Drink changes, No tomato juice&SpriteZero-social media pressure restores tomato juice
May 24, 2018, 10:36 am
#121
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,684
Two types of diet coke, not diet anything else?
Is this standard on all united flights now? They had two types of diet coke to offer today, but there was no diet sprite/similar. I'm not sure if anyone else noticed this. I typically prefer to avoid caffeine in the middle of the day and it seems like a stupid move on their part.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 24, 2018 at 10:42 am Reason: move to exisiting thread
May 24, 2018, 10:37 am
#122
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,469
Is this standard on all united flights now? They had two types of diet coke to offer today, but there was no diet sprite/similar. I'm not sure if anyone else noticed this. I typically prefer to avoid caffeine in the middle of the day and it seems like a stupid move on their part.
I think there is a sparkling dasani lime? drink, but I haven't tried it. I imagine it's more like lacroix than diet sprite.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 24, 2018 at 10:41 am Reason: cleanup after merge;thanks for the link
May 24, 2018, 2:00 pm
#123
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,162
Not surprisingly, no Sprite Zero on my FRA-SFO yesterday...
Polaris lounge has Sprint Zero in cans. Guess I'll be doing "BYO" onto the plane for my SFO-NRT flight on Saturday...
Update: And it worked great. When they came around for the initial drink service I asked if they had any Sprint Zero, and the flight attendant said unfortunately not. So I reached over and grabbed my 2 small cans I'd swiped from the Polaris lounge, and asked for just a glass of ice. The flight attendant was suitably impressed, especially when I told him where I'd got them from.
Next question is does the NRT UC/ANA lounge have Sprite Zero in cans for the return trip... (I'm pretty sure the answer is no)
Polaris lounge has Sprint Zero in cans. Guess I'll be doing "BYO" onto the plane for my SFO-NRT flight on Saturday...
Update: And it worked great. When they came around for the initial drink service I asked if they had any Sprint Zero, and the flight attendant said unfortunately not. So I reached over and grabbed my 2 small cans I'd swiped from the Polaris lounge, and asked for just a glass of ice. The flight attendant was suitably impressed, especially when I told him where I'd got them from.
Next question is does the NRT UC/ANA lounge have Sprite Zero in cans for the return trip... (I'm pretty sure the answer is no)
Last edited by docbert; May 30, 2018 at 8:46 am
May 31, 2018, 2:41 am
#124
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: LAX and LHR. UA lifetime Gold 1.9MM 1K , DL Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 3,592
Data point: on two domestic and one intl flight in the past five days, none have had tomato juice available, only Bloody Mary mix. In every case, the FAs knew that tj was coming back, but it has not happened yet. UA may have "bowed to public pressure" but they're taking their time responding. Grrrrr!
On two AC flights a week ago, the cabin staff were incredulous that UA had tried to remove tomato juice from the beverages available..
On two AC flights a week ago, the cabin staff were incredulous that UA had tried to remove tomato juice from the beverages available..
May 31, 2018, 3:55 am
#125
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: LAX IAH AMS
Programs: UA GS 1MM
Posts: 1,269
How long should it take to bring back a beverage product?
Still.... no tomato juice. UA 20 IAH - AMS yesterday. Is it pure incompetence or is it cost strategy to put it off as long as possible?
How long has it been? 6 weeks? It was taken away overnight.
I joked when it was taken away - and instantly given back - that it would take 6 months to re-implement (per the ice cream dish fiasco).
Absolutely unreal.
How long has it been? 6 weeks? It was taken away overnight.
I joked when it was taken away - and instantly given back - that it would take 6 months to re-implement (per the ice cream dish fiasco).
Absolutely unreal.
May 31, 2018, 4:10 am
#126
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: SQ, QF, UA, CO, DL
Posts: 2,888
One FA told me it would be back in regular service June 10.
May 31, 2018, 4:58 am
#127
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 215
Still.... no tomato juice. UA 20 IAH - AMS yesterday. Is it pure incompetence or is it cost strategy to put it off as long as possible?
How long has it been? 6 weeks? It was taken away overnight.
I joked when it was taken away - and instantly given back - that it would take 6 months to re-implement (per the ice cream dish fiasco).
Absolutely unreal.
How long has it been? 6 weeks? It was taken away overnight.
I joked when it was taken away - and instantly given back - that it would take 6 months to re-implement (per the ice cream dish fiasco).
Absolutely unreal.
May 31, 2018, 9:13 am
#128
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: AA PLT/2MM, UA PLT, Inspirato, Wheels Up, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Amex Plat
Posts: 431
Data point: on two domestic and one intl flight in the past five days, none have had tomato juice available, only Bloody Mary mix. In every case, the FAs knew that tj was coming back, but it has not happened yet. UA may have "bowed to public pressure" but they're taking their time responding. Grrrrr!
On two AC flights a week ago, the cabin staff were incredulous that UA had tried to remove tomato juice from the beverages available..
On two AC flights a week ago, the cabin staff were incredulous that UA had tried to remove tomato juice from the beverages available..
May 31, 2018, 11:17 am
#129
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond
Posts: 60,174
i had a few on my last transpacs and it is absolutely not a replacement for Sprite Zero. My FA (HKG PMUA base) helpfully added some lemon wedges to give it a boost. Still isn’t the same.
Geez UA gimme back Sprite Zero. Seriously.
May 31, 2018, 11:25 am
#130
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
There seems to some confusion on how catering changes are made
-- a decision to make a change is done -- weeks, months prior to the change date
-- the decision is implemented -- but due to pipeline issues, the implementation date is weeks, months in the future. Suppliers are notified and their suppliers are notified -- procurement and supply forecasting are modified well in advance of the change.
-- the announcement, if any, is done just a few days to implementation-- once all the needed pipeline changes have been made
So, if you are reversing the decision, as in the tomato juice case, you need to walk thru the same steps -- which will take weeks, months to reverse.
One needs to understand the inventory, supply pipeline / supply chain issues to understand the timing.
-- a decision to make a change is done -- weeks, months prior to the change date
-- the decision is implemented -- but due to pipeline issues, the implementation date is weeks, months in the future. Suppliers are notified and their suppliers are notified -- procurement and supply forecasting are modified well in advance of the change.
-- the announcement, if any, is done just a few days to implementation-- once all the needed pipeline changes have been made
So, if you are reversing the decision, as in the tomato juice case, you need to walk thru the same steps -- which will take weeks, months to reverse.
One needs to understand the inventory, supply pipeline / supply chain issues to understand the timing.
May 31, 2018, 3:56 pm
#131
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: LAX and LHR. UA lifetime Gold 1.9MM 1K , DL Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 3,592
There seems to some confusion on how catering changes are made
-- a decision to make a change is done -- weeks, months prior to the change date
-- the decision is implemented -- but due to pipeline issues, the implementation date is weeks, months in the future. Suppliers are notified and their suppliers are notified -- procurement and supply forecasting are modified well in advance of the change.
-- the announcement, if any, is done just a few days to implementation-- once all the needed pipeline changes have been made
So, if you are reversing the decision, as in the tomato juice case, you need to walk thru the same steps -- which will take weeks, months to reverse.
One needs to understand the inventory, supply pipeline / supply chain issues to understand the timing.
-- a decision to make a change is done -- weeks, months prior to the change date
-- the decision is implemented -- but due to pipeline issues, the implementation date is weeks, months in the future. Suppliers are notified and their suppliers are notified -- procurement and supply forecasting are modified well in advance of the change.
-- the announcement, if any, is done just a few days to implementation-- once all the needed pipeline changes have been made
So, if you are reversing the decision, as in the tomato juice case, you need to walk thru the same steps -- which will take weeks, months to reverse.
One needs to understand the inventory, supply pipeline / supply chain issues to understand the timing.
May 31, 2018, 4:34 pm
#132
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Because they plan for it in advance and have a few options pre-planned. That supply chain is designed for that predictable activity.
May 31, 2018, 4:53 pm
#133
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Colorado
Programs: UA Gold (.85 MM), HH Diamond, SPG Platinum (LT Gold), Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 5,660
UA has decided to play a game of chicken in recent months with regard to not only this, but other things such as food, the poor excuse of catering out of Denver, etc. They are playing it and winning, because the economy is good and planes are full. If and when the Economy takes a dump, and airlines are once again competing for passengers I suspect UA will need to step up their game. Until then they don't care. On the rare occasion I fly first, my seat mate is often a non elite that chose the buyup from IAH-COS, cause she only travels once a year and decided it was worth it. If that is UA's target customer now, I wish them good luck in bad times. Crap food (if any), reduced beverage offerings; none of these things are the end of the world, but compiled together defines UA and who they want to be.
May 31, 2018, 5:28 pm
#134
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,026
Maybe they are dead last in the JD Power surveys for a reason.
I've commented on Tomato juice in these forums so don't want to repeat but that was a totally bonehead decision. I continue to ask for it on every flight. SFO-ICN on Wednesday the purser actually said they had 1000's of cans sitting on the ground in a warehouse.
I've commented on Tomato juice in these forums so don't want to repeat but that was a totally bonehead decision. I continue to ask for it on every flight. SFO-ICN on Wednesday the purser actually said they had 1000's of cans sitting on the ground in a warehouse.
May 31, 2018, 6:34 pm
#135
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,361
Having dealt with supply chain issues as the manufacturer, I can tell you that if XYZ client called up tomorrow and asked for product to be shipped asap (and willing to pay the cost), we would ship it. UA has decided not to pay the additional cost in this case, so product will take a month or so to re-enter the market.
UA has decided to play a game of chicken in recent months with regard to not only this, but other things such as food, the poor excuse of catering out of Denver, etc. They are playing it and winning, because the economy is good and planes are full. If and when the Economy takes a dump, and airlines are once again competing for passengers I suspect UA will need to step up their game. Until then they don't care. On the rare occasion I fly first, my seat mate is often a non elite that chose the buyup from IAH-COS, cause she only travels once a year and decided it was worth it. If that is UA's target customer now, I wish them good luck in bad times. Crap food (if any), reduced beverage offerings; none of these things are the end of the world, but compiled together defines UA and who they want to be.
UA has decided to play a game of chicken in recent months with regard to not only this, but other things such as food, the poor excuse of catering out of Denver, etc. They are playing it and winning, because the economy is good and planes are full. If and when the Economy takes a dump, and airlines are once again competing for passengers I suspect UA will need to step up their game. Until then they don't care. On the rare occasion I fly first, my seat mate is often a non elite that chose the buyup from IAH-COS, cause she only travels once a year and decided it was worth it. If that is UA's target customer now, I wish them good luck in bad times. Crap food (if any), reduced beverage offerings; none of these things are the end of the world, but compiled together defines UA and who they want to be.