Delta Removes BusinessElite Seats From Longhaul Fleet - One Mile at a Time - One Mile at a Time
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More of this crap from the baby boomer generation placing money over anything else. No comfort, no good product, no good politics, no good service, far cry from the 60's and 70's when real men ran the show. No more trust, no more loyalty, no more respect. It's all down hill from there. I can remember my parents talking about the Pacific Oceanic runs by Boeing STRATOCRUISERS and outfitted with BUNKERS for sleeping. Smoke your cigarrettes, lobster served from the menu. Here, take a bag of peanuts and shut the %$#^& up because I'm a flight attendant that wants you do make my job much easier.
At the same time, those "golden days" of aviation were not just expensive to the point of "save your money" but also to the point where only the really, really, really wealthy could afford to fly. Now, it's to the point where the majority of people can afford it. If you do want that service from before, you can still pay for it. F on an overseas flight is pretty swanky. But only the really, really, really wealthy can afford it, along with those with a generous company flying a higher-up and some lucky nonrevs.
BE is going to be tougher for us Non-Revs. Guess DL has a problem filling seats with high dollar business passengers. Such is life in the fast lane.
Quote:
Originally Posted by spongebue
Bingo, you hit a great point. I do remember my old man telling me that in his days of travel, it was mostly OIL MEN that flew in those capacities. But really, there is no need to supercramp up the spaces to the point where you brake your nose because somebody in front leans the seat back for the sake of cramming more passangers for the sake of making more money. It's like telling the toilet paper manufactureres, to cut back on 20 yards per roll because "It adds up". Next thing you know, the 20 yards turns to 40 yards to 60 yards and then it turns to more crap.
I had an eye opening on my last trip. I found out that we give out premium seats like candy. I did not experience this very much at all when at US. Envoy seats on transatlantic, they didn't give away the store. Makes it almost impossible for me to upgrade on intl flights, so quite frankly with our lack of entertainment in coach on our 747's I'd just as soon buy a ZED on someone else if I'm going international.
Sad.
On the 747s, maybe, but other international long-haul planes (except maybe the 757s they run overseas from EWR) all have AVOD.
now the Sky Club too.....nearly doubled in price.
I cannot pay for that anymore, sadly.
It is quite sad that because the top executive have to make their millions in salaries, they are willing to hurt the very folks that make their companies work. They ask us to take pay cuts while they get bonuses and raises consistently.
We still get access to SkyClubs but only because we have the Plat card. No guests w/out fee, tho ($29). We rarely have one.
You got that right - If you can only afford to fly non-rev - you most certainly are not going to opt to pay for a guest be it family; buddy or whatever.Quote:
Originally Posted by mrs767er
Further more the idea of paying a guest fee to use an already crowded luxury bar (cheap drinks-swill are free) but Brand names (Bailey's) are at or more than
the price charged on board the coach cabin. And as a non-rev SC member you can not (or are not supposed to) request assistance in space available problems -
the "Bang for the Buck" is no longer ! Take your membership fee/dues and use it somewhere else in the airport - maybe buying the meal that is no longer part
of what was the ticket price.
Both of our Plat cards are just a small amount more than the new SC price with employee discount. By the time I add the extras: foreign conversion fees, Starwood Gold (great upgrades!) GE fee 1X 5yrs, $200 airline credit (bev/food) and some others, it makes sense to NOT buy DLs membership. I wouldn't consider their drinks swill, but I can see the beer issue (and Baileys?) Liquors are upper tier brands but not premium shelf and those can be $$$. Premium wines are same as terminal around $12 glass. Snacks are just snacks, except for a few. Free wifi is great while waiting an hour of more and for commuting from NY (INT flt cnx can be over 3) it's far more relaxing than a sea of USBs @JFK. Funny thing--you couldn't fill the massive club at CVG but DTW is packed most of the time. Still that horrible old NW version. So much wasted space AND self-service! W/Plat I can visit the Centurion clubs [someday]. We never fly other legacies so even tho they dropped access for us after Mar, it makes little difference to us. Skyclubs overseas are much better than most of the domestic ones..go figger?
The self service is what is best about the DTW club!!
In JFK, the server gave me a dirty look when I asked for my second gin and tonic.
Don't have to worry about dirty looks when it is self service, lol!
Self serve snacks and soft drinks, I can see - but alcohol is self serve as well? How exactly does that work, do they just have an array of (mini-?)bottles and mixers, along with beer? I guess I could see beer from the tap, but "build your own cocktails" sounds almost dangerous.Quote:
Originally Posted by vulindlela
That said, I love your choice in drink :)
Spongebue--it's large bottle basics bar @ DTW whenever the staff gets around to taking out the cart to the bar. People stand around waiting for to make bloody Mary's (from what I could tell...) I see guys try the taps at 9 am and find they are rigged until released whenever staff feels like coming out to tend to bar and snacks, etc. Otherwise it's just a couple of small counters. Coffee service is at at least 2 other locations in the many "rooms" in the main club. It's a maze and the most wasted space is where the escalator meets the enormous desk. The service at JFK SCs, both terminals, is better than the majority of the rest of the terminal. Beats minimal service at DTW--any club. Bus service is frequent and the outdoor lounge is quite nice on good weather days. That lounge is HUGE.