cook

assembler

operations supervisor

food preparation worker

caterer

LSG Sky Chefs

This company has a ton of issues that aren't fixable under the current leadership. 

LSG was bought out by an investment company a couple years ago, and the changes and decisions they have made since are being driven by people who either don't understand the aviation industry, or who got their position by making unrealistic promises.

There is a one track mind to save as much money in the short term without an understanding of the long term risks, and challenges these changes pose to the work force. Save a dime now, and if they lose a dollar later because of it find someone else to take the blame for it.

Labor challenges keep getting worse. There aren't enough people trained in the roles necessary to keep the operation running smootly. Supervisors, Dispatchers, Maintenance, and Drivers in particular. It is common for only 1 supervisor, 2 dispatchers, and no maintenace to be on duty for an operation of 100+ people and 40+ trucks. There is little to no direct supervision on the AOA. 

There are people in important management roles who have very little understanding of the operation, and who don't feel that learning the operation is their responsibility. Instead of helping to manage the day to day almost 100% of their effort is spent on trying to save the company money in the short term. 

Supervisors run the entire operation, and they are expected to do it without the proper support. Every day you get in you're just praying that you don't get hit with too many call outs you can't fill. The previous shift supervisors are afraid to find coverage for your shift because they will be punished for any OT over runs. You are often set up for failure due to staffing issues that are outside your control, or a previous shift supervisor who either didn't do their job, or who got overwhelmed. 

You're under constant threat of mass call outs due to labor being upset about OT cuts and other issues. Most of the labor force takes 3 months of paid FMLA every single year, there is no investigation for fraud,  and you're not allowed to properly staff for it. Drivers and dispatchers performed cordinated mass call outs several times while I was working there. 

I could go on and on...

Look for a job somewhere else.

First off I was so excited when I got the job at Sky chefs but my excitement soon got to uneasiness when I realized that they almost have a new orientation every other week so that let me know from the start that they have a high turnover rate second thing as when I talk to other drivers that work there everyone seems to be very unhappy they have old raggedy trucks that are unsafe they tell you safety first but the only thing they care about are delays if you get delays you're gone if you have an accident you're gone if you say anything about the company that you're unhappy you're gone pay was decent That's What attracted me to the job they give you free lunch cafeteria style but you have no life they work you crazy hours your only off days you have are  Mondays and Tuesdays you work every weekend and holidays you get no holiday pay until you there for a whole year never heard that before I did not like the culture at that job because if you stay there you will become just as depressed and unhappy like rest of the drivers at that location you can make just as much money as a CDL driver at other companies with way less stress they fired people all the time for nothing and they're constantly hiring don't take my word for it they got listing on indeed for the last 2 years .since I left I think 50 drivers have started and left in less than a year so that should tell you the old drivers are mad because you come in and making $0.30 less than they're making and they've been there for 30 years so they're pretty upset so they're not trying to help you. when I started everyone in my class don't work there anymore. the training class they give you is crazy they tell you  safety 1st but they rush you when you're out catering planes all they care about are delays don't get no delays and don't hit no planes or you're done not enough money for that type of stress feel sorry for the people stuck there.. Alot of unhappy people there . hopes this HELP

Where do I even begin? A typical day consists of showing up and immediately having to rush to get things done because one, two, or three people have called out...again. 

Ramp supervisors spend most of their time sitting in front of a computer screen and do very little actual supervising. They are not above talking poorly about employees to subordinates. They routinely break SOP that they are supposed to enforce by not using earplugs while on the ramp or failing to shut off the trucks when they are approached to an airplane. They also allow their leads to break the rules with no consequences even if you report improper behavior. 

The only time people will be written up or disciplined is if there is a flight delay and if they don't like you, they will use it as an excuse to terminate you immediately. There  is no standard for training; they will have a two month fresh employee training a brand new employee. If you take pride in your work and expect to come to work and be praised and rewarded for your hard work, find a job elsewhere. Hard workers are held in the same regard as the employees who spend hours in the break room on their phones or hiding out in the bathrooms. 

Don't expect promotions or raises. They hire supervisors from outside rather than mentor and foster current employees who already know the ins and outs of the process. Expect that you will be punished for other employees' poor behavior because you are evaluated as a team. Raises? It's a union job with a union that only takes dues whether you want them to or not. They do not contact their constituents nor would I expect them to fight very hard for us if a serious issue arises. The raises are a joke and they are based on time spent at the company instead of on merit so those people who spend 1-2 hours every day smoking during their shifts or hanging out with the dispatchers will get the same rate of pay as the person breaking a sweat working six 10 hour days.

A DAY WHERE YOU LEARN THINGS THAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW BUT NEVER TOOK THE CHALLENGE OF DOING, LEARNING AMONGST FRIEND, EVEN CONSIDERED FAMILY.
MANAGEMENT TO ME ARE EXCELLENT IN EVERY ASPECT, FOR THEY NOT ONLY KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT THEY LET YOU BE YOU WITHOUT ALL THE HASSLE, FUSS.
CO-WORKERS ARE THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE TO WORK WIT, SIMPLY BECAUSE IF YOU PLAN TO MAKE THINGS MOVE SMOOTH YOU HAVE TO GET THAT UNDERSTANDING, THAT CLICK, TOGETHER, WHEREFORE I BELIEVE THAT IN ORDERFOR A BUSINESS TO STRIVE AND BE SUCCESSFUL YOU HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AS AUNIT, AS ONE, PLUS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING coworkers THAT YOU CAN ONLY BETTER EACH OTHERS SKILLS IF YOU CONNECT.
THE HARDEST PART OF ANY JOB IN MY EYESMIS LACK OF COMMUNICATION, WHERS IF THIS DON' EXSIST THEN ALL OTHER THINGS WILL FAIL, SO IN ORDER TO BE THAT PLACE WHERE EVERYONE, EVERYTHING YOU WORK FOR TO BE THE BEST MAKES ANYDAY THE HARDEST PART OF THE JOB.
THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART OF THE JOB IS WHEN YOU, ME AND ALL MY BELOVED CO-WORKER CAN ENJOY THR FRUITS OF OUR LABOR, ONOWING THAT WE'VE COMPLETED ALL TWSKE AT HQND AND CAN ENJOY THE FACT THAT WE TOOK PRIDE IN ACCOMPLISHING ANOTHER TASK, MAKING ALL THAT WE SERVED WANT MORE JUST TUE WAY WE,E GIVEN TO THEM TIME AFTER TIME.

NOW I WANT YOU AND THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE DECISIONS ON IF AT ALL YOU MAY WANT TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEPS TO HIRE ME, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVEN FINDING THE TIME TO READ THIS, SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU COULD JUST ASMWELL DELETED THIS AND IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I'M GRACEFUL THAT YOU ALLOW YOURSELVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN REVIEW MY APPLICATION.

HOPEFULLY WITH PRAYER I CAN BECOME APART OF YOUR TEAM AND IF BY CHANCE YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TO GO OTHER WAYS, I THWNK YOU FOR THE TIME I HAD TO SPEWK WITH YOU.

•Strategically plan, organize, and manage a department with regards to daily hours, schedules, productivity, quality and safety.
 •Responsible for department costs to budget through effective manpower planning, scheduling and overtime usage
 •Ensure compliance with customer specifications, quality standards, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), safety, health, environmental and other regulations
 •Ensure on-time and accurate production in the preparation of food/equipment and catering of flights
 •Investigate customer quality issues, develop and implement corrective actions
 •Maintain an ongoing, positive and pro-active relationship with all internal and external customers
 •Attend the daily operations briefing
 •Ensure par levels of customer inventory and customer specific goods
 •Provide data for the development of an annual business plan and budgeting for the department
 •Ensure optimal deployment of human, technical and material resources in the department
 •Initiate and control continuous optimization of processes
Leadership
 •Ensure that the area of responsibility is properly organized, staffed and directed
 •Guide, motivate and develop the subordinate employees within the Human Resources Policy
 •Participates in coaching the expanded Global Performance System (GPS) process, as well as additional career development activities to enhance the effectiveness and potential of the team
 •Make the company''s values and management principles live in the department(s)
 •Plan / Implement and control the cost budget in the area of responsibility; initiate and steer corrective actions in case of deviations
 •Participate and support company sponsored initiatives such as Global Quality Standard (GQS), HACCP, Lean Manufacturing, Employee Safety

The pay and overtime opportunities can be helpful, but in my experience, the work environment made the job very stressful and difficult to maintain long term.

Some of the main challenges included:

Lack of organization and communication between employees and management

Limited or inconsistent training, which often led to confusion about expectations

Frequent pressure to work faster while still being expected to maintain high-quality standards

A workplace culture that sometimes felt negative due to complaints, disrespect, and lack of teamwork

Managers expressing frustration about productivity without always offering support or solutions

Equipment and workflow issues that could be improved to help operations run more smoothly

The job also requires strict sanitation procedures, including wearing protective gear such as lab coats, masks, gloves, and hairnets, and starting very early shifts around 3 a.m., which may not be ideal for everyone.

Personally, I found the environment mentally exhausting because there was constant pressure and not enough cooperation between team members. I also felt there was inconsistency in how certain employees were treated.

The lack of organization, communication issues, and pressure to work quickly in a stressful environment. Fast-paced and highly structured, but at times it felt tense due to poor communication and workplace negativity. A physically demanding and fast-paced shift that often felt stressful because of constant pressure and workplace chaos.

I worked for LSG SkyChefs when they had a contract with JetBlue Airways as an Assembler for the snacks and beverages that are sold on airplanes. The job started out great, then members of management started to leave or retire, things went downhill from there. It's a union job so after 4 months of working a great schedule from 12 pm to 10 pm, 4 days a week, Monday through Thursday I had to bid on my new schedule. I ended up getting a shift from 3 am to 1 pm Friday to Monday which I hated. I had to take the train to work at midnight and wait in the office until 3 am. They changed the shifts three more times over the course of a year, just when you got used to one shift they would have another schedule bid, and change everything around. It was a very dirty place to work and if you complained they would make your life miserable, or find a reason to write you up. Most employees stole food, beverages, and other supplies, the security was horrible. The security should have been much better since these galley carts were going on airplanes which is mandated by the Federal government. The union was a joke, I applied to be a shop steward, and never got to attend training's or union meetings because my supervisor gave me a hard time about leaving to attend the meetings. We paid about $30 to $40 a week for union dues and we never got raises or better health insurance. It's no wonder this company lost their contract with JetBlue to Gate Gourmet.

- Coordinated and facilitated administrative processes between company personnel and other airline key personnel
- Efficiently distributed paychecks to employees throughout the company
- Created highly detailed and distinguished culinary catalogues of the meal that was catered to various and specific airlines, to include high resolution pictures of meals with their respective recipes, specific placement of the meals on plates, and location of the particular dishes on trays at quarterly basis throughout the year
- Synchronized with two airport software service systems, Sabre and Aspic, to reconfirm daily flight schedules within entire airport to efficiently and meticulously dispatch drivers to cater the meals and beverages to specific airlines within the drivers’ work shift
- Answered phone calls from numerous airline dispatchers and flight attendants in order to modify, change, or update any catering inquiries; which, in turn collaborated with Preset Department to respond to the critical task and synced with available driver to cater to airline
- Supervised and made efficient changes necessary of the work activity and performance of the Catering Coordinators and In-Flight Catering Specialists in order to provide timely, quality, and excellent catering service as per each airlines’ demands

A typical day at LSG Sky Chefs is just coming in,clocking in,loading your truck with the assigned meals and flight carts,and driving out onto the Area of Operation of The Airport. You have a specific timespan between leaving the kitchen/base to arriving to the designated gates. What I've learned from personal experience is how to actually drive a truck,keeping the food carts strapped down correctly,and time management. The management there are always keeping things moving for the other workers,just to keep the business afloat on a daily basis. It is also up to the drivers,guide people on the field,and cooks in the kitchen to run a very safe and contained environment.

The hardest part of the job is only when you first start working,where you have to learn everything very quickly,but you get the help you need from another co-worker,or a manager that is willing to help out. Another hard part of the job is working outside in some of the most extreme weather conditions. But hey,that's what makes it an outside job for the Drivers. Yet,the most enjoyable part of the job is CUSTOMER INTERACTION....I love it! And that's about it. Just keep mindful of your personal safety,surroundings,know your own strength,follow the rules,keep your timing tight,and stay focused on the task at hand at all times.

CSR for American airlines-international
You will spend 3-4 hours in a cooler checking and verifying that the food and drinks are all stocked in the airline cart before leaving the dock. You will then spend 2-4 hrs. on the tarmac meeting with the airline crew and verifying they got all that they needed for the flight. You will be exposed to the outside weather; you will need to climb stairs and walk a lot. This company has a lot of international workers some speak English, and some don't. You will need to be self-sufficient on your own and quick when it's necessary. Your co-workers will be there for you, but they won't take the fall for you if things go left. So be a quick study of the aircraft and KNOW where things are located. Be nice to everyone in sometimes a chaotic atmosphere. I found that the supervisors were stretched then and sometimes not present to help out.  If you say this out loud be ready to get some blow back or no help at all. The flight crew can be not so nice at first, I found that once you get to your 6 week and they have seen your face a few times there a little nicer. There even nicer if they see your trying your best to make their job easier and you care. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Cook 34 salaries reported	$20.67 per hour
Assembler 13 salaries reported	$16.93 per hour
Operations supervisor 25 salaries reported	$70,314 per year
Food preparation worker 11 salaries reported	$19.02 per hour
Caterer 7 salaries reported	$19.46 per hour

Working at SkyChefs: Company Overview and Reviews

SkyChefs

SkyChefs Ratings

Popular jobs at SkyChefs

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected