No More Pretzel Service and Full Can Drink on International Y?
Mar 21, 2014, 8:28 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2006
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No I did not ask for a full can. But in the past, I was ALWAYS offered a full can if thats any kind of soft-drink(Coke sprite AJ etc). I am sure I can ask for a full can if I want, but I'm just wondering if any company policy told FAs not to give full can unless asked by passenger that resulted in the change.
FWIW, all my TPAC Y segments this year, I have always been offered a full can of Coke Zero (my choice), even on the midnight snack segment (save one where they served OJ/Water only
).
Mar 21, 2014, 8:49 pm
#17
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No more pretzels with first drink service.
FA no longer voluntarily give you a whole can, sUA or SCO. However, if you ask, they are supposed to give you the can.
FA no longer voluntarily give you a whole can, sUA or SCO. However, if you ask, they are supposed to give you the can.
Mar 22, 2014, 12:38 am
#18
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ Diamond/*G, IHG Diamond Amb, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,239
pmUA used to just give you a cup of ice and a can sometimes. That's how to volunteer the whole can without doing extra work. But, I've never flown any other airline that does this. Not AA, not even AC.
Mar 22, 2014, 2:30 am
#19
Join Date: May 2000
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That brings up another issue: serving less beverages reduces the demand for the lavs. Not that the FAs particularly care about lav wear and tear, or the duration of the line, but they may care about the crowding created by the line.
... all my TPAC Y segments this year ...
Mar 22, 2014, 2:31 am
#20
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Not a big deal to just ask for a can if you want one, IME.
On the other hand, now being based in India, I've seen how some of the non-American carriers do it (at least in Y). CX pours out of a bigger bottle (I think 1L) so even asking for a can probably won't work (maybe they have them in J?). I don't think TG does cans - though my memory could be failing me. Air India domestic offers a meal, at least on the few 1.5 - 2 hour domestic segments I've been on, which come with a small bottle of water. But no other drink service at all (though I've admittedly never tried asking for a juice/soft drink to see if they'd bring it).
On the other hand, now being based in India, I've seen how some of the non-American carriers do it (at least in Y). CX pours out of a bigger bottle (I think 1L) so even asking for a can probably won't work (maybe they have them in J?). I don't think TG does cans - though my memory could be failing me. Air India domestic offers a meal, at least on the few 1.5 - 2 hour domestic segments I've been on, which come with a small bottle of water. But no other drink service at all (though I've admittedly never tried asking for a juice/soft drink to see if they'd bring it).
Mar 22, 2014, 3:30 am
#21
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 68
The pretzel thing is more bothersome for me. That's cutting very very deep and is really over the top.
Delta and American both offer pretzels with the first drink service.
It's embarrassing for UA and sad that they have to go to this level of cost cutting.
Why not try to transform more structural things for broader savings rather than attacking the last few pennies.
Delta and American both offer pretzels with the first drink service.
It's embarrassing for UA and sad that they have to go to this level of cost cutting.
Why not try to transform more structural things for broader savings rather than attacking the last few pennies.
Mar 22, 2014, 3:58 am
#22
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
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Mar 22, 2014, 6:21 am
#23
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Well if LH can give me a full can, then UA needs to be competitive and do the same. Jeffy can find his $2B in savings somewhere else. I demand the same full can as provided on LH! 
Mar 22, 2014, 5:44 pm
#24
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: IAD, DCA
Posts: 246
No More Pretzel Service and Full Can Drink on International Y?
For what it's worth, I had the same experience earlier this month in TATL Y -- both sUA (IAD-FRA) and sCO (MUC-IAD). Not sure if this heralds a policy change, but as they say the plural of "anecdote" is "data".
Mar 22, 2014, 10:28 pm
#25
Join Date: Nov 2006
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The data are not consistent. Both me and my traveling companion were given full cans today, without asking, on multiple drink services on LHR-IAH.
BTW, I have also been seeing GS called before flights recently, including the last few TATL flights, and taken to the front of the boarding line before boarding starts. Staff at LHR even has GS sign to hold up. GS names are checked against a list/manifest.
BTW, I have also been seeing GS called before flights recently, including the last few TATL flights, and taken to the front of the boarding line before boarding starts. Staff at LHR even has GS sign to hold up. GS names are checked against a list/manifest.
Mar 22, 2014, 10:39 pm
#26
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,933
The pretzel thing is more bothersome for me. That's cutting very very deep and is really over the top.
Delta and American both offer pretzels with the first drink service.
It's embarrassing for UA and sad that they have to go to this level of cost cutting.
Why not try to transform more structural things for broader savings rather than attacking the last few pennies.
Delta and American both offer pretzels with the first drink service.
It's embarrassing for UA and sad that they have to go to this level of cost cutting.
Why not try to transform more structural things for broader savings rather than attacking the last few pennies.
Mar 22, 2014, 10:56 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2013
Location: DC
Posts: 255
I admit that I don't really care about these things and would never pick an airline based on them, but I was on a domestic DL flight recently (which I picked because it was hundreds of $$ cheaper than UA) and was shocked when the FA handed me pretzels, a cookie, and peanuts with my drink.
Mar 23, 2014, 12:24 am
#28
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On WN they pour single cup servings in the galley and bring them out a trayful at a time. In probably more than a hundred WN flights over the past seven years, I don't recall ever seeing a full can in the cabin.
Mar 23, 2014, 12:29 am
#29
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 251
Yeah, same at CDG the last 2 weeks - no sign, but definitely called up by name at the very start of boarding.