Theft or luxury?

Just thought I would start this discussion to hear some of your viewpoints.....

I started flying more this year and have been on 5 UC flights amongst many others. I have taken my sleepsuit with me once when I was travelling to NRT. The other times I have left in on the seat to be laundered (hopefully).

From other threads that I have read I can see that many of you have taken your sleep suits home with you. Are they supposed to be removed from the cabin, or just used whilst in flight?

My current opinion is that they belong to the airline and are for your use whilst you are a passenger only. But some of you will say that they are a luxury item and as with most luxuries the whole point is that you have the choice to indulge or not as you see fit. However a responsible person would not waste a luxury just for the sake of it.

Anyone know what the official Virgin position is and what are your views?

[mcmbenjamin]

All people that steal from airlines are bad. Tish tish.

I would assume VS's policy is not to take the suits. My (hmm, VS's) blanket on the foot of my bed says "This is a flying blanket - Please ensure it does not walk."

Korean Airlines put a big notice to leave the blankets on the seat. Singapore Air says "for cabin use only."

All of this said, many of the site members have never taken the odd salt and pepper shaker, glass, sleep suit, chop sticks (pretty nice, I have a set of them), spoons or other item. In fact last time this same thread theme was active I recall a certian person wanting to sang an UCS...dare a search the archive?

The other question is if to want an item in the CH or plane and ask the FA or CSR, are they an agent to give away an asset of the company? If SRB says ok - Fine, he owns 51 percent but otherwise?

All of this said, I have a nice collection of Sleep Suits and blankets (from a bunch of airlines). Most of them are in a box in my parent's basement.

And is religous 'Thou shall not steal'

I just see to think there is an unwritten code as to what you can and can't take...
I persoanlly think sleepsuits are fair game - we pay a lot for our tickets and I would expect a personal item of clothing like that not to be recycled several times anyway.
Amenity Kits are offered, albeit in a stripped down version, are expected to be taken too. But surely if more were taken VS wouldn't have seen them being left as such an environmental waste and kept the old ones.....or maybe not.

Blankets, menus, pillows, salt and pepper kits, FSM's.....I see these as all part of the infrastructure of the cabin and wouldn't bother taking them.
I know the salt and pepper pots (amazingly not yet earmarked as being wasteful) have "stolen from VS" on the bottom but I would feel just too naff when the crew came to take me tray and saw that they wern't on there. [:I]

Dean

To me the amenity kit is given to you to use - it cannot be re-used - so fine.

However the sleep suits are laundered and re-used. They are VS property (as are the blankets, pepper pots, etc). By all means ask a FA if it is OK. But otherwise to take them is stealing.

Oh bugger...
I know I'd never survive in jail..

Dean

I always take the sleep suit on whatever airline,it's mine, it's given to me,the whole idea of them being reused is gross[:$]

I have taken many sleep suits. I generally walk off the plan wearing them! The cabin crew when asked always say it is your to take with you if you wish. Obviously if you choose to leave it you save VS some money (although judging by the quality I am not sure that it doesn't cost more to wash than it does to make them!)
As an interesting side note on my last flight the cabin crew gave away all of the just opened full bottles of wine as apparently they have to throw away any wine in open bottles. Numeours people walked off with nearly full wine bottles. Not sure if that should have happened so no names will be given

Paul

When I got my first one the CC actualy said "there you go, you can keep these" So no I do not consider it stealing. Its like when you use someones surname and then ask if its ok to use their christian name, once they say yes, thats it no more Sir or Madam.

[Neil]

Theft seems a very strong word to use, although I guess it is technically correct. I guess as long as you ask and it is ok then I don't see the problem, not sure however I agree on just taking it (or the salt and pepper pots[?]). I guess it like taking a towel/dressing robe from the hotel, you shouldn't do it but imagine lots of people have done so.

Neil:)

I guess it like taking a towel/dressing robe from the hotel, you shouldn't do it but imagine lots of people have done so.

It's not the same at all,I have never taken or even considered taking a towel or robe from a hotel because I know that's theft.The sleep suit is given to you by the airline it's yours to take.

Originally posted by jaguarpig
It's not the same at all,I have never taken or even considered taking a towel or robe from a hotel because I know that's theft.The sleep suit is given to you by the airline it's yours to take.

An interesting distinction. I would have said both were given to you to use during the duration of your stay/flight.

well there are lots of people who do take them, just look on ebay [:0] Personally i think you should ask before you take. so i did and even got the salt and peeper pots!:D[}:)][y]

[Neil]

Originally posted by sailor99

Originally posted by jaguarpig
It's not the same at all,I have never taken or even considered taking a towel or robe from a hotel because I know that's theft.The sleep suit is given to you by the airline it's yours to take.

An interesting distinction. I would have said both were given to you to use during the duration of your stay/flight.

Agree with Jeremy, who says the Sleepsuit is yours to take with you? VS obviously launder and re-use them so it would suggest that they are not free to take at all. Fair enough if you ask but if you just take it then surely that is theft also! (although as said before Theft is a very ugly word for this situation)

Neil:)

I actually paid to buy a lovely fluffy bathrobe from the MO in Hong Kong rather than steal one from my room. Although that was partly because I was convinced they would only add it onto my credit card bill when they found out...

Dean

We asked the CC if we could take the Salt and Pepper pots. They even wrapped them in cling film for us to stop the contents falling out in our bag[y]

DD

Maybe we should ask VS what their view is on pax taking sleep suits?

Mrs D

The first time I was handed a Sleep Suit, at the end of the flight I asked if it was ok if I could take it - the answer was "Yes, it's included in the ticket price, so it's yours to do what you want with". Since then, I've never asked, and I'm pretty sure I've taken it off the plane with me each time - all without comment. My view anyway is that it's like the amenity kit (such as it is!) - it's provided as a personal amenity and is yours.

Cheers

Michael

I doubt that Virgin would give an answer on this. If they say "yes please take them, you paid for them" then they may be losing money on those that would have been left behind by previously guilty passengers (me included).
If they say no you can't take them then they become less of a luxury item. Your choice of whether or not you feel like taking them will be diminished and hence your UC experience will be diminished.

I think they would prefer to leave the situation as is with some people taking them and others not.

Has anyone asked to take a sleep suit / pepper pot and been told they can't?

At the moment the anecdotal evidence suggests its allowed.

DD

AFAIK Its always been allowed to take the sleep suits since they first came out way back...

Agree with Jeremy, who says the Sleepsuit is yours to take with you?

Who says it isn't?

[Neil]

Originally posted by jaguarpig

Agree with Jeremy, who says the Sleepsuit is yours to take with you?

Who says it isn't?

Exactly, you made the statement saying that it was yours to take, but where is the proof too say it is, I don't admit to knowing, but was just stating that it is not fact that they are there to be taken. As has been said, it seems that VS do not mind you taking them but surely it is courteous to ask!

I am not aware of anyone saying you cannot take it, nor does it say on the suit "property of VS". But then again this would also be the case for hotel towels in all but the cheapest of places. On the other hand CC have said it is OK to take the suit. However, staffers here have posted that they are laundered and recycled, and my point was that this makes them pretty similar to hotel towels. I think you may have a difficult time making a case that just because an item doesn't say 'Not your property' it means you can take it - "I'm sorry your honour, but there was nothing to tell me it was not mine! ":)

Personally I would see taking a sleep suit as such a minor thing that I am hardly going to get worked up if someone took one. If people ask then hunky dory. It's just that I wouldn't take without asking.

On the basis that I and numeours others have actually been told these suits are ours to do so as we wish, and no one has yet reported that that have been told otherwise can we stop talking this one round in circles?
No one states that you CAN take the amenity kit off but almost all do (except those who leave behind their snooze pack in disgust....)
They DO state you should NOT take the emergency cards off

So apart from agreement from Virgin Cabin Crew that they do belong to the pasengers there is nothing stating you cannot take it away with you.

Paul

probably more cost effective to have them dissapear than have to wash them and a clever bit of marketing, what sounds better.

"look at this cool suit I got from VA UCS"

or

"they gave me a cool sleepsuit but I wasn't allowed to keep it so they could give it to someone else"

Word of mouth is the most effective and cheapest form of advertising.