UAgeek71

I was just recently on the morning LHR-ORD flight in Paid Z, sitting by the window. The gentleman next to me sat down, and we didn't really chat, as he was busy reading, and doing lots of work.

We had the all too spotty service by the FA's on this flight, (just as we ft'ers have heard and read about) where the FA's very quickly rushed the meal out, then went in the galley, pulled the curtain and were no where to be found.

My seat mate seemed a bit irritated that his water glass was empty, and fairly vocal about the absence of FA's from the cabin, so he hit the FA call button. FA came out, and he got his water, and things were back in balance. About 20 mins later, he hit it again. FA came back out, but I was in the middle of a movie, so I did not hear what he needed, but it appeared to be resolved. Another 30 mins, same drill.

Another 30 minutes or so, again goes the FA call button.

At first, I thought he was a bit demanding, and felt a slightly embarrassed by sitting next to him. I usually follow the golden rule, and treat the FA's how I would want to be treated. Always say Thank you, etc. I could see the FA's attitude getting more terse with every "ding". The process repeated itself on a regular basis for quite some time. Then I noticed a trend. Several other pax in the Cabin were following his lead, and calling the FA's via the call button, to get what ever it was they needed.

Fortunately, no one was overly annoyed by this, and the overall tension level was not too high to cause any major incidents.

I know that there have been many threads on hit or miss intl. Service lately on UA. I fly TPAC in C about 4 times per year, and this flight was probably one of the worst in terms FA absence post meal. The overall service was good to above average when the FA's were present. They were all happy, smiling, and attentive. Once the meal was done, as I stated above, the absence was very noteworthy.


My questions to the group are:

1. was my seat mate's choice to constantly call the FA's the correct response to his perceived lack of service, or was he in fact just a major jerk trying to prove a point.

2. Since it was the first time I had seen the FA call button go on more than once time in a flight, what is the general level of usage, in terms of how many times has anyone heard them go off on a given flight?

dlnewbie

I try not to use it if at all possible. I think I get perceived better by the FA if I interrupt their pow-wow and act really nice to them. In the last three years I think the only time I've used it was when on a NW flight from DTW-LGW when a passenger fell unconscious right in front of my seat. (Of course, they didn't come so I had to run back to the galley.)

lucky9876coins

While your seatmate should use basic manners ("please" and "thank you"), I see nothing wrong with using the call button repeatedly. It has a picture of someone with a tray and a glass on it, so I think the purpose is pretty clear. I also tend to overuse the call button when the crew is particularly lazy, although I'll still be nice. If it's a good crew I'll happily stretch my legs and get something myself.

Since all of my international travel is on airlines other than UA, I rarely see the call button used. Why? Because I typically fly airlines where all FA's are attentive enough to figure out when a passenger might need something without them asking. Of course many UA FA's are like that as well, but it's hit-or-miss.

ryan182

10000000% correct, what was he suppose to do? If the FAs don't want to hear the call button hows about they do their job and walk the cabin@:-)

Filling water glasses is really the most basic of task and its completely foreseeable that people will get dehydrated on long flights. I say good for him!
My rule is, if I find myself needing something and an FA is near I ask, if not I press the button. I'm not sure why people are so hesitant to use the call button.

roadkit

If the FA's were doing their job, then your seatmates approach would not be necessary.

sfolawyer

One could certainly employ the call button in a rude manner, but this sounds appropriate. The FAs should not be hiding in the galley. Based on what I've observed over the years, it's clear to me that UA trains the FAs to wander up and down the aisles on a regular basis scanning pax for those who need something. I've just seen this over and over, but I've also seen the disappearing act, which I'm sure is against training and just against common sense in providing good service in a premium cabin.

rjque

Because the FA's who announce that they are "primarily here for your safety" also like to ask "what's your emergency?" when the call button is used. I personally use the button but remain exceedinlgy polite even for the bad FA's. If they want to treat my empty glass of gin and tonic an "emergency" then more power to 'em.

John26

As stated in the FAOM, at a minimum FAs should perform water service every 30 minutes, and other beverages are encouraged.

As we used to teach the FAs: If you have sufficient cabin presence, call lights should never need to go off in the premium cabins (unless there is an emergency or a demanding customer), and will be rarely used in United Economy.

Another thing we would teach is that once 1 call light goes off, the system can light up like a switchboard. So again, make frequent passes through the cabin and you can avoid the call light issue almost completely.

sfolawyer

Incidentally, I avoid using the call button, preferring to wait until an FA walks down the aisle and I can catch his/her eye or I will just take a walk and find them. But if I don't see them for awhile and don't want to get up (say because I have work items all set up), I will push the button. Most of the time, the FA is professional; probably more than half the time, they are friendly and even apologetic that I had to push the button. Only rarely are they hostile but I have seen it happen. (Sometimes, I choose to seek out an FA who seems nice rather than an FA who is clearly exhibiting a bad attitude; this is so unfair to the good FAs, I know.) And let me say that I am always very polite -- may I have this, please, thank you, etc., as any civilized person should be.

1kBill

Probably.

Perhaps, but so what? The only problem I might have with this is if it is disturbing to people trying to sleep.

IMHO, the FA's should "walk the cabin" regularly - once an hour at an absolute minimum - just to check on people, refill glasses, whatever. If they don't, then too bad for them.

Of course, one should always be polite, and that's regardless of service level, or lack thereof. One does not need to be rude.

elitetraveler

I personally like to get up just to stretch my legs and for circulation. That said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using the call button when a service item is needed. An attentive FA would have taken the cue and started checking back on a more regular basis. Of course, whomever changed the welcome announcements about 10 years ago to start "We're here primarily for your safety..." made a huge mistake in that it re-enforces to the slackers every flight that the only have to do the minimum. I would take issue with a FA who was unhappy I used my call button.

FCfree

I would agree that if the FA's are not being attentive, then the customer has every right to use that call button.

In this humorous Southwest Airlines commerical, the FA of "another airline" has a solution for those who would ring the call button too often. Watch all the way through to get to the part about the call button.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ccinu-bY3s

BostonHockeyGuy

How much did you pay for your ticket? How much did your seat mate? Supposing he paid $7000 round trip? Not out of the question if he paid full C. For that amount of money, the FA should not only not be bothered by the use of the FA call button, they should thank him every time for the privilege to serve him. I find it SO irritating to pay top dollar for plane tickets both INTL and transcon and have to beg and feel like you are putting the FA's out to fill your glass with water. I wake up from overnight flights and my mouth feels like the sands of Jeddah. Even if he was proving a point, I thank him for reminding the FA's that they do have a job and responsibility especially for those in premium cabins. When I am dying of thirst and I walk up and the FA's are sitting in their jump seats reading US magazine, it is all I can do to not say something.

If FA's are there primarily for your safety and don't want to serve you....fine, make certain things in the premium cabins self service such as soda, coffee and water. Otherwise, EARN MY REPEAT BUSINESS!!!!!

Having said that, I have not used the FA call button once in the last 20 years except accidentally when turning on the light! It is part of my God-fearing upbringing where I believe I am supposed to suffer and wait. What most likely would have happened with me is that I would have waited and waited and waited getting more and more frustrated and angry and then I would have spoken harshly to the FA about the lack of service. I wish I was more like the guy who sat next to you. This particular issue is the reason I now will not fly UA internationally except as a very last resort. On BA, it is almost the opposite, where they are asking you if you want tea every 20 minutes.

If you are paying a lot of money, there is nothing wrong with expecting service in return. I have paid as much as $15000 for a RT business class ticket to Europe. That works out to $1000/HR and is half the price of a decent car. It is wrong to step off a flight where you paid a premium and need to go to the RCC to get something to drink.

robinhood

Even if the guy were pushing the button to "retaliate" in some way for bad service, the fundamental problem is that the service was bad in the first place. I personally never use the call button any more on domestic carriers because at least half of the time it's completely ignored and another 20% of the time you get attitude, as if pushing the button is SUCH an imposition.

In comparison, on ANA, FAs routinely station themselves throughout the cabin when not doing a meal or beverage service and scan the cabin like hawks. It gets to the point where you're afraid to look at them because any eye contact will cause them to come over and ask you if you need anything. What does ANA do right that UA does so wrong?

blue_dolphin

Every 30 min for a water top up sounds completely reasonable in a premium cabin. OTOH, I have witnessed pax using the button to summon an FA repeatedly to inquire about potentially missed connections for both pax and baggage, destination weather, and various customs/immigration irregularities. And I've heard said FAs patiently explain their inability to rebook pax enroute, predict weather, provide legal advice, etc. I'd start to show some wear and tear after a few rounds of that.

So, ringing to get regular beverage or other service ^ Reasonable

Ringing with the same unanswerable question again and again Jerk (minor to major depending on the triviality of the question)