[AllOverTheGaff]

Hi Ian

Whilst I singled out AA for what I considered to be poor crew service, the main reason I no longer fly BA is because of the same, and my Delta flight back from Boston was just awful.

I do not know what it is, be it longevity, complacency or a prevalence of *PP* attitude, but it seems far too rare that one gets anything like an acceptable level of service on-board in the big seats. There is a glaring disparity between price paid and service received on an all too often frequency, and to me, and I’ve said so many times, it is surely the easiest thing of all to rectify yet it seems far beyond the HR and training departments capabilities.

One of the best flights I’ve had last year was with MAS in 1st with a particularly attentive, pleasant and all together helpful crew member who genuinely seemed to care that I got the most from flying with their airline, and even though the food wasn’t outstanding, the service made up for it in a big way – ditto with BA on my way back from JFK upstairs on a tired old 747 with no working loos in 1st class (I was in biz so didn’t really care) very average food and a connection that went to pieces in London leaving me stranded for the night – however – the two stand out flights for me this year (with Emirates GLA – DXB – SIN being taken out of the equation) were because of great service on board – honourable mention too for the excellent VS flight to Boston with a fun crew and loads of interaction at the bar.

I’m sure that it comes down to there not being enough crew to meet the work load in a lot of cases, however, it is hugely frustrating to be sat with an empty glass and you can hear the chit-chat from the galley as the crew talk about their latest destinations/hotels/beaches etc etc. I do believe one must also consider the apathy and belligerence of some crew on some flights who genuinely have a knack of making high-revenue customers feel uncomfortable.

I can think of no other ‘luxury’ industry which commands high revenues but delivers so consistently poor service, whoever these ‘secret shoppers’ are, they must have particularly low standards.

Rgds.
AOTG.

[Senator]

I would argue that AA is not inconsistent in the staff’s approach at least to me as customer. I had one very bad flight, but the rest have been very good to excellent. My only red-line with AA has been that Miami based crews are perhaps not as friendly as the other crews I have encountered.

My flight in late November from Boston to LAX is by far the best domestic US flight I’ve ever had and it was manned with a Boston based crew. It was quite clear that a number of passengers and crew member had interacted before. Perhaps it is my Scandinavian egalitarian roots that triggers my reflex of looking over my shoulder to see if my dad is behind me when I am addressed as “Sir” at the ample age of forty-one. The female purser was on first-name basis with at least five passengers at boarding. She knew their names. When she came to the last row In First where I was seated, she said: “Mr. Senator, what would you like to drink once we are airborne”? I answered her: “Beverly, as we seem to all be on first-name-basis onboard, please call me H”. Her reply: “Certainly H, we will get you to LAX as soon as we can. What would you like to drink”?

I may get myself in trouble with what I am about to say:
Perhaps my expectations are too low. Perhaps I am too forgiving for blunders. I never raise my voice, I never show anger when travelling. I use words like “disappointment” when something goes wrong. I never or very rarely have a bad flight, perhaps 1 in 100. I am always the jovial, happy, joking passenger. I try to avoid projecting my own anger, frustration, or disappointment from other matters on the people serving me.

I am not a saint, probably more of a sinner. However, I do ask myself time and time again when I read these travel stories: why is it that I am content or even very happy 99% of the times? Are my standards too low?

Perhaps it is that after 15 years of traveling in Premium Cabins and nearly 2,000 flights I still pinch myself in the arm each time to remind myself how privileged I am to be able to do this.

[DerekVH]

Senator

+1

when I read some of the woes on here people are obviously flying with very different cabin crew. Like yourself I feel privileged to be able to fly in premium cabins. I recently flew LHR to DXB in first with only two of us in the cabin. The other “gentleman” was making such a fuss that his seat had a stain and it was totally the fault of the CSD. Given he could have chosen any of the vacant seats he was demanding a form for compensation. My response to the cabin crew was to ask for a feedback form so I could say what a wonderful flight and crew were on board that day.

[AllOverTheGaff]

Senator – 23/01/2014 12:24 GMT
My only red-line with AA has been that Miami based crews are perhaps not as friendly as the other crews I have encountered.

Hi Senator

I guess we can only base our findings on what we find! 🙂

Reflecting back, this would be how I’d score my flights with AA in Nov:

1) LHR – JFK 7/10 – performed what needed to be performed, nothing more, empty glass a couple of times but the crew smiled once in a while and were in the cabin reasonably often.
2) JFK – AUS – 4/10 – less smiley, seemed more stressed and had never heard of “Scottish” whisky, saying so loudly when I asked.
3) AUS – JFK – 3/10 as above minus the whisky
4) JFK – GIG – 1/10 rather arrogant crew on a night service who didn’t really want any interaction with the passengers.
5) GRU – JFK 1/10 as above, crew irritated by passenger in front of me who was rather demanding, made sure everyone in business suffered.

Perhaps it is that after 15 years of traveling in Premium Cabins and nearly 2,000 flights I still pinch myself in the arm each time to remind myself how privileged I am to be able to do this.

Indeed Senator, I too am greatly appreciative of being able to travel in style, but must point out it is my own hard-earned cash I am spending when doing so and as such, I have an expectation. The above flights with AA were somewhere in the region of £3200.00, which I have to say, I was pleased to get, nevertheless, it was THREE times more expensive than flying in the back of the plane.

Did I get 3 times the experience? One could argue that as I had a more comfortable seat, access to their lounges and enhanced dining options I should be pleased with my purchase – yet I was not – my expectation when flying at the front of the plane is that there will be an elevated level of service offered to me, now some on here might think that an unreasonable expectation, I don’t.

Like you, I always (and I do mean always) travel with a smile on my face, I always greet the crew with a “good morning/afternoon/evening” and always (100%) say please/thank you and am polite and courteous to not only crew on a plane, anyone who is serving me. I’ve worked in service/public facing roles and understand how frustrating it is to be spoken to rudely. It is my findings that this is reciprocated less and less on board planes, and I do not think I have particularly high standards.

I am pleased to hear that your AA flights differ from mines, and whilst I was unimpressed with the service, AA’s routes and pricing structures are particularly attractive for at least 2 of my annual multi-city jaunts, I’d give them another go and perhaps go into it with a lowered expectation level, I was most excited to try their new seat which I saw as a game-changer for the TATL market, but found that whilst the seating had improved considerably, the service and food hadn’t kept pace.

It seems counter-intuitive to me that airline boards sign-off on multi-million dollar investments in their hard product to enhance their offerings to their prospective clients yet fail to recognise that unwilling staff can and do have a massively detrimental impact on that spend, I’d love an airline (one of the big players) to enrol in one of these ‘back to the floor’ type tv shows so they can see what actually happens on-board their flying investments, I do suspect they’d be most surprised.

Rgds.
AOTG.

[Senator]

AllOverTheGaff, I am glad we “think” alike but still have different experiences 🙂

As you, I pay myself. Or, I choose a lifestyle as a sole proprietor to take lower salary and have more liberal travel policy for the company of one.

Let me be clear: I don’t think American Airlines is the best carrier in the world. What they do offer me, is value for money. My recent trip was ticketed as Helsinki (HEL) – St Kitts (SKB) which included two free stopovers in the US which I could use for client meetings, and change/cancellation fee of £200. My airfare was £1,500 return. Add on £80 for Stockholm (ARN) to HEL. The previous trip in November was ARN-HNL with BA/AA for £2,100 return. Both excellent bargains!

Perhaps in these details lies some of my attitude: whilst paying myself, I feel I get such a value that my expectations are lower. I have never spent more than £2,500 on one single ticket: LHR-ATL in First with Lufthansa and Swiss. Best bargain ever!

[NameRemoved-18/12/14]

Hello Senator

I am the same age as you and I also pay for my own tickets. However, it has only been on rare occasions that I have flown First or Business longhaul. You would think that after 30 years in Economy I would appreciate these flights but I have to say they left me totally underwhelmed and I am certainly not a moaner and groaner! My best flights have been in Economy.

You also said something which caught my attention:

‘I try to avoid projecting my own anger, frustration, or disappointment from other matters on the people serving me’.

+1

A smile goes a long way and makes a big difference for all concerned. Let’s face it, flying is now a chore and for me it is something to be endured.

[Ruddles]

As a long time reader and now a first time poster, this post caught my eye, I have been until recently a BA gold card executive club card holder, due to changed business travel patterns I am now Exec Plat with AA. Whilst there is differences in the air product, the new AA 777W product is very good, albeit with some crew issues.

I have to compliment the way AA treats their elite flyers, In particular to upgrading or using miles or VIP upgrades that you receive as an AA elite member. I always get wait listed right up to flight departure or allocated one at booking if there is a seat available. Unlike BA where on 2 recent trips one from LAX-LHR and one this last week from PHX-LHR which where booked in WTP. I looked in vain for mileage upgrades only to be told that there could on sale on day of departure, then told at the airport that they were none available, and in any case would not able to use points at the airport. Both flights went out with between 5-10 seats free in CW, with on one flight the crew upgrading their friend/or family as soon as the door was shut. Several other Gold Card Holders on those flights were also not amused! I understand revenue management policies but to not allow miles which are a currency not to be utilized when there are open seats on departure is crazy. This is one area AA really has got right. Therefore is getting a lot more of my monthly transatlantic business.

[AllOverTheGaff]

Hi again Senator

For what it’s worth, I do agree entirely about the value for money with AA, and have commented that I would certainly consider them again if the price was right, and your point about lower expectations given the price point is fair.

I’d still argue (debate probably a better term as I believe we broadly agree on most points on the thread) that if one pays for a premium service one should expect a premium offering from the crew.

It seems to me a lack of training, and a complacency has set in, judging purely by my own experiences with AA, the question for me is why invest all this money on a new product, and in advertising/marketing this new product when it is let down entirely by the service.

I flew VS in Dec and I have to say the seat was not as private or as comfortable as AA’s, but given the choice of AA v VS to the USA I would take VS, even if it cost a little more to be more assured of a good service.

Seems there’s more people less than thrilled with AA too judging by this recent review!

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/American-Airlines-B757-Domestic-First-%28short-haul%29-3

Such a shame Senator as it is clear to me that with some better customer care, AA could genuinely lead the market for TATL.

Rgds.
AOTG.

[RetiredLawyer]

interesting how each experience hinges on the airline staff and the in flight amenities — everything else seems to be a generic product.

My worst flight in years was SCL-MIA in Y on BA — inedible food, rude service, and my Lady said “never again” both to AA and to Y class for a 10 hour flight. (I should have known better, but I pay for all my flights myself.) And one of the best flights ever on BA DTW-LHR-DTW — we booked WTP for our party of 4, and the very accommodating people at BA put all 4 of us in business both ways, with outstanding service and accommodation.

[Author]

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