Fussy cabin crew demand better lodgings
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Fussy cabin crew demand better lodgings
Mon "Daily Telegraph"
Fussy cabin crew demand better lodgings
February 2, 2004
THEY stay at hotels considered among the world's best -- but Qantas flight attendants have told the airline that's not good enough.
They have delivered a raft of complaints about the four- and five-star hotels they stay in while overseas.
Single beds, poor-quality sheets and holes in curtains are among their gripes.
They have also refused to sleep above traffic lights and recently demanded more English television channels.
Travellers can expect to pay hundreds of dollars a night to stay in the hotels Qantas staff regularly enjoy.
The Flight Attendants' Association recently won a battle for free access to the gym, at the Holiday Inn in Tokyo.
And they forced Frankfurt's sumptuous Mainz Hilton in to order new linen.
The hotel was also asked not to give Qantas staff rooms above traffic lights.
Other gripes from the association's international division have included:
THE lack of English television channels at hotels in Frankfurt and Tokyo;
LONG waits for hotel rooms with fridges in Los Angeles; and
COMPLAINTS about the food served up at airport restaurants.
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Fussy cabin crew demand better lodgings
February 2, 2004
THEY stay at hotels considered among the world's best -- but Qantas flight attendants have told the airline that's not good enough.
They have delivered a raft of complaints about the four- and five-star hotels they stay in while overseas.
Single beds, poor-quality sheets and holes in curtains are among their gripes.
They have also refused to sleep above traffic lights and recently demanded more English television channels.
Travellers can expect to pay hundreds of dollars a night to stay in the hotels Qantas staff regularly enjoy.
The Flight Attendants' Association recently won a battle for free access to the gym, at the Holiday Inn in Tokyo.
And they forced Frankfurt's sumptuous Mainz Hilton in to order new linen.
The hotel was also asked not to give Qantas staff rooms above traffic lights.
Other gripes from the association's international division have included:
THE lack of English television channels at hotels in Frankfurt and Tokyo;
LONG waits for hotel rooms with fridges in Los Angeles; and
COMPLAINTS about the food served up at airport restaurants.
============================================
The author of this article has obviously never stayed at the Mainz Hilton. It can hardly be described as 'sumptuous' - on many of the occasions I stayed there (with another airline, not QF), the bed linen was threadbare. It wasn't unusual to wake up with a foot poking out through the holes in the sheets!
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This is yet another piss poor attempt to make all QF flight attendants out to be unreasonable human beings.
If you're travelling for business the least you should be able to expect is a decent night's sleep on a bed with clean and reasonable sheets. You don't get a decent night's sleep when your room is located on a busy road right above the traffic lights, five star or not.
The article states the association delivered a "raft of complaints" yet it listed only eight (single beds, poor quality sheets, holes in curtains, traffic lights, english channels, gym access, poor quality food and long waits). I hardly consider eight complaints to be a raft.
Good God I've heard more complaints just waiting at a bus stop.
SG
If you're travelling for business the least you should be able to expect is a decent night's sleep on a bed with clean and reasonable sheets. You don't get a decent night's sleep when your room is located on a busy road right above the traffic lights, five star or not.
The article states the association delivered a "raft of complaints" yet it listed only eight (single beds, poor quality sheets, holes in curtains, traffic lights, english channels, gym access, poor quality food and long waits). I hardly consider eight complaints to be a raft.
Good God I've heard more complaints just waiting at a bus stop.
SG
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As anyone in the hotel business will tell you crew business is low yield. Any hotel worth its salt will stay away from aircrews like the plague.
They take us because for whatever reason they can't get higher yielding customers. Probably because of the non patronage from people who want proper sheets and quiet rooms.
They take us because for whatever reason they can't get higher yielding customers. Probably because of the non patronage from people who want proper sheets and quiet rooms.
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If i had to travel for as long and as often as QF Long Haul Pilot & Flight Attendants i would expect a reasonable standard of accomodation!
Having spent a large amount of times away from home in other places for work i found i could tolerate most things but quality rest was of vital importance,hard to function properly with fatigue!
Having spent a large amount of times away from home in other places for work i found i could tolerate most things but quality rest was of vital importance,hard to function properly with fatigue!
Moderate, Modest & Mild.
It`s an unfortunate fact that unless (aircrew) employees have some formof "protection" from ruthless employers, they will be stuck in whatever cheap sh!tboxes the company can find - or one that offers some form of kickback for the priveledge of obtaining a long term contract, that provides a hotel with a "bread and butter" income (a "ricebowl" in Asian slanguage) through bad times and good.
I have experienced this first hand - and have the photos to prove it - of dirty (mouldy, cracked bathrooms), unsafe (laundry and chairs trolleys blocking emergency fire exits) accomodation allocated to crews by a company that had a free hand, and ignored crews` complaints UNTIL a union was formed!
It is well in the Hotels` interests to remember that - especially on international flights - pax are often interested in knowing which hotels crews use, and their opinion of them.
As far as quality and price of food at airport restaurants...in Oz, imo, both are a LONG way below most other o/s stations.
I have experienced this first hand - and have the photos to prove it - of dirty (mouldy, cracked bathrooms), unsafe (laundry and chairs trolleys blocking emergency fire exits) accomodation allocated to crews by a company that had a free hand, and ignored crews` complaints UNTIL a union was formed!
It is well in the Hotels` interests to remember that - especially on international flights - pax are often interested in knowing which hotels crews use, and their opinion of them.
As far as quality and price of food at airport restaurants...in Oz, imo, both are a LONG way below most other o/s stations.
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Hi Kaptin..
It is well in the Hotels` interests to remember that - especially on international flights - pax are often interested in knowing which hotels crews use, and their opinion of them.
That's a fairly well-worn argument, and one that fails the test... Apart from backpackers, how many pax have NOT booked a hotel by the time they have boarded the aircraft?
Things to do in the destination city, yes, recommend a restaurant, yes, accommodation, hardly ever. That was booked by the travel agent.
It is a shame though that mgmt/hotel staff/general public forget that a hotel stay is not a holiday for the aircrew. It is where we spend half our lives. Normal folk get to sleep on the kind of mattress they like, watch the flat screen TV they like, drink the kind of coffee they like, etc, coz they are in their own living room.....
I'm not a reader of the newspaper quoted above, but it would not surprise me if gentle union bashing was a feature of their editorial line.... Part of the QF campaign against the 13 'most militiant unions in Australia' that Dixon warned of in the Bulletin last year....?
It is well in the Hotels` interests to remember that - especially on international flights - pax are often interested in knowing which hotels crews use, and their opinion of them.
That's a fairly well-worn argument, and one that fails the test... Apart from backpackers, how many pax have NOT booked a hotel by the time they have boarded the aircraft?
Things to do in the destination city, yes, recommend a restaurant, yes, accommodation, hardly ever. That was booked by the travel agent.
It is a shame though that mgmt/hotel staff/general public forget that a hotel stay is not a holiday for the aircrew. It is where we spend half our lives. Normal folk get to sleep on the kind of mattress they like, watch the flat screen TV they like, drink the kind of coffee they like, etc, coz they are in their own living room.....
I'm not a reader of the newspaper quoted above, but it would not surprise me if gentle union bashing was a feature of their editorial line.... Part of the QF campaign against the 13 'most militiant unions in Australia' that Dixon warned of in the Bulletin last year....?
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"cost cutting" surely??
If i'd worked 12 hours up to london i'd be a wanting a decent sleep, which does require some degree of comfort, peace and quiet... as anyone travelling for business purposes would... very valid point on the hosties behalf!!
we all the know the implication of flying/working tired as anyone travelling for business purposes would... where do you draw the line between cost cutting and safety?!
at the same time, i've heard that QF tech crew are losing the sofitel melb, and the raffles in singas?! anyone confirm/deny this...
not very impressed if this is the case!! 2 of the nicest hotels they've got, surely someones complained to management if it's true?
we all the know the implication of flying/working tired as anyone travelling for business purposes would... where do you draw the line between cost cutting and safety?!
at the same time, i've heard that QF tech crew are losing the sofitel melb, and the raffles in singas?! anyone confirm/deny this...
not very impressed if this is the case!! 2 of the nicest hotels they've got, surely someones complained to management if it's true?
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Syd Girl. exactly. What is so unreasonable about expecting comfort, security and cleanliness when away from home? I have slept on sheets (Hyatt, Melbourne, for example) that had the texure of industrial grade canvass. Noise? Ha! Funny how the crew rooms are always near the elevator shaft. Or on the same side of the hotel as the nightclub. One hotel (Beaufort Heritage, Brisbane) gave the crews rooms overlooking the pool on the 3rd. floor on New Years Eve. Great, except for the band that played until 3am and we had a 0615 pick up. ( I complained to the duty manager at 0100 and she said no other rooms available, so I dragged the mattress off the bed and slept in the bathroom. I hope that they didn't mind how soaked the mattress was in the morning after my shower, 'cause I sure as sh!t f$%^g didn't!). Or some of the other 'scams' Like the Country (dis)Comfort in Rockhampton telling us that there were no rooms available by "mistake" and that they were "looking after us" by booking us into the Star Hotel. You know the one, It's next to the TRUCK STOP!( another 0615 pick up). Funny about how this was during Beef Week and evey joint in town(except the Star) was full of buyers and other hangers-on paying full rates, but after a 6 sector day, we were too tired to argue. What about all those cheapskate dumps( Daewoo Hanoi, Sheraton Perth, Westin Seoul, to name a few) that wont spring for quality air conditioning and use equipment that sounds like a Lygon St. coffee grinder. Just what you need at 3am. Living out of a suitcase loses its lustre after about 12 months. Try being away from home for half your life. What about the stress of being away home when there are sick kids, minor domestic spats as you walk out the door on the way to work, death in the family ect. and you are on the other side of the planet trying to sleep/ relax in some five star flea pit that charges 3 Euros/min for calls home? Or is about 16 miles from the nearest place that has something other than fried chooks heads on the menu and a hamburger sets you back $17 at the hotel (Regal, Hong Kong, the one at the airport. Also a great place when you're trying to sleep in the afternoon before a back-of-the-clock).So called premium quality is the MINIMUM acceptable standard. P.S. In GA, some charter company put me up at a 10-bucks-a-night place in Canberra that was a hostel for people who had just got out of gaol or the pysch. hospital. Even had communal showers and toilets. They put on a good spread for breakfast tho.
Last edited by Ralph the Bong; 3rd Feb 2004 at 17:51.
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Flight Attendants seem to have every right to complain about it! It can't be compared to what the author might spend on a holiday to London - it should be expected that crews are looked after while they're away from HOME.
Just a note - we don't stay at the Raffles, it's the Raffles Plaza (still good, but it's not the Raffles outright
).
Just a note - we don't stay at the Raffles, it's the Raffles Plaza (still good, but it's not the Raffles outright
).
The Reverend
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The best thing in the Mainz Hilton was the DM15 buffet breakfast and the pigs knuckles at the Flehlappe nearby. No cudos for the crew rooms or the airconditioning though.
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I would assume that the QF long-haulers are happy with the Embassy Hotel in Adelaide. Voted in the top 30 'coolest' hotels by the Conde Nast Magazine.
Are there ANY hotels out there that are satisfactory?
Are there ANY hotels out there that are satisfactory?
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Is it just me or does anyone else see the sinister hand of QF management here?
What is such a non-story doing in the Telegraph? Why is it written with such an obvious bias? eg.."Fussy Cabin Crew"??!
Or has age and cynicism finally caught up with me?
What is such a non-story doing in the Telegraph? Why is it written with such an obvious bias? eg.."Fussy Cabin Crew"??!
Or has age and cynicism finally caught up with me?
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The fact of reality is that although aircrew are regarded as low-yield, from a business standpoint in wintertime when these hotels have an occupancy rate of around 20%, having something like 50 - 100 crew staying from various airlines can make a huge difference to the bottom line.
The Mainz Hilton is a classic example where numerous crew stay from several airlines.
If all aircrew were to pull out from some of these hotels then they would be the ones suffering.
Personally if the room is quiet, can be darkened and well airconditioned (not to mention clean) then I'm a happy camper.
When you think about it, its not a big ask and the average customer would expect no less.
The Mainz Hilton is a classic example where numerous crew stay from several airlines.
If all aircrew were to pull out from some of these hotels then they would be the ones suffering.
Personally if the room is quiet, can be darkened and well airconditioned (not to mention clean) then I'm a happy camper.
When you think about it, its not a big ask and the average customer would expect no less.
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QF have a new "Accommodation Manager" and he is out to make a name for himself. This is most likely his way of stepping up the heat. C.O.B is on the money methinks.
Can only end in tears. Only question is for who.
Can only end in tears. Only question is for who.
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Yes the new Accomodation manager is such a smart bloke he tried changing the Accom without reading the award.......
Smart Bloke eh? - but I guess when you see your end of year bonus going up who gives a Rats about anyone else.
Oh well, If one isn't going to get a good nights sleep, no point worrying about other things like having enough fuel - its best to be safe and carry that extra few tonnes to remove the stress (on top of the extra few tonnes you needed for other reasons).
Smart Bloke eh? - but I guess when you see your end of year bonus going up who gives a Rats about anyone else.
Oh well, If one isn't going to get a good nights sleep, no point worrying about other things like having enough fuel - its best to be safe and carry that extra few tonnes to remove the stress (on top of the extra few tonnes you needed for other reasons).
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I don't think cabin crew are "fussy" at all. When you're living out of hotels most of the year and have severe fatigue to condend with then surely we should be entitled to a quiet room, with decent beds, clean sheets, clean towels, non mouldy bathroom, accessible & half healthy food, a secure hotel - and i could go on and on!
I am working for a subsidiary. Don't do many overnights. One particular trip we are "fortunate" enough to stay at the Mecure (affectionately known as the Manure!) in Broome. We were staying at the lovely Cable Beach. Management decided to go ahead and change our accommodation without reading our agreement. (supposed to be consulted, FAAA supposed to check it out & it was meant to be mutually agreed apon!) We were put in a hotel with no chains on doors, no peep holes, no smoke alarm, inadequate lighting, no room service (well you can get it between 6pm - 8pm but what do you eat when your flight doesn't arrive until 2130?), rooms with old lumpy mattresses, mouldy showers, holey, frayed towels and sheets, the stench of cigarettes in rooms, rooms that back onto the pool so you're woken at 0700 by kids "marco polo, fish out of water, noooooooo SPLASH" after getting in at 2330. No 24hr reception, so you can't get phone calls in yr room after reception closes at 2200, and there's no mobile reception either. They recently took away mini bars in all the rooms. You can have a minibar delivered but you must order a minimum of $10 and there's a $5 "delivery charge"!! Oh and you can only get it between 6 & 8pm! The hotel is located opposite a park where the locals go and drink their plagons all day long, down the road from a dry out centre, AND the Broome regional prison. Rooms continually get broken into - one FA was in the shower, her room got broken into - wallet, mobile, bar money stolen. Doors get rattled in the middle of the night to see if they can get in. Fake room service knocks at midnight. I could continue.
I don't think its too much to ask for a decent hotel do you?
I have been asked on numerous occasions where we stay in Broome. I NEVER EVER recommend the Manure.
We are regarded as a pain in the a$$ by the company because the FAAA is continually hounding them. We are lied to. IRC ruled we were to be returned to cable beach immediately. Company continually told us CBC full. We'd call CBC before a trip ask if 5 rooms available for crew - NO PROBLEMS. LET US KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BOOK was their reply!!
We are ENTITLED to decent accommodation. I wonder if the author of the article would let his/her daughter (if they have one) stay at our hotel in Broome. We're not fussy. Just enforcing our rights. Our agreements are there for a reason - one being to stop respective companies walking all over us!!!!
The author of the article should try flying long haul for an amount of time, then live in hotels for most of the year. See how they like it then!!!
CT
I am working for a subsidiary. Don't do many overnights. One particular trip we are "fortunate" enough to stay at the Mecure (affectionately known as the Manure!) in Broome. We were staying at the lovely Cable Beach. Management decided to go ahead and change our accommodation without reading our agreement. (supposed to be consulted, FAAA supposed to check it out & it was meant to be mutually agreed apon!) We were put in a hotel with no chains on doors, no peep holes, no smoke alarm, inadequate lighting, no room service (well you can get it between 6pm - 8pm but what do you eat when your flight doesn't arrive until 2130?), rooms with old lumpy mattresses, mouldy showers, holey, frayed towels and sheets, the stench of cigarettes in rooms, rooms that back onto the pool so you're woken at 0700 by kids "marco polo, fish out of water, noooooooo SPLASH" after getting in at 2330. No 24hr reception, so you can't get phone calls in yr room after reception closes at 2200, and there's no mobile reception either. They recently took away mini bars in all the rooms. You can have a minibar delivered but you must order a minimum of $10 and there's a $5 "delivery charge"!! Oh and you can only get it between 6 & 8pm! The hotel is located opposite a park where the locals go and drink their plagons all day long, down the road from a dry out centre, AND the Broome regional prison. Rooms continually get broken into - one FA was in the shower, her room got broken into - wallet, mobile, bar money stolen. Doors get rattled in the middle of the night to see if they can get in. Fake room service knocks at midnight. I could continue.
I don't think its too much to ask for a decent hotel do you?
I have been asked on numerous occasions where we stay in Broome. I NEVER EVER recommend the Manure.
We are regarded as a pain in the a$$ by the company because the FAAA is continually hounding them. We are lied to. IRC ruled we were to be returned to cable beach immediately. Company continually told us CBC full. We'd call CBC before a trip ask if 5 rooms available for crew - NO PROBLEMS. LET US KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BOOK was their reply!!
We are ENTITLED to decent accommodation. I wonder if the author of the article would let his/her daughter (if they have one) stay at our hotel in Broome. We're not fussy. Just enforcing our rights. Our agreements are there for a reason - one being to stop respective companies walking all over us!!!!
The author of the article should try flying long haul for an amount of time, then live in hotels for most of the year. See how they like it then!!!
CT