mapleg

Hard to imagine someone who freaks out because a passenger wants a Diet Coke. Some of those people need to be sent for counselling somewhere, or really, sent to a job where they no longer interact with the public in any shape or form.

LIH

99% of my experiences with UA FAs range from marginal to great, 100% of which are totally fine with me, you can't win them all. I think I comport myself reasonably well on airplanes, keeping in mind that travel is generally stressful for people (employees included). I have walked off a number of flights with a bottle of wine or champagne (back when they had the real stuff) for what I would like to think is my amenable attitude toward otherwise FUBAR'd situations.

With that said, maybe six years ago on an LIH > LAX overnight flight I was unceremoniously "cut off" up in F on the old 757s by one of those wonderful 100 year old FAs that love those routes. That was after exactly one drink in air and zero drinks that day prior to the flight. She didn't even tell me (had another FA do it). Apparently, I ordered a refill too quickly and she thought I was a danger to myself. This was pre-CPU days and the F cabin was actually nearly empty (me and maybe 4 other pax across all six rows). I was a 1K at the time but only 24 years old or so, I always just figured it was either that she figured I was up there by the grace of someone else's upgrade or that she saw me as a hurdle between an otherwise relaxing shift for her given the nearly empty F cabin.

In any event, I obviously didn't raise any issue on the flight, just took it in stride and fell asleep (frankly, she probably helped me fell better upon landing at LAX). With that said, I did write a letter to UA just explaining what had happened and basically just stating that it made me feel uneasy for that entire flight and that I didn't appreciate being made to feel like a bad actor when I couldn't think of a single thing I had done that was at all obtuse toward her, even after racking my brain. They didn't give compensation but I did get a custom response that said my note would be registered in the FAs file. I'm sure she was counting down the days/hours to retirement so it had no impact, but I did at least appreciate the acknowledgment of some kind of process.

blueman2

This is why I never report any issue at all with personnel during a flight. You are just asking for some power tripping FA to kick you off the plane and have your name put on an FAA watch list. iluv2fly was lucky in this case.

catocony

He didn't report the rude FA, he simply went to a different one to get his drink. the rude FA then escalated when he saw the passenger with the forbidden drink.

FA's have no power to put anyone on an FAA watch list. They can report an incident, but they certainly don't have that level of power. As shown by the fact that the captain never got involved and the purser backed the passenger up.

NeedstoFly

Airlines in J and F are selling a luxury product. Would you accept the same level of service in say a Prada store or a Ritz Carlton hotel? That's the standard they should be judged against.

BearX220

Most striking to me was seeing a minibus-load of UA crew storm the Sydney Harbour Marriott one morning, fresh from working a flight in from the States -- florid, disheveled, rude, profane, shouting at each other, shoving other guests aside as they rolled through the lobby -- they obviously despised the "traveling public." Saying they were a disgrace to the uniform is sort of a punch line, but it was indelibly true in this case. Incredible contrast to the impeccably coiffed, groomed, and polite Asian FAs who gaggle quietly in hotel lobbies in Vancouver, San Francisco, etc. knowing they are walking advertisements for their company. So are UA's, but not in a good way.

"FAA watch list" or not, the FAs hold all the cards in flight and you have to sit down, shut up, and mind your temper. I once had a (non-UA) FA attempt to get me thrown off a morning flight because I had seen her and her crewmates in a hotel bar the prior evening (I'd been vouchered in there owing to an irrops cancel) and acknowledged as much as I boarded. Me trying to be friendly, but the FA went berserk and seemed to think I was suggesting she was drunk on the job. Never again have I initiated meaningful contact with an FA until I have satisfied myself through observation that he or she is not nuts. More than a few are.

PaulInTheSky

And this is also what happens when one wants to cash in a fat check of severance pay while waiting for the employer to fire her.

I agreed with your actions, OP. Try to complain to Customer Care afterwards. This is getting ridiculous. If you don't mind I was asking, which route?

PVG, NRT, or SYD, or...?

brewdog11

This is something that US airlines have a major problem with. Airlines across the board are introducing fabulous new F and C products, but people aren't going to pay the dollars F and C require to be treated rudely.

For example, the new 777-300ER over at AA has arguably the best J product in the sky for a US airline. However, rotten crews are not dealt with and continue to serve on these flights. On a DFW-LHR flight, I was even criticized for getting up and going to the lavatory as if I were treading in the crew's turf (no, I was not in or around the galley or near the jump seat).

You did the right thing by staying quiet. Over a year ago, we had a genuinely rude FA on a domestic midcon. My seatmate told a terrible FA that he didn't care for her tone. She returned with accusations that he was intoxicated and told him that the flight may be forced to land at another airport if he kept it up. That was tense...

samjnz

After living in SF for about 4 years now (moving from New Zealand), I've always tried to avoid UA on long haul given the horror stories I hear (flying ANA, Air Canada and AirNZ instead).

Last year I found a GF seat on the SFO-TPE flight and thought, what the heck I'll give it a go.

Half way through the flight I go up to the galley (to avoid hassling the flight attendant with the call button) to ask for a hot chocolate to a flight attendant reading a magazine and was promptly scolded:

Me: "Hi. Can I get a hot chocolate?"
Her: "We've never had that!! Where are you sitting?! Are in you in this cabin?!"
Me: "2A"

I mean, there were only two rows in the entire cabin yet I was still treated like an imposter.

AndyPatterson

Someone upstream suggested recording all conversations with rogue FAs. Well, if you do that, make sure they don't know you are recording them! There's a UA (? not FAA) ban on photographing the crew, and that probably extends to audio-recording the crew.

BF263533

In all my international business and first class trips I cannot think of a single less than excellent FA's on foreign carriers. Even Northwest with the aging FA's some who wore the old wigs, I was just so impressed and very grateful for their excellent, attentive and friendly service.

rubystone

Welcome to United.

Sorry to say this. This is why I gave up on United. Really unfriendly gate agents and FA's I encountered caused me to take my ~$75K annual air travel budget outside of United.

JVPhoto

LHR-EWR 767 in GF I had the FA say "this is the first class bathroom!"
I turned around expecting it to be the one who wasn't serving me food for the past 2 hours but it was her. I said..."I'm in 2A...."

...."oh, okay."

porciuscato

The law on this is a little tricky:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_recording_by_civilians


I wouldn't try it.

Channel 9

We had a very surly "senior mama" FA recently LAX-NRT BF on the dreamliner. I asked if the chicken dish was white meat, to which she said "I don't eat the food. I don't know." After some more surliness, my very friendly wife chatted her up - and from that point on we got on great. Been flying 43 years she said, and started sharing some of her interesting stories.

I guess sometimes it is just making a bit of an effort on our part to be friendly, and that probably goes a long way in their minds.