Originally Posted by
SeeBuyFly
If people in other countries were to behave that way when spoken to in English, we'd have a hell of a problem.
In my experience a substantial number of people in at least half the countries I've visited respond that way. Sometimes that means I pass on a restaurant or go find a cab on the street rather than getting help from the front desk. I only find it unnerving when the person is carrying a machine gun and standing between me and where I need to be. My usual approach after they take offense to English, is to silently show them various credentials until they let me through or bring over a colleague who understands English.
Originally Posted by
kebosabi
Completely inappropiate for a flight heading to
Madrid; these type of behavior only enhances the ugly American stereotype. You don't see Spaniard GAs in Spain snapping back at American travelers on a MAD-MIA flight and say "Hablamos espanol en Espana!"
I did basically get that response from a male Iberia employee before boarding an Iberia flight MAD-BOS, these things happen. Remember Iberia is owned by a predominantly English speaking company.