Christmas flights

[UnderneathTheRadar]

Hi all,

Just wondering what experiences are expected/have been received by those traveling long haul on Chrissy day?

My reason for asking is that friends arrived in Melbourne yesterday from London - leaving late Christmas Eve and arriving early Christmas day. Despite being on the airlines 'flagship' to SIN then a 74 from there they described the following:

- first leg - Christmas didn't rate a mention at any stage. CC were downright miserable and outright rude at times.
- second leg - got a rudolf shaped chocolate for dessert

Not ever having done it but heard stories of special meals, bubbly and other such 'treats' was very surprised that it didn't rate a mention at all...

UTR

[Captain Dart]

'Miserable and rude cabin crew'...hmm, I wonder which Australian flag carrier that would have been?

Christmas day? No big deal, especially as many passengers are from Asia or the Middle East, plus the occasional atheist .

Just another waypoint on the flight plan of life.

[standard unit]

LHR-SIN operated by Qantas's English flight attendants.

Crew on my [Qantas] flight most definitely made an effort with Christmas PAs together with individuals wearing christmas hats and the like.

Non of this endorsed, supported or approved of by Qantas cabin crew management........

[Cactusjack]

- first leg - Christmas didn't rate a mention at any stage. CC were downright miserable and outright rude at times.

If the airline is who I think it is, can you really blame the crew ?? Nobody wants to work Xmas day, and particularly if your employer is a narcissist.

Fly Singapore Airlines, best service of any international carrier.

[Yeti Breath]

One of our girls took her own xmas cards with her this year and while the punters were asleep wrote a personal card to each passenger in her section of the cabin, then put them o there breakfast trays. Couldn't believe she'd done it till I saw it with my own eyes.

Plus the usual xams PA's and santa sightings for the kids.

[Worrals in the wilds]

It's where the whole 'being nice to your staff thing' pays off and treating them like crap shows up in their attitude on days like Christmas.

I drew the Christmas straw this year, we were given food and snacky things by the company (plus a personal thankyou from the boss) and managed to have a nice day in spite of the circumstances. I imagine that impacted on our work output, at any rate we weren't slacking off because it was Christmas.
YB, that's so cute!

[DrPepz]

Last year when I flew with SQ ex SIN on Christmas Day in Y Class there was a special Christmas menu with turkey and Christmas pudding for dessert. The menu was also specially printed in Christmas colours.

The lounges had Turkey and Honey baked ham.

All SQ aircraft also have Christmas decorations on the aircraft for the month of December.

http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_U.../Christmas.pdf

Singapore Airlines -- News Releases

There is also a special Chinese New Year menu for flights departing during the week of CNY.

Regarding the rude cabin crew on the Christmas Day flight (I presume it was QF) I guess they also had a terrible time with the weather delaying the flights all week.

[PPRuNeUser0198]

Apparently Jetstar crews on domestic were provided with special Christmas themed meals, Christmas deserts, chocolates and a festive message from management on their meal boxes.

[By George]

'Under the Radar', I flew that 744 on Xmas day and everybody had a Xmas dinner if they wanted one. I also said "Merry Christmas" and not the other 'PC' versions. We had Xmas 'decoration thingies' everywhere. The weather was good, we ran on time and if I'm permitted to say the landing on 34 was lovely. Why can't those Melbourne people get a non-precision approach that lines up with the R/W? That twin-locator at EN on 17 in the old days was great for a landing in the car-park.

[By George]

Hmm...... just re-read your post I don't think you were with us, the timming is the same, as is the fleet mix but I think I smell a 'rat' so to speak. Serves you right then.

[halas]

Every punter on my flight was pi55ed off by the three hour delay on Chrissy day. (hey, that rhymes!).

The (German) airport was so snowed in the day before, when we arrived, that all the ground handling equipment was frozen to the ground, or sliding all over the place.
Then the delay for push-back, then to de-ice then wait for departure sequence.
Just to top it off they all missed their connections. All 350 of them.

Merry Christmas from the mob l work for!

halas

[astroboy55]

- first leg - Christmas didn't rate a mention at any stage. CC were downright miserable and outright rude at times.

LHR-SIN operated by Qantas's English flight attendants.

Must have been the Aussie's on the base transfer!!

English BASED flight attendants..........