Fine Tuning Domestic First Class Service
Since the launch of our revised foot print for domestic First Class service which aligned offering on both legacy carriers effective September 1, I received numerous notes from many of you. We have also analyzed customer feedback through proactive surveys sent to a select group of frequent travelers, we reviewed letters sent to Customer Relations and we monitored Social Media channels. Evaluating feedback is always part of our internal process and I want to let you know about adjustments that we will be making as soon as practical. Yes, we hear you and we are responding!
First, let me say that over 70 percent of the comments we received had to do with the change of meal tray service to flights of 2:45 hours or longer versus the prior standard. Given that this is the crux of the issue, we will be reinvesting an additional $6 million dollars to adjust meal tray service to flights of 2:30 hours; we will also maintain tray service on exception markets as previously announced and add additional markets to include ORD-AUS; DCA/IAD-MIA and DFW-MEX. These changes will align our so called “meal windows” to the standard offered by Delta and adds 150 more flights a day with tray service.
On flights of 2:00 to 2:30 hours, we will offer warmed mixed nuts in addition to a redesigned snack basket containing only a choice of higher quality sandwiches, Milano cookies and bananas. On early morning flights, the basket will be adjusted to include breakfast-type breads, fig bars, apples and bananas. And yes, a bigger napkin will be provisioned along with the enhanced basket.
Another important change will be the reinstatement of ice-cream dessert service on dinner flights of 3:30 hours or longer. This was a signature element of American’s service and we are bringing it back to match the prior standard.
We are working to implement these changes as soon as practical. Full details will be included in an upcoming bulletin. We expect to add tray service to the additional exception markets beginning October 16. All other changes will occur in phases beginning November 1. The adjustment to the meal tray service is the most complex as it will require us to order additional equipment and food product from suppliers.
As part of the overall feedback evaluation, we have identified certain entrees that are not flying as well as we had anticipated (yes, the chicken) and we are working with the supplier to make changes.
An important point that I want to reiterate is that the new service footprint was not about achieving cost savings; it was about rationalizing two different product concepts between the two legacy carriers. And in fact, with the changes I just described and the initial investments made to bring about the September 1 change, we have now invested nearly $20 million dollars in the domestic first class service.
) for our YUL-MIA sector reminded me not to bother throwing money away purchasing F or J seats on AA ... luckily, I've never had the need to endure status runs.
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