Goodnight service.

Goodnight Service will be on the DXB flight from the 05th SEP due to customer feedback.

What do you guys think?

[HighFlyer]

I'd like to know which customers gave their feedback

Seriously, i think the GNF option is a good one, sometimes i just want to sleep with minimal disruption on a flight, BUT, a full meal service should be available for any J passenger that wants it. Given the cost of a full fare J, i think its scandalous to not offer that. I just read GNF as a service cut now.

Thanks,
Sarah

[fozzyo]

*flashbacks to that thread* Runaway! Runaway!!!

"due to customer feedback" - depends on who they asked and how many they asked. Really hope this isn't them trying to reintroduce one of their worst marketing decisions by the back door.

If it works like the Snooze Zone - have it in one zone of the cabin awesome, impose it on all the passengers? Big no no!

What is the "Goodnight Service"?

I flew LHR-DXB at the end of last month and a HUGE proportion of the UC passengers just went to sleep straight after take-off.

Husband and I decided to have a "quick" cheese and biscuits before bed - that was a mistake... must have been served 1.5 hours after take-off [:(!]. The FA kept apologising (she was lovely) - she said that it was taking a long time for the Galley Guy to set his galley up [n].

Whatever they decide to do, being able to order a QUICK something off the menu would be nice. However, next time (after waiting 1.5 hours for a plate of cheese and biscuits), I would be going stright to sleep...

Boo[|)]

[RichardMannion]

FFS, as HighFlyer said, exactly which customers are they asking?

Almost tempted to ask them to prove that customers were asked and that the feedback clearly showed that they wanted GNF as the de facto offering. My gut feel is that there is not, and it is indeed just a service cut.

Thanks,
Richard

[Decker]

Optional GNF in Snooze Zone big thumbs up.

GNF compulsory across flight NFW.

When the bitches do their Dubai return flight at one in the morning at Xmas BA won't be expecting us to not eat or drink... or at least they'd better not be 'cos they're in for a rude awakening otherwise.

Decker,
Having just returned from DXB in FIRST in the early hours I can assure you we partook of much drink (various alcohol types - eg tanquery 10 and tonic before take off) and food (cetainly a menu but somewhat reduced from the day/early evening type to be honest) during the flight. No snooze zone at all for us but if you to sleep they can use the ear plugs and eye shades provided but I did put on my 100% disposable cotton PJs and slippers and had some Champers in bed watching a film !!

Enjoy,

Ian

[Decker]

Think it'll be a wizard wheeze

Originally posted by Boo Boo
Husband and I decided to have a "quick" cheese and biscuits before bed - that was a mistake... must have been served 1.5 hours after take-off [:(!]. The FA kept apologising (she was lovely) - she said that it was taking a long time for the Galley Guy to set his galley up [n].

I think this is the real crux of the problem. Because so much of the full VS J meal service is prone to being slow - due to things like having to set the galley up, because almost all meals are not loaded pre-plated - people couldn't be doing with the usual 1.5 hour wait for food on a relatively short night flight.

The real answer to this is to switch to an increased proportion of pre-plated oven-to-table, or cold, items on these shorter/night flights, well designed so that they don't mean a loss of quality, but they do reduce galley preparation time while maintaining meal choices, and help release crew from "galley support" to spend more time serving the pax, some of whom will just want a drink and a snack and sleep.

Many other airlines J and F services involve some element of pre-plating, so it can work.

Mike

[preiffer]

If you want SLOW service, take an Air Canada flight from the east coast back to London. Take off at 8pm, 4 hours later (yes, 4 HOURS into a 6.5 hour flight) they've finally finished serving the meal. Nice experience in a restaurant, I'm sure - but on a plane, it's just damn slow.

The best bit is, even if you want to sleep at the expense of eating anything, the lighting level and noise the crew insist on making throughout serving mean that's off the cards too. [n]

Still, they're a nice bunch onboard, despite their refusal to let anyone rest [ii]



As another (extreme) comparison to the "meal service" that VS offer onboard, look at bmi. A fully qualified (yes, really) chef onboard, cooking meals fresh to order. [y]

[fozzyo]

So the solution to the problem isn't GNF, its looking at the meal service provision ... again.

Originally posted by mike-smashing
I think this is the real crux of the problem. Because so much of the full VS J meal service is prone to being slow - due to things like having to set the galley up, because almost all meals are not loaded pre-plated - people couldn't be doing with the usual 1.5 hour wait for food on a relatively short night flight.

Completely... To be honest we had eaten in the Clubhouse, had just saved having dessert or cheese for on the plane - BIG MISTAKE [ii]. J passengers just want maybe a quick bite/drink before sleep - not a 1.5 hour wait for someone to slap a few bits of cheese, some biscuits and a small bunch of grapes on a plate... silly.

Originally posted by preiffer
If you want SLOW service, take an Air Canada flight from the east coast back to London. Take off at 8pm, 4 hours later (yes, 4 HOURS into a 6.5 hour flight) they've finally finished serving the meal. Nice experience in a restaurant, I'm sure - but on a plane, it's just damn slow.

The best bit is, even if you want to sleep at the expense of eating anything, the lighting level and noise the crew insist on making throughout serving mean that's off the cards too. [n][y]

Had this on BA in economy once (DEN-LON night flight) - a good 3.5 hours to serve dinner, collect trays and go through the cabin (NOISILY) yelling "Duty Free! Duty Free!! Duty Free!!!" before they eventually switched the 1000watt overhead lights off... I was seriously questioning whether the cabin crew's IQ made it into double figures (between the lot of them) that night... [n].

Originally posted by preiffer
As another (extreme) comparison to the "meal service" that VS offer onboard, look at bmi. A fully qualified (yes, really) chef onboard, cooking meals fresh to order. [y]

Have yet to try BMI... it is on my list [8D]

Boo

Originally posted by preiffer
If you want SLOW service, take an Air Canada flight from the east coast back to London. Take off at 8pm, 4 hours later (yes, 4 HOURS into a 6.5 hour flight) they've finally finished serving the meal. Nice experience in a restaurant, I'm sure - but on a plane, it's just damn slow.

Yeah, had that on a MIA-LHR flight a few years back. 1 hour before cocktails were served. At about the 1.5 hour mark, tables were laid, and bread dished out, but starters didn't arrive until 2 hours, and mains about 3 hours after wheels up.

The best bit is, even if you want to sleep at the expense of eating anything, the lighting level and noise the crew insist on making throughout serving mean that's off the cards too. [n]

Same as VS then, to be honest.

Still, they're a nice bunch onboard, despite their refusal to let anyone rest [ii]

Yep, I was really happy with the service from Air Canada on a recent trip, even if the planes were of the old, tired and unrefurbished variety.

A friend flew YHZ-LHR with AC in their J product fairly recently. Because of the late departure time for that flight, and the shorter sector time, there was a very quick service of cold sandwiches after shortly takeoff, but loads of hot breakfast served about an hour before arrival at Heathrow.

VS often start on-board breakfast too soon, as much as 2.5 hours out, especially on longer flights such as VS20/VS8.

As another (extreme) comparison to the "meal service" that VS offer onboard, look at bmi. A fully qualified (yes, really) chef onboard, cooking meals fresh to order. [y]

Cue thread on "Michael Bishop to buy SQ's stake in VS?"

Mike

[buns]

Given that for many UC pax on the DXB route, this is the start of a holiday, the need for rest is not so necessary as for those returning from the east coast of the US.

I agree with Decker & Fozzyo, OK with a snooze zone, but keep the full service towards the back of the UC cabin.

buns

Originally posted by preiffer
If you want SLOW service, take an Air Canada flight from the east coast back to London. Take off at 8pm, 4 hours later (yes, 4 HOURS into a 6.5 hour flight) they've finally finished serving the meal. Nice experience in a restaurant, I'm sure - but on a plane, it's just damn slow.

And yes, try Emirates too, last trip out to DXB lunch started 1 hrs 30 after take off and finished after another 3 hrs!

The best bit is, even if you want to sleep at the expense of eating anything, the lighting level and noise the crew insist on making throughout serving mean that's off the cards too. [n]

Well at least on EK they let you rest and make an effort if you want something different.

As another (extreme) comparison to the "meal service" that VS offer onboard, look at bmi. A fully qualified (yes, really) chef onboard, cooking meals fresh to order. [y]

Absolutely - those that may recall the original and gargantuan GNF thread may remember my vehement opposition to GNF imposed on all. By all means give us choice but don't restrict my £4,000 ticket to a cold salad, especially if I've had a long day in New York and didn't get time to eat in the Club House. Also, for those who are travelling UC for a treat or the first time, GNF is just shockingly poor.

I have friends who are flying UC for the first time on this route for their hols in October (out UC, back in PE). They have been very, very giddy looking forward to the whole UC experience - now it looks like they'll be getting less than they bargained for.

People like this should be catered for, it's not like it's a predominantly business based route. I have a feeling that this news will temper their giddiness somewhat.

GNF on DXB is an idea I for one would welcome - the flight is far too short in my opinion and I wish there was more time to sleep. However, for GNF to work, the flight should leave later as well because even though the flight is short, it's far too early to go to sleep straight away.

Flew UC down to DXB at the beginning of this month and I really should have learned from my mistake last year and slept for as much of the flight as I could, which is still not very long as it is so short (for an overnight).

45.

Wifey was on VS 400 on the 6th september and they were offering both the GNF and the full dinner service. Are they trying to introduce this without any one noticing?

Mark.

I fly this route next month and will take particular note to the service on the outbound and report back accordingly. [y]