gross bathrooms
Feb 12, 2007, 3:01 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 134
gross bathrooms
We just flew home Cancun to PHL. The plane was 30 mins. late so there was a short turnaround time. I used the bathroom right away and it smelled - I figured they probably didn't take the time to really clean it b/c time was an issue.
About half way through the flight I used it again and there was no toilet paper or tissues. There were no flight attendants to be found. (I just flew Delta last week and those attendants were down the aisles collecting trash or doing whatever it seemed every 15 mins.)
Finally, about an hour before landing, a flight attendant came by hawking that stupid credit card. As she walked by, I told her the bathroom didn't have paper or tissues. She said Oh, but walked right by continuing selling that card.
She ignored the issue, nor did she tell anyone b/c the issue was never addressed. And I didn't see another atttendant walk by until it was time to prepare for landing.
Friends sitting in the back of the plane said their close bathroom smelled b/c it was apparently not working properly - they kept bringing in more of that blue liquid (ewwww).
Is this even an issue worth complaining about to USAir? I understand that things happen and getting out with minimal delays is important, but it's really not that hard to hand someone a roll of toilet paper. The bathroom was worse than those in train stations I've been in in Trenton and NYC.
About half way through the flight I used it again and there was no toilet paper or tissues. There were no flight attendants to be found. (I just flew Delta last week and those attendants were down the aisles collecting trash or doing whatever it seemed every 15 mins.)
Finally, about an hour before landing, a flight attendant came by hawking that stupid credit card. As she walked by, I told her the bathroom didn't have paper or tissues. She said Oh, but walked right by continuing selling that card.
She ignored the issue, nor did she tell anyone b/c the issue was never addressed. And I didn't see another atttendant walk by until it was time to prepare for landing.
Friends sitting in the back of the plane said their close bathroom smelled b/c it was apparently not working properly - they kept bringing in more of that blue liquid (ewwww).
Is this even an issue worth complaining about to USAir? I understand that things happen and getting out with minimal delays is important, but it's really not that hard to hand someone a roll of toilet paper. The bathroom was worse than those in train stations I've been in in Trenton and NYC.
Feb 12, 2007, 3:23 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
Hi Karen,
I'm sorry you received poor service. There's no excuse for what seems to basically be ignoring passenger complaints.
As for the bathrooms, my apologies again. What follows is in no way meant as an excuse.
It sounds like one or more of the bathrooms weren't serviced in CUN. That entails dumping the contents of the holding tank and pumping in fresh fluid. Depending on how strong the smell was, it could be that the service wasn't done at the departure station of the flight to CUN (or several passengers had Montazuma's Revenge on the way to CUN!)
FWIW, the ground people in CUN do a pretty good job based on my limited experience of flying in/out twice. Perhaps it was the rush to get the flight turned, but someone should not have left without proper servicing.
FWIW #2 - Hopefully you won't experience this again, but if you're unfortunate and have "deja vue all over again" you might suggest that the F/A dump the contents of a coffee packet (unbrewed) in the toilet. They're not supposed to do that, so may look at you strangely or say they can't, but it does help absorb some of the smell.
Jim
[ps added] Almost forgot your question....
As far as I'm concerned, no complaint is too trivial to submit. It could well be something the crew or airline had no control over (maybe the lav servicing equipment was inop that day in CUN), but letting them know you weren't completely satisfied never hurts.
I'm sorry you received poor service. There's no excuse for what seems to basically be ignoring passenger complaints.
As for the bathrooms, my apologies again. What follows is in no way meant as an excuse.
It sounds like one or more of the bathrooms weren't serviced in CUN. That entails dumping the contents of the holding tank and pumping in fresh fluid. Depending on how strong the smell was, it could be that the service wasn't done at the departure station of the flight to CUN (or several passengers had Montazuma's Revenge on the way to CUN!)
FWIW, the ground people in CUN do a pretty good job based on my limited experience of flying in/out twice. Perhaps it was the rush to get the flight turned, but someone should not have left without proper servicing.
FWIW #2 - Hopefully you won't experience this again, but if you're unfortunate and have "deja vue all over again" you might suggest that the F/A dump the contents of a coffee packet (unbrewed) in the toilet. They're not supposed to do that, so may look at you strangely or say they can't, but it does help absorb some of the smell.
Jim
[ps added] Almost forgot your question....
As far as I'm concerned, no complaint is too trivial to submit. It could well be something the crew or airline had no control over (maybe the lav servicing equipment was inop that day in CUN), but letting them know you weren't completely satisfied never hurts.
Last edited by BoeingBoy; Feb 12, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Feb 12, 2007, 3:30 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2003
Location: TLL
Programs: OZ Diamond, BA Gold, Bonvoy Ambassador, HH Gold
Posts: 4,412
Just to parrot BoeingBoy, if you don't submit it, nothing will ever change.
In my opinion, you need to let them know it was an issue and people are paying attention.
In my opinion, you need to let them know it was an issue and people are paying attention.
Feb 13, 2007, 1:33 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: FLL
Programs: AA Plat; UA Silver; Marriott Platinum;
Posts: 109
Don't know if the carribean stations are getting lax about service, but I flew from PHL-FLL last night on 955 which was inbound (a little late) from STT as 1012. We were late leaving because the crew insisted on having the lavs serviced and we had to wait for the service truck. Don't know if they had problems inbound. I heard them tell the gate agent that we would wait until the service was finished and I'm glad they did. My guess is that your FA's were well aware of problem but couldn't really do anything about it. My thought is that an explanation and an apology might have helped.
Feb 14, 2007, 1:11 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: lax
Posts: 3,887
The flight attendants don't want to smell it any more than the pax do. 
Feb 14, 2007, 9:16 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 297
In CUN the rampers that service the lav typically dont use enough of the blue chemical that helps keeps the smell down. If you look, most lav water has a deep blue color and alot of the time coming from Mexican destination the water wil be a pale blue. Not enough chemicals.