UA in no rush to respond to DL's improved Y intl service
Jul 9, 2019, 12:02 pm
#46
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA 1K MM, HHonors Diamond,PC, Marriott Rewards Gold
Posts: 1,117
Oh, really? Where are they going to sit? Load factors are generally 85% on most flights. By and large, all the business people (who fly Y) have probably already switched airlines based on the various change in FF programs over the past 4 years. I doubt that the kettles are paying attention. I think the best strategy is to look at the airlines which provides the best price and schedule to get you to your destination (at least those of us who don't fly enough for elite status).
Jul 9, 2019, 1:27 pm
#47
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: EWR
Programs: UA 1.65M , Platinum, 1K Emeritus, UC Lifetime , HHonors Gold, Presidential Plus card holder
Posts: 696
Jul 9, 2019, 1:36 pm
#48
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,268
I have some relatives in inflight at Delta and have been paying attention to this trial dining concept for a while since it started on PDXNRT. Believe it or not, the new Delta Y service is actually a cost saving measure, as it eliminates tray setups loaded in carts, cuts one pass of the bar cart, is actually less food, and increases FA workload significantly. It also results in a longer, more drawn-out main service... expect tweaks on the East Coast EU redeye flights.
There was some chatter on the westbound flight about how active the FAs were on the flight and how they were really working it- no hanging out in the galley for gossip and magazines. So employee buy-in is required in a major way and I'm not sure if United is in a place to push new service levels up like that
Jul 9, 2019, 1:53 pm
#49
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: UA GS (1MM), DL Gold, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Avis CC
Posts: 526
DL is great at getting good press on this, but realistically, I'm skeptical about the delivery of this. For instance, the welcome Bellini is replacing the first round of bar car service. So if you want anything else, you're going to have to wait till all the Bellinis are passed out, then the meal service, THEN the drink.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jul 9, 2019 at 2:44 pm Reason: OT contenet removed per Moderator note
Jul 9, 2019, 2:30 pm
#50
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Northern California
Programs: I want to be free! Free!
Posts: 3,455
DL is great at getting good press on this, but realistically, I'm skeptical about the delivery of this. For instance, the welcome Bellini is replacing the first round of bar car service. So if you want anything else, you're going to have to wait till all the Bellinis are passed out, then the meal service, THEN the drink.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jul 9, 2019 at 2:45 pm Reason: Quote uodated to reflect moderator edit
Jul 9, 2019, 3:25 pm
#51
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: 42mi from AMS
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, Marriott LT Au, Hilton C, IHG PtA
Posts: 576
Despite DL's "spin" on this, they are adding a differentiation to their service/product; some people might like that, some might not. The chance of it driving away customers is probably a lot lower than the chance it will keep or attract customers; that last train of thought is what's sorely missing at UA the better half of the last decade. Kirby&Parker have taken the America Worst mentality and now have their fingers in two instead of one airline (hey, the merging/hollowing out of a corporate shell can only go so far).
It's also interesting to compare the service levels one gets on the various members of TATL/TPAC Joint Ventures; from my limited sampling, I feel that UA is much less competitive than LH, OS or LX when compared to DL and AF or KL.
Jul 9, 2019, 4:19 pm
#52
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K (2MM); AA LT Gold (1.9 MM); SQ; WN; DL; "Bonvoy Ambassador""
Posts: 398
This "is part of the airline’s plan to create “wow” moments “that feel like dining in your favorite splurge restaurant.' ” Really? Time will tell if in fact this is a true upgrade. We saw the overhype and initial pop from Polaris, then the cuts. It would seem to me that if UAL was to try to keep up with DL, they would have to offer a product that truly is better than they are currently offering and then tenaciously stick to it. I would love it if that happened.
Jul 9, 2019, 5:15 pm
#53
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 5,292
DL is great at getting good press on this, but realistically, I'm skeptical about the delivery of this. For instance, the welcome Bellini is replacing the first round of bar car service. So if you want anything else, you're going to have to wait till all the Bellinis are passed out, then the meal service, THEN the drink.
Jul 9, 2019, 6:34 pm
#54
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: UA GS (1MM), DL Gold, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Avis CC
Posts: 526
From the article: Delta said the new service ... is part of the airline’s plan to create “wow” moments “that feel like dining in your favorite splurge restaurant.”
PUH-LEASE! I get Delta want to market this, but they must think of pretty low standards when it comes to a 'splurge restaurant.'
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jul 9, 2019 at 6:48 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
Jul 9, 2019, 6:58 pm
#55
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AA EXP, HH Diamond, MR Gold, Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,252
This x1000. Every time I fly TPAC on UA, I feel uncomfortably hungry mid-flight, and starving for the mid-flight snack. I could not understand why the portion of food in Economy Class is so minuscule on UA. In particular, you just get a small salad and a small main dish, and that's it.
Jul 9, 2019, 7:09 pm
#56
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 306
I think waiting to see how it's received is a good strategy.
Personally, I would not want a bellini served in a plastic cup with some bottom shelf alcohol. I'd rather save the calories and have no alcohol at all.
Also airplane food in all almost all classes is bad. Even in J, it's bad until you put it in context of "well for airplane food". I prefer to just eat a large decent meal on the ground and sleep the entire flight and not eat any of the unhealthy airplane food options.
I'd rather more airlines focus on giving back as much personal space in Y as possible, IRROPS, and making sure their staff don't seem like they hate their lives.
Personally, I would not want a bellini served in a plastic cup with some bottom shelf alcohol. I'd rather save the calories and have no alcohol at all.
Also airplane food in all almost all classes is bad. Even in J, it's bad until you put it in context of "well for airplane food". I prefer to just eat a large decent meal on the ground and sleep the entire flight and not eat any of the unhealthy airplane food options.
I'd rather more airlines focus on giving back as much personal space in Y as possible, IRROPS, and making sure their staff don't seem like they hate their lives.
Jul 9, 2019, 7:17 pm
#57
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: PEK, AUS, WAS, HKG
Programs: CX Gold
Posts: 1,122
So much of this! The Y meals have really gotten small over the last couple of years. Flying TPAC I make sure to eat a solid meal at the airport before boarding because the in-flight meal just won't cut it for 14 hours. On a EWR-HKG flight maybe 6 months ago the main dish came with a side bowl of olives and that's it. And man do I hate olives...
Jul 9, 2019, 10:04 pm
#58
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,033
Man, just a side bowl of olives? Really? I cannot believe that United has become so cheap. Now I am grateful that at least I got a 'side salad' (if you can still call it that) on my HKG-SFO flight two months ago. Maybe I should move my business to CX/DL (depending on where I fly) if I continue to get starved on TPAC flights.
Jul 9, 2019, 11:37 pm
#59
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,595
Also airplane food in all almost all classes is bad. Even in J, it's bad until you put it in context of "well for airplane food". I prefer to just eat a large decent meal on the ground and sleep the entire flight and not eat any of the unhealthy airplane food options.
I'd rather more airlines focus on giving back as much personal space in Y as possible, IRROPS, and making sure their staff don't seem like they hate their lives.
I'd rather more airlines focus on giving back as much personal space in Y as possible, IRROPS, and making sure their staff don't seem like they hate their lives.
Jul 10, 2019, 12:35 am
#60
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,406
on SQ, in J.
In their defense, I had eaten dinner immediately before boarding, but their arrival meal was (a) unappetizing, personally, and (b) served about four hours prior to arrival, for some reason, at which point I was asleep.
I have no problem getting off of a flight hungry, because there are very few airports that won't sell me better food than I can get on an airplane.
Anyway, the question is whether or not someone should care about any of these things. The question is whether or not the flying public, en masse, will. The answer, up to this point, is clear: not if they raise the price of a ticket by a dollar. Furthermore, based upon further comments, it looks like exactly what I expected: DL is being given credit for its marketing spin in a way that UA never would. (I'm fine with UA not being given credit for marketing spin, BTW -- I just don't see why DL should immediately be taken at face value).