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No PDB from Dakar. Is that standard? Or is it because the plane was booked to 2 pax with the rest as nonrev on my flight.
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Originally Posted by SFO 1K
(Post 37384011)
Please, if this happens, you must write in. That feedback will go to Inflight Supervisors who can and do take action.
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Originally Posted by wjj
(Post 37383561)
I'm not sure it is the new people so much as the veterans being upset about their contract or some other thing. I fly ORD/RSW regularly. In the last 10 flights, there were PDBs offered only once. On a flight out of ORD to RSW last month, we were held at the gate to allow over a dozen connecting pax to catch the flight after being delayed due to storms just to the east of ORD. We boarded and sat at the gate for 30 minutes with the door open, so plenty of time for PDBs. The captain even went off the plane to get his Starbucks beverage refilled. But the kicker was an FA who seemed to be new asked the purser if she should start the PDB service since we were boarded and just sitting there. The purser said "Absolutely not. I never do that anymore". I was in1B so could hear everything going on up front where the four FAs had gathered to chat. So perhaps the newbies are being trained correctly by UA but the OJT they get on the planes is another matter.
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Originally Posted by wjj
(Post 37385333)
I did write about it in the follow up "How did we do" email.
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Was happy to see full bar service offered yesterday as pre departure, EWR BUF on a delayed A319. Great flight attendant who in flight offered everyone full bar service plus a refill for the shorter flight. Y got water only. For decades Y got full beverage service, ahh, the old days. Now the flight is too short to possibly service all of Y..
Pleasant, outgoing attendants still are out there! |
Awesome! Is there a pattern on who is more likely to do it? Ie. Mainline versus regional carrier?
Originally Posted by JerseyCityS
(Post 37450463)
Was happy to see full bar service offered yesterday as pre departure, EWR BUF on a delayed A319. Great flight attendant who in flight offered everyone full bar service plus a refill for the shorter flight. Y got water only. For decades Y got full beverage service, ahh, the old days. Now the flight is too short to possibly service all of Y..
Pleasant, outgoing attendants still are out there! |
Return from Buffalo, CRJ500, BUF EWR day after Thanksgiving. Water only PDB. Asked for prosecco and told alcohol not permitted on ground. Crazy.
In flight or 47 minutes, she served doubles and refill for those drinking alcohol. About 1/2 the cabin. |
I was on the early morning SRQ-EWR flight where it was barely 30% full. The flight attendants who serviced the FC cabin were very much disengaged. There was no attempt at the PDB. The FA sat down in her seat the majority of the time while the boarding process was winding down (cabin door still open).
The other thing that I had an issue was they resisted to hang my leather jacket. I asked several times and they finally gave in while rolling her eyes (yes, I saw it). I emailed 1K voice and customer service. I know service is being cut back and reduced but this hit a new low for me. |
Happily offered water or “champagne” on IAH-EWR 11:55am departure today. The FA seems quite lovely.
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Originally Posted by milesunited
(Post 37452409)
Awesome! Is there a pattern on who is more likely to do it? Ie. Mainline versus regional carrier?
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On today’s ROC-EWR flight in FC. We were #3 to be deiced and captain said it will be a good 30 minutes before we take off. I politely asked for a Jack and Coke and she rejected my request. She said we don’t do alcoholic drinks while on the ground
good grief… two days with two different denials for PDB. I emailed customer service after yesterday’s flight and they confirmed that PDB is part of their policy. It just sounds like no one wants to make an effort. |
The missing pre-departure beverages is about a work-to-contract labor action. United FAs haven't had a new contract since 2021 and are being offered ~5% raises while pilots got 40%+, creating massive resentment. PDBs aren't contractually required, so they're withholding this "above and beyond" service as one of their few visible pressure points while in negotiations. Combined with minimum staffing levels and the post-COVID discovery that passengers still fly without amenities, airlines have little incentive to push for restored service. Flight attendants are essentially in a soft strike, doing exactly what's required and nothing more until they get a fair contract.
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Originally Posted by donjo
(Post 37470535)
.... Flight attendants are essentially in a soft strike, doing exactly what's required and nothing more until they get a fair contract.
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PDBs seem pretty much extinct now on United, except maybe Polaris and the occasional good FA. Same thing for name greeting and thanks for status. The credit card pumping goes from strength to strength though...
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11/29/25 - DEN-PVR - Full PDB of whatever we wanted. Very good FA.
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