Personal greetings
Mar 18, 2019, 7:47 pm
#91
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Qatar Gold, flying Blue, Falcon, Lufthansa, Eva
Posts: 1,428
Yes of course they are on auto pilot, they have a list they are working from and in fairness most people start in their allocated seat . True one might think that sex at least gives a clue that you are not that person.
Mar 19, 2019, 12:28 am
#92
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Dubai
Programs: Skyward gold, MH Enrich gold
Posts: 55
On a recent flight to Beijing on J, the cabin supervisor gave the guy in front of me the standard welcome, took a glance at me and the monitor …….. and decided to walk away. Happened to me twice now ….. I wonder what's the new criteria now to receive the greeting 
. Hope race is not one ….
. Hope race is not one ….
Mar 19, 2019, 2:51 am
#93
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Qatar Gold, flying Blue, Falcon, Lufthansa, Eva
Posts: 1,428
It is insulting to say the least unless they are recognising someone they have served in the past.
What the Emirates should be doing is adjusting the welcome and welcoming us all.
Qatar seem to either welcome all or none. Much better
What the Emirates should be doing is adjusting the welcome and welcoming us all.
Qatar seem to either welcome all or none. Much better
Mar 21, 2019, 3:14 am
#94
Join Date: Nov 2011
Programs: Skywards
Posts: 564
Flew PVG-DXB yesterday, and no personal greeting.
Currently on DXB-GLA and got one at the start just before take-off and now again by a different pursuer as we approach Glasgow. I guess they made up for it! Nice gesture, I don't mind either way but as long as they keep it consistent.
Currently on DXB-GLA and got one at the start just before take-off and now again by a different pursuer as we approach Glasgow. I guess they made up for it! Nice gesture, I don't mind either way but as long as they keep it consistent.
Mar 21, 2019, 4:25 am
#95
Ambassador, Emirates
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: LGW / AMS / CPT
Programs: SA KL BA EK
Posts: 4,273
The personal greeting in itself is not a big deal to me. But what matters is what happens when you take them up on 'if there is anything we can do for you, just let us know'. Mrs t once was told that the first choice of her meal was no longer available. So she invoked the 'but you told me that you would do anything for me' response. It took quite a bit of persuasion to get them to understand that she was serious (inducing saying that in there was no other option she was willing to accept and therefore forgo a mains) and to get them to produce her first choice. I thought it was disappointing that so much pressure was required.
On a side note: in my experience the 'sorry your choice is not available' is happening significantly more often than before (in J). Actually before mid last year it had never happened to me. Sign of cost cutting? Or just bad luck?
On a side note: in my experience the 'sorry your choice is not available' is happening significantly more often than before (in J). Actually before mid last year it had never happened to me. Sign of cost cutting? Or just bad luck?
Mar 21, 2019, 8:28 am
#96
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Qatar Gold, flying Blue, Falcon, Lufthansa, Eva
Posts: 1,428
I disagree that personal greetings are not important. It is part of treating the customer as an individual rather than a number. Certainly the ritual "have a nice day" does not work but I have found that often where cabin staff or even ground staff do make the effort that very often reflects I how they then treat you on the trip and make the difference between good and excellent.
True the problem of your other halves meal can not be solved and I doubt even she would expect the plane to divert to pick up her choice but this is where airlines need to think more out of the box. MAS for example allow me to pre order from a selection of chefs specials (and very good some of them are). In the early days of Air Lanka the staff were so horrified when I complained that they had no curries they arranged for a special curry to be prepared for me on my return leg ( and this was economy). Cathay Pacific arranged for the reading material I had asked for to be given to me on the second leg personally delivered by the cabin manager apologising that it had not been available on the first leg. The Etihad Manchester lounge manager gave me her personal email and told me to email beforehand and she would get the magazines I wanted ( before they went downhill). On an Ethiad flight the cabin manager came to me and apologised for the fact that the IFEnhad not been working on the first legend told me she had personally tested the one on this flight before and that Etihad were giving me 10,000 air miles all this before I had even officially complained.
Sorry for for being long winded but This all starts with the personal recognition yes in itself it is not important but when done properly then it is just the beginning
It it is easy to pontificate here on forums but sitting back and asking yourself what made the difference between the good flight and the excellent flight is a useful exercise.
True the problem of your other halves meal can not be solved and I doubt even she would expect the plane to divert to pick up her choice but this is where airlines need to think more out of the box. MAS for example allow me to pre order from a selection of chefs specials (and very good some of them are). In the early days of Air Lanka the staff were so horrified when I complained that they had no curries they arranged for a special curry to be prepared for me on my return leg ( and this was economy). Cathay Pacific arranged for the reading material I had asked for to be given to me on the second leg personally delivered by the cabin manager apologising that it had not been available on the first leg. The Etihad Manchester lounge manager gave me her personal email and told me to email beforehand and she would get the magazines I wanted ( before they went downhill). On an Ethiad flight the cabin manager came to me and apologised for the fact that the IFEnhad not been working on the first legend told me she had personally tested the one on this flight before and that Etihad were giving me 10,000 air miles all this before I had even officially complained.
Sorry for for being long winded but This all starts with the personal recognition yes in itself it is not important but when done properly then it is just the beginning
It it is easy to pontificate here on forums but sitting back and asking yourself what made the difference between the good flight and the excellent flight is a useful exercise.
Mar 21, 2019, 8:32 am
#97
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Qatar Gold, flying Blue, Falcon, Lufthansa, Eva
Posts: 1,428
I disagree that personal greetings are not important. It is part of treating the customer as an individual rather than a number. Certainly the ritual "have a nice day" does not work but I have found that often where cabin staff or even ground staff do make the effort that very often reflects I how they then treat you on the trip and make the difference between good and excellent.
True the problem of your other halves meal can not be solved and I doubt even she would expect the plane to divert to pick up her choice but this is where airlines need to think more out of the box. MAS for example allow me to pre order from a selection of chefs specials (and very good some of them are). In the early days of Air Lanka the staff were so horrified when I complained that they had no curries they arranged for a special curry to be prepared for me on my return leg ( and this was economy). Cathay Pacific arranged for the reading material I had asked for to be given to me on the second leg personally delivered by the cabin manager apologising that it had not been available on the first leg. The Etihad Manchester lounge manager gave me her personal email and told me to email beforehand and she would get the magazines I wanted ( before they went downhill). On an Ethiad flight the cabin manager came to me and apologised for the fact that the IFE had not been working on the first leg and told me she had personally tested the one on this flight before and that Etihad were giving me 10,000 air miles all this before I had even officially complained.
Sorry for for being long winded but This all starts with the personal recognition yes in itself it is not important but when done properly then it is just the beginning
It it is easy to pontificate here on forums but sitting back and asking yourself what made the difference between the good flight and the excellent flight is a useful exercise.
True the problem of your other halves meal can not be solved and I doubt even she would expect the plane to divert to pick up her choice but this is where airlines need to think more out of the box. MAS for example allow me to pre order from a selection of chefs specials (and very good some of them are). In the early days of Air Lanka the staff were so horrified when I complained that they had no curries they arranged for a special curry to be prepared for me on my return leg ( and this was economy). Cathay Pacific arranged for the reading material I had asked for to be given to me on the second leg personally delivered by the cabin manager apologising that it had not been available on the first leg. The Etihad Manchester lounge manager gave me her personal email and told me to email beforehand and she would get the magazines I wanted ( before they went downhill). On an Ethiad flight the cabin manager came to me and apologised for the fact that the IFE had not been working on the first leg and told me she had personally tested the one on this flight before and that Etihad were giving me 10,000 air miles all this before I had even officially complained.
Sorry for for being long winded but This all starts with the personal recognition yes in itself it is not important but when done properly then it is just the beginning
It it is easy to pontificate here on forums but sitting back and asking yourself what made the difference between the good flight and the excellent flight is a useful exercise.
Mar 21, 2019, 9:18 am
#98
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: MAN DXB ✈️
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 6,831
I disagree that personal greetings are not important. It is part of treating the customer as an individual rather than a number. Certainly the ritual "have a nice day" does not work but I have found that often where cabin staff or even ground staff do make the effort that very often reflects I how they then treat you on the trip and make the difference between good and excellent.
True the problem of your other halves meal can not be solved and I doubt even she would expect the plane to divert to pick up her choice but this is where airlines need to think more out of the box. MAS for example allow me to pre order from a selection of chefs specials (and very good some of them are). In the early days of Air Lanka the staff were so horrified when I complained that they had no curries they arranged for a special curry to be prepared for me on my return leg ( and this was economy). Cathay Pacific arranged for the reading material I had asked for to be given to me on the second leg personally delivered by the cabin manager apologising that it had not been available on the first leg. The Etihad Manchester lounge manager gave me her personal email and told me to email beforehand and she would get the magazines I wanted ( before they went downhill). On an Ethiad flight the cabin manager came to me and apologised for the fact that the IFEnhad not been working on the first legend told me she had personally tested the one on this flight before and that Etihad were giving me 10,000 air miles all this before I had even officially complained.
Sorry for for being long winded but This all starts with the personal recognition yes in itself it is not important but when done properly then it is just the beginning
It it is easy to pontificate here on forums but sitting back and asking yourself what made the difference between the good flight and the excellent flight is a useful exercise.
True the problem of your other halves meal can not be solved and I doubt even she would expect the plane to divert to pick up her choice but this is where airlines need to think more out of the box. MAS for example allow me to pre order from a selection of chefs specials (and very good some of them are). In the early days of Air Lanka the staff were so horrified when I complained that they had no curries they arranged for a special curry to be prepared for me on my return leg ( and this was economy). Cathay Pacific arranged for the reading material I had asked for to be given to me on the second leg personally delivered by the cabin manager apologising that it had not been available on the first leg. The Etihad Manchester lounge manager gave me her personal email and told me to email beforehand and she would get the magazines I wanted ( before they went downhill). On an Ethiad flight the cabin manager came to me and apologised for the fact that the IFEnhad not been working on the first legend told me she had personally tested the one on this flight before and that Etihad were giving me 10,000 air miles all this before I had even officially complained.
Sorry for for being long winded but This all starts with the personal recognition yes in itself it is not important but when done properly then it is just the beginning
It it is easy to pontificate here on forums but sitting back and asking yourself what made the difference between the good flight and the excellent flight is a useful exercise.
Mar 21, 2019, 9:10 pm
#99
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Manchester/London
Programs: Skywards Plat, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,226
I am going to go down the middle, I don't think it is that big of a deal when flying J as more recently I have noticed every one getting some sort of greeting so the gold and above greeting does not really mean much. However, I do feel it is a nice touch in Y.
As for meal choice, maybe it should be a perk for status pax to be able to order/receive their food first. I have been on flights where crew have taken my order and skipped the person next to me as they were on an Op up so took their order last.
As for meal choice, maybe it should be a perk for status pax to be able to order/receive their food first. I have been on flights where crew have taken my order and skipped the person next to me as they were on an Op up so took their order last.
Mar 23, 2019, 1:24 pm
#100
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Manchester, UK
Programs: Emirates Skywards (Gold), Hilton (Diamond), Radisson (Gold)
Posts: 370
It depends where you sit. Part of my seat selection process is to sit further forward, or just behind the mid galley where another list starts from to make sure i’m early on the meal selection process.
Mar 23, 2019, 1:48 pm
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
I'd wager at them working anyway. Happened to me once at AUH, was handed a fast track card onboard but had an old format one in my carry on which I thought best use now and save the "new" for a rainy day. Officer at immigration, turned it over looked at his colleague and said to him in Arabic "look at this guy with his fast track from 1980".
Mar 23, 2019, 9:23 pm
#102
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: MM, EK, HH, etc.
Posts: 381
Personally, couldn’t be bothered about the personal greeting, given the way it comes across, in most cases, pretty amateurish and robotic. Don’t see the point having someone staring into the screen while talking to me so they actually know the name. Maybe they should send their staff for training at SQ for that 😉
What I am more concerned about is meal choice, and being given priority selection as status pax (but then again, most carriers I fly do that theae days) works quite well for me with EK, never had any issue. However, given the endless recycling of menus at EK I wish they would adopt something else from SQ: book the cook!
What I am more concerned about is meal choice, and being given priority selection as status pax (but then again, most carriers I fly do that theae days) works quite well for me with EK, never had any issue. However, given the endless recycling of menus at EK I wish they would adopt something else from SQ: book the cook!
Mar 24, 2019, 12:07 am
#103
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: UK
Programs: Etihad Gold, Qatar Gold, flying Blue, Falcon, Lufthansa, Eva
Posts: 1,428
I don't see why these days airlines do not allow you to preorder in business and first.
however as far as Emirates goes the food in the lounges I used was so good hardly eat anything on board apart from breakfast
however as far as Emirates goes the food in the lounges I used was so good hardly eat anything on board apart from breakfast
Mar 24, 2019, 10:52 am
#104
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
Still never not been able to get my first choice either in Y or J. Occasionally they say they're out and I just say I'll wait until they finish service to check if there's any left, especially in Y they have different carts for various sections of the cabin and if the cart serving you is out they will say they're out but actually other carts will probably still have some left, so once they check they always find another.