Latest news on IFBT's

[mitchja]

I too know what HG is saying when travelling alone as well. It's nice just to break up the flight and go and have a chat with someone and a visit to the IFBT is always a pleasure.

I think some pax are still a bit unsure about the whole 'been massaged on a plane' experience though as I remember when I took my first ever VS J flight coming back from YYZ and was asked if I would like a treatment and I wasn't sure and in the end turned one down. It took a few more J flights for me to get the confidence to accept a treatment...never looked back now though [8D]

Regards

Very true, Paul; although as I said I am not the most frequent user of the service I do seem to remember far less disappointment in years gone by.

Originally posted by mitchja
It's nice just to break up the flight and go and have a chat with someone and a visit to the IFBT is always a pleasure.

This is the crux of the thing. The Bar and the IFBT are great features which help to break things up and pass the time on these longhaul flights.

Good luck to the IFBTs who seem to have so much uncertainty and insecurity hanging over their heads right now. An insecure workforce is usually not a happy one.

Mike

[honey lamb]

No IFBT on today's flight from Dubai and none on last night's flight into Dubai [:(]

Best of luck to all the IFBTs tomorrow

Originally posted by honey lamb
No IFBT on today's flight from Dubai and none on last night's flight into Dubai [:(]

Best of luck to all the IFBTs tomorrow

Given that many UC tickets have been bought in advance and the IFBT is very much promoted as part of the experience, shouldn't passengers expect the IFBT to be provide?

I'm not a lawyer but I thought VS had a duty to describe/advertise the service they provide accurately.

Good luck to all the IFBT's in the meeting today.

Good luck to all at today's meeting.

[fozzyo]

Originally posted by Jacki
I'm not a lawyer but I thought VS had a duty to describe/advertise the service they provide accurately.

Oh i'm sure if you read the T&C's they will have a line excluding them from that - 'subject to staffing or availability' or something similar.

Mat

Originally posted by fozzyo

Originally posted by Jacki
I'm not a lawyer but I thought VS had a duty to describe/advertise the service they provide accurately.

Oh i'm sure if you read the T&C's they will have a line excluding them from that - 'subject to staffing or availability' or something similar.

Mat

That may be - however scrapping the whole service might be somewhat different. I'd be interested to know where someone who had booked a flight in the expectation of this service, then it was removed wholesale, would stand.

I hope the gals (has there ever been a male IFBT?) are at least offered other posts if the rumours become real.

Oh incidentally, the VA Web site still talks about the Freedom Menu [:?].

[fozzyo]

Yes there has been at least one male IFBT, apparently he used to wear a black uniform rather than white.

As for the Freedom menu - I asked our crew about this on our return from Shanghai flight and as far as they are concerned nothing has changed. You can still eat what and when you want from the menu.

Mat

No final decision has been made on if we will continue the IFBT service. IFBT's have been told they can keep flying until the end of April on a IFBT rota if they choose, However after that all IFBT's will be derostered so that all of them can take part in the consultation process.

We will know by May of the results.

[Darren Wheeler]

It should be noted that this is a consultation process only at the moment.

A final desision is yet to be reached.

*Mods - A thread split time?*

Originally posted by Darren Wheeler
It should be noted that this is a consultation process only at the moment.

A final desision is yet to be reached.

Consultation is only New Labour speak for Whitewash. Sorry to be so blunt, but I've seen too many times Management Consultants plough in at this stage on so-called 'consultation'.

H

The statement from VS is on ifly and looks like it has just been cut and pasted not sure if should be on here.

Originally posted by virgin is the best
VCSS that is just cut and pasted off Ifly I would suggest that you take it off and put it into your own words.
Its copy right.

Quotes and a citation are really all that are needed.

All in all it smacks of VS desperately trying to cut costs in any way it can.

On top of having an overstretched fleet (CPT incident will not have helped any) the fact that VS are on the verge of binning a service that sets them apart from the opposition just shows what problems management are having.

and steve ridgeway is just on holiday apparently

[Darren Wheeler]

Copyright - from the V-flyer T&C's

'Do not post copyrighted articles or photographs onto the V-Flyer site without the express permission of the copyright holder. Any such articles may be deleted by the moderators. When quoting an item from another website it is permissible to post a link to that website, don't cut and paste passages from the other site and remember to acknowledge the site that it is taken from. '

[fozzyo]

I've just had to temporarily remove the posting about the announcement - led to believe it is an internal company document. However here is a summary of what they are saying:

IFBT
They are now conducting a review of this service, VS have started a consultation with IFBT's and their representatives on the future of the service.

No decision has yet been made on the future of the position.

For customers
Basically customers love the Upper Class Wing, Clubhouse and Heathrow, these are reasons they fly VS and according to research the IFBT isn't a significant part of the reason.

The business
Upper class is a 'world leading' product and their are opportunities to make it 'more efficient'. The review is also going to look at how they can 'strip some of that complexity'.

If they get rid of the IFBT they will be offered Crew Roles.

Re: the bit where the GAP survey says that pax rate IFBT lower than other reasons to fly VS...

IMHO the reason it's less of a draw is that in recent times the chances of getting an on board treatment have been less and less. First, you have to say you're prepared to be woken up, then if you've already had a treatment in the CH you're not due a treatment on board. Either way in these circumstances you're not due a priority card for next time.

For these reasons I've pretty much given up on getting a treatment onboard at all these days to the extent where I don't even bother requesting one when the IFBT comes round.

I don't know if my views are resonant or not, but that's how I feel about it, and it's my feeling that's why the GAP survey reports that pax give less value to the IFBT than to other services. Sadly I think partly it's also a cause-and-effect situation from the apparent less likelihood of having the benefit of the IFBT experience.

I would persoanally rather that the IFBT remained, especially if I could get a treatment!

Cheers, Howard

Editted to remove a dozen cut and pasted words

[fozzyo]

An interesting statistic would be on how many flights Pax that request a treatment don't get one. Surely if this happening more than 50% of the time then it is a popular service.

Mat

Mat

Originally posted by fozzyo
An interesting statistic would be on how many flights Pax that request a treatment don't get one. Surely if this happening more than 50% of the time then it is a popular service.

I am trying to put this diplomatically, and I fear I will fail. But here goes. I have been increasingly of the impression that treatments are given at IFBT's convenience, and not that of the pax. Maybe I've just been very unlucky though.

The hit rate is going to be heavily dependent on priority card, allow wake up, and no ch treatment.

If you have no priority card, don't allow a wake up and have had a ch treatment I'd put your chances at very very low indeed!!!

H

[Darren Wheeler]

Instead of doing away completely with IFBT's, perhaps a reduction could be offered.

Daytime flight - Full IFBT treatments offered
Night flight - No IFBT. They work as 'normal' crew.

[fozzyo]

Yup, have to agree with you there Howard. The IFBT service is very much like the FSM level. Some FSM's spend the entire flight 'doing paperwork' others are very proactive. Unfortunately the same is true of the IFBT - some are very good at doing lots of treatments others less so.

Interesting idea Darren.

Mat

I'm sure I've read somewhere that VS beleive thie future lies with provision of services on the ground.

But it isn't on the gorund that I as a pax get bored (although I like the CH I rarely can afford (time) to be there for more than an hour or so.

IFBT is/was a nice touch, especially so on long day, Eastbound sectors (India, Japan etc.) I hope Vs elect to keep it in some form; it's all to easy to axe as the competition don't offer it!


In open skies VS need to decide where they are going and I don't see the strategy. The major threat is from the US carriers at LHR and I would think anything and everything which differentites is a plus.

Originally posted by tugpilot

In open skies VS need to decide where they are going and I don't see the strategy. The major threat is from the US carriers at LHR and I would think anything and everything which differentites is a plus.

I would tend to disagree with you. What VS is currently doing with the IBFT's is part of them deciding where to go and what their strategy is. Obviously the long term strategy of VS in a post open skies era is currently being kept very hush. I would imagine that they will end up adopting the BD approach which is lets just sit and wait to see what happens over the next 18 months.

BA have been very brave by starting up their new airline 'Open Skies' but in reality if it fails it is easier for them to absorb the loss back into the company and transfer the 757 back to the mainline. On the ground if 'Open Skies' fails BA losses nothing as they already have ground handling operations in CDG and JFK. For VS to establish such an operation it would cost a lot more.

In the meantime VS has decided that given the current climate (increase fuel prices, the environmentalists etc) and taking on board UC feedback the best option is to have a period of deciding what to do with the IBFT.

On the part of the American carriers arriving at LHR. What we now have is four American carriers offering poor flight times and a poor inflight product. DL were so worried about the effect of operating LHR-LAX on poor flight schedules that they handed the route over to AF to operate.