UC breakfast service - lazy cabin crew?

Flew VS8 on the new Dreamliner "Ruby Murray" from LAX on Tuesday. First commercial flight - plane was beautiful - loved the feel of the upper cabin and the seat set-up and it was a great experience (especially compared to the A340 we flew out on which needed a good clean!).

However, service left a lot to be desired for. In particular, why do the cabin crew seem to feel that no service needs to be provided for the last 2 hours? I asked for breakfast by giving in the card at the start of the flight but it was never delivered. Went to the bar to get a coffee - there were no mugs left and the CC seemed very inconvenienced about me asking for one! No cereal or anything else left either. When I let them know my breakfast wasn't delivered they said I was asleep - I thought they usually wake you? My partner woke just over an hour before touchdown and asked for a coffee only to be told told that service was over. Really not happy but just wanted to find out if this was norm.

Very unusual - I always sleep late and have never had this problem in the last 7 years. Sometimes the coffee comes in a paper cup if they have cleared away but never been refused.

I don't think it was the first commercial flight of the 787 from LAX as it started early May and I took round trip 6th / 8th May.

Thanks. They told us we were the first passengers on that particular 787; not that it was the first 787 from LAX. Good to know this service isn't typical but disappointing this cabin crew were so poor

Reflects my experience on my recent back from Boston. Not even a cup of coffee offered for passengers whilst the crew made and ate their own breakfasts.

I have been less than impressed with crew on return flights the last few trips. Particularly the last one where when a guy on crew travel had to move so I could use his seat with a working screen as his friend/girlfriend who was working kept giving me filthy looks

I've always thought personally that the breakfast service needs a re-structuring with cleared guidelines on what's available and when it is available....Always seems to be a right mess in the morning.

Sad to say, same for me flying back from Atlanta. Never had the issue on the East route

I actually prefer the current way of doing breakfast service - assuming it works (which it always has for me but, as always, some crew are better than others).

The CC have always asked - and noted - whether I want to be woken up for breakfast. But rather than wake everyone up at once and serve everyone at the same time, which would overload the galley, the toilets and the crew who have to unmake all the beds, they work through the cabin gradually to stagger it. Seems sensible to me.

Well as far as the bacon rolls go, you haven't missed much. Microwaved so the fat soaks in to the bread...YUK!

I can't remember the last time crew unmade my bed

Our last UC trip back home I was given the breakfast card and no breakfast appeared. I watched everyone else get theirs and when I realised they had stopped serving I asked the CC when mine would be coming. He told me I had eaten it already. Then he came back and apologised saying they had lost my card. I did get a half a breakfast as they too said it was getting too late.

That really doesn't sound good at all - if I had needed to go without coffee, things would have gone downhill fast!

I'm really surprised at the number of poor performances being reported on 787 return journeys; I would have thought that the crew would be really on top of their game on a shiny new aircraft...

[Darren Wheeler]

Well as far as the bacon rolls go, you haven't missed much. Microwaved so the fat soaks in to the bread...YUK!

No microwaves on-board any VS aircraft.

Well as far as the bacon rolls go, you haven't missed much. Microwaved so the fat soaks in to the bread...YUK!

No microwaves on-board any VS aircraft.

I quite like the bacon roll although usually don't eat the bread. Never noticed the bread was full of fat though

Cooked breakfasts are notoriously hard to get right on an aircraft. Mainly because a good one involves frying and/or grilling, neither of which is possible on board.

Best advice - avoid altogether or stick to the stuff they can't get wrong (cereal, fruit) and save yourself for a nice cooked breakfast in Revivals, if possible.

Similar experience for us returning from Cancun - It felt like we were an inconvenience to the crew. We had no duvets behind our seats in 6A & 6B - when I asked the CC I got a snappy response - its behind your seat back. I politely explained I'd already looked there and there was only a pillow. They eventually found one for me. There were no menu cards to select breakfast so the crew member just rattled a list of what was available in some cases missing items. The crew never asked if we knew how to use the facilities in the suite which they did on the outbound journey.
Outbound journey there were not enough immigration cards although when I inquired at the bar the CC member was in the middle of completing his. All in all I was pretty disappointed given it was my husbands first UC experience and was hoping it would be so much better. With only 14 UC seats on the 747 you would expect high service levels. On a happier note we were really surprised when an old friend of my husbands was Captain on the flight out. The CC did get a message to him for us and it was nice to catch-up.

Well as far as the bacon rolls go, you haven't missed much. Microwaved so the fat soaks in to the bread...YUK!

No microwaves on-board any VS aircraft.

OK, whatever they use to heat it then. It doesn't really matter if it is a microwave or not.

Well as far as the bacon rolls go, you haven't missed much. Microwaved so the fat soaks in to the bread...YUK!

No microwaves on-board any VS aircraft.

I quite like the bacon roll although usually don't eat the bread. Never noticed the bread was full of fat though

They didn't use to be, but of late I have noticed it. Just have a croissant now and a bacon roll when I get home!!

Well as far as the bacon rolls go, you haven't missed much. Microwaved so the fat soaks in to the bread...YUK!

You mispelled Yum!

Sounds like the VS Surly crew is doing a few routes now...

They kind of need to get some sort of feedback mechanism so that they can perhaps, maybe, put people who give a shit onto those routes. They clearly seem to exist, and are sometimes prevalent on a few of those routes...

I believe complaints are taken very seriously if made via the proper channels. Moaning on a forum isn't one of them though.

I believe complaints are taken very seriously if made via the proper channels. Moaning on a forum isn't one of them though.

I guess you have not made a complaint then!

I believe complaints are taken very seriously if made via the proper channels. Moaning on a forum isn't one of them though.

I guess you have not made a complaint then!

I have done when necessary via the proper channels and have always got a positive response unlike the time I complained to BA about Cabin crew telling me I should of bought water in the terminal to drink on the flight

I believe complaints are taken very seriously if made via the proper channels. Moaning on a forum isn't one of them though.

Making complaints and compliments via proper channels is the only way to ensure that they are properly recorded.


VS don't have a 'lurker' on here to pick these things up. Mind they don't have one on Flyer Talk either.

Many people believe that posting on fora like this and Flyer Talk is a formal way of communication but it is not and nor should it be.

What we can do on here is to provide help and advice to those who do want to make a formal complaint or put issues in a proper context.

The airline industry is a complex world and many people simply do not understand that and what applies in the normal workd (e.g. refunds) don't in the airline world.

I believe complaints are taken very seriously if made via the proper channels. Moaning on a forum isn't one of them though.

Making complaints and compliments via proper channels is the only way to ensure that they are properly recorded.


VS don't have a 'lurker' on here to pick these things up. Mind they don't have one on Flyer Talk either.

Many people believe that posting on fora like this and Flyer Talk is a formal way of communication but it is not and nor should it be.

What we can do on here is to provide help and advice to those who do want to make a formal complaint or put issues in a proper context.

The airline industry is a complex world and many people simply do not understand that and what applies in the normal world (e.g. refunds) don't in the airline world.

I may have missed it, but I didn't see anyone in this thread say they were using this forum to complain. Another poster called it moaning. I think if people want to discuss subjects about Virgin, positive or negative, on this forum then they should do so without fear of being called a moaner or being told off by teacher.

Most of us know very well what you are saying is true, just not sure it needs pointing out that if someone has a complaint they should communicate to the provider of the service. I think that is quite obvious for most people.
Or perhaps this is breaking news for some!


Cheers

Gerry