Originally Posted by
rjw242
There's nothing wrong with approaching them and politely asking if they could try to be a little quieter for the sake of passengers in the front rows.
However, I never set foot on a redeye without the means to block out light and sound (a good eye mask and earplugs respectively). Yes, the crew should be considerate, but they won't always be -- and other passengers could just as easily keep you awake with their reading lights or conversations. I'd rather prepare for the worst and get good sleep than be kept awake on a red-eye (whether I'm in the "right" or not)
This is completely necessary.
It's not only cabin crew who can forget the experience should be customer centered. On AA980 today, one of the pilots emerged from the cockpit to use the lav and stretch his legs - perfectly understandable, but he caused the only lav available to Business customers to be blocked for a longer time while he ate some snacks and drank some coffee, thinking himself a scintillating conversationalist chatted up the FA (who looked like she was looking for an exit) and then drank a second cup of coffee. All this about an hour or less out of Lima as passengers awoke and obviously wanted to use the lav. (The anxious looks, one male seated on the aisle seat arm looking anxious the pilot actually locked eyes with momentarily, told the story, but Capt. Obviousman couldn't take the hint and return to his "office".)