Modifying an email I sent to customer service to share with ya'll, but it isn't all bad, and there's some funny pictures and even a song to share none the less!! And yes, I realize others didn't even get home for the holidays, so I shouldn't complain but this is FT and isn't that sometimes what we do???
Flew LAX-MIA (and then MIA-CLT-GSP) on Monday and it has been oddly satisfying seeing many other airlines in the headlines this holidays but AA main seems to be running smoothly this time, woot!! They learned! However, I am disappointed to be awake at this hour, my sleep schedule has been wildly thrown off. I can live past the LAX checkin agents being too occupied with a passenger having a chat with the airport police-ignoring me standing right in front of them, the gate agents calling for Group 4 on a massive 777 when the first pax in group 2 hasn't even gotten to them yet to scan their ticket (boarding was extremely slow), the very impersonal FA on this flight for my section, AND the lack of ability to watch the entertainment because my bluetooth headphones won't connect to the plane, and my iPad can't play any content from the app because content isn't loaded to the app when the seats have IFE apparently... but what was absolutely BRUTAL was trying to sleep on the transcon red-eye with a bright white boarding LED strip which was stuck on all flight, (felt like fluorescent), strip shining down on me. The seats in front of me complained, then my FA call light was ignored which was the 1st time I've pressed it in my life, and later turned off without anyone coming... I complained finally when beverage service FINALLY occurred (AA has definitely understaffed the planes but alas, I know it is a tough time) and the agent said she would try and turn it off from the back, but no luck. I guess it was my bad luck sitting on the far right of the plane. This affected me & several rows in front of me, primarily in the far right column and to a lesser degree those to our immediate left, all the way to 1st class. I begged if there were any spare face masks, perhaps from first, but she basically laughed / chuckled. I ended up trying to use my COVID mask to cover my entire face.
On the POSITIVE, my flight from MIA-CLT was fine and I learned a lot about orthodox Jewish prayers from the passenger next to me which was neat, but Jonathan, the main or front FA on CLT-GSP was FABULOUS!!! I believe him to be a straight white male (doesn't really matter but kindof adds context?), FULL of interesting facts from across the globe and locally/regionally... he earned my first Plat Pro outstanding service employee ticket thing, not for his friendliness, facts, god awful jokes, and his willingness to do the credit card spiel but at the same time laugh and self deprecate about it (and several people legit applied!!!!) --- but for singing the entire, WHOLE song of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas." I recorded some of it when he was wrapping up towards the end upon landing.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays etc, to those who celebrated earlier, today, or upcoming. Here's to '22.
Youtube link to the guy singing!:
Oh and PSS to anyone with advice about bringing one's own IFE, I DID have some HBO Max content downloaded, but apparently it decided to "expire" and the iPad took it upon itself to 'offload' the Netflix app to save space. You live and learn!
