Spotted in cattle class

[wongsuzie]

Lately when flying Cx are there so many Black uniformed crew working in Economy class cabin.I tot these senior crew work up front?

[christep]

Nope - the Inflight Service Manager has always worked whichever cabin they felt needed them most. You almost never see them in First except to greet the passengers (although this may change now that F only gets 2 dedicated crew instead of 3, which really isn't enough to deliver the First service to which we have become accustomed).

[Mr. Bloggs]

Wow. So what is First Class like? I am sure the blokes without a travel fund would like to know.:{:=

[wongsuzie]

Are they short of crew? why is the ''Inflight Service Manager'' manning the foodcart.Where are all the BC crew?.

[N1 Vibes]

wongsuzie,

perhaps you could qualify the quantities and frequency that you saw "Black uniformed crew". Was it more than one on the same flight? Over how many flights/weeks? Then maybe someone can answer more specifically. Have you thought of putting your question in the SCMP, so many other people do these days...

journo's love this kind of gossip,

N1 Vibes

[Mr. Bloggs]

Most cabin crew are 1-2 short these days. Rumour has it an indefinite number resigned after the 13th month. How true I’m not certain but numerous are crewed by last minute call-outs. :eek:

Contract crew are paid very little and can’t see themselves coming to work on certain days.:D

Short of crew, certainly not. just ask the DFO. :=

As for manning the food cart, the ISM do what they are told, from ISD of course.:ok:

[wongsuzie]

I took CX 549 and CX 100 last week on both occasions the ISM was working in the EY cabin.In fact on the Sydney flight there was also a purple uniformed crew [Senior Purser ?] actualy working with junior crew.
Someone told me it's to keep the service standards up another said they were short of staff.

I have been on Cathay for many years for business and plesure but lately i have noticed their service standards especially in EY is getting bad, the postings on Skytrax and other pax forums also indicate this trend.I read some years ago,there was a policy to get local people to work as a cabin crew. Has this back fired on them?.

Cathay used to have that brilliant concept of the 7 [?] different cabin crew cultures from countries like Thailand,Indonesia,Japan,Korea etc-each bringing their own unique version of oriental charm to the inflight service.Everybody had the same planes,same food,same schdules but that concept stood Cathay apart from the competition. It may be an illusion or fallacy but I believe that concept for what even reason worked; could it be that these girls had more instincts toward graciouness and service than locals?.

On the flip side, during the occasions that i sat in the business class the service was Excellent. In fact I had a chance to compare the product directly with Singapore Airlines.Whereas the Cathay's service was a nice mixture of attentiveness and professionalism, SQ's was a bit over the top ''in your face'' ad nasuem and at times the crew was too chatty and fimiliar with the pax.I know Cx got 'Best Airline' award, well maybe in business and First but definetly not EY.

I notice they are recruiting from various asian countries again.Are they going back to that surperb concept of the various asain cultures in the cabin? Could they even bring back that catchy theme song from the seventies? afterall retro is 'in'!

[el commandante]

The world best airline? I don´t think so.
Service straight from the heart? I don´t think so

The service degraded really steeply during the last years. But what do you expect. If you treat staff that bad they will get unmotivated and that will be reflected in the service.
What do you expect of good management? They shpuld not only manage the airline to make a lot of profit but also "manage" the staff to keep motivated and that staff see some importance to the work they do. Unfortunately management here only see making profits in cutting costs. Is that very difficult? No? Probably a firstgrader can achive that. It´s not that difficult to cut costs. Difficult is to motivate staff that they feel part of a group (btw how many groups do we have in cx, A scale, B scale, local,...?) and are motivated to represent "our" airline.

I worked for a couple of airlines before and I flew with many airlines as a passenger before and I can say I never saw such unmotivated crew and service that bad. For me it´s impossible to understand how they achive this "airline of the year" award.

And I´m not the only one who thinks that.

[LapSap]

Agree wongsuzie. The shift from a smiling provision of service to a "going-through-the-motions" type of atmosphere in EY has become very obvious over the past couple of years.
Meals are tossed at you now, while the FA is looking the other way or chatting to their colleague. Polite requests for a drink, other than water, are replied with "wait, the drink trolly will be around in 15 minutes". Of course even though the trolly goes past 20 minutes later, its closer to an hour by the time it reaches your row. The dash through the cabin calling "more coffee/tea" at a speed that ensures almost nobody will be able to ask for one is almost comical.
The polite request to lower/raise your window shade has been replaced by an aggressive lunge across your face without a word to slam the thing down at lightening speed, despite the fact that its 11 am and you're trying to read your book by natural light.
Then there's the lack of feel for anything mechnical- e.g. the constant slamming of the overhead lockers. Yes I know they've probably been taught to close them "positively" to ensure they latch properly but surely not the way some of them do it.

P.S. Can anyone tell me why the local FAs all seem to wear shoes about 3 sizes too big for them. Are they all issued a one-size-fits-all as part of their uniform?! Really looks incredibally sloppy the way they scuff, clip-clop their way through the terminal and I can't believe they don't get massive blisters if they have to walk any distance!

[CodyBlade]

The point about cultral differences equating to service standard is valid.Lets face it, HK people don't have it in their DNA to deliver SSFTH viz the Thais or Pinoys .Most of the crew in EY are local, accordingly the service reflects this.

IBTW ts not about 'motivation' its about attitude.The service industry in HK in not one to be held up as a shinning example to the world and only an event like SARS caused a sesmic shift.Followed by Jackie Chan telling them how to do it.

What was it? ''Same tean, Same dream?'' well,in to the dustbin with that one...

[maugrim]

Compare how hard FA's work in Thai's EY, the number of trolley drink runs and a cognac run! A HK habit is to rush around and 'look busy'.

[Hellenic aviator]

LapSap, you described the Y class experience perfect !! :ok::D:D:D

The only carrier that I know that will ask you to lower shades after the first meal service, come hell or high water regardless what time it is, is our Company.
Is somebody in the Training Department teaching the new-hires that everyone eats and immediately sleeps at 11:00am ?

Whenever I have been asked to lower my shade because I am reading, I have refused (politely), and whenever some nazi red skirt reaches across to close my shade, I raise it back up.
I've even been asked to lower my shade whilst traveling in J class ex LAX, in the winter on the early morning flight 0130, where the entire flight is in total darkness !!! And to think these are the same cabin crew that are primarily there for passenger safety ? :hmm::rolleyes:

About the shoe sizes and the clip-clop shuffle they exhibit throughout the terminals, maybe they are training for a possible slot at the Jockey Club there in Happy Valley.....ya never know :E

[SMOC]

The shades thing is so you can watch the awesome in flight entertainment with out the glare, please use the reading light.

[ThreadBaron]

... this Friday on the 250 and then the 171 to Perth, will be the Baroness and I. First trip with CX but, despite all the negative comments on this and other threads I travel with an open mind. No axes or any other implement to grind so, perhaps, I might be able to balance all the shot that is flying around here.

Then again, maybe it has all gone to sh*t. However, I sincerely hope not, as 19 hours of sh*t would be just too much.:(

I'll be the one in the red-framed specs and, if lucky, the Baroness will be next to me.:}

[Traffic]

Pile of bollocks...I did 101 last week and 170 a few days ago as PAX. Service was good although it was J. Rather than expect a smile give one first. Some of the girls have it a whole lot worse then we do...paid by the hour at rates that would make you vomit.:eek:

[ThreadBaron]

Rather than expect a smile give one first
Always the way. They're working ... I'm on holiday.:)

[HandyAndy]

Well, I have to speak as I find. Just got off the 254 from London. In Y the girls (only saw 1 guy once as he was up front) were polite, friendly, efficient.

343 with old style cabin but the seats cushions were much better padded than the new type!

Keep up the good work folks, it is appreciated. Had just attended my fathers funeral in UK and I was feeling low but you folks made the return much more bearable. Admittedly a very frequent traveller with CX but no one knew why I was travelling - I was asked in advance for meal requests and got them early and yes, a note will be sent to personnel via the MPC.

Thank you guys and girls :D

[ThreadBaron]

I'll be the one in the red-framed specs and, if lucky, the Baroness will be next to me.:}
Ah ha! I joked too soon!

The Baroness is in 37C and I am in 61C!:rolleyes:

I will still be wearing the red-framed glasses, but God knows who will be next to me!:( Please, not the fat, smelly one!