Originally Posted by dgilman

Please be forewarned - this is a rant. If you want some serious insight, read something by J. Edward, or, skip to the end of this post.

So I'm on my red-eye SJC-EWR last night. Oddly enough, myself and the other 15 people in F wanted to sleep. CO was even nice enough to dim the lights for us.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. While I passed out before takeoff, I kept waking up throughout the flight. Was it the seat pitch? A loud baby crying? Snoring passenger next to me?

No, it was the lovely and talented Flight Attendants, chatting in the galley. It may also have been said FAs banging and slamming various doors and panels as they chatted.

I really don't understand this. You're working in an environment where your customers are trying to sleep. WHY AREN'T YOU TRYING TO BE QUIET?

Wouldn't CO, which seems to pride itself on its service (as opposed to its industry-minimum 31" Y seat pitch), want to tout in their snarky advertisements that they have the quietest red-eyes around?

And even if they don't, even if they've decided that I'll fly them regardless of whether or not their employees stand around and make a racket while I'm trying to sleep, shouldn't they just be quiet anyway? Isn't that the polite thing to do. And, being that I'm their customer, shouldn't they be even MORE than polite?

Yes, I realize that the FAs have duties to perform, even during a red-eye. And yes, I realize other people may be awake, and require service from the FAs. But shouldn't the professionals at least TRY to be quiet? Wouldn't that be part of doing your job as a service professional?

And I know there are other things that make noise during a flight other passengers, leakage from headphones, the occasional engine catching on fire. What I'm talking about here is the people who's job it is, to, well, BE QUIET.

Anyways, I promised something more than a rant in the beginning, and here it is - Continental! Decide that you'll have the quietest red-eye crew around. Hell, do some "independent studies" against other airlines with a dB meter and prove it. If you want to be about service, be about service. And that includes quiet cabins when it's 3am in the morning.

David