[handbag]

Gold Card Holders should be welcomed and I try to do it.

I usually work by choice as the rear CSL / Purser. on my last flight on a 747 the were 40 Gold Cards Mixed throughout all Cabins, the flight was full. We weren’t expecting it to be full be in the end we were. We therefore had a last minute top up of catering, that takes quite a while to sort out. I had 30 special meals + the new meal preorders. Numerous people were upgrade. Either Traveler to Plus or Plus to Club. Several of the special meal pax had been upgrade, so I spent a long while transfering meals between Club and WT. I was then keen to get the service going asap and for it to run as smoothly as possible, as Pax don’t appreciate a long wait for a drink. We also had numerous IFE problems. By the time I had got around to looking at the passenger list in detail and saw the 10 to 15 golds in the rear of the aircraft, it was some time after the meal service ( felt like I had been running a marathon and had not stopped for 2 seconds from when I had first got on the aircraft) It felt a little late to be saying welcome onboard. Would I want someone coming and talking to me after dinner, when I am relaxing watching a film or doing some work – no. Perhaps some would, It is a difficult one.

On my previous 2 flights I had between 3 and 8 gold in the rear and I welcomed all of them.

As the CSD on a 747 is part of the Service, they cannot possibly say Welcome to all , when there is such a large number. When the CSD was not part of the service they had much more time to do this.

As Crew , I would like to have the time and the manpower to get everything done as professionally and as seamlessly as possible. I didn’t feel great about not saying the Welcome, but must admit I did prioritise to get all the catering sorted and the service started. When there are a only couple and everything is going to plan, I can even do it before we take off or the CSD may well say they will do it. Passengers will be surprised at how many Gold Card holders there are on some flights, it also makes me smile when I see it written on here that someone is sure that there weren’t many as it was a certain route.That is not always the case. Gold Cards holders travel on all routes and in all Cabins.

I will try and say hello to you If I don’t or other Crew don’t, it is generally not because we are being lazy, but a lot is going on behind the scene that you are not aware of.

[K1ngston]

Thanks handbag must be tough… A question if there is a Marco Polo Platinum or AA Platinum do you welcome them also (time permitting)? Obviously my example is BAEC Gold on CX. Keep up the hard and gallant work

[TiredOldHack]

That was a very reasoned explanation, Handbag. I’m amazed there were , what, 10%? of the pax carrying gold cards.

What would you say would be the average, across the whole aircraft? More in F and J than Y, proportionally? I’d expect that, but I’d be interested to know what a total average would be.

[handbag]

TiredOldHack –
It was very unusual to have so many, but I didn’t mention , that I was including Emerald. It was a HI J aircraft, so there are 70 Club Seats, then First and then when you include all the ones that were in WT and + (which was more than usual) and Emerald, it can soon mount up. Personally feel we often have a lot more than most pax would expect, especially as we now welcome OW Emerald (which I would class as Gold) as well.

I don’t not want to get myself in trouble by giving out information that I possibly should not have, so won’t quote numbers. I was just trying to point out a one off situation when I had not performed as I had hoped to Gold Card Holders satisfaction and explain why things don’t always go to plan. This is not a figure that is reflective of all flights.

I couldn’t give an accurate as it varies so much from flight to flight. You could do the same flight 2 weeks running, and the Card holder ratio is totally different. Golds are spread all over the aircraft, but there is more in F and J, but there will nearly always be some in Y. I would be surprised if there wasn’t any in my cabin.

Kingston
Not aware I should be welcoming Marco Polo or AA Platinum. Hope I am correct. R Ferguson may be able to clarify.

[K1ngston]

handbag I think you actually answered the question when you said you have to welcome OW Emeralds which effectively all other OW partners are as I am Emerald on their airlines….

You have a tough job and we all support you as best we can 🙂

[TiredOldHack]

Thanks again, Handbag. You have my sympathy and respect. I wouldn’t want to give sincere greetings to several dozen strangers.

There again, Her Maj has to do it all the time…

[handbag]

Luckily I am senior enough to nearly always work in WT as a choice, so it is not often that I would have that many. I have to say I can feel quite uncomfortable sometimes, as some pax like it and others don’t,(as you can see from reading on here), so doing something that you know a lot of pax don’t like, or feel uncomfortable with, is not an aspect of my job that I enjoy doing. Also , when it is done in first of Club it can be done a bit more privately, but in WT, I am always conscious that when a pax is in a, b , e,f , j or k seat and we are full, if they are travelling alone, all around can hear the conversation and I do not feel that you are able to deliver in the same way as when you can bend down to a seat and talk in a more personal manner.

Got to log off now, but I hope my posts give a bit of an insite from the other side.

[TiredOldHack]

Well, as I said a couple of weeks ago, I don’t mind if it doesn’t happen (though I appreciate it when it does). You do get some odd looks from other pax, sometimes, in Y. You can see them thinking: “Why’s he slumming it?”

Or, more likely in my case: “You’re not telling me that scruffy bastard usually travels up the front?”

[CXDiamond]

IME CX and SQ always get this right. I’ve been an LH Senator for more years than I care to remember and it has happened once when I was traveling in F anyway – though in F you always do get greeted but status is never mentioned.

I really can’t get excited about it one way or the other and I think the crew have more and better things to do. I’d rather see them help a parent traveling alone with children or an older person with a disability than come and greet me because I have a gold card.

[goldaviator]

I have mixed feelings about this. When i’m greeted and welcomed back in First or Club, i appreciate it as long as they don’t it a long winded greeting…..keep it short and simple. A while back BA flight crew went through a phase of coming to say hi in First….not sure why but that really got my back up and I just wanted them to bog off and fly the plane and leave the customer service to the crew.

[goldaviator]

I have mixed feelings about this. When i’m greeted and welcomed back in First or Club, i appreciate it as long as they don’t make it a long winded greeting…..keep it short and simple. A while back BA flight crew went through a phase of coming to say hi in First….not sure why but that really got my back up and I just wanted them to bog off and fly the plane and leave the customer service to the crew.

[K1ngston]

CXDiamond its not about the welcome its about the recognition, its about the airline recognising that we have a choice on which airline we travel, and in my instance it was the bottle of water and the Premier Lane access they gave me at BKK airport. Will a welcome ensure I travel again on a OW partner airline no, but will little touches that they showed me that day then absolutely and I have a choice of many carriers here in SG

[CathayLoyalist2]

Well beat this. About two years ago returning to Singapore on CX after the university run with my youngest daughter, the Inflight Service Manager came to my seat and asked whether or not I was aware I had gone through the 2,000,000 milestone. I wasn’t but no matter. She produced a card, and a big card at that, which was signed by all the crew by way of saying thank you for my loyalty. As with all service contacts it’s the little things that make a difference. For a moment I felt like royalty but resisted the temptation to do an ‘HRH’ wave down the cabin as this 2/3 minutes exchange attracted quite a bit of attention. That I will not forget in a hurry.

[K1ngston]

CathayLoyalist2 +1 it reminds me of the film with George Clooney (name escapes me) where he also went through the magical barrier … Now I am guessing the whole film is based on you 🙂 are you Clooney in disguise??
Great story!

[CathayLoyalist2]

The film was called “Up in the Air” and probably resonated with many business travelers. To your question given my work “if I told you that I’d have to kill you” metaphorically speaking of course in case this is intercepted by unwanted ears!

[Author]

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