Originally Posted by
flightlessbirds
I agree that folks here tend to be WAY too hard on our FAs. Three caveats ... that don't tend to point back to our FAs, but management:
1) Our service flow, especially on long flights on NB, isn't good compared to international competitors or United. Namely, we don't have a FC Galley position on NB, so the Purser (cough ... Flight Leader) has to do everything for the front cabin. This is a huge service disadvantage to UA where there are two dedicated FAs to F until meal service is completed, then the Purser goes back to help Y and the FWD galley FA refills drinks and handles trays in F.
2. None of the service standard/excellence seems to apply as a non-rev by policy. FAs here, especially in mecca, are somehow trained to treat NRSA, even in premium cabins, as below scum. This is so 180 degree different to every other carrier I've ever non-reved/ZED'd on where the cabin crew are fantastic (borderline fawning) to fellow industry OAL folks.
3. We have some fantastic FAs (and some of the absolute best international Pursers in the business...mostly National, PanAm, and legacy NWA), but even on LH international (DLOne) the service flow and the way the company makes them operate generally gives an inferior service to a middling crew on UA Polaris (and the European carriers)
United is notoriously known for some of the worse customer service “soft product” of the US3.
Your experiences are your own - as are mine. I non-rev frequently on all US3 and foreign carriers and I am yet to have any -notable- bad experience on Delta but many -notable- great ones with GA’s and FA’s in the past 5 years being ATL-based.
I would confidently say DL FA’s are the US3’s best. Not perfect, but absolutely better than United or American. So, I’d have to disagree with your assertions above.
Objectively speaking, Delta has won the public favor of being the “most premium” US carrier (slew of #1 in U.S. awards), most on-time, and charges the highest premium which is a simple reflection of the performance of flight crews and gate agents (others as well.. rampers, etc).
No crew is perfect and of course there are some bad ones - but the it’s a simple fact that Delta sets the standard for the US3 and the others generally follow.