UA Express drinks catered in garbage bags
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Various tier levels of frequent flyer/hotel plans received for bellyaching about minor flaws in the service I received.
Posts: 610
UA Express drinks catered in garbage bags
On a recent UAEX flight from ORD on a Barbie dream jet, the galley was catered by putting garbage bags full of drinks on the floor. While I get that there's nothing inherently unsanitary about it, the f/a (who was already really cranky) had to dig through the bags on the floor, put like beverages together, and then stock her cart. It actually delayed the flight about 2 minutes because she had not finished rummaging through the bags and had to figure out where to stash them so the plane could taxi. After the plane took off, she finished sorting, but there was no service (or offer). I'd never seen this before, not only does it not seem terribly efficient - at least for the f/a - it looks awful.
#2
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: LA
Posts: 1,281
I've seen this quite often from the really small airports. Sometimes I have seen them bring a cooler on board, sometimes a grocery bag, etc. My guess, there is probably not a true catering company onsite at that airport and the carrier purchases it from a local vendor (or bulk order of cans in a box and keeps them in a storage room at the airport) and then when they need to stock, they put them in a bag and bring on board.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
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#5
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,360
Using garbage bags or boxes would allow restocking without using a catering truck. I've seen this with other regional airlines: someone driving around in a regular truck with supplies to restock between full catering services.
It saves a lot of time and money on the catering side, but clearly puts more work on the FA.
Hopefully they weren't being super cheap and reusing garbage bags.
It saves a lot of time and money on the catering side, but clearly puts more work on the FA.
Hopefully they weren't being super cheap and reusing garbage bags.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ORD
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And places, including the Flyertalk front page, are already casting this as "the FA had to dig through the trash for drinks." Whenever I move I stuff all my undies, socks etc., into big plastic bags. Does that make it trash? Sigh.
#8
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: UA 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 678
How does the front page title get created? I was amazed to see it labeled as a flight delay for a 2 minute wait
#9
Join Date: Aug 2006
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#11
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#13
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: 1K
Posts: 784
Hopefully you weren't carrying your undies in a trash bag on a UAX flight. They could easily be mistaken for beverages and the FA might be unpleasantly surprised when he/she reaches in for a club soda.
#14
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,886
One of my favorite UA flights was SFO-LHR on the upper deck of a 747. The plane took a two-hour mechanical delay and we didn't even care; we were just having a blast watching movies and hanging out and enjoying the upper deck. We were young and in love.
At some point during the flight my wife told the FAs that she really liked the cute little form factor of alcohol minis ("what a fun way to package liquor!" or something).
At the end of the flight a FA discreetly brought my wife a huge UA garbage bag stuffed with unopened minis. "You have to take these."
At some point during the flight my wife told the FAs that she really liked the cute little form factor of alcohol minis ("what a fun way to package liquor!" or something).
At the end of the flight a FA discreetly brought my wife a huge UA garbage bag stuffed with unopened minis. "You have to take these."
#15
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: DCA, TUL
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