Originally Posted by
Keith Flyer Maven
Outstanding service: plane departs and arrives on time, PDB, FA comes around with some regularity to see if I might need anything such as a drink refill, positive attitude/smile.
I don't expect excessive servility and frankly, when I do see it, I find it to be embarrassing, whether in a restaurant, a store, or 35K above sea level. I want a professional experience, not a pandering one. I must say I find this level of service on about 2/3rds of my AA flights and am amused by those round these parts who seem to think the FA should follow them into the bathroom and wash their hands. Does it matter if one is addressed by name? Does that really affect your experience of the flight more than, say, the amt of turbulence? The richest people I know have a far more relaxed and casual attitude towards their full-time staff than what some FTers seem to expect by cashing in an eVIP! (Please be assured I'm referring to other threads here, NOT the OP). I want FAs (and waiters, etc.) to be articulate, not cloying.
I know, someone's going to tell me I have low standards and should fly Singapore Airlines, etc.
Well first the FAs have little or nothing to do with whether a flight departs or arrives on time, so crediting that to them as "outstanding service" makes no sense.
PDBs are nice, but don't factor into my assessment of service. AA FAs can rarely go to the trouble to do that, so I let that go as an expectation of service years ago. It's almost shocking if they get off their duff to do that. And unfortunately, very notable.
As for the rest, there is nothing outstanding about it. It's basic service anyone should expect in F class. They are actually supposed to check on PAX every 15-30 min according to some FAs I have spoken with. So apparently your definition of "outstanding" correlates to less service than even AA management expects as a minimum.
Kind of reminds of a parent I saw in the park the other day. 5 year old slides down a slide and mother exclaims, "Awesome, good job!" Except sliding down a slide is not a job, and the ability to release your hands from the sides and let yourself slide down is not "awesome."
At this rate it won't be long before showing up to work and snoozing for 8 hours will be considered "awesome" and a "good job." LOL!