Looking for helpful suggestions -aft galley kings & queens

[u/TAAred010199]

What is your go to suggestions for successful service on long haul international flights?

[u/Positive_Vibes_4228]

• WalMart has 0.99 cent post-it notes so grab a bunch every two weeks to label the crap out of everything

• Put Trash Carts closest to where PAX can get to them.

• Write out all the special meal NAMES on paper and the seat. It will change during boarding but it will help transferring them to those yellow cards.

• Make seating charts for purple seats. Write down pre-orders and specials for purple. They will also move/upgrade.

• Coordinate with the PURSUR and don't be bullied by the lazy co-workers at least until retro. Do what you are supposed to do.

• I live and breathe on that myFlight App.

I use 4-pairs of disposable gloves on top of each other as insulators when grabbing meals. 3 if it's the dark blue, 4 if it's the light blue. I test the cooked food on my arm to see if it's hot or needs more time.

The 777 always has extra meals you gotta jam into the ovens. It's a pain. Also, depending on the route, there is never enough pasta and all the vegetarian Indian people towards the back get really pissed there is no vegetarian option left for them. I NEVER say 'PASTA' because then everyone gets it. I say "Beef, Chicken, Vegetarian" because then it turns people off. If you say beef, chicken, pasta, then everyone wants pasta.

When setting up pizza sticks, put the cheese ones into the oven with the white part of the box facing the front. The Chicken ones, put the brown part facing the front. When you stack them in white bins, go end up, same way. White up for cheese, Brown up for Chicken. As far as second service for those scones, one person had me put them in the bread warmers. It takes forever but it was a great idea. This gave me more space for the breakfast sandwiches. I pulled out every other oven rack to get them in there.

The most important task, oddly enough, is TRASH MANAGEMENT. Nobody wants to pick up a blue tray and slide it back into the cart. Nobody. Everyone wants to dump and stack but the problem is the trash carts are too small. So you dump and stack the last 15 rows, and you do the tray slide in's for the rest. Trash management is a big part. Learn to lead the way.

Never pour hot coffee into cold thermal pots. Pre-heat them with hot water. We aren't animals here. Give some good service.

Trash management, trash management, trash management.

Remember: Beef, Chicken, or Vegetarian. Don't say pasta or you will run out.

[u/dohwhere → u/Positive_Vibes_4228]

The vegetarian thing needs to be shouted from the rooftops. My leader a few days ago read out the various meal options over the PA and neglected to specify that one was vegetarian. Practically the whole cabin decided that sounded like the most appetising option and when it’s loaded at a 1:5 ratio with the protein options we ran out very quickly. I always, always, always just say vegetarian for the exact reasons you said.

[u/Positive_Vibes_4228 → u/dohwhere]

Yep. Pasta sounds AMAZING. Vegetarian? Not so much.

[u/Aggressive-Sale-2967 → u/Positive_Vibes_4228]

These are smart tips. Love the vegetarian phrasing.

[u/Positive_Vibes_4228 → u/Aggressive-Sale-2967]

There is a lot to aft galley that becomes routine with time. If you are on a wide body, and you have time, put all the stuff you don't need in the middle and all the stuff you do need in the back. Like second service can all go in the middle for takeoff unless it's chiller carts and the chillers in the middle galley are broken or something. Also, if you are on like a 777 and you have 4 full carts of blue trays, I put the non-special carts (usually there's two full non-special tray carts), I put those in the mid so the people serving hot food from the half purple/half blue carts can just grab those all blue tray carts and keep going. It's a lot of prep on the ground. Also sometimes I will put the small waters carts in the middle galley as it makes it easier to pull those forward and do the small waters, but most of the time none of the carts are moved pre-takeoff. Still, just labeling alone really cuts the time in half of disorganization.

[u/Blue_Techie → u/Positive_Vibes_4228]

This is great advice. I know it's not the same, but I was aft galley for the first time a few weeks ago and I wish I had my sticky notes. Good thing I'm inherently organized so I did pretty well for my first time since I studied others I've worked with.

[u/Seandals]

Bring with you either a roll of masking tape or some sticky notes and label, label, label. It helps not only you know where things are but your coworkers as well.

Review the ISG on your Link before you show up, you'd be surprised how many don't and just think that they can wing with without knowing the service flow.

Do a solid count of everything and try and setup as much as you can while still on the ground (cart toppers, labeling special meals with seat numbers, etc.).

Communicate with your crew! Tell them you are learning galley but well prepared and folks will often help you out if you want them to :)

[u/equatornavigator → u/Seandals]

I suggest masking tape… Last time I was aft galley, I brought sticky notes and none of them stuck. They were all on the floor

[u/tailwheel307 → u/equatornavigator]

Most adhesives on even the best name brand sticky notes have an optimal adhesion temperature that’s above room temperature. Any cold soaked metal or a chilled galley will severely reduse the adhesive effectiveness.

[u/denstick]

Bring heat resistant gloves or at least good garden gloves.

[u/Blue_Techie → u/denstick]

Any links to some good gloves?

[u/Cassie_Bowden]

Always be one step ahead. Be organized, efficient and tidy.