Start of another round of cost-cutting?

[dfs24]

Yet on Qatar on a 6-7hrs flight, I had 4-5 hot towels (lost count) given on the flight. Before departure, before meal service, after meal service, before landing etc... crazy...

Not forgetting that you even have a choice of hot or cold.

Just got off a MH flight to Tokyo, and they had
- 1 pre-departure
- 1 with the satay
- 1 after the meal
- 1 before landing

And they're still using full size towels.

[flyguy]

seems SQ is micro-managing too much on these small items in its cost cutting - and this is a interesting report on SIA
https://www.msn.com/en-sg/money/news...cid=spartandhp

[lingua101]

Was also confirmed by the IFM on friday on SQ919 MNL-SIN that now for JCL it's only 1 per meal service. Meaning on shorter flights it's just the one they give you prior to departure.

On longer flights with 2 meal service, you get one prior to departure, then one more before the second meal service.

So basically they have halved the number of hot towels in JCL.

No changes in F or Y.

After I expressed my surprise (and maybe displeasure??) the IFM went to YCL to find some and proceeded to hand them out to the entire J cabin before landing

Apparently, 'trials' were carried out before implementing the change. I don't see how any trial could have been meaningful. Say SQ only carries out the trial on certain flights, and a frequent flier only encounters this 'trial flight' in a series of 5 flights, he's likely to write it off as a one-off forgetful crew. Besides, most people won't bother writing in after a flight. A lack of response or negative feedback doesn't mean people don't notice.

Yet, it is not possible for crew to go around after the plane has landed and ask each pax "hi did you notice that we didn't give you a towel?" because certainly people will know what SQ is up to and give the theoretically correct answer which is 'yes we did notice'.

is the hot towel really important? I saw in many occasions in Y that hot towel went to waste.

[flyguy]

nonetheless the hot towels still distinguishes SIA from other airlines which does not hand out towels or hand out packages towelettes.

[pokfur]

is the hot towel really important? I saw in many occasions in Y that hot towel went to waste.

It is to me. It means that on a short breakfast flight I don’t have to specially get up and go to the toilet to wash my hands and mouth after eating croissants.

Although this opens up another can of arguments on whether the towel should even be put near your face

[icn.sg]

is the hot towel really important? I saw in many occasions in Y that hot towel went to waste.

Not sure how you determine "went to waste"... ? Does a hot towel need to be used for a full body wipe down to be considered 'put to good use'?

I suppose this thread is to highlight observations on SQ's cost cutting measures, not so much for us to justify or pass judgement on whether it is right or environmentally better.

Frequent travelers will make that judgement on their own and decide if the premiums they pay (ex-SIN especially) is justified after every thing that used to differentiate SQ from the rest is slowly chipped away.

[demue]

Although this opens up another can of arguments on whether the towel should even be put near your face

Got that right Just have conversation with some crew and determine yourself. Amazing what people do with these towels

[SQ025]

seems SQ is micro-managing too much on these small items in its cost cutting.

These are the easy items. No one would notice except of a few Frequent Flyers. I haven't even noticed that salt/pepper has been removed from the trays even I'm a regular who is flying almost every second week on SQ in Y.

Anyway, in the near future I predict more serious cost cutting. SQs prices out of SIN are out of this world and companies will look into the cost of travelling to cut cost and prepare for the economic downturn.

[orionmiz]

Hmm, was wondering instead of further cost-cutting, why not they try to make more revenue by offering Economy class passengers with Premium Economy book-the-cook meals with a fee (maybe around additional of $20 to $30), something like the A la carte menus/dining in AF/LH.

[SQ_326]

Hmm, was wondering instead of further cost-cutting, why not they try to make more revenue by offering Economy class passengers with Premium Economy book-the-cook meals with a fee (maybe around additional of $20 to $30), something like the A la carte menus/dining in AF/LH.

please lah. PY's food is materially a Y's food albeit with an extra linen.

[ninervictor]

Got that right Just have conversation with some crew and determine yourself. Amazing what people do with these towels

Hands > IFE Remote > IFE Screen > Window

[flyguy]

please lah. PY's food is materially a Y's food albeit with an extra linen.

Yes SQ should really make a real distinction between PY meals and EY like Qantas, BA and EVA instead of just essentially EY meals.

[flyguy]

Hands > IFE Remote > IFE Screen > Window

these is nothing as there are more "amazing" things. But these towels are throughly washed at high temp and sanitised before given out. It's only what the pax do with it.

[orionmiz]

please lah. PY's food is materially a Y's food albeit with an extra linen.

Oh the ULH flights are using the bigger casserole by the way.

Ok, they can use ceramic plates for a higher price then.

[SQ025]

please lah. PY's food is materially a Y's food albeit with an extra linen.

The linen disappeared already.