MORE Onboard Service Cutbacks to save money update

The bean counters in the office who have no idea what passengers want are at it again with service cutbacks onboard:

One Cabin crew member has been cut off each aircraft.

On flights after 1900 local a drinks service is not offered in premium or economy, just straight out with meals.

Cheese and biscuits in the Economy meal are going to be removed from the beginning of May.

Pretzels snacks and Virgin Vie towel will be removed from the first drinks service in premium and economy.

The small water bottle will be changing back to a cuplet on the meal tray in economy.

Across all classes we will be simplifying the choice of newspapers and magazines.

There is a HUGE debate on our staff forum about this, all the crew are horrified that we are cutting the above items, and we have been told there is more to come.

What do you all think, do you need or like the above items?
Virgin have told us our passengers do not eat them, and they just go to landfill sites!

VSCSS

[Neil]

Oh dear, any service cutbacks are not going to go down well, and whilst they are only small things that I imagine many pax would never even notice, especially in Y, it is just more penny pinching in the wrong areas as far I can see.

It would be interesting to know what the savings would be by doing this and also to see what is/isn't used wasted on the trays. Maybe the bean counters will be right, but any cuts are not good imo.

[RichardMannion]

quote:Originally posted by vscss
The bean counters in the office who have no idea what passengers want are at it again with service cutbacks onboard:

One Cabin crew member has been cut off each aircraft.

On flights after 1900 local a drinks service is not offered in premium or economy, just straight out with meals.

Cheese and biscuits in the Economy meal are going to be removed from the beginning of May.

Pretzels snacks and Virgin Vie towel will be removed from the first drinks service in premium and economy.

The small water bottle will be changing back to a cuplet on the meal tray in economy.

Across all classes we will be simplifying the choice of newspapers and magazines.

There is a HUGE debate on our staff forum about this, all the crew are horrified that we are cutting the above items, and we have been told there is more to come.

What do you all think, do you need or like the above items?
Virgin have told us our passengers do not eat them, and they just go to landfill sites!!

I urge you all to write to Virgin and demand our standards are not cut!!

VSCSS




Tis a disgrace, though the simplification of the newspapers and magazine is long overdue. Talk about a crap selection of materials overall; just the one copy of Top Gear that is decent, and WTF is with the Daily Mail in Upper Class?

[mitchja]

The cheese and bicuits (and bread roll) are often the ONLY edible item on a VS Y meal tray. Time to start taking my own food I think.

Many of us have proved many times that VS dont listen to pax any more.

If they dont listen to staff there's no hope of them listening to pax.

All that will happen is that customer relations will get more complaints and they will in turn hand out more boiler plate responses....it's the same old story with VS these days.

This is not a dig at crew at all but I would really really would love to know how often any of the VS executive team actually fly their own airline in economy. I bet some of the ones that come up with these bright ideas have never set foot in their economy cabins.

Regards

Hi there

Thank you for sharing the heads up on the latest news. Sadly this I guess is very much a sign of the time and I can't say I am that surprised!

Seriously though I'd rather the planes I got on were well maintained, extremely clean and most of all ....reliably on time ..if that meant some of the small touches you mentioned had to be shelved..it wouldn't change my VS experience that much really.

No matter where you sit on the plane..you can always end up next to PAX from hell and whether I've a bag of Pretzels or paper it all then kinda fades into insignificance in that situation.

If doing a few less things during the flight helps the CC do a few more things that much more efficiently/better ...it has a plus in there somewhere?

luv

Cloudscudder

What....no pretzels [:0]!!! That is a disgrace especially when I can't find any worcester sauce flavoured pretzels anywhere else but on a VS plane [V].

VS better keep serving those GU brownie when crossing the Atlantic [:(!].

I probably can understand alot of people don't eat the cheese and biscuit. I do however clean out my tray [ii].

Its a depressing read, very sad indeed[:(!].

I think that makes First Choice far more premium than now than VS[V][V]

cheers

alex

All a touch depressing but..


quote:Originally posted by vscss

On flights after 1900 local a drinks service is not offered in premium or economy, just straight out with meals.


Less bothered about that to be honest. I usually want to get some sleep anyhow and wish the meal would come faster.

quote:Originally posted by vscss

Cheese and biscuits in the Economy meal are going to be removed from the beginning of May.


I see James' point about this but presume somewhere someone has identfied that the bulk of these just go in the bin.

quote:Originally posted by vscss

Pretzels snacks and Virgin Vie towel will be removed from the first drinks service in premium and economy.


Ditto. Pretzels can be dumped as far as I'm concerned, but I like the towel.

quote:Originally posted by vscss

The small water bottle will be changing back to a cuplet on the meal tray in economy.


Do you mean the small, sealed cup ? If so, I can't see what the problem would be?

quote:Originally posted by vscss

One Cabin crew member has been cut off each aircraft.


There seems to have been a trend in recent TRs to have praised the service and forgiven other shortcomings in light of this. This cutback would seem to me to be likely to put paid to that.

Paul

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
quote:Originally posted by vscss
The bean counters in the office who have no idea what passengers want are at it again with service cutbacks onboard:

One Cabin crew member has been cut off each aircraft.

On flights after 1900 local a drinks service is not offered in premium or economy, just straight out with meals.

Cheese and biscuits in the Economy meal are going to be removed from the beginning of May.

Pretzels snacks and Virgin Vie towel will be removed from the first drinks service in premium and economy.

The small water bottle will be changing back to a cuplet on the meal tray in economy.

Across all classes we will be simplifying the choice of newspapers and magazines.

There is a HUGE debate on our staff forum about this, all the crew are horrified that we are cutting the above items, and we have been told there is more to come.

What do you all think, do you need or like the above items?
Virgin have told us our passengers do not eat them, and they just go to landfill sites!!

I urge you all to write to Virgin and demand our standards are not cut!!

VSCSS




Tis a disgrace, though the simplification of the newspapers and magazine is long overdue. Talk about a crap selection of materials overall; just the one copy of Top Gear that is decent, and WTF is with the Daily Mail in Upper Class?


What's the problem you have with the Daily Mail?

[HighFlyer]

I hate the towel and will be glad to see that go. Cheese and biscuits though, that's a tragedy!

Thanks,
Sarah

Personally won't miss the pretzels but the towel was useful. More concerned about the loss of a crew member!

quote:Originally posted by vscss
The bean counters in the office who have no idea what passengers want are at it again with service cutbacks onboard:

One Cabin crew member has been cut off each aircraft.



From which cabin is the staff member being removed???

Re the removal of pre-dinner drinks service, is the glass of sparkling wine on boarding still retained???

What a shame that the bean counters are at it again! Do we know which cabin the CC will be removed from?

Like others have said I bet the Bean Counters haven't ever flown Y or they really would be thinking differently!

I see no cuts apart from newspapers and magazines have been made in UC!!!

[Nottingham Nick]

Not one to defend the beancounters normally, but these are exceptional times. If the choice is now between some penny pinching on services or having more routes cut and staff made redundant, then I am afraid the penny pinching has to stay.

Given that VS are never the most transparent when it comes to the publication of details accounts, [:I] we have to assume that the cuts are necessary to ensure the airlines's survival; rather than to allow extra funds to be ploughed into F1. [;)]

Nick

Have often seen the pretzels go to waste, always make the note not to accept them so its one less item being thrown into the rubbish. so doesn't surprise it being cut.

The cheese and biscuits should become a separate hand out, again they often go to waste, so those who dont want them such as myself being a non cheese person dont have to take them so won't be thrown into the rubbish.

Small points, but surely another way to help them economise without withdrawing the service

The cheese is often the only thing my children eat in Y. I can understand why the drinks option should go for flights after 7pm.
The other aspects are all things that differentiate Virgin PE from BA WT+. Remove them at your cost VS.

Also, can we please have the Worcester Sauce pretzels back please, there was a brief period when they came back.

I understand the reason for the cuts, if revenue and passenger numbers are down, you have to take difficult decisions like any business. Unfortunately, when your costs are pretty much fixed, i.e you have your plane lease costs, landing costs, fuel costs, they only thing left to play with is Salaries and micro-penny-pinching from the variable services, i.e the Papers / Food / Service Items.

Not sure how we could write to VS, disclosing something that has probably been communicated to the staff in confidence.

Mark

[RichardMannion]

quote:Originally posted by daywalker

What's the problem you have with the Daily Mail?


Err, paging Dr Vipond or Dr Slinks. Awful, awful 'newspaper' with the most banal drivel and vendettas known to man.

I missed the item about the removal of a member of staff - I personally don't have an issue with that. I remember it being a suggestion during the last pay 'negotiation' and all hell broke loose. As I said before, its not as if staff on the whole are rushed off their feet from start to finish of the flight.

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
quote:Originally posted by daywalker

What's the problem you have with the Daily Mail?


Err, paging Dr Vipond or Dr Slinks. Awful, awful 'newspaper' with the most banal drivel and vendettas known to man.

It's not very often that my name and that of the Daily Mail are uttered in the same breath; and with good reason. It's my poor, misguided mother's paper of choice so I speak - I'm sorry to say - from a relatively well-informed point of view.

The main problem with the Mail is that it purports to be something that it isn't - ie. different from the red tops. It's just the same as the Sun or the Mirror in that it never allows journalistic integrity or - god forbid - the facts to get in the way of a good story. Fear-mongering, fury-inducing and occasional photos of short-skirted, slap-faced footballers' wives getting out of limos are their stock in trade. Buy the Daily Telegraph instead.

All terribly OT, but Richard started it. In conclusion, take a look at this for more Daily Mail related japery.

[Darren Wheeler]

quote:Originally posted by mdvipond
[quote
All terribly OT, but Richard started it. In conclusion, take a look at this for more Daily Mail related japery.




OT indeed. But my favorite so far...

'HAS JACQUI SMITH MADE ENGLAND IMPOTENT?' [:0]

Worth splitting off?

If the Daily Heil is cut from the service, that's one of the best things VS has done in years [y]. It's not just that it's a crap paper, but it also purports to quality journalism when really its hate mail.

As a frequent premium flyer to New York however, the cuts in PE are shameful, especially when a full W fare is not cheap. So on the VS17, which should be a leisurely flight it's wham bam out with the tuck and no drink first, shameful. I actually like the Worcester Sauce pretzels too!

Can the magazines be rationalized any further in UC?

Nor will these things ever be restored when times improve. [n]

[RichardMannion]

quote:Originally posted by Darren Wheeler
quote:Originally posted by mdvipond
[quote
All terribly OT, but Richard started it. In conclusion, take a look at this for more Daily Mail related japery.




OT indeed. But my favorite so far...

'HAS JACQUI SMITH MADE ENGLAND IMPOTENT?' [:0]

Worth splitting off?


No this is better:

'ARE THE POLES DESTROYING YOUR DAUGHTERS?' [:w]

The only useful reason to keep the Daily Mail on the flights is if they decide to cut back on toilet paper as a further cost cutting measure [:0]

[Darren Wheeler]

Hope not as knowing newspaper ink, wouldn't want this on me bum... 'WILL NEW LABOUR HAVE SEX WITH YOUR DAUGHTERS?'

'CHAVS WITH SWINE FLU STOPPED ME GETTING A HONEYMOON UPGRADE ON VIRGIN ATLANTIC'

[:o)][:o)][:o)][:o)]


(Ok so I made it up)

Seriously on the Daily Mail, it's probably one of the 'bulk sales' that they dish out free to airlines, train companies and hotels so won't actually cost VS anything but replacing it with something decent probbably would

One thing that bemuses me with onboard service is how absolutely everything is airline branded. Surely all this special printing costs more?

Do people really need Virgin Sugar and Virgin Salt and Pepper etc?

I would also say that it's a given that other airlines are reducing their inflight amenities too...