Delta crew meals, lack thereof

[AC560]

Just curious but if work rules for FA's and Pilots require a meal to be given and they are short, what do the work rules say in regards to the order which the available meals are awarded?

 

[Abernathy]

Just curious but if work rules for FA's and Pilots require a meal to be given and they are short, what do the work rules say in regards to the order which the available meals are awarded?

Awarded?

 

[KCPilot]

I'm a little sad to hear this. I'm not being sarcastic here, but, seriously, I had been told by many that the DAL FA's have a much more respectful attitude towards the DAL pilots. This all sounds exactly like NWA. Oh well, yet another thing to prove that we're all the same I guess.

It all depends on the FA. Yesterday I went to ATL and back for a SIM, all FAs were senior mama's so say no more, sit down and STFU. But The week before going home out of JFK non-rev, the NYC FAs were cool. Thy found out I was a pilot going home, made sure they did not charge me for food and gave me the left over crew meal. I was in coach and they almost treated me like I was in first class! So it all depends on the FAs as some are more human than others! But it's always a crap shoot!

 

[waka]

I'd rather die a year sooner than eat bean sprouts for the rest of my life. :laugh:

Boys, just keep it up with the steaks, chicken wings and other calorically and saturated fat rich foods You may now think it's funny about minus one year but, if you're on your deathbed, you'd be after every single moment. Bet on it.

 

[Hamfighter]

NYC FA's are always the least chronologically, dimensionally and personality challenged. LA is probably next. BOS, CVG, MCO and of course ATL...brace for impact.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Just curious but if work rules for FA's and Pilots require a meal to be given and they are short, what do the work rules say in regards to the order which the available meals are awarded?

A few things.
Many eat more than one meal when we are all provided one.
Two, when they are doing turns they only get a meal on one leg, not both. They make sure they all eat on both legs.
Three, sometimes we get meals when we don;t. Err we are planned by the PWA to get meals when they are not.

This also holds true with out food for sale. They will talk among themselves on the inter-phone. What do you guys want, etc.? Take all of the Shrimp Salads and Hummus, etc. Many times taking three and four items each. Then they call us. Hey guys all we have left is the fruit and cheese and one chicken sandwich. What one item do each of you want. They enforce the one item with us, but seem to forget it with each other.

 

[~~~^~~~]

IMHO ... the crew falls under the Command of the Captain. Captains write FO evals, maybe they should be taking brief surveys on the performance of other team members on their airplane.

Either that, or just put a longevity term in every FA's contract. Three year contracts, renewable at the whim of the employer.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Do DAL Capts. brief with the lead FA before the trip? That might be a good time to verify that crew meals were boarded.

I am sure there is some animosity between some FAs and the pilots over who gets a crew meal (pilots) and who gets leftovers from First Class (FAs).

Sounds like a cultural problem within the FA ranks.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Stifler - as others have reported, the FA's are cagey about the number of meals. I don't know how many times I've been told we are eight short, only to be told they found them the instant a Supervisor comes on the scene to resolve the count between catering and the crew.

IMHO if they just did a bag check and nailed everyone who had a couple bottles of company booze (including wine) in their bags, about 90% of the problem would be fixed instantly.

 

[another cfii]

Our FA brief is required by Capt, even on the checklist. However, I think the mentality of most CA that i've flown with is that they feel crew meals are not something at the top of their "priorities", so they don't really need to go badger the A-line about it. Kinda, "If we have crew meals, yay, but if we don't, oh well..."

Heck, if CA is hungry, they just go out and buy a 10 dollar burger, just like that. But for us lowly paid cheap FO, the crew meal could translate a 4 leg day into heaven or hell.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Fins,

Call a supervisor when you are short meals, delay a few flights as a result while the count is corrected, and I bet the company starts to take notice. Then management can address the real problem at hand.

There is no reason why a jaded FA should feel it is ok to take their frustration out on the cockpit crew.

 

[DTW320]

NYC FA's are always the least chronologically, dimensionally and personality challenged. LA is probably next. BOS, CVG, MCO and of course ATL...brace for impact.

Reminds me of the joke about the hula hoop method of determining NWA FA newhire base assignments.

This is a good thread. I think we're all gonna get along great.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Our FA brief is required by Capt, even on the checklist. However, I think the mentality of most CA that i've flown with is that they feel crew meals are not something at the top of their "priorities", so they don't really need to go badger the A-line about it. Kinda, "If we have crew meals, yay, but if we don't, oh well..."

Heck, if CA is hungry, they just go out and buy a 10 dollar burger, just like that. But for us lowly paid cheap FO, the crew meal could translate a 4 leg day into heaven or hell.

That's kind of my point. It sounds like a small thing to worry about, but if you get on a flight blocked at over 5 hours thinking there is a crew meal for you, and then you find out there isn't. That's a pretty good amount of time to go without proper nutrition.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

It is sad that our hierarchy has been eroded up to the point that we are at the will of the mood of a gate agent or a cabin attendant but in an industry where it takes a hard fought battle from ALPA to win the right to be given a bottle of water, I have to say that I'm not surprised because we have allowed this to happen.

"If we have crew meals, yay, but if we don't, oh well..."

Our caterers get a list of the crew and select from that menu the list of meals for the crew (Japanese vs. western style breakfast for example) It is possible for a company to be profitable and still treat their crews with respect

 

[labbats]

Maybe I'm getting jaded myself, but it seems in the last year or two the FAs treat us jumpseaters like a chore. I'll gladly help and I go out of my way to be considerate, but more often than not I march right by a scowling lead FA to my coach seat past a wide open first class section.

 

[dbrownie]

Fins,

Call a supervisor when you are short meals, delay a few flights as a result while the count is corrected, and I bet the company starts to take notice. Then management can address the real problem at hand.

There is no reason why a jaded FA should feel it is ok to take their frustration out on the cockpit crew.

That is exactly how it should be handled, walk off

and get somthing to eat.

DB

 

[b707guy]

I seem to recall a Capt (NWA perhaps?) not too long ago who was a bit put off by whatever he was being offered, so he left the jet, left the airport, and was ultimately left without a job. Never thought of it in light of this thread, but maybe he took making a statement a little too far? Or was he just whacked out?

 

[dbrownie]

I seem to recall a Capt (NWA perhaps?) not too long ago who was a bit put off by whatever he was being offered, so he left the jet, left the airport, and was ultimately left without a job. Never thought of it in light of this thread, but maybe he took making a statement a little too far? Or was he just whacked out?

A little of both, he was "retired".


DB

 

[~~~^~~~]

Well, that's kinda it. If the Captain wanted to make a big deal of it, that's one thing. As a subordinate, I'm not going to make too be a deal out of anything that is not safety of flight. Venting on FI is cathartic.

 

[Abernathy]

Sign of the times when a mainline crew gets a meal, sometimes, on a segment only longer than 5 and a half hours. Then justifies this accepted mistreatment by saying "they suck anyways."

Anyways, was just curious what situation was at DL. My last transcon up front was close to 5 hours, and I couldn't help feeling bad for the crew when they were able to "snag" some trail mix packages from the back.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

This is the reason when we're running behind, I'll delay a flight to get food since we don't get fed on the long legs. If anyone tries to say anything about it, they don't have a leg to stand on at all.

Never fly hungry.

 

[another cfii]

I usually brief the FA that i'll come out and use the bathroom couple times on a long flight, and hint that I'd like my steak "medium rare", cheese cake on the side. That usually sets the tone... just kidding.

Hey, Peanuckle, how's SFO? foggy? Will you be back on rsv after all the displacement? Cheers.

 

[SoCentralRain]

This is the reason when we're running behind, I'll delay a flight to get food since we don't get fed on the long legs. If anyone tries to say anything about it, they don't have a leg to stand on at all.

Never fly hungry.

That's pretty much what my philosophy is. I don't know a pilot here at UAL who at the very least confirms that our crew meals are boarded as is stipulated on every one of our trips.

If a crew meal has been negotiated in your collective bargaining agreement (anyone from Delta please chime in here), then for god's sake why on earth would you NOT make sure that it is boarded??!?

At United, even if it is boarded but found to be inedible for any reason (and there are plenty of reasons here), all we have to do is get a replacement meal (sensibly--no spending 42 bucks on breakfast), document the issue, submit our receipt along with the appropriate form and we get our reimbursement. No, not in a few days, but typically by the middle of next month's pay check. I have yet to be denied and I expensed 3 meals on my last trip alone.

As the above poster wrote, don't fly hungry. It's a physiological need. Don't take crap from any cat rancher, whoever she is or wherever she's based. Lay down the law during the preflight briefing. Done deal.

SCR

 

[SoCentralRain]

And yes, I will be HAPPY to delay a flight if that's what it takes me to satisfy this physiological need. If the company falls down on their contractural responsibility, I have the ability to seek self-help. I'm happy to help myself.

SCR

 

[SoCentralRain]

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