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Mouthy flight attendant refused to give her name

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Old Jul 27, 2012, 1:56 pm
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by aacharya
Because the OP met the FA later, and she was quite nice to him.

And I'm factoring in the 80 segments taken this year meeting pax and FA.

Seems a reasonable conclusion given the evidence.
I don't see where the OP said he met the FA later (IIRC, he said he met another FA from the same crew).

Your 80 segments is irrelevant to this particular FA's behavior IMHO. There are good and badly behaved pax, and good and badly behaved FAs around.

That said, I just feel there is too much sympathy in the US for FAs - anything they do or do not do seems to be ok.
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 2:00 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by aacharya
Because the OP met the FA later, and she was quite nice to him.

And I'm factoring in the 80 segments taken this year meeting pax and FA.

Seems a reasonable conclusion given the evidence.
I never spoke with Heather, just listened to her. I asked another FA for her name. And in all fairness, she appeared pleasant to other pax I heard her talking to. I'm glad she was more professional to others.

You can point fingers all you want at the pax and find excuses for bad the FA's bad behavior, but this FA was out of line. Regardless of how events transpired, bottom line is that there is no need for a FA to tell a pax "We're all adults here, you don't need to act like a child." There was no need for her to get sassy and say "Like now" 2 seconds after asking a pax to turn off a device. If more time had elapsed and the pax was still not complying, then a firm tone is warranted, but still catty remarks are not. If a pax is truly acting badly, a FA should have the right to be assertive and even forceful if really truly needed, but rude and mouthy - not in my book.
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 2:25 pm
  #33  
 
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If the FA really felt like "We're all adults here," then she would not have felt the need to hover over the passenger until he turned it off. Mention it once, do the aisle check, and if the pax still has not powered down by the time she walks back then hover. Without having witnessed the incident personally, it seems to me that the FA precipitated it.
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 2:42 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by billxmeredith
With all the lunatics out there nowadays - I don't think Flight Attendants should give there name - If you have the flight number and date of travel, UA can figure out from a description if it warrents further investigation.
Originally Posted by zombietooth
No, I don't think that pax are entitled to have the real names of the FAs. There is just too much social media BS out there to trust a stranger with your real name these days.
<snip>
There are a bunch of freaks living on the internet, and there shouldn't be any rule that forces an employee to give their real names to a customer.
<snip>
Unless of course you want to compliment a UA employee and enter them into a drawing as recognition for their good works.....
Then you need their full name and employee ID number...
hmmm.....

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...e-program.html
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 3:37 pm
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by CurbedEnthusiasm
Regardless of how events transpired, bottom line is that there is no need for a FA to tell a pax "We're all adults here, you don't need to act like a child." There was no need for her to get sassy and say "Like now" 2 seconds after asking a pax to turn off a device. If more time had elapsed and the pax was still not complying, then a firm tone is warranted, but still catty remarks are not. If a pax is truly acting badly, a FA should have the right to be assertive and even forceful if really truly needed, but rude and mouthy - not in my book.
I'm glad that you do see that there is a time that an FA may need to be firm. I have to take you at your word that the FA was really that snotty that quickly, and that the pax beside you didn't think or know it was time to power down.

It's not that it is a huge transgression in my book to be a little late with the power down. But it isn't a big deal to me either to have an assertive FA.

BTW . . . I hear catty and disrespectful comments MUCH more often from passengers to FAs.

Yes, an FA should never be disrespectful . . . same goes for a passenger. I have observed at least 3x stories of passenger disrespect for every FA that acts that way.

In close quarters like an airplane cabin, I just think mutual respect and people at least trying to be a little gracious is a very good thing for all onboard.
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 3:44 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by CurbedEnthusiasm
Was headed to DCA for a 6:00pm departure, got pushed back to 6:30, then we boarded and couldn't take off in time for the DCA 10pm curfew....
On a side note, I'm not aware of any curfew for landing at DCA. AA has daily flights from DFW scheduled to land around 1:30am. I wonder if UA just does not have ground crew in DCA at that hour, or they had other ulterior motives for sending you to IAD?
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 3:44 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by goodeats21
Unless of course you want to compliment a UA employee and enter them into a drawing as recognition for their good works.....
Then you need their full name and employee ID number...
hmmm.....

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...e-program.html
They should have employee ID #s like IRS agents. On their name tags they could put their first name only or a nom de plume.

I would have liked to recognize some FAs on my last few flights for doing an outstanding job, but I don't have, and do not want, a smart phone, so I can't participate. Instead, I just compliment them in person. If they choose to give me a business card, which many of the more senior FAs on the international flights seem to have, then I will write to 1KVoice (if there is even such a thing anymore--I think that our emails just go to regular CS) on their behalf.
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 3:45 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by zombietooth
No, I don't think that pax are entitled to have the real names of the FAs. There is just too much social media BS out there to trust a stranger with your real name these days. Look at that poor girl kayaking around the great lakes who got raped because she was followed from her postings on her blog.
Stop the drama and give me a break! No one is asking for anything other than her first name - not her full name and social security number that could be used to stalk her. That way the passenger can at least identify the first name of the FA along with the flight number to file a complaint. If the same FA accumulates numerous complaints (not just one) that would suggest that some counseling and/or a warning might be justified.
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 3:49 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by zombietooth
They should have employee ID #s like IRS agents.
+1. FAs do have employee IDs, but they are not required to provide them with every interaction like IRS employees. I think FAs should be required to provide their employee ID number and a first name if it is requested from a customer.
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 3:57 pm
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by DCBob
+1. FAs do have employee IDs, but they are not required to provide them with every interaction like IRS employees. I think FAs should be required to provide their employee ID number and a first name if it is requested from a customer.
We agree on this.

And I thought the OP wanted her full name because he didn't seem happy only knowing that her first name was "Heather".

Last edited by zombietooth; Jul 27, 2012 at 4:02 pm
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 3:58 pm
  #41  
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Immediate compliance with crew member instructions is an FAA regulation. I'm tired of passengers who knowingly violate FAA and airline regulations just so they can get one last text or one last phone call in. I honestly don't blame the FA for saying what she did. She probably felt like a second grade teacher -- only with ADULT students who should know how to follow the rules.

In addition, if there were an FAA inspector, the FA could be PERSONALLY fined for not insisting that the pax turn off their phone immediately. OP, would you be willing to pay that fine for the FA so your seatmate can get that last text in???
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 4:03 pm
  #42  
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Conclusion: two people, a pax and an FA, have no business being on an airplane.
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 4:08 pm
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by formeraa
Immediate compliance with crew member instructions is an FAA regulation. I'm tired of passengers who knowingly violate FAA and airline regulations just so they can get one last text or one last phone call in. I honestly don't blame the FA for saying what she did. She probably felt like a second grade teacher -- only with ADULT students who should know how to follow the rules.

In addition, if there were an FAA inspector, the FA could be PERSONALLY fined for not insisting that the pax turn off their phone immediately. OP, would you be willing to pay that fine for the FA so your seatmate can get that last text in???
Don't be ridiculous. The pax may not even have noticed that the door had been closed. Suggesting that FAs should give verbal attitude with customers because they did not comply within 2 seconds is absurd. The fact that there exist regulations is immaterial to how service reps handle their customers. FAs are customer service reps by virtue of being in a customer-facing position, and the FA in the OP certainly failed here.
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 4:10 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by gengar
Don't be ridiculous. The pax may not even have noticed that the door had been closed. Suggesting that FAs should give verbal attitude with customers because they did not comply within 2 seconds is absurd. The fact that there exist regulations is immaterial to how service reps handle their customers. FAs are customer service reps by virtue of being in a customer-facing position, and the FA in the OP certainly failed here.
Very well said. ^
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Old Jul 27, 2012, 4:16 pm
  #45  
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Had the announcement been made over the PA that the door was closed and all electronics should be turned off? Like I said earlier, too much missing information. A FA should never have to tell an individual to turn off their phone. Passengers should comply when the announcement is made. Can't tell you how many times I see passengers hide their phone when the FA walks by. Now that is childish.

So in this case I still won't pass any judgements yet because still not all the information is there. And only getting what the OP observed. Not enough context.
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