njcommodore

The mentality on sUA, which has carried over with many FTers is that 1Ks need their egos stroked at every possible chance from checkin to meal choice and everywhere in between. sCO, at least on board, treated everyone the same.

tripledip

There's absolutely NOTHING that a former "CO" FA would be happy about. They're a miserable lot who need to start their own airline, because apparently they're the only ones who know anything about anything up there in the sky.

tripledip

Not that it matters to me because I don't eat domestic meals (since they did away with special meals), but how in the world is prioritizing meal selection ridiculous? It's exactly what should happen. Otherwise we're forced to sit in a seat we don't want just to get a better selection. That's crazy. If I want to sit in row 6, which I do, why should someone with less status who at the last minute got upgraded and landed in 1A mean that I don't get my first choice?

Hmmm, prioritizing toilet use...let me ponder that.

UA-NYC

Hey, how's that "let's treat everyone the same" mentality working out for the airline this year? That crap may fly with Air CLE/EWR/IAH, but not anymore

Maybe, just maybe, there's something to treating your best customers just a little bit better than the rest and doing the small touches in terms of recognition...

channa

Well, UA management, and now current CO management doesn't think so.

Clearly there has been a decline in revenue from frequent flyers, and this is a no-cost way to show value.

The more important part of all of this (yes, more important than chicken or pasta), is that it gives the staff an awareness of status. That can turn into other areas of recognition or accommodation. All of that demonstrates the customer is valued, and that encourages repeat business.


Excellent. This is the desired side effect -- the fact that they are aware and are looking at the manifest, and understanding what status levels indicate, etc.

It also puts them in a more humbling position when they're told that they need to earn their customers' business and make these sorts of accommodations, rather than the arrogant messages we've seen previously at CO that the airline the best, their people are the best, and customers don't pay enough to fly (all things their management has said to them)

I can understand why a born and bred CO FA might scoff at the idea of this at first. It seems silly, and coming from the CO culture to having to cater to this sort of little thing is a big leap, and it runs counter to much of what they've heard for the past decade or more. But ultimately, it is the right move for business.

It will take a lot of time to break the dysfunctional CO culture, but I think this is a significant step in the right direction.

dparkinson

I'm just going to go there...once you're in the F cabin every passenger is equally as important. This whole I'm slightly more important than you is ridiculous. The purpose of a plane ride is A->B not A->B with an ego stroke. Back when I was allergic to dairy, I asked the purser for the breakfast cereal ahead of time before meal orders were taken. When food was given out I was told a 1K had requested it instead (I was Prem Ex at the time), I was floored. I wanted to say "would it kill him to eat the omelet, because it would literally kill me" but I restrained myself.

halls120

Wrong. It isn't about ego, it's about an airline recognizing their more loyal flyers, and compensating them for that loyalty. I'm not sure why you find that concept so hard to comprehend.

cerealmarketer

Funny how the egalitarian approach on AA (FEBO) doesn't come up when people who jumped over there from UA boast about its bastion of loyalty recognition. No other US airline took orders by status.

The FAs must be thoroughly confused by now with the flip flops.

We'll get more of what I overheard behind me a couple weeks ago while sitting at the 5A chef's table of a PS flight. "My first and ONLY choice will be the BEEF."

The flight attendant bickered about the guys attitude while sorting the orders, and he did not end up with his beef, but winked and said I'd of course get my first choice.

The whole thing just sets up confrontation, but I'm on the winning side of it so guess can't complain.

bocastephen

Personally I see nothing wrong with the CO method of taking meal orders or boarding. You want your first choice, then book a row to the front. This entitlement nonsense for GS people was annoying before 3/3, and continues after 3/3.

As far as prioritizing full fare over 1k, if you want to volunteer your meal, please feel free - but don't make that decision for others. If I'm sitting in the first or second row, I should be getting my meal choice accordingly.

LASUA1K

As a former 1K now life time gold, this is the right move.

FriendlySkies

Unfortunately, booking a seat near the front is not as easy as it used to be.. With so many ToDs, YBMs, etc, floating around, 1Ks or other elites usually get one of the last remaining seats available in F (if they even get the upgrade..).

World_Traveler

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golfingboy

Don't get me wrong, I do not agree with this change, all I am saying if they are going down this avenue with the whole prioritization program, they should prioritize to give the first choice to full fare customers since as part of the fare they paid for includes "gourmet meal".

Under the old system, F customers had the opportunity to pick their seats accordingly if having a choice is important, except for small number of last last minute F customers.

If choices are very important to you, then I guess you should like this change.

ETA: just read the above post. Guess many full fare customers are pretty much guaranteed to not get their meal choices anymore on elite heavy routes.

flyingnosh

Let me get this right. People who pay for economy (and are upgraded) get to choose the meal they want ahead of the people who actually pay for their meal???

Sorry, but that's just about the ultimate over-entitled-elite ego-trip.

Jeff, you have a good thing going, but you're wimping out on me. Catering to people who are not happy with simply a free upgrade from a $300 seat to a $1200 seat is not the way toward a profitable airline.

Weez_1000

I usually tell the FA to come back to me after everyone has what they want and give me whats left so wont affect me much.