FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Treated differently because of perceived AGE in Polaris
Old Sep 28, 2019, 10:33 am
  #3  
Aussienarelle
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,213
Originally Posted by Rumples
hey FT,

let me first start by saying that this is in no way indicative of all cabin crews on UA. 98.9% of cabin crews I have experienced have been AMAZING and outstanding in their service to myself and my wife.

i debated about whether to start this thread because maybe im just overly sensitive, but my last flight back from ICN pushed me to write this and see if im crazy or if others feel the same.

Ive taken a lot of UA longhauls TPAC primarily, with SFO -TPE/ICN/HKG and back and what I have sometimes noticed is that older flight attendants who are of Asian ethnicity sometimes treat and look at my wife and I like we are undeserving or spoiled to be sitting in the front of the plane. (Maybe i see more asian FAs due to SFO being my hub and going TPAC)

We sometimes are passed over when we ask for PJs but they are proactively offered to others (who look older than us), we get some looks when we ask for mid-flight snacks or a bit of an attitude (where as others dont) and sometimes I just get the good old Asian grandmother look when they get to me with my meal, like, “heres another spoiled kid that I have to serve” Little things like asking for cheese + ice cream sundae has gotten me a weird look, where they dont bat an eye for other passengers who look a bit older than us.


We are both Asian, in our early 30s and we’ve worked extremely hard to get to where we are in life and have been extremely lucky to have great careers. Sometimes the tickets are GPUd, sometimes they are award bookings, and sometimes they are full fare. We dont dress like slobs (we never wear shorts on the plane, sandals, etc - because both sets of our parents worked in the airline industry and we were always taught to dress appropriately for the cabin) we go out of our way to be kind since we know its a thankless job sometimes - but Its something I cant really ignore anymore.

Does anyone feel the same sentiment sometimes? Or am i just being a snowflake? (Its ok if you think i am! I just need a sanity check)

thanks again FT!
So you believe this is perceived age discrimination rather than perceived racial discrimination? Or do you think this is perceived Asian discrimination of youthful looking Asians?

It may be more productive to write into UA about your experiences. These days apparently the FAs has an app on the pax and perhaps it could be noted that you would like to be treated with respect by the Asian FAs.

There is another thread about perceived discrimination of Asian customers by UA FAs (based on the experiences at the greeting/farewell by the FAs at the door), so you may want to merge your post with that thread as it is about perceived discrimination of Asian pax.

(FWIW I was very young senior executive, department head by 26, and I would be in meetings as the youngest and only female and I can assure you more than once I was told I was in the wrong place due to age and gender. I would just smile sweetly and the "grandfathers" soon learned I was in the right place and senior to most of them. I understand it is trying but if the worst thing in life was being told I looked too young or the wrong gender to be wherever I was I just let it pass. We do age so solved that problem - nothing I wanted to do about the gender issue as frustrating as it was. Then again I try not to sweat the small stuff.)

Your reactions to your experiences can only be controlled by you and your expectations are set by you - it is up to you how you decide to react.

For you I would suggest flying an Asian airline as I can assure you male pax are treated with far more respect and deference than female pax, even white female pax. Asian airlines would provide you the level of respect you are seeking, but I would guess far less so for your wife and probably less than she currently receives on UA.

Hope your future travel plans result in less looks and angst for you and your wife.

Last edited by Aussienarelle; Sep 28, 2019 at 10:37 am Reason: Grammar
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