on social media.
To quote one of my favorite strategists who always remains objective and isn't willing to compromise her professional integrity: "Do you know how to spell hypocrisy or should I spell it out for you"?
To quote one of my favorite strategists who always remains objective and isn't willing to compromise her professional integrity: "Do you know how to spell hypocrisy or should I spell it out for you"?
*I guess I'm old, but still have a memory!
Nov 21, 2020, 10:55 am
#2319
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
I think this highlights the difference many of us have here. As someone spending my own money or my company’s money, I’m not satisfied settling for downmarket crap. YMMV
Nov 21, 2020, 11:10 am
#2320
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,638
Or sadly, you don't understand the basic concepts of competitive analysis and professional integrity*... but that's ok, I'm sure your beloved DL will forgive you as they do for anything that is to their advantage
*U.S. airlines in general are plagued by terrible management teams but when an alcoholic like Doug Parker openly admits his hatred for AA's elites and UA didn't lie about Smisek's corrupt behavior essentially bringing a federal investigation to the company, DL gets zero sympathy for me; they clearly have no desire to be honest and uphold any level of integrity
*U.S. airlines in general are plagued by terrible management teams but when an alcoholic like Doug Parker openly admits his hatred for AA's elites and UA didn't lie about Smisek's corrupt behavior essentially bringing a federal investigation to the company, DL gets zero sympathy for me; they clearly have no desire to be honest and uphold any level of integrity
Nov 21, 2020, 11:22 am
#2321
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast
Programs: AA CONCIERGE KEY & 1MM, HILTON DIAMOND
Posts: 11,970
Please refrain from including me in the "so many" you are implying are inconsistent and if you actually read carefully through my posts you would know I don't drink alcohol. However, refusing to offer something as basic as ice (when even Spirit maintains it onboard btw) is beyond shameful for any full-service airline, though I'm sure your beloved ATL-based carrier would argue otherwise, allegeDLy.
Nov 21, 2020, 11:25 am
#2322
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,638
Nov 21, 2020, 11:29 am
#2323
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
It’s all relative. Quite frankly the 7-11 sandwiches and ice served on AA and UA look more upmarket than the handful of vending machine snacks and Estero mini wines served ice cold on Delta. I don’t think anyone here is saying the like AA, UA or even Delta for that matter. It’s pretty widely known that US airlines are some of the most lamented products in the world, however as long as we’re all stuck with them, yes, the difference between upmarket and downmarket can be as simple as a glass of ice and a soft drink at this point, and this is where DL is far, far behind.
Nov 21, 2020, 11:36 am
#2324
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,638
Have you seen my signature? I'm CK with AA and I'm the first one to be critical of them. I have been on flights with Doug Parker where I wasn't shy to point out his unprofessional attitude towards the cabin crew. Trust me, should I face the dishonor of meeting Ed Bastian on a flight, I would give him a piece of my mind.
Please refrain from including me in the "so many" you are implying are inconsistent and if you actually read carefully through my posts you would know I don't drink alcohol. However, refusing to offer something as basic as ice (when even Spirit maintains it onboard btw) is beyond shameful for any full-service airline, though I'm sure your beloved ATL-based carrier would argue otherwise, allegeDLy.
Please refrain from including me in the "so many" you are implying are inconsistent and if you actually read carefully through my posts you would know I don't drink alcohol. However, refusing to offer something as basic as ice (when even Spirit maintains it onboard btw) is beyond shameful for any full-service airline, though I'm sure your beloved ATL-based carrier would argue otherwise, allegeDLy.
Nov 21, 2020, 12:55 pm
#2325
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,024
LOL