Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Bellevue, WA, USA (and sometimes Melbourne, VIC, Australia)
Programs: UA, AS, Starwood, Marriott
Posts: 36
I think it wouldn't be out of line to send feedback to AA, using the "suggestion" category rather than "complaint," to say it would be good to remind FAs that unsolicited health advice is seldom appropriate or appreciated. Asking an adult passenger whether they really need a requested non-alcoholic beverage followed by "These things are bad for you!", even if done with the best of intentions, can easily come across as being patronizing, not to mention a little weird--if they're "bad for you," why does AA serve them?
I would also be inclined to say that I realize the FA may indeed have had good intentions or perhaps was trying to be humorous and that I'm not writing to ask anyone be reprimanded.
I can imagine a passenger who's often subject to people's unasked-for advice might be more than a little offended at such a response to an innocuous request for a soft drink; perhaps polite feedback could help prevent that.
(Yes, yes, I know, employers don't give supervisors time to cover small issues like this so the suggestion would probably go nowhere, but I can pretend, can't I?)