Here’s a letter from an unknown flight attendant that touches on almost every part of the flight experience that frequent and no-so-frequent fliers know all too well.
It is a reminder in this day of flight crews being booed and sued, and more and more canceled flights that the front line of pilots and flight attendants are as much victims of bad management as we, the passengers, are.
As this flight attendant so aptly says, “direct your hostility and frustrations in the direction where they will be most effective: The customer service department. They are the ones equipped to handle your complaint and implement procedures for change.”
When you do interact with your flight attendant, a smile, a kind word and a thank you go a long way — further than many of us know.
To the Flying Public: We’re sorry.
We’re sorry we have no pillows.
We’re sorry we’re out of blankets.
We’re sorry the airplane is too cold.
We’re sorry the airplane is too hot.
We’re sorry the overhead bins are full.
We’re sorry we have no closet space for your oversized bag.
We’re sorry that’s not the seat you wanted.
We’re sorry there’s a restless toddler/overweight/offensive smelling
passenger seated next to you.We’re sorry the plane is full and there’s no other seats available.
We’re sorry you didn’t get your upgrade.
We’re sorry that guy makes you uncomfortable because he “looks like a terrorist”.
We’re sorry there’s a thunderstorm and we can’t take off.
We’re sorry we don’t know when it will stop.
We’re sorry you’re crammed into a space so small that if you were an animal PETA would protest.
We’re sorry a Super 80 has no music or video entertainment for your 3 hour flight.
We’re sorry we ran out of your favorite soda.
We’re sorry there’s no more sandwiches.
We’re sorry that Budweiser costs $6.
We’re sorry we don’t have diapers for your baby.
We’re sorry we don’t have milk for same baby.
We’re sorry you can’t hang out by the cockpit door waiting to use the bathroom. We’re sorry you can’t hang out at the back of the airplane.
We’re sorry you have to sit down and fasten your seatbelt.
We’re sorry you have to put your seat up for landing.
We’re sorry we don’t know when we’re going to land.
We’re sorry we don’t know whether your plane to (substitute any city in the world) will be waiting for you when we land.
We’re sorry we’ve been diverted because we ran out of gas waiting to land.
We’re sorry for these and so many other things that we have absolutely no control over but which we are held accountable for EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Please understand. Flight attendants are not the enemy. We share your space. More than anyone – we want to have a nice, pleasant travel experience.
There is a reason behind everything we ask you to do. It may be a FAA directive. It may be security related. It may be a company procedure.
We don’t just make stuff up. We don’t spend 8 weeks at the flight academy learning how to pour a Coke. There are many things that flight attendants are watching for constantly on every flight FOR YOUR SAFETY.
It’s not because we’re bored or so controlling that we just enjoy telling people what to do. I, for one, would like to have one flight where I didn’t have to repeatedly tell people to put their seats up for landing. Seriously.
Can’t you just do what we ask sometimes? Without the glares, eye rolling and disdain? For the record – putting your seat up for landing may not seem that important to your personal safety. However, it is very important for the person sitting BEHIND YOU. If you have ever tried to get out of a row where
someone has their seat back you know it can be a challenge. Try grabbing your ankles (emergency brace position) or getting out of that row quickly with smoke in the cabin.Understand a little better now?
Many of the things we ask passengers to comply with are FAA directives. Like carry-on bag stowage and exit row requirements. When we can serve drinks (in the air) and when we can’t (after the aircraft door is closed or on an active taxi-way). We are only allowed to move about the cabin during taxi
out for safety related duties. We can’t get you blankets then, or hang coats, or get you drinks. It’s not because we don’t want to. It’s because we are held personally responsible if we fail to comply with FAA directives.Meaning that the FAA can fine us personally up to $10,000 if we fail to comply or enforce an FAA Directive. Like no bags at the bulkhead. No children in the exit row. No one moving around the cabin during taxi.
Perhaps now you know why flight attendants get a little testy when people move about the cabin when they’re not supposed to. It’s not the company that gets in trouble for that. It’s us.
Personally, I wish the airlines would show worst case scenario safety videos. Like what happens if you walk through the cabin during turbulence.
There could be a guy who has just fallen and smacked his face on the metal armrest and now has a bloody, gushing broken nose. Or an elderly lady who now has a broken arm because someone walking to the bathroom fell on her.
Maybe a passenger with a broken neck because somebody opened an overhead bin during turbulence and a suitcase fell out and onto the person sitting beneath it. These things can easily happen in a fast moving, unstable air environment.
Please just trust that we are looking out for your best interest and stop fighting with us about everything we ask you to do. It is exhausting.
Finally, please, please direct your hostility and frustrations in the direction where they will be most effective: The customer service department. They are the ones equipped to handle your complaint and
implement procedures for CHANGE.Think about it. Complaining to the flight crew about all your negative travel experiences is about the same as complaining to the office janitor because your computer isn’t working. It may make you feel better to vent about it – but it really won’t fix anything. More than anybody we are already aware of the lack of amenities, food, service and comfort on the aircraft. Please share your concerns with the people in the cubicles at corporate who need that information to make better decisions for the flying public.
It’s frustrating that so many people are in denial about what the travel industry is about now. The glory days of pillows, blankets, magazines and a hot meal for everyone are long gone. Our job is to get you from point A to point B safely and at the cheapest possible cost to you and the company. So be prepared. If you are hungry – get a sandwich before you get on the plane.
If it’s a 3 hour flight, anticipate that you may get hungry and bring some snacks. If you are cold natured – bring a wrap. Think for yourself and think ahead. Otherwise, don’t complain when you have to pay $3 for a cookie and are left with a crusty blanket to keep you warm.
We hear often that the service just isn’t what is used to be. Well, the SERVICE we provide now isn’t what it used to be.
When I was hired, my job was to serve drinks, meals, ensure that safety requirements were met and tend to in-flight medical issues.
Since 9/11 my primary job is to ensure that my airplane will not be compromised by a terrorist.
9/11 may be a distant memory now to many, but be assured that EVERY DAY a flight attendant reports to work he or she is constantly thinking about 9/11. We feel a personal responsibility to ensure that something like that never happens again. We can never relax. We can never not be suspicious
about someone’s intentions.It is difficult to be vigilant and gregarious at the same time. Especially when most of us are working 12 hour days after layovers that only allow 5-6 hours of sleep. Not because we were out partying and having a grand time on the layover – but because the delays that you experience as a passenger also affect us as a crew, so that what was a 10 hour layover is now 8 hours which doesn’t leave a lot of time to recover from what has become an increasingly stressful occupation.
Despite everything, I still enjoy being a flight attendant.
I am writing this letter because I do still care about my profession and about the public perception of flight attendants. In the increasingly challenging travel world it is becoming more imperative than ever for people to just be decent to each other. I can go through an entire day without one person saying anything remotely civil. I will stand at the aircraft door and say hello to everyone who enters and maybe 50% will even look at me and even less will say hello back.
I will try to serve someone a meal who can’t be bothered to take their headsets off long enough for me to ask them what they want. Most of the time the only conversation a passenger has with me is when they are complaining.
Is it any wonder why flight attendants have shut down a bit? After suffering the disdain of hundreds of passengers a day it’s difficult sometimes to even smile, much less interact. We are human. We appreciate the same respect and courtesy that passengers do.
The next time you fly, try treating the flight attendants the way you would like to be treated. You may be surprised how friendly your flight crew is when they are treated like people.
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I challenge any one to grab their ankles with the seatback up OR down with the current pitch of most aircraft.
I’m a paying passenger. I used to enjoy flying too. I used to smile all the time when traveling. I’m sorry I cannot smile any more when flying, maybe it’s because:
Your airline advertises low fares in large fonts, but never mentions the baggage fee (Or any of the mulitude of other fees) until check-in time.
Your airline seems to believe the only answer for a question is “No”
Your airline cannot seem to get my bags to my destination reliably even though I am now paying for the priviledge
Your airline blames the TSA or ATC for everything that goes wrong. Come on, sometimes the airline has to be at fault for something.
Your airline charges a few bucks for a bottle of water when the TSA does not allow me to bring a full bottle along from home.
Your airline allows the first half of passengers to board carrying more bags than my one small piece that I must now gate check since the overheads are now full. How is that fair?
Your airline can make me hours late for my journey with no hope of compensation, but if I am two minutes past the check in time (For whatever reason), I have to pay a change fee and probably a higher fare too. How is that fair?
Your airline puts you in a no win situation, true. But attitudes are contagious. Smiles beget smiles, frowns bring frowns. Maybe if you smiled more, you’d see some more in return.
Besides, as the old joke goes, “Smile, it makes people wonder what you are up to”
Great letter.
And the whole point is, it’s not his/her airline. It’s his/her employer. Would any of us want to be held responsible for every stupid decision made by our bosses? Would any of us want to be blamed when the actions of the CEO make providing and receiving good service nearly impossible?
This person has nothing to do with writing copy for advertisements or choosing font sizes for text.
This person has nothing to do with putting your checked bag on the plane.
This person has nothing to do with what TSA will or will not let you take on the plane.
This person does have control over whether or not he or she decides to smile and (hopefully) spread some cheer, absolutely. This person can also control how well his or her tasks are completed, and can probably go out of the way to do a little extra here and there to pleasantly surprise the passengers. All this person is asking is that when things go wrong, we take our comments and complaints where they matter — and that ain’t to the flight attendant!
I’m sorry this FA appears to dislike her job so much, despite her protestations to the contrary. I agree with almost everything she says except when she says “We’re sorry there’s a restless toddler/overweight/offensive smelling passenger seated next to you.”
If the gate agent doesn’t handle the overweight passenger before he/she gets on the plane and he/she is seated in part of my seat, it is your problem. I know that at least US has rules regarding this. It is not my job to make sure you reseat the overweight passenger or me, if there is a seat available. It is your job to reseat or remove the passenger. See “If a F/A determines a passenger needs a second seat, notify either a gate agent or supervisor, who will advise the customer of the situation.”
So, although I only had this situation come up once, I will contact the FA again should the need arise.
The anonymous author apparently assumes that airlines actually have a “customer service” staff who carefully examine customer concerns and complaints, and then diligently forward them to executives who actually care about responding to customer concerns and complaints. That’s of course an erroneous assumption. From the perspective of airline executives, “customer service” employees are “outside the value stream” and are among the first to be cut or outsourced. So it’s most likely that any complaints or concerns passengers bother to send them will either pile up on someone’s desk because there aren’t enough employees left to read them, or else be thrown in the recycle bin.
Even if complaints somehow get through the gatekeepers of those busy executives, they’ll fall on deaf ears. Airline executives care only about the survival of desperate their airlines as viable financial entities that can provide their compensation packages. Their priority is slashing and burning everything they can, dinosaurs devouring their own limbs and tails after the asteroid hit and killed off their food supply. They know they can squeeze and torment their paying customers because they have a transportation monopoly in this country. Anyone who doesn’t have time to drive, or who needs to go somewhere they can’t drive, will soon be right back at the airport no matter how terrible an experience flying is.
Flight attendants have good reason to complain. They’re being squeezed from all sides. Their bosses are continually cutting their pay, benefits, and working conditions even as the executives retain and even increase their bonuses and pensions. And flight attendants have to deal with passengers who have just as much reason to be angry and upset at the continuing deterioration of all aspects of air travel. Nobody on airplane today is happy, and everyone knows the airline executives don’t care about anything other than their own bonuses and pensions. It’s unfortunate that flight attendants are on the front lines and have to bear the brunt of all the unpleasantness.
In a perfect world, passengers and flight attendants would indeed recognize that the only thing they can do about the deterioration and unpleasantness is to bring a limitless supply of patience, smiles, and cheerfulness so that together everyone could help each other to rise above the circumstances to make flights as pleasant as possible. Unfortunately, those commodities are in very limited supply everywhere in today’s world. There’s no good practical solution other than to avoid flying whenever that’s possible.
This is great … Every member of the general flying public should be forced to read it before taking a flight. Some of us do still appreciate everything that flight attendants do. Just last week I had a flight where I didn’t get upgraded and ended up next to a very large person that took 1/3 of my space on a 3 1/2 flight. I didn’t say anything and just smiled to the flight attendants. When they served drinks I ordered a cocktail (much needed at that point). When they came by a second time I was given another no questions asked, no comments made – Just a smile and a faint wink! When getting off the plane the two flight attendants at the front both made a point of saying thank you.
Again, I for one truly appreciate everything that flight attendants have to deal with each and everyday. My hat goes off to you and thanks!
We’ve linked to this story today on our travel and photography blog.
Ron G gets it right. As a very frequent traveller, I’ve found that the staff (all levels) of airlines are almost always nasty to start out with. Just because someone was an asshole to you before me doesn’t mean I’m an asshole. So reset your attitude when the next customer shows up.
And blaming your employer while claiming you care about your profession is so bogus. If you know that your employer is causing you to treat people poorly, and you do it, then you are just as much to blame than they are. Get them to change (you have a union, right?) or get a different job.
Go fly an airline like Jet Blue and you’ll see that it can be done better and the people respond.
Any solution that requires everyone *else* in the world to behave well will never work. Let’s start by getting the airline staff that interfaces with the public to treat their customers like human beings and you’ll see a big improvement.
“Weather delay” my ass…
which is http://commonsenseandwhiskey.typepad.com
What this anonymouse forgets is that when we get on the plane, the flight attendants ARE the customer service. Even Southwest Airlines has stated time and again that they do CUSTOMER SERVICE that just happens to offer flights around the country. These front line customers ARE the customer service for the company they represent, and if they are going to be pissy with me, then I’m going to be pissy with them. Without us, the customer, they are NOTHING, and they NEED to try to satisfy the customers’ needs while balancing the company’s (and FAA’s) needs. If these anonymice can’t do that, then they have no business being our flight attendants on any plane, much less anywhere in customer service.
Start treating the customer with common sense and decency, and maybe then the airline industry will begin to improve.
FAs do have the power to do the right thing. I was recently on a flight where during taxi a woman stood up and started complaining that there wasn’t any space for her to change her baby on the flight. She was told to sit down. She refused. We had to go back to the gate. They told her to get off. She was screaming about how the airline hated mothers and families and babies and how awful everything was.
One of the FA’s said, “Ma’am, because you could not be seated during taxi, all of these people will be late for their connections. I hope you’re happy.”
She was taken off the plane, but I doubt charges were filed.
Props to the FA who told her off–everyone applauded her for doing so!
Phil R – your sentiments are exactly right on. I fly frequently and I make a point of treating everyone I encounter with respect. I enjoy smiling at and speaking to each flight attendant, pilot, gate agent, TSA worker, etc. I will admit that the basic travel experience is no longer fun but that will not stop me from making the best of it. If everyone could stop feeling so entitled and try living by the Golden Rule our experience would be commensurate with our needs.
I added my comment this morning from my vacation, then went on my way. I purposely toned down my reply, as I didn’t want to start a war. To me, Customer service is the number one issue facing any company. Sure, slick ads and a good salesman can sell anyone something the first time. Good customer service and support brings them back. Scowls and grimaces and a customer un-friendly attitude are the quickest way to lose them forever.
A few years back, I worked for a company that was failing. My job as Service Director was to ensure that every customer was supported as well as every customer before him. The company had a long history of good outstanding customer support. This was not going to end on my watch. With a shrinking staff and customer un-friendly policies coming from the accounting department, it got difficult. But I did my best.
As the person that spoke with the customers, and many times met them in person to repair their machines, I was the face of my employer as far as the customer was concerned. The customer did not care how unfairly I was treated. The customer did not care that I was told that there would be no more paychecks issued for the year (Three weeks before Christmas). The customer did not care that my 401K money was not being deposited in a timely manner after being taken out of my paycheck. The customer did not care that I had not had a raise in many years. The customer did not care that I had taken a 10% pay cut to keep my job.
I got yelled at when machines were delayed. I got yelled at when parts orders didn’t ship on time (Mainly because they didn’t have the money to buy anything from vendors they long before stopped paying). I was harassed by customer that asked why they had to pay for shipping a warranty part overnight. And you know what? I never shared these issues with them. Not once. I did my job to the best of my abilities. I smiled and maintained a good attitude in front of the customer.
When in front of the customer, I was the company. If I did a bad job, it reflected back on my company. If I did a good job, that reflected back as well. I treated customers as I wish to be treated; well. I took responsibility for my actions, as well as those of my company. To many people, the only live airline employees they see are the Ticket Agent and the Flight Attendant. They are the face of the airline to the customer. Right or wrong, that’s the way it is. The people that chose these careers have to understand that.
In the end, I had to make a choice. Did I want to become one of those burnt-out employees bitter at the customer, my employer, and the world? Did I want to leave a job I loved, or risk making my family homeless if the company failed when I wasn’t prepared? I chose to leave. It was a tough decision, but it was the correct one.
I, for one, will continue smiling to the Ticket Agents, Gate Agents and Flight Attendants as I work with them. Perhaps I’ll get a few to smile back. I know they have it tough. But please remember, there are many industries where some employers are not treating their employees well. Airlines do not have a copyright on poor employee relations.
I love the one about not standing in the aisle waiting to use the bathroom. So what, am I supposed to sit there with my eye trained on the restroom, and make comments to people who get up to use it ? “oh sry, I was next even though I’m just sitting here in my seat”. There is pretty much a steady stream of people using the restroom during a flight, if you don’t get up and stand in line how the hell can there be any order for using the facilities ? Maybe if the airlines had a queuing system, like I could hit a button and get a number and when the number is up it is my turn. But you can’t just say “don’t stand in the aisles” and then give customers NO WAY to have some kind of system to indicate who should be using the bathroom next.
That is a system begging for a soultion, but of couse the blame is placed on the consumer. Puh-lease.
Puh-lease,
With the airlines busy removing anything from the planes that remotely relate to improving the customer experience, I think the best you might get is a little ticket machine like they have at the deli department in the supermarket.
Take a number please……Now serving, number 5, number 5? Going once, going twice,.
Number 6, number 6 please?
a little kindness goes a long way. Thank the flight crew next time you disembark and answer them when they greet you. They are human too. You don’t have to beneath them if they are rude. They don’t get pay nearly enough for what they do. In this environment with airtravel, those who can leave already left and those who stay either loved the profession or can’t. Bring a empty bottle and some drink mix to the airport and fill it up post security. Better yet, bring < 3.5 oz of alcohol or whatever plus snacks to make your life easier.
I would direct the anger toward management and management should take a page out of Whole Food in terms of executive compensation. Don’t forget Southwest winning is because they hedged and very efficient at what they do. If you are unsatisfated about the airline, buy a share of their stock and go to the annual meeting and write to the executives. After 1000 or so of those letters a day, they either get the point or be numb about it. I bet somewhere deep down there, those executives still have a conscience.
Ultimately, if all else fails, let your wallet do the talking.
Dear Mr. or Ms. Flight Attendant:
I agree with many of your points. It appears we have never flown together before, because I always say hello, please and thank you, and thank you again on the way out (if you are not in the back where I can’t easily do so). I’ve been known to write complimentary notes to customer service. I don’t know if these get back to you, but I do get an acknowledgment that they have been received.
it bothers me when someone shows up in first class wearing shorts and flip flops. It probably bothers you, too. It bothers me when said person walks barefoot into the lavatory, and it probably bothers you, too.
I appreciate what you and your colleagues do for me when I fly. I appreciate it when I ask for decaf in coach and you go get some for me. I can’t have a lot of caffeine, but I do enjoy a warm cup of coffee now and then.
I hope you weren’t the one who rolled her eyes once when I asked for a couple of extra napkins. You see, I could tell that a previous passenger had eaten a croissant, because most of the crumbs were still attached to my tray table. I didn’t ask you to clean it, nor did I complain about it. I just asked for extra napkins. I was perfectly willing to use some of my $2.50 bottled water to wipe off the tray, but I needed to dry it off before putting my laptop on it. While you were rolling your eyes, your colleague on the other side of the cart was not-very-nicely telling people they couldn’t have a whole can because there weren’t enough sodas to go around for the 3-hour flight. Needless to say, this crew didn’t get any thank you notes at the end of the trip.
I enjoy flying, at least the physical/science aspect of it, but I agree that the experience inside is a little lacking.
What the heck is this girls problem? what is her job? I fly alot and the FAs rarely smile upon arrival or during the flight. for that matter unless it is a good looking male. They usually are sloppy looking and hair looks like they just climbed out of bed. If she doesnt like her job get out. Use your letter as an application for another job and see what response you get from future employer. Good luck your goona need it.
What is wrong with wearing flip flops in first class? If I fly 100,000 miles per year and my airline of choice choosed to upgrade me on my way to a Caribbean vacation, I’m not going to change my shoes because some bitter jerk in coach doesn’t think I’m worthy.
It’s clear that the people who have dumped on this flight attendant are the very people who make flying a pain in the you-know-what. I fly every week and in my extensive experience, 95 to 99% of the in-flight problems are created by passengers, not FAs. My overwhelming experience with FAs have been positive. Maybe that’s because I actually understand what a FA can and cannot control and don’t blame them or act like a jerk when circumstances beyond their control arise.
If you don’t like flying today, take the train or drive or stay home. The frequent flying public will thank you for it. If you claim your job makes you fly, maybe you need to find a different job.
I find this string of messages very interesting must admit, am often conflicted about the attitude of FAs myself. I usually fly first class because of certain physical limitations. I pay full price and make other sacrafices in my life to do so.
I am very aware that the primary job of the FA is my safety. I feel safe on most American carriers because I am aware of the training FAs go through and the time the pilot takes to ensure a safe trip for every passenger.
Having said that, it certaintly would be a plus if the FA, male or female, was well groomed without greasy hair or hair flying in the food. A smile, on both my part and that of the FAs goes a long way. It’s a non-verbal agreement that says, ‘we’re here together for a period of time, so let’s treat eachother with respect.’
I don’t think we can make generalizations about all FAs. I’ve seen some help folks with their bags, and I’ve seem some stand by to watch the elderly sturggle. I’ve seen some American Airline FAs serve drinks in first class before take off, and some say, ‘i’m sorry, we can’t do that before take-off.’ It seems to be up the the FA on American, whereas on Delta, first class always gets a before-take-off drink. On some flights, the FAs greet you as you board, and on others, they do not. (Interestingly enough, on Virgin Atlantic and domestic, they ALWAYS say hello.) American Airlines FAs, while pleasant during the flight, always seem to be doing something else during boarding, like discussing their future trips, their families, or getting things ready since American ALWAYS seems to be ‘catered late.’ I will state, however, that these men and women make me feel secure so I don’t feel too bad about any of this.
In the end, although we may have the need to moan and vent, we arrive safely to our destinations. And believe me, safely means more to me than a blanket, a morsel of food, a driink, or a smile. I am quite confident in these men and women who watch over us, and thank them.
I wear shorts, tshirts, flipflops, PJ pants etc in First class. And if you have a problem with that, STFU.
Why? Because when I travel, I often have to be on a plane for 10+ hours, not counting layovers and I want to be comfortable!
The anonymous author forgot these ones.
We’re sorry this flight is 3 hours late. We worked 16 hours yesterday, got 4 hours sleep and here we are again.
We’re sorry you think the pilots even slept last night.
We’re sorry you thought you were getting a plane full of 110lb blonde 23 year old flight attendants.
We’re sorry about the 79 year old flight attendant. We wish she would retire too.
We’re sorry you didn’t bring a pen to fill out a customs form.
We’re sorry you’re thirsty. You should have grabbed a drink while you waited in the terminal for the 3 hour delay.
We’re sorry we won’t join the mile high club with you in the lav. 500 people crapped in there before noon today.
We’re sorry the a-hole in front of you put his bags above your seat in row 10 and took his seat in row 37.
We’re sorry the other a-hole by you snores so loud, you can’t hear the movie with your headphones on loud.
We’re sorry you booked your connecting flight to leave 13 minutes after this one is suppossed to land.
We’re sorry that smells, we have to gas too, and we’re not going to let it rip in the back where we’re eating the left overs.
I think that most FAs are friendly and do their job well, especially with the demands made upon them by the government, their employers and passengers. There are good and bad employees in every profession. I think that the minority of bad FAs taints the many who are good.
However, I also think that passengers’ behavior has deteriorated incredibly over the years. The very nature of air travel has changed. Most passengers – even children – still manage to act mature. Again, the minority of rude or unruly passengers taints the majority of well-mannered ones.
Can’t we all just agree that some FAs suck and some passengers suck. If you’re an FA, treat the jerks like jerks, but don’t let that carry on to the remaining passengers. If you’re a passenger, try not to be one of those jerks. If the passenger in front of you is a jerk, smile at the FA and acknowledge that you witnessed the event and he/she will be reminded that the jerk represents the minority. In a perfect world people would not allow one person’s behavior (whether a passenger or FA) to influence their treatment of others. But, human nature usually doesn’t allow for such a rapid recovery. For a few hours we are all a community, so how about we end the adversarial relationship and work together?
Today’s challenge: FAs look around and see how you and your co-workers are treating the passengers and ask if you would accept such treatment from any other service professional. Passengers look around and see how other passengers are treating the FAs and ask yourself if you would accept such treatment from these people with a smile on your face.
As a flight attendant myself, i have to say that while I agree with everything said in the original post, I also agree with most of what has been said in response. First, there is no excuse for rudeness. Not on the part of the flight attendants/ticket agents, gate agents, etc., and not on the part of the customers.
I love my job and I take pride in what I do. I really am sorry that my company has chosen to cut back on amenities, food, pillows, etc. Frankly, it would make my job a lot easier (as it used to be) when I did have those things to offer to my customers for free. I always try to smile and look directly at people when I speak to them. I try to remember that the people who don’t smile back are probably the ones who need my smile the most. For many years now, I have made it a point to remember the nicest passenger on every single one of my flights. It might have been because of a smile, a comment, a thank you, a hello, or maybe a nice conversation. But for me, the people who choose to be jerks even though I’m doing my best to make your flight an enjoyable experience are probably unhappy people off of the airplane too. Even so, I treat them with kindness and a smile.
As one person said, there are flight attendants who are jerks and there are passengers who are jerks. I’ve seen appalling behavior on both sides. There’s no excuse for it. Yes, we’re often very tired. We are often underpaid. We’re often forced to fly when we’re sick because of our company’s attendance policy. We’re sometimes just having a bad day. But my own feeling about this is that by taking any or all of that out on my customers, I’m making it harder on everyone including myself. Having worked as a flight attendant for many years, I can honestly say that the vast majority are kind, caring, generous, friendly people. While the job certainly has gotten more stressful since 9/11, and while we can be held personally responsible and fined up to $10,000 by the FAA for not enforcing their regulations, most of us still try to do our job to the best of our abilities with the tools that we are given. We DO write reports to the company when there are problems. Do you honestly think that the executives care about what we tell them? We tell them anyway, but what they care about most is the bottom line and their bonuses. They listen FAR more to the customer than they do to the employees. Even though we might see the same problem on 50 different flights and report it 50 different times, 10 letters from customers will make more of a difference than our 50 reports.
I would love to see service levels back to what they used to be. I enjoyed serving chilled vodka with caviar, carving Chateaubriand in the aisle, actually having enough entrees so that I never ran out of a choice, etc. Unfortunately, those days are over. I’ve had to lower my expectations of what I have to work with. The public must lower their expectations of what will be available on a flight. But as I said at the very beginning, there is never an excuse for rudeness. We really are sorry when we can’t accommodate your needs. We don’t think you’re “a jerk” for asking. We just think you probably haven’t flown for a while. And yes, we do apologize dozens of time per day for things that our not our fault and that we have no control over. And yes, that does get frustrating sometimes.
The bottom line here is that my job as a flight attendant has numerous aspects to it. One of them is being a customer service representative. I, for one, am happy to do that job. I enjoy it. I sometimes just wish that people were a bit more appreciative of not only that aspect of my job, but of all of the other aspects of my job as well.
Thanks for listening, and I honestly look forward to seeing you on my flight. I hope you’ll smile and say hello back when I welcome you on board, and I hope you’ll leave feeling happy that we met.
See… we really aren’t the enemy!
Brian
As far as I can tell, the flight attendant isn’t any more responsible for the problems associated with your travel experience as the ride operator at Disneyland is responsible for the $10 hot dog. It just seems easier to blame the ride op or flight attendant because they’re the most visible person in the company. There are people who just want to be heard, and hope in the back of their minds that the person they are sounding off to might pass the word along in the hopes said issue will not reoccur. There are people who complain because they are trying to get something for nothing. There are people who complain because they can’t stomach the thought of going from A to B without finding something wrong with their experiences. Flight attendants, like ride operators, are not responsible for everything going wrong in your life or in your travel experience, and they don’t deserve to be treated as such. If you don’t like the demeanor or attitude of an attendant, don’t ask them for something; find another attendant or find a way to go without. If you are appalled, give them a little nod on the way out and write a letter to their company. Either way, unless you are consistently on their carrier, you won’t likely see them again. Be happy with that. But they didn’t create the delay, nor are they responsible for the $10 hot dog. That’s all they want you to realize.
I am not traveling via jet plane unless I have an absolute need. The airline industry has devolved to such an extent that it is not worth my money to travel with them.
I realize that this will be read by other people like me, ie, pay your fare and put up with everything. THere are always 2 sides. I travel a good bit, internationally and domestically. I am often struck by how lacking in grooming and manners travelers are. Is it to much to that a passenger will wear clothes instead of jammies when they are flying? THe over heads are full because very few people actually adhere to policy, and the gate agent does not enforce policy-1 personal item one other carry on not larger than—. I see people with three carry ons, duty free bags, etc. THen I have been on aircraft where one of four available toilets are out of service and the others are constant lines, where you are told sit down do not que, but gee how else can you use the toilet on a 12 hour flight? Civility and adherance to policy would be a good answer. If a customer doesn;t like it they can fly another airline. IF a flight attendant stays up all night on a layover and is kinda of hung over (yep, I have friends in the biz) that is not an excuse to behave badly to a customer.
I completely agree with everything the author said in the article. FAs have to deal with a lot of crap about things that aren’t under their control. They should always be cordial and offer a smile; however in this day and age of “it’s all about me,” it gets harder and harder to do that. Having worked with the public for many years I have come to realize that customers are not willing to be personally responsible for their behavior. It’s the bank’s fault, the cashier’s fault, anyone’s fault except their own. Working with the public is EXHAUSTING, no matter how much you enjoy your job.
In all the times I have flown there was only one time where I encountered an FA that was less that friendly. No matter what I did she just wouldn’t smile or engage. She seemed like a very cold person to begin with. She was the exception though. And I have never seen a poorly groomed FA. Not sure where the other posters are seeing these people.
“There is a reason behind everything we ask you to do…”
As an FA I have no problem with complaints for things beyond my control. Been working in customer service too long for that. However, please, when we ask you to do something it isn’t just because we are on an ego trip. As part of our training we study dozens of air crashes to drill home the importance of safety (and have plenty of nightmares during this time, and wonder what the heck we’ve got ourselves into).
Everything is base on worse case scenarios. Sure, we probably won’t crash… but what if we DID? They do happen. It could be today, this flight, all of us struggling to get out.
Your reclined seatback prevents the person behind you getting out, as does your upright armrest, which could flip backwards in a crash. Obviously, this goes for your tray table too.
The floorspace at your feet is part of your emergency path, as is the aisle. Your bag is going to cause you or your neightbour to trip, possibly smashing into an armrest. If it’s behind your feet during impact it could break your ankles (an effect of inertia) severely impeeding your chances of getting out, and that of the person you are now blocking.
None of the cabin crew have a view outside the plane during takeoff and landing. The pilots do not have rearview mirrors. Therefore we like your window shades to be open so you will be aware of any engines on fire and pass it on to crew.
Your phone needs to be off because it may affect navigation equipment and also communications with the control tower. You know that noise when your phone is next to a speaker…. Imagine 400 of those. And yes, you think it’s ok, because it’s just you leaving your phone on, it won’t matter, but everyone else is thinking the same thing.
Your seatbelt needs to stay on until the aircraft STOPS. Planes can move pretty quick during taxi. Would you only tell your kids to belt up once you’re going 100mph?
Talking during the safety demo? Sure, you might be a frequent flyer, but what about the people around you who can’t hear it because of your yapping? It could be their first flight. Your amazing story can wait the five minutes it takes. And if it’s being performed by a real live FA, then it’s just plain manners.
I would love to run through this every time someone bitches about having to turn off their ipod or put up their seat, but apparently airlines don’t like us to remind pax that they could die in a firey hell. It’s a bit of a downer. So next time the mean FA asks you to do something to prepare for takeoff or landing, just nod and smile and do it, please, for everyone’s sake. Chances are, it’ll all be fine. But do really want to be that person that caused harm because you just had to have your handbag within reach, or check your messages the second you land?
Happy travels and may all your fellow passengers never snore!
Somebody needs a really big hug
I am nice and polite in all the circumstances you mention, but when flight attendants are horrible to me because I’m disabled, I do lose my temper a bit. Ignorance on that count is hard for me to deal with. What I need as a traveller with a wheelchair is for people not to make assumptions and to listen for a minute to what I say that I need.
* I don’t want to be touched and grabbed. It’s completely disrespectful. It throws me off balance. Let go of my arm. And listen when I say I don’t want my wheelchair pushed.
* I’m not going to give you my cane to store in an overhead compartment. It folds up and fits under the seat.
* I have strong feelings about flight attendants putting their own luggage in a front cabinet where my wheelchair could easily be (and by law, is supposed to be) stored. I can break down my own wheelchair in 10 seconds and fold it up. You the flight attendant can put your bag in the overhead bin. If the airline loses my wheelchair or damages it in the cargo hold, well, think about that for a minute please. It’s not like losing a couple of outfits and some shampoo. It’s like *losing my $5000 legs*. Out of dozens of flights, only one has allowed me to put my chair in the cabin.
I know there are some good flight attendants out there. But, the young stupid ones who are there only to chase the pilots make you all look bad. Do you think that a flight attendant from a regional airline would have been able to handle the situation if her plane had to make a forced landing in the Hudson?????
Dorothy,
That is a very strange comment you have made above! Regional flight attendants are trained to the same standards as main line flight attendants are. We are prepared to respond to all types of emergency situations. When we prepare the cabin for every take-off and landing we are preparing for a possible emergency situation.
I’ve been a flight attendant for the last 23 years in a Mexican Airline, the letter is absolutely true, great and accurate. All around the world any F.A. can relate to this, I have just now retired and will be at the passenger side, but we all need passengers to stop being so self minded and more respectful to the people that offer a service, we are humans too.
Excellent!!!
You should fly with Mexicana Airlines, we are quite friendly and smiling even when you fly in flipflops and look and smell like a homeless, even when your breath smells like an old beer and you treat us like we’re obliged to carry your luggage, which is not our job, our airline doesn’t pay my medical bills if I injure it because of the weight of YOUR luggage.
We even smile when you don’t even answer to our questions, this person has just written the truth.