New Wine Consultant For United

[SKY HIGH]

Oh, and bring the warmed nuts back, too. That can't possibly cost that much. In fact, I would think a big bag of nuts would be cheaper than serving each passenger 2-3 bags of cashews.

THEY DONT COST THAT MUCH?
WANNA PAY THE MILLIONS TO SOMEONE WHO WILL TRY AND SUE UAIR, BECAUSE THEY HAD A PEANUT ALLERGY?

 

[USFlyer]

THEY DONT COST THAT MUCH?
WANNA PAY THE MILLIONS TO SOMEONE WHO WILL TRY AND SUE UAIR, BECAUSE THEY HAD A PEANUT ALLERGY?

Umm, here's a wild thought: If you have a peanut allergy, don't eat the peanuts! Plus, how is this any different than US providing bags of cashews now? Or serving nut-encrusted salmon?

 

[ktflyhome]

Actually, what we serve on Domestic F/A is just fine. I have had no complaints. Many, though, think we MUST have a wine cellar on board, as they constantly ask what kinddo we serve. Whatever we are serving seems to be just fine, because wine kits are always going empty. And just how many "wine experts" are consistantly traveling in F/C.???????

No. 1....it is in the Attache
No. 2....it is either white or red
No. 3....we are NOT a full service restaurant.

One thing, U could get rid of is the Champagne. The only folks who normally will ask for it is usual, elderly, snobbish couple going on vacation and they want a frigging Mamosa. It feed their EGO. One usually does the trick, then the rest of the bottle goes to waste. :down:

 

[StewGuy86]

I think US Airways needs a "Whine Consultant" so that the folks on here who complain and howl over every little thing real or imagined can come up with some new and more creative reasons to hate a job and company they refuse to leave.

Hmmm, I'm not sure if that was directed at me or just a general comment. If it was to me personally, I'm no longer at the company and I DID leave, well...on a voluntary furlough, at least. But that doesn't mean I no longer care about US Airways and its image....not to mention its survival. And pointing out things like the idiocy of having no glassware in FC isn't whining. It's pointing out the idiocy of having no glassware in FC and still trying to pass it off as "FIRST CLASS!"

 

[geo1004]

I can give you 4 MILLION Reasons not to have glass in first class Stew. Each of those reasons has a picture of George Washington on it!

Piney, how much revenue has US lost because passengers willing to pay FC fares have abandoned US's non-existant FC product? Having experienced the FC product on several USA cariers in the last year I can honestly say I would not pay for US's. I'd be happy to upgrade to it with miles or upgrades but I'm not going to pay for just a bigger seat on US when I can pay the same on another carrier and get the bigger seat AND real food and real service amenities (linens, glassware, et al).

Most passengers don't care about a plastic cup on a DCA-CLT flight (I sure don't), but when DL, AA, and UA are running "premium transcon" services that are almost as nice as US's Envoy transatlantic services and you then compare that to a transcon flight on US from PHL-LAX the disparity becomes quite obvious and real.

 

[geo1004]

This is what RoachFEST '04 is all about. Be there or be square!

If the schedule (mine, not US's) allows.... I will. 😀

 

[TOGALOCK]

How much revenue would a wine consultant or first class glassware bring in to USAirways. Isn't that all that matters right now. The ship hit the iceburg, rearranging the deck chairs doesn't matter right now. No passenger is avoiding USAirways because of bad wine or plastic glasses in first class. While you are warming the guys nuts ask them what determines which airline they ride. My bet is wine and glassware don't make the top ten.

 

[USFlyer]

No passenger is avoiding USAirways because of bad wine or plastic glasses in first class. While you are warming the guys nuts ask them what determines which airline they ride.

Don't be so sure of this. Lots of elites are walking away from US at this point, myself included. I've diverted at least $10,000 of revenue to UA when UA offers an A-class fare on a transcon I need to take.

 

[TOGALOCK]

I am shocked if it is anything but price and schedule that drive your choice. The marketplace says that is what the consumer wants. Maybe you are the exception that proves the rule. There are very few passengers who would ride a less convienent or more expensive flight in order to get a better wine or a better meal.

 

[USFlyer]

I am shocked if it is anything but price and schedule that drive your choice. The marketplace says that is what the consumer wants. Maybe you are the exception that proves the rule. There are very few passengers who would ride a less convienent or more expensive flight in order to get a better wine or a better meal.

First, living in the DC area, any transcon is more convenient on UA. Second, if I can find an A fare for x yet regular coach is x-$200, I'll book the A fare hands down. My beef is the airlines are not advertising the A fares, so most passengers don't know they exist unless their travel agent tells them.

 

[Armada]

Add my voice to that of geo1004 and USFlyer. I'm a CP and will no longer pay for FC on US. Although I don't do a lot of paid FC travel (3-4 domestic trips per year), it all now goes to United. The difference between US and UA FC product is significant.

I'll be at the meeting at PHL and will definitely express my opinions about US' FC to whatever management types are there.

Call me a whiner if you wish, but there's an old (but very true) saying in business: "If you don't take good care of your customers, someone else will".

 

[SVQLBA]

QUOTE (TOGALOCK @ Jul 27 2004, 11:19 PM)

I am shocked if it is anything but price and schedule that drive your choice. The marketplace says that is what the consumer wants. Maybe you are the exception that proves the rule. There are very few passengers who would ride a less convienent or more expensive flight in order to get a better wine or a better meal.

(and Piney said)

HOWEVER

I almost EVERY marketing survey I've ever seen regarding Frequent Flyers is that all other thing being equal ie schedule & price, the determining factor in the purchase decision is the FF program and the amenities.

Glassware doesn't matter to me it does to some.

PB's right. An awful lot of marketing departments ask the wrng questions in these surveys. Questions like UA's dumb "intent to repurchase" survey are meaningless -- decisions aren't made in isolation, they're made given a set of choices. Sure schedule and price (in one order or another) are first screen -- that then gives a"feasible set" (digging into my engineering background) of options that meet the buers schedule and price requirements. The equestion then becomes, airline's A, B, C can all get me to LA and they are all roughly the same price. Which one do I choose then? That's when amenities, service, FF become important.

Also, note it's much easier to loose a customer through bad/poor service, than it is to win them back through superior service. It's like trust.

 

[geo1004]

Keep in mind that for many business travellers, the choice is often made with a corporate or individual booking agent or while the traveller is booking online. Assuming US and AA both show the same approximate fares and both have acceptable flight times why choose US? It's a full fare either way so the traveller knows they should be able to upgrade with no problem. While some business travellers stick religeously to one airline, the vast majority belong to several FF programs. Why choose the US flights when for the same price you can fly AA and get what you know is a superior first-class experience for the 12 hours you will be sitting on a plane from the east-coast out to LAX and back?

It's true that no one says "I fly XYZ airline because they have good wine and glass in first class." Nobody does that. But when you have to travel and you have to go transcon to LAX for a couple of days and you have to buy a higher fare ticket because you're not staying the weekend then why would anyone choose the inferior product????

 

[SKY HIGH]

Umm, here's a wild thought: If you have a peanut allergy, don't eat the peanuts!

Wild thought?...its wrong. Hear of peanut residue?
Peanut allergy is the third most common food allergy in young children and the most common food allergy in older children and adults. Exposure to trace amounts of peanuts can trigger a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.