Originally Posted by kokonutz
I reject this notion and i reject the notion that having crew stand in line will cost airlines a significant amount of money.
It would either cost them money or safety. You'd either have to pay the crew to show up early, or tell them they are on their own. 6 hours of sleep is bad enough, I'd hate to see pilots on 5 and a half, or less. Of course a seperate station would be best. But that would just make the passager line longer.
Originally Posted by kokonutz
In fact, far from being detrimental to the airline, that time could and SHOULD be well spent by the pilots and FA's mingling with their customers, chatting us up and making us happy with our buy-decision. Who knows, that sort of post-sale interaction might even earn them a return customer! How stupid of the airlines not only to miss this opportunity, but ALSO leave the opposite feeling: that the convenience of the staff supersedes the convenience of the customers.
I suppose we don't do enough work "off the clock"? I hate to say it, but our job is *not* to chat with customers. Our job is to toss peanuts.
Originally Posted by kokonutz
Airlines and their employees need to realize that the paradigm has shifted: pilots and FA's are no longer glamorous prviledged jet-setters whose uniforms mark them as such, rather they are customer service providers and representatives in a cut-throat industry that live and/or dies by quality and perception of customer service.
::chuckles:: Trust me, very few, if any, flight crew see their job as glamorous. If anything the uniforms say "come ask me lots of questions even though I'm obviously not working" or "please, come hit on me, I'd enjoy that."
Originally Posted by kokonutz
Employees are customers? Whose convenience and stress are more critical than the people who, you know, buy tickets!?!?! If that is the case, why aren't WE serving drinks to the FA's?
Acutally, yes. We (the airlines) should be considered one of the customers of the TSA. As should you. Rememeber, airlines do not run the TSA. The airlines do not have control over the TSA. TSA is goverment, to which we all pay taxes. Now, if employee's were cutting to the head of, say, a line to see that gate agent, that would be wrong. In fact, if you watch, many employee's will wait to the side, until there is no line, so as not to inconvience paying customers.