dw

It’s clearly a combination of cost savings (which is under their control) + staffing issues at the catering kitchens (less under their control). Nothing to do with covid at all. The FAs are going to touch the cup either way- be it plastic or glass. Pretty ridiculous they are still spewing this ridiculousness.

AA has indicated that glassware is returning, but hasn’t committed to timing yet- and I suspect it has to do with labor at the catering kitchens.

herzmeh

Still "snacks, drinks, lunch, snack" on my ATL-ANC next week.

allseas1586

Snacks and drinks on LGA-BNA at 700+ miles, is it anything decent in F or just the Goldfish and Cliff bar?

AS Flyer

SO, just a point to ponder about why airlines are not using glassware - most airlines use the same system of storing new and old glassware. They use drawers that are slotted in order to easily be thrown into a dishwasher in the kitchen. You take out new glassware that sits upside down when new and when it's used you put it in right side up. same type of drawer and they sit in there together. Some airlines are still using actual glassware, some are not. I wonder if those that are not using actual glassware are not doing so because they're not comfortable co-mingling the new and used glassware AND there's just not enough space to store enough glassware to replace each persons drink with a fresh glass after serving them. Galley space is EXTREMELY limited in most cases. Galleys are meant to be extraordinarily efficient. Everything comes out from and goes back to the same place. The reason you would need to use a fresh glass with each drink is because you can't allow an ice scoop or wine bottle to touch someones used glass when making a refill. It doesn't make sense that they're using plastic instead of glassware to save money because the increased use of plastic is more expensive than reusing glassware that can easily be washed in the kitchen. The virus may not be transmitted easily by surface but when glassware has droplets all over them from peoples mouths.

flyerCO

Most airlines already exchanged out the glass if FA had to take it before CV19. Ie if you needed ice. There was plenty of glassware to replace each passengers glass multiple times.

This is DL being cheap.

fly747first

B6 has smaller galleys than AA/DL/UA since B6 only has narrowbodies and yet they are still serving drinks in proper glasses even in domestic Mint. Also, prior to Covid, AA and DL offered glassware even on flights operated by 2-class CRJ700/900s and E-170/175s with relatively small galleys.

This has nothing to do with galley space but AA/DL/UA being cheap and taking advantage of Covid to continue their extreme cost-cutting practices.

There are no studies that show higher levels of transmission from using proper glassware.

Whirlwind2000

Having now flown on British Airways, KLM, Air France, either in Europe, or from the US-Europe, I think there really is no excuse for Delta still serving everyhing in plastic cups, except it's for cost saving. Admittedly, I'm sure the extra fuel needed to carry heavy glassware makes it carbon-equivalent - but it lacks any excitement about being in Business Class for Delta any more.

Contradancer

Cool, thanks flyerCO .

AS Flyer

no - not true. Most airline continue refilling your same wine glass and refilled your old rocks glass for other drinks when having the same thing. On narrow body domestic flights, especially at Delta who has reduced their galley space to put in more seats on many of their planes, space is too limited to have enough glassware to replace a glass each time you get a refill of the same drink.

AS Flyer

how does using disposable plastic save money over using reusable glassware? How is it being cheap when you're literally spending more money than you would otherwise? I get that it may look cheap but how is it cheap when you're increasing the use of disposable plastic ware. That's more expensive in the long run.

cmd320

Plastic cups are already loaded anyway for Y. The incremental amount to service J/F is negligible.

In contrast, glasses require cleaning which requires a contract with a caterer which costs money as it requires staff. By eliminating that, the cost savings will far outweigh the incremental cost of the added plastic cups used by J/F. Funny how the environmental initiative that was the pre-COVID trend has seemingly dropped off the radar in favor of just throwing plastic at everything.

MCO Flyer

Ironically with the new “boxed meals” the utensil packets say “small changes, big impacts” in regards to sustainable packaging but they wouldn’t have to use any packaging if they used reusable dish/silverware.

flyerCO

Every DL/AA/KL/AF/etc flight I've been on replaced the glass if you asked for more ice or refill was something like juice poured from a box. They only left the glass if you didn't need ice or it. I've always found it wasteful. Most of the space in those carts are empty on narrow bodies.

AS Flyer

so two sleeves of plastic cups x how many flights a day they're used on is really not negligible. They already have contracts with catering kitchens and, presumably are going to be putting dishware back on real soon in FC anyway on many flights. The cost to wash glasses could also be negligible. It's not a cost saving measure. It doesn't save costs.

AS Flyer

how do you know this? Did you follow them to the galley? Refills of the same drink have generally been in the same glass. There just isn't room for enough glassware to replace that many glasses for refills. Ask a Delta FA - I'd be interested to see what their procedures are. Domestically, I'd be shocked if the procedure was not to refill the same glass for the same drink. I think you have a skewed perception of how much room is available in the galley for storage. Especially on shorter flights that are almost always double catered.