Hot towels?
 

I'd almost forgotten about these.

4 transcons in F this month and not one hot towel in sight.
Yet today LAS-PHL (no PDB's coz "we were running late") but just before the meal service, out comes the tray of hot towels. Just like old days. :cool:

What's everyone else's experience with hot towels recently?

Same with me. Two transcons and no hot towels. I do like glassware though but they're getting real stingy with the mini-bottles as of late.

Same here, I've had them maybe 25% of the time. I've even seen the FA grab them out of the cart, set them aside, and they were never used. Lets face it, it's more fun to hang out in the back than hand out hot towels.

How are they supposed to serve drinks these days? West flights mix in the galley, east give you two minis to mix on your own. I though they were supposed to be consistent now?

Last week: PHL-DFW towels both ways.....

Hot towels are still there. Suppose to be presented before initial bev service. Some still do at the end because of reading comprehension skills lacking. Some just have attitudes and refuse to do them.

IDEA: If you don't get hot towels or PDB, how about asking the f/a why not?? Hold them accountable.

As far as minis. Procedure is for the f/a's to mix drinks for you unless you ask. Then we are suppose to open the lid and present to you to pour. No stingy...just doing their job. AND, asking to take minis with you is not permitted. I know many do, but please remember unless you have a familiar relationship as a repeat passenger, we as f/a's have to second guess if you are a real passenger or a plant. Your hording issues with minis is hardly worth getting suspended or fired over.

Thanks for the info flight62! It's almost a different experience every time. Today, the f/a in F didn't even take the foil wrappers off the hot entrée! Was just like retro coach. :D

ahh.and last week DFW-PHL bloody mary, can and two mini's served. Slept through the refill.


OT: I used the CO club while waiting. Amusing to see both CO and UAL snacks served in the club. Each FF wants his own and they are trying to accomodate the FF's er's.

I do mostly trans-cons between SFO and CLT or PHL, and the hot towels (sometimes lukewarm towels) are pretty consistent. They mostly come before meals, but at least once they've come at the end, not long before we land. I want to say that once we got them both times (extra, unused towels from a previous flight?).

Everything else is all over the board. I went through a PDB dry spell for a while, but they've been on at least the last two flights that I took. The arrival of the snack mix is probably the most variable -- I've gotten it before the meal, after the meal later in the flight, and I once even found it waiting on the divider between the seats when I boarded. Sometimes you get one, sometimes two, sometimes they just offer the bag to take as many as you want. Half of the excitement of flying in F is finding out what you'll get and when; I should keep a log.

I can't comment on the mini-bottles, though, as I never get drinks in F.

I think my F experience is consistent with everyone else's, insomuch as it's wonderfully inconsistent.

Ottermatic.

We flew PHL-SEA on Saturday and got the hot towels shortly before landing.

Our FA told us that meal orders are taken from the rear on westbound flights and from the front on eastbound flights. We got first choice being in the last row after anticipating no choice because it was an even numbered flight. This actually makes sense because we've been on even numbered flights into and out of SEA recently.

This past week 5/23 BOS-PHX and 5/27 PHX-BOS we had hot towels on both flights.

I must be a committee of one on this. Hot Towels? Who cares? I'd rather see how ever much they spend on the hot towels put into better food or meal service on shorter flights.

But hey I don't go for the wine opening/tasting at fine restaurants either. I guess I'm just a Barbarian:D:D

Is this really the best approach when starting a 6 hour flight? After 100s of segments in F, the ~50% absence of a PDB is most often due to the attitude of the FA. Asking for one (I've done this) only aggravates the situation and draws the ire of the rest of F...like I poked a stick in the beehive.

I would love to see more consistency but have learned to keep my mouth shut and sit patiently while watching the FA munch on snacks in the galley prior to takeoff and then wait patiently after reaching cruising altitude until the FA deems we are worthy of service. That sequence is consistent. :(

On a more positive note, the 50% of flights with a service-oriented FA (a key success factor in my business too), the towels, drinks, snacks, etc. are delivered according to the book and with a positive attitude.

As we discussed in a different thread. US can't address a situation it doesn't know about.

No PDB? Make note of the time boarding started and all of the usual information and send it off to US. Don't be surprised if a small gesture compensation wise lands in your e-mail.


The boarding time is critical. US policy is any flight where boarding begins with less than 30 minutes to scheduled departure is considered late boarding and no PDB is required from the F/A's. This could have changed but to my knowledge it hasn't.

Hot towels both ways from CLT-SXM-CLT last week. But none between JAX - CLT - JAX. Thus obviously only give out on flights where meals are served.

Go Gators

I dislike hot towels. Sometimes they are scalding hot. Also, have you noticed how flimsy they are? When you use them, towel fibers fly in the air everywhere and get on your skin. Anytime I've used them they've made me sneeze because of this and I end up having to wipe the fibers off my hands.