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US Domestic Cabin Service Rebound

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ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 12 Oct 21, 11:08Post
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/i ... d=msedgntp

Saw this today and read it with interest.

Stemming from a ORD-SEA-ANC-PDX-ORD AS flight March 2021 and an ORD-HNL-ORD flight a year earlier (both in F) I was, admittedly, disappointed in the F in flight service. I understand the reasons, I just don't have to like them. Now that said, I haven't noticed an appreciable return to the "pre-pandemic" levels of service in F (except - AS Airport Lounges in ANC, SEA and PDX seem to have rebounded very well).

Here's what "The Points Guy" points out regarding the current, and near-future cabin service on US domestic flights. We all know US domestic inflight service basically sucks, and sucks hard, but this is a decent start.
LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 12 Oct 21, 11:29Post
I flew MIA-SAN in F last Thursday. Other than a wider seat and a couple (2-3 inches more of legroom), the service sucked. There was a "snack" which was humus and veggies and pita chips. A 5-hour flight, transcon, in F? Pathetic. The worst part, is the prices for F haven't gone down. The only "perk" was two minis of bourbon. That is it. Anything back of the divider was non-alcoholic. Thy made it clear that there was to be no BYOB aboard. Couple that with having to wear a face diaper, it makes me want to stay home and knit a sweater.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
DXing 12 Oct 21, 11:50Post
F for my IAH-CLE flight. E175, so a wider seat and that was about it. Breakfast snack box with various prepackaged items inside. Coffee was served in the usual paper cup and a snack box doesn't require and silverware or napkins. I suppose I wasn't surprised as I had no idea what to expect since it was the first F ride I had gotten since the pandemic started. Entertainment was actually better on the way to IAH as it was a mainline 737 with the direct tv in the seatback.
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?
GQfluffy (Database Editor & Founding Member) 12 Oct 21, 17:46Post
Flew DL BIL-MSP-IND and back a few weeks ago in F. As all four flights were under 2 hours, no meal, just typical unlimited snacks and 'free' booze. The DL Lounge in MSP was more or less back to normal (compared to flying to MSP for work in July). Breakfast buffet and Lunch buffet had returned, plus the bar had more drink options.

Shrugs...better than it was last year. {thumbsup}
Teller of no, fixer of everything, friend of the unimportant and all around good guy; the CAD Monkey
ANCFlyer (netAirspace ATC & Founding Member) 13 Oct 21, 09:46Post
https://www.airlinemeals.net/photos/recent

This is another site I occasionally visit. After my ANC trip in Mar 2021, I reviewed the most current (F) photos on AS and AA domestic (my preferred carriers). Then I reviewed international carriers. Appears to me that even the damn Russian carriers do better in domestic whatever class than US carriers do period.

Opinion: US Flagged carriers better step up their game. I believe it's all about the $$$ at this point and not about "social distancing".

Afterall, you're stuck in a metal (more or less) tube for hours next to anyone else.

Furthermore - but probably for a different thread - domestic F seat pitch has gone to hell in a handbasket (whatever that phrase means). Seats aren't any wider, but pitch on any given 737 still sucks in F. Worst example of that downsizing debacle I can attest to first hand is the AS acquisition of VX and the refit in all of the Airbii that came along for the ride.

MRSANC and I flew LAX-ORD three years ago or so, just after the merger on a VX 320. Domestic F seat pitch was 56". AS dumbed that down to 41" (source: SeatGuru, AS, A320, Versions 1, 2, and 3), which is only marginally better (3") than AS's Y+ seating. (Photos in two of my trip reports here re: VX vs AS Domestic F before the dumbing down - Long report here: viewtopic.php?f=40&t=23995 . Down and dirty version here: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=23981 ).


AA followed that course when they bought the 738Max. And has since refit the F cabins on most all of their other 738s. Source: Seat Guru, AA, A320 36" in F; 73M, 37" in F).

Again, opinion: It's all about the $$$.
LET'S GO BRANDON!!!!
halls120 (Plank Owner) 31 Oct 21, 17:39Post
miamiair wrote:I flew MIA-SAN in F last Thursday. Other than a wider seat and a couple (2-3 inches more of legroom), the service sucked. There was a "snack" which was humus and veggies and pita chips. A 5-hour flight, transcon, in F? Pathetic. The worst part, is the prices for F haven't gone down. The only "perk" was two minis of bourbon. That is it. Anything back of the divider was non-alcoholic. Thy made it clear that there was to be no BYOB aboard. Couple that with having to wear a face diaper, it makes me want to stay home and knit a sweater.


It isn’t any better internationally. UA arguably has the best J seats, yet their soft product absolutely sucks - no PDB beverage, no menu, cold nuts in a plastic cups, when drinks come, they are in a plastic cup, bread is cold wrapped in plastic, and the main course is what used to be served in Y. Once the meal has been served, the FAs disappear. On LH and TK in business, you get a menu, PDB, warm nuts in a ramekin, a variety of real bread, great meals, a real dessert, and FAs who actively circulate and ask if you’d like a snack or another drink.

Yes, I know it’s a first world problem, but seriously - US airlines need to stop blaming COVID and start providing decent service.
At home in the PNW and loving it
DXing 04 Nov 21, 13:09Post
Maybe premium economy is in your future??

5 Airlines with Premium Economy Cabins Worth Splurging On


https://www.cntraveler.com/story/airlines-with-premium-economy-cabins-worth-splurging-on

I have yet to fly in UA's premium economy cabin...seems like it is a 50/50 chance on whether I'll get a 737 or E175 out of or flying to CLE. Hope to start doing international travel next year so maybe I'll get to try it out.
What's the point of an open door policy if inside the open door sits a closed mind?
halls120 (Plank Owner) 06 Nov 21, 13:23Post
DXing wrote:Maybe premium economy is in your future??

5 Airlines with Premium Economy Cabins Worth Splurging On


https://www.cntraveler.com/story/airlines-with-premium-economy-cabins-worth-splurging-on

I have yet to fly in UA's premium economy cabin...seems like it is a 50/50 chance on whether I'll get a 737 or E175 out of or flying to CLE. Hope to start doing international travel next year so maybe I'll get to try it out.


Right now, if you aren't interested in sleeping, UA's PE is a far better value than Polaris. Same food and same rushed service as in Polaris at half the price, or less.
At home in the PNW and loving it
IFEMaster (Project Dark Overlord & Founding Member) 09 Nov 21, 18:39Post
DXing wrote:Maybe premium economy is in your future??

5 Airlines with Premium Economy Cabins Worth Splurging On


https://www.cntraveler.com/story/airlines-with-premium-economy-cabins-worth-splurging-on

I have yet to fly in UA's premium economy cabin...seems like it is a 50/50 chance on whether I'll get a 737 or E175 out of or flying to CLE. Hope to start doing international travel next year so maybe I'll get to try it out.


Can confirm that Virgin Atlantic's Premium is a solid product, but the price point has to be right for it to make sense. I've scored LAX-LHR-LAX for as low as $1300 and as high as $2900. At the low end, it's a massive amount of bang for the buck, especially on the A350. At the high end...eek. It's still cheaper than Upper Class, but I wouldn't say there's a couple of grand's worth of difference from Y.

In a couple of weeks I'll be trying out BA's revamped/refit Y+ product on the same route - LAX-LHR-LAX - so I'm interested to see how they now compare after accelerating their retrofits during the pandemic.
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
miamiair (netAirspace FAA) 10 Nov 21, 11:54Post
Even though it is a domestic thread, TATL service has dropped. Most recent was MIA-MAD-MIA on AA J-class last week. The service is a two step process where it used to be four or five. You get the lukewarm nuts and a beverage. Then the entire meal on one tray with a beverage top-off. The beverages are served in plastic cups. It isn't what it used to be. TAP does the same.
And let's get one thing straight. There's a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician; the other is an artist in love with flight. — E. B. Jeppesen
mhodgson (ATC & Photo Quality Screener & Founding Member) 13 Nov 21, 10:21Post
Yet I did intra-Europe J legs this week (also to MAD). On a 35 minute BA MAN-LHR sector we got a full (cold) meal, with warm bread and desert, and a full bar service.

On the LHR-MAD-LHR sectors with IB it was a Euro J service, so a decent hot meal with fresh bread and bar services although on a single tray still.

All drinks were served in proper glassware, all cutlery was metal. Service felt normal apart from the mask wearing.
There's the right way, the wrong way and the railway.
 

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