I have to believe this is a bit of holiday "cheer" given the more recent posts. I don't think I have received a PDB (apart from maybe water) in over a year and this is F of course. But hey maybe things are changing.....

I'm sitting at 96 segments on UA this year with about 50 in First (most of the rest on CRJ/EMB-145). I have had the choice of just water, or water/OJ, or water/OJ/sparkling if anything. Not a single offer of anything else. About 25% of the time, there's nothing.

Earlier this week on an A319 leaving ORD in the early evening, no PDB. We took a MX delay at departure time (something written up by the inbound crew who didn't tell anybody and aircraft had sat for 2 hours at gate before we boarded). Purser and another F/A sat in the forward jumpseat chatting with gate agent for about an hour.

We did finally get water, after they offered to let people get off who wanted off, but that was the First Officer who got out a big bottle, set up cups on a tray, poured, and walked around.

EWR BUF November 26 737-900
Water and prosecco. Anything you wanted during the 55 minute flight. Refills offered twice. Great crew.

We had about a 25 minute delay, but they didn't use that as an excuse to skip the service

EWR-FLL
Nov 30

Water or sparkling wine offered, and proactive blankets / earbuds to those that wanted them. :tu:
2nd round of PDB’s offered due to a 30 min delay. Color me impressed !

MIA-IAD on 12/1. Water and Prosecco PDB. Great crew both friendly and attentive. 2 hour flight with warm nuts, hot towels, a meal and refills offered. Well done by the crew!

BUF IAD EMB175 11/29 - nothing. Plane arrived early, boarding done early, FA stood and did absolutely nothing. Reluctantly served one drink mid-flight
IAD EWR 757 - water, prosecco, drinks in flight, and refills offered in plastic so you could enjoy on descent as it was a 40 minute flight. Great crew.

why is everyone so great on that route? Does UA give them unlimited chicken wings on the layover?

flew it thrice last month, Double triple PDBs and they even make my lanyard drink to order.

12/7/24 - UA 2225 ALB-ORD - OJ and Water only. Did not have the courage to ask for something stronger. Terrible FA's. Once we were up in the air they hid out on their phones the entire time. Had to go and ask for refills.
12/7/24 - UA 1834 ORD-PVR - OJ and Water only. After meal service, FA hid on the front reading his book. Had to get up and ask for refills as well.

Maybe this is their way of protesting the no contract?

12/9/24 UA 1431 LAX-HNL Water, OJ, Mimosa
12/14/24 UA 1221 HNL-LAX Water, OJ, Mimosa

Old-Fashioned success in both directions. :-)

IAH-ORD no pdb, just galley chitchat.

Second time in a row on this route. :rolleyes:

ORD-EWR, special holiday-themed Starbucks PDB, but only for those seated in the door 1L jump seats. As-you-like-it PDB offered to those seated even farther forward before sealing the door.

Nothing offered or served to seats 1A-4F.

Perhaps management are holding out on that FA contract as a hidden mechanism to reduce catering costs. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

If it's like AA, it won't improve even after a contract. Yesterday on CLT-BWI had all 3 F/As wearing their red WAR/strike lanyards still. Coach got a beverage service (hour long flight, they usually say it's too short) but said that if you didn't have your beverage selection when they asked, you will be skipped. I got to see this from my coach seat since my seatmate complained about something wrong with his seat during boarding so both of our seats got taken out of service and "go find an open seat back there"

Yeah, cognitively I know it's a delusion on par with "this year is the status cull! next year everyone gets upgrades!", but it's such an annoyance to have a randomly-provided service that I start to grasp for anything. It's definitely not going to get better with a new contract — FAs have learned they can get away with not doing it, and they're not going to magically unlearn that.

Cranberry mimosa or water today 12/23 on a short Midwest hop to DEN. Crew seems happy to be here as they are heading home after a night in the downtown Bonvoy.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...0a8d6148a3.jpg

12/25 DEN-MCI UA1636 — got an upgrade and a PDB for my last flight of the year. Not a bad way to end…now here’s hoping the old fashioned is loaded!