Any "Latest & Greatest about Delta?" Part 2
07-09-2025 | 12:55 AM
#8492
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,551
Likes: 100
From: Road construction signholder
Our beverage service is the IFE equivalent of AA domestic. If we want to keep our status as a premium brand we can improve our service and enhance safety in light turbulence with two small changes:
-Mini-cans instead of open cups.
-No coffee on the cart or serve it with a lid.
Service time drops dramatically when handing a can vs pouring a Diet Coke. The reduced aisle/cart exposure time would have a corresponding reduction in injuries as well as providing FAs more time on PFDs in the galley. Are we really saving the earth or millions of dollars by pouring 2.69 drinks from a 12oz can vs individual 7.5 oz mini cans? How about SWA style drink service where FAs take a drink order and provide service to the seat. It actually feels like table service at a restaurant vs a concession stand experience.
If ARCOS would call with a GS I could get back to work instead of pretending I know how to run an airline on APC.
-Mini-cans instead of open cups.
-No coffee on the cart or serve it with a lid.
Service time drops dramatically when handing a can vs pouring a Diet Coke. The reduced aisle/cart exposure time would have a corresponding reduction in injuries as well as providing FAs more time on PFDs in the galley. Are we really saving the earth or millions of dollars by pouring 2.69 drinks from a 12oz can vs individual 7.5 oz mini cans? How about SWA style drink service where FAs take a drink order and provide service to the seat. It actually feels like table service at a restaurant vs a concession stand experience.
If ARCOS would call with a GS I could get back to work instead of pretending I know how to run an airline on APC.
07-09-2025 | 07:49 AM
#8494
seeing the country...
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,001
Likes: 32
From: 73N A
No opinion about most of your post, but to describe SWA service as "table service" is laughable. I flew on SWA on paid tickets for a wedding a few weeks ago. Four total legs, and two of them were longer flights from ATL-DAL. Very lazy, cranky service that makes our "can you turn on the seatbelt sign" mobile phone scrollers look positively hard working. They did take our drink order, brought out a tiny cup of coffee or soda, a micro bag of braided pretzels...and were then unseen for the next 90 minutes. No second walk through, no "can I get you anything else"--just hanging out in the rear galley doing nothing. I realize SWA isn't the Ritz, but our Delta FAs do a lot better job.
07-09-2025 | 09:01 AM
#8495
Line Holder
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 329
Likes: 36
People seem to like to razz on our FAs, but compared to the rest of the industry they really do a good job. Of course there are outliers, but ours serve one of several snacks, soft drink/coffee/tea of your choice, or a harder drink if you're in Comfort or higher, free. And they are nice about it.
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)
07-09-2025 | 09:40 AM
#8496
Line Holder
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 934
Likes: 59
From: NBC
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)
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)
I think the most common service “disappointments” occur on the express service flights. (Thsts a whole other discussion). Flew in back on a domestic 2-hour flight recently and the cabin service was excellent.
IMO (observation) the flight leader/purser sets the tone and 99% of the time the service reflects that, to include the way interaction between “up front” and the back.
07-09-2025 | 11:10 AM
#8497
Line Holder
Joined: Jul 2023
Posts: 891
Likes: 240
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.
07-09-2025 | 11:42 AM
#8498
Line Holder
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 450
Likes: 49
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)
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)
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.
07-09-2025 | 12:01 PM
#8499
Line Holder
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 329
Likes: 36
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.
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.
If it's my time, internationally I'll pay for UA (or BA/LH) and domestically I'll pay for AA or UA to avoid our 'free' ticket.
Not a knock on our crews, who generally I find fantastic, but our corporate mindset, anti-PS/NRSA, and poor service mindeset gets me paying for OAL paid tickets vs Online DH 60-70% of the time ... YMMV
Also full disclosure I buy enough OAL rev tickets to be LH mid-tier, AA top tier, and BA 360 tier equivalent.
07-09-2025 | 12:12 PM
#8500
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 7,417
Likes: 415
I generally buy UA tickets internationally (or AA domestically) vs PS on us ... 2/3 of my 4x per month DH . I know what the hive mind says... yet ...
If it's my time, internationally I'll pay for UA (or BA/LH) and domestically I'll pay for AA or UA to avoid our 'free' ticket.
Not a knock on our crews, who generally I find fantastic, but our corporate mindset, anti-PS/NRSA, and poor service mindeset gets me paying for OAL paid tickets vs Online DH 60-70% of the time ... YMMV
Also full disclosure I buy enough OAL rev tickets to be LH mid-tier, AA top tier, and BA 360 tier equivalent.
If it's my time, internationally I'll pay for UA (or BA/LH) and domestically I'll pay for AA or UA to avoid our 'free' ticket.
Not a knock on our crews, who generally I find fantastic, but our corporate mindset, anti-PS/NRSA, and poor service mindeset gets me paying for OAL paid tickets vs Online DH 60-70% of the time ... YMMV
Also full disclosure I buy enough OAL rev tickets to be LH mid-tier, AA top tier, and BA 360 tier equivalent.
Is that more about where you fly out of? ORD? I generally always buy tickets and I often check UA and AA as they're almost always cheaper. In the end, I almost always end up on us just because it's just so much more convenient flying out of DTW. I've always found our service to be pretty good, but I don't expect/want much lol.
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