Snooze Packs I eat my words

Originally posted by jetwet1
Of course it was,VS would never call a ham and cheese sandwich a ham and cheese sandwich,it would be honey roasted British gammon with fermented milk extract on two slices of hand baked whole grain bread [:0]

I prefer emulsified high fat offal tube with boiled chicken ovulation sandwiches myself[:p]

Originally posted by DC10 Fan
and then toothbrushes in the toilet in a plastic cup.

I think that's a sign that they get asked for toothbrushes a lot, so they just put them out. Of course, they should have still been in the kit in the first place, but that's the whole raison d'etre of this thread...

Cheers,
Mike

Originally posted by jetwet1

Come on VS,marketing can only go so far,in the end if the product sucks people won't fly it.

I like the quote, "you can't polish a turd"

Originally posted by DC10 Fan
Just flown to EWR and back from IAD. On the o/b they gave out a plastic pouch with eyeshades/ear plugs and socks. No mention of any extras and it looked dreadful. On the return there was the cardboard envelope with socks and eyeshades only; and then toothbrushes in the toilet in a plastic cup.

Plastic pouch?? Thats not the same as what they give you Y and K is it? I'm glad people were moaning, what else can we do if we want to change it but moan and write srongly worded letters....

This drop in service has been a bit more of a slow burner than the GNF but has the potential to be just as bad PR as the former.. [:(]

Dean

[fozzyo]

Originally posted by Wolves27
[brThis drop in service has been a bit more of a slow burner than the GNF but has the potential to be just as bad PR as the former.. [:(]

Worse maybe? This affects an awful lot more pax.

Originally posted by Wolves27

Originally posted by jetwet1

Plastic pouch?? Thats not the same as what they give you Y and K is it? I'm glad people were moaning, what else can we do if we want to change it but moan and write srongly worded letters....


Dean

It was worse than the Y kit; it was cheap plastic, like the type wrapped round straws when you by a take away drink.

OMG thats terrible!
They're not even trying to put a shine on it....

Dean

It was worse than the Y kit; it was cheap plastic, like the type wrapped round straws when you by a take away drink.

This is terrible - and beginning to smack of total disdain for Virgin's most profitable passengers.

Urgent rethink at Crawley towers is required ... before everything goes orange [:0]

Continental's doing it right!

My sister and brother-in-law recently flew Continental EWR-CDG-EDI-EWR and were delighted with every aspect of both flights - food, wine and service. And the Continental amenity kits are outstanding. The contents include a folding hairbrush, a small bottle of Gilchrist & Soames hydrating lotion, a full-sized Gilchrist & Soames lip balm, toothbrush and toothpaste, ear plugs, eye mask, socks, TicTacs and a pen. There is a note indicating that razors and shaving cream are available upon request.
The black nylon kit itself is zippered and has two clear plastic zippered interior pockets and a hook that can be used to hang the kit on a towel rod or clothes hook. This is definitely something that can and will be used on future trips.
All of this was good news to me as I am now planning to use my hard-earned Delta SkyMiles on Continental since they can no longer be used for Virgin flights. The declining quality of the Virgin Upper Class product does serve to lessen my sorrow at losing that option....

Originally posted by rapariga
Continental's doing it right!

My sister and brother-in-law recently flew Continental EWR-CDG-EDI-EWR and were delighted with every aspect of both flights - food, wine and service. And the Continental amenity kits are outstanding. The contents include a folding hairbrush, a small bottle of Gilchrist & Soames hydrating lotion, a full-sized Gilchrist & Soames lip balm, toothbrush and toothpaste, ear plugs, eye mask, socks, TicTacs and a pen. There is a note indicating that razors and shaving cream are available upon request.
The black nylon kit itself is zippered and has two clear plastic zippered interior pockets and a hook that can be used to hang the kit on a towel rod or clothes hook. This is definitely something that can and will be used on future trips.
All of this was good news to me as I am now planning to use my hard-earned Delta SkyMiles on Continental since they can no longer be used for Virgin flights. The declining quality of the Virgin Upper Class product does serve to lessen my sorrow at losing that option....

I like the CO kits as they are the perfect size and very reusable. They have enough room to put my small bottles of shampoo etc so when I'm doing a night then day at work I've got all my stuff in this nice little bag that I hang up in the shower room.

Having just returned on trip to LAX, the staff are finding this a real problem trying to explain the Company idea about this. It was interesting to see the reactions from fellow passenages! How does one fill in the breakfast requirement, when there is not even a pen in the kit, which must only cost about 10p? Why not put on your e ticket please bring your own supplies with you, and we will replace any items you have missing?

I don't see why VS don't just use the same tactic as with the menu. Each UC seat can be given a list of what can be included in their personalized amenity kit, passengers place tick marks next to what they would like, and early inflight the staff pick them up and then fill the kits with the things the passengers wanted. An even better way would be to give the list to the passengers as they check in. I guess the only downside would be that it would be extra work for the FAs.

[Scrooge]

This would probably be to labour intensive truth be told.The crew is busy setting up the flight etc.

Listen IMHO the dreaded bean counters are looking at it and saying we waste $4 per UC pax giving them stuff they MAY not need,so why don't we just give them the basics then have them grab the tooth brush and paste from a mug [B)][:#]etc,it will save us money.

As we all know airlines are trying to save money,great,however VS needs to do this in ways that do not effect their product and pax.I can understand the flowers going,maybe even the pillows,but an amenity pack is something expected by every pax on every longhaul international flight,VS pretty much came up with this and if they pulled their head out of the a%#& they would figure out that by having companies pay for trial size products to be placed in the packs they could have the best of both worlds and even make money doing it,idiots.

Also we do need to come up with a name for the bean counters...other than idiots.

[mcmbenjamin]

Oh no Dave. Now if it stopped there; that would be a prefect idea. That would just a steping stone for inserts in the seat pocket adverts for Hilton, HEX, etc or worst poster hung in the cabin.

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by mcmbenjamin
Oh no Dave. Now if it stopped there; that would be a prefect idea. That would just a steping stone for inserts in the seat pocket adverts for Hilton, HEX, etc or worst poster hung in the cabin.

Good point,of course if that was ever to happen I would have to wonder how long it would be till you saw an ad for BA NNNCW on the seatback in front of you,not the bean counters couldn't be that stupid.....well maybe not....ok probably.

Originally posted by eurohill
Having just returned on trip to LAX, the staff are finding this a real problem trying to explain the Company idea about this. It was interesting to see the reactions from fellow passenages! How does one fill in the breakfast requirement, when there is not even a pen in the kit, which must only cost about 10p? Why not put on your e ticket please bring your own supplies with you, and we will replace any items you have missing?

Not even a pen ? That's always been the most useful item in Y class kit. It ensures that you have the capability of filling in the US Green Form; after travelling VS to LAX a number of times I once had the misfortune to fly Air France CDG - LAX and the lack of any means of completing the Green Form meant many problems at immigration. I mean, in this digital and PIN age, how many of us carry pens as a matter of course any more (particularly when on holiday)?

..or do you lackeys to do this for you at the pointy end ?

Even as a predominantly Economy, occasionally Premium Economy and once and once only UC VS flyer (who allows himself a small, wry, smile when I hear UC flyers complain about the choice of champagne) I feel that this is shabby treatment of those who are paying out very serious sums of money. Do you think it's valid to write in and complain about something you've not experienced? I guess there's an argument that it is reducing the chances of my wanting to choose VS UC should I ever have the disposable income to aspire to that class of travel ?

Paul

Originally posted by VS-EWR
Each UC seat can be given a list of what can be included in their personalized amenity kit, passengers place tick marks next to what they would like, and early inflight the staff pick them up and then fill the kits with the things the passengers wanted.

Why not have a travel salon in the club house where you can collect all your amenity kit items before you board the flight. A sort of posh version of Pick and Mix

Originally posted by jerseyboy

Originally posted by VS-EWR
Each UC seat can be given a list of what can be included in their personalized amenity kit, passengers place tick marks next to what they would like, and early inflight the staff pick them up and then fill the kits with the things the passengers wanted.

Why not have a travel salon in the club house where you can collect all your amenity kit items before you board the flight. A sort of posh version of Pick and Mix

It would change the offering a tad as not everyone who flies UC can use the Clubhouse and not everyone who uses the Clubhouse flies UC.

How about all UC Pax posting their snooze packs back to Crawley...?

Dean

Originally posted by jerseyboy

Why not have a travel salon in the club house where you can collect all your amenity kit items before you board the flight. A sort of posh version of Pick and Mix

I hope that is a joke! Makes me think of my own nightmare future scenario based on the Scrooge Pack....


"Virgin Atlantic are pleased to announce the launch of a new service designed exclusively to benefit our Upper Class ( sic ) passengers. Virgin Atlantic have researched with our frequent passengers on improving our food service, and will shortly be launching a new, customised food service to enhance the Upper Class experience.

Based on Singapore Airlines renowned "Book The Cook" service, the new "Cook It Yourself" service on-board will enable passengers to choose their meal from a wide range on offer at Marks & Spencer in Terminal 3. Passengers will be given M&S vouchers in the Heathrow Clubhouse to redeem for a meal of their choice ( Maximum value : £3.99 ). A microwave oven will be provided on the bar for passengers to configure their meal as per their personal preferences.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesman said "Since the introduction of the Upper Class Suite, we've noticed that our passengers are not interested in any other part of the whole Upper Class experience. To this end, by removing non-essential parts of the service, we are able to double our profits and concentrate on the core Upper Class experience - the Upper Class Suite. We are confident that once passengers have experienced the Upper Class suite, they will not want or expect anything else from their Upper Class experience."


Apologies for the sarcasm in this post....

David.

I have just had an idea! Why don't we all take on other airlines amenity kits such as BA, Emirates etc. That way Virgin might be embarrassed into to replacing it!

It is interesting you say that. I take one of my old OB VS kits with me everytime. Took it with me yesterday on AA, but never had to take it out; AA's kit was perfectly acceptable. It even came in a 'shoe bag' which you can keep on using. Quite why I would want to put my shoes in a bag I don't know. But it makes a great laundry bag!

[fozzyo]

Fantastic post David!! Really does take my current feelings to the extreme, it is as if Virgin are saying you've got the suite so you should be happy with that! On the other J2000 / Suite debate its really interesting how for a lot of flyers they would happily go back to J2000 Seats & Service for day flights and UCS for night flights. The "service improvements" are really getting noticed now and that is not a good thing. Really - what is going on in Crawley?

Mat xxx

Originally posted by sailor99
It even came in a 'shoe bag' which you can keep on using. Quite why I would want to put my shoes in a bag I don't know. But it makes a great laundry bag!

They're perfect for putting your shoes in when packing them with you clean clothes so the dirty soles don't get all your other clothes dirty.

By the way just to add fuel to the fire check out http://www.travelquality.com/ and look at the amenity kits there. Some are old but the closest I can see what we're getting in upper at the moment is the BA economy one (and they even get a toothbrush)

[fozzyo]

Originally posted by crewrest
The deluge of feedback from both you and crew seems to have worked.

The snooze pack is to be improved. [:#]

Hurrah! Hopefully they will realise after this disaster and the mess that was GNF they need to expand how they evaluate product "improvements" before launching them.

Mat

""Upper Class amenity kits are collected and unused items are either given to charity or used in our clubhouses for promotional give-aways. Upper Class headsets have new ear sponges fitted and are resealed in poly bags".