bastew From Australia, joined Sep 2006, 1007 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (7 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 3535 times:
I think at BA we have a pretty poor crew - passenger ratio in the Premium cabins. It will always be a limiting factor in improving the inflight product. You can only get so much blood from a stone so to speak.
First class is fine with three crew.
But Club can be a bit of a mess, especially on the 70J 747. In all the BA crew ratios listed above, the Cabin Service Director is included in the crew count. But they are often called away to deal with other issues during the service (faulty IFE, problems with pax etc).
Compare our J class crew - passenger ratio with say, Qantas. Their A380 has 72 J class seats so is pretty much the same as our 'high J' 747 (70 seats). Qantas has eight crew working in their J class cabin (7 plus the CSM) compared with our six at BA (which also includes our CSD). It makes a big difference to the product.
And lets not forget Premium Economy.
Again, a like for like comparison with Qantas. BA has on the 747 (mid J config) a separate cabin with 36 World Traveller Plus seats. There is one crew member for that cabin. Qantas has 32 seats in their Premium Economy on the Upper Deck of the A380 with TWO crew dedicated to that cabin. Again, makes a big difference.
bastew From Australia, joined Sep 2006, 1007 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (7 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 3451 times:
APYu then the question has to be asked then....why is the passenger - crew ratio not increased on flights now operated by new contract (low cost) crew on Mixed Fleet?
APYu From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2007, 751 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (7 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 3416 times:
Perhaps it would make performance comparison across the fleets impossible to do accurately. Perhaps also it could upset the expensive crew and make them kick off again ("why do we have to work harder..." etc.). Perhaps it would lead to passengers coming to expect the increase staffing levels on all flights, thereby causing passenger upset on those flights being operating on the lower crew numbers.
We'd like to welcome in particular our Executive Club members and those joining us from our Oneworld alliance partners.
tonystan From Ireland, joined Jan 2006, 1176 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (7 months 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 3255 times:
Quoting APYu (Reply 5): Perhaps also it could upset the expensive crew and make them kick off again ("why do we have to work harder..." etc.).
I think you need to develop a greater understanding and respect for your colleagues on other fleets, especially those with a wealth of experience. Not everything should be about "cost"!
tcavanguard From Canada, joined Feb 2009, 4 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (7 months 2 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 3136 times:
Wow!
This is what the crews tell me when I fly Air Canada.
767-300 187Y 25J Total 6 ....2 for J
777-300 307Y 42J Total 10....3 for J
A330-300 228Y 37J Total 8......3 for J
The staffing levels were reduced by 1 in J in a year or so ago and the crews used to complain to me all the time. At the end of the two hour dinner - that never seems to end! - 2 flight attendants come from Y to help clean up and stuff.
On the extra long flights to HKG I think they put on an extra FA but they disappear after the meal service as they have their crew rest in the back.
Great seats in J but the service is just too slow. Looking at the numbers in the other posts, now I know why!
LHRFlyer From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2010, 740 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (7 months 2 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 2948 times:
The changes to crewing levels saved BA £60m a year. I don't see any changes to reverse them unless there is a significant increase in workloads to justify the extra expense and there are a lot of other areas in which money could be spent to improve the passenger experience. After all the battles BA had to go through to push through the crewing level changes, politically, no-one in senior management is going to sponsor a proposal for board approval and even if someone did I doubt the BA/IAG boards would approve it without, as I say, an increase in workloads to justify it.
AR385 From Mexico, joined Nov 2003, 4847 posts, RR: 27 Reply 15, posted (7 months 2 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 2474 times:
LH has 3 in its 744 F. Two seem to be fixed, and the third appears once so often. Definitely at meals and at other times. But there are two that are definitely there all the time.
tonystan From Ireland, joined Jan 2006, 1176 posts, RR: 2 Reply 16, posted (7 months 2 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 2446 times:
Quoting LHRFlyer (Reply 11): The changes to crewing levels saved BA £60m a year. I don't see any changes to reverse them unless there is a significant increase in workloads to justify the extra expense and there are a lot of other areas in which money could be spent to improve the passenger experience. After all the battles BA had to go through to push through the crewing level changes, politically, no-one in senior management is going to sponsor a proposal for board approval and even if someone did I doubt the BA/IAG boards would approve it without, as I say, an increase in workloads to justify it.
744 (Pacifc Config)
14 P class - 3 (2 Cabin 1 Galley-Dedicated)
42 J-Class Maindeck 4 (2 Cabin 1 galley-dedicated 1 CSM)
24 J-class U/D 2 (1 Cabin 1 Galley dedicted)
40 W class 2 (2 Crew Galley operators also works cabin)
744 N (New config 9 aircraft so far)
40 J class-Maindeck- 4 (2 Cabin 1 Galleydedicated 1 CSM)
18 J class-U/D- 2 (1 Cabin 1 Galley) BEST place to be on this aircraft but very senior.
36 W class - 2 (2 CRew galley also works cabin)
744 2 class (FRA trip dedicated)
32 J-class Maindeck 3 (2 Cabin 1 Galley dedicated)
24 J class U/D 2 (1 Cabin 1 Galley)
40 W Class 2 (2 Cabin Galley works cabin)
744 Cosmetic config (First is on this aircraft but sold as J class and extra 14 J class seats sold as Premium YC)
14 J class 2 (1 cabin 1 galley dedicated)
28 J class maindeck 3 (1 Cabin 1 Galley CSM)
24 J class U/D 2 (1 cabin 1 galley dedicated)
330-200 Domestic 3 (2 Cabin Galley works cabin also and 1 CSM)
330-300
30 J class seats 3 (1 Cabin 1 Galley 1 CSM) (We used to have 4 on this aircraft but they took them off...was nice to work with 4 crew, service was much easier)
767-300 Intl
All Business sectors have 3 crew regardless of config - I think Dinner service on domestic has extra crew but only for that service. On intl. there is only one dedicated cabin operator, the other is the Galley and teh CSM works here also.
Reading through it looks like sCO has the best Pax to Crew ratio....Must be nice for those crews.
Hope this helps...
Interesting to read about others.
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