Did AA hire a former WN pilot???
Oct 14, 2008, 8:36 am
#1
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Did AA hire a former WN pilot???
I don't spend much time on AA, as I have all of my miles on UA and CO, but a client of mine in the UK insists upon them, and I just completed a JFK-LHR-JFK run in Y (Lovely client, no?). Anyhow, the Y service was about what one would expect save for the return flight.
The pilot was quite chatty, notating the 2 million different villages and sights over which we would be flying, which is slightly annoying but not a big deal. He then proceeded to use a train whistle several times and cried out "All aboard". He also did this upon landing. Towards the end of the flight, he then announced a marriage proposal (Nothing quite so romantic as popping the question in row 37 on a TA flight... She did say yes, btw...).
The above actions struck me as something that was more aimed at the LCC holiday-traveller crowd, not a "real" (i.e., One packed with frequent biz travellers...) airline. All of my previous flights on AA (Maybe 30 or so...) have had very professional crews, so this struck me as odd and slightly offputting.
Is this a common occurrence on AA???
The pilot was quite chatty, notating the 2 million different villages and sights over which we would be flying, which is slightly annoying but not a big deal. He then proceeded to use a train whistle several times and cried out "All aboard". He also did this upon landing. Towards the end of the flight, he then announced a marriage proposal (Nothing quite so romantic as popping the question in row 37 on a TA flight... She did say yes, btw...).
The above actions struck me as something that was more aimed at the LCC holiday-traveller crowd, not a "real" (i.e., One packed with frequent biz travellers...) airline. All of my previous flights on AA (Maybe 30 or so...) have had very professional crews, so this struck me as odd and slightly offputting.
Is this a common occurrence on AA???
Oct 14, 2008, 8:39 am
#2
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Not common. Then again, it's not all that common on WN, despite the existing stereotypes that are being perpetuated here.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Oct 14, 2008, 8:42 am
#3
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No, as your own experience indicates, it is not common.
Edited to add: I see an answer has already been given. <sigh> I can't even beat brp to the draw when I'm 9 hours ahead of him.
Edited to add: I see an answer has already been given. <sigh> I can't even beat brp to the draw when I'm 9 hours ahead of him.
Oct 14, 2008, 8:44 am
#4
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I'm sure he didn't do these things just to irritate you. To me, it sounds like that captain is one of those rare people who have not had the zeal for life sucked out of him by the grind of the everyday world.
Oct 14, 2008, 8:46 am
#5
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The topic title led me to assume that the OP experienced a flight which taxied on the ground at a speed greater than a brisk walk (as WN pilots generally taxi much, much faster than AA pilots).
Oct 14, 2008, 8:55 am
#6
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I can assure you that the taxi speed never broke 10mph, although we did arrive 20 minutes early, so it wasn't all bad...
Oct 14, 2008, 8:56 am
#7
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I might be slightly annoyed if this was constant during the flight but it sounds as if the pilot chatted rather boarding and before takeoff.
I am confused by the marriage proposal comment, did the pilot propose to someone sitting in row 37 or propose on behalf of someone else?
Last edited by bdemaria; Oct 14, 2008 at 9:09 am
Oct 14, 2008, 9:01 am
#8
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Cheers.
Oct 14, 2008, 9:17 am
#9
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I disagree. I think the pilot did it just to annoy the OP, the client and the pilot probably planned it ahead of time
I might be slightly annoyed if this was constant during the flight but it sounds as if the pilot chatted rather boarding and before takeoff.
I am confused by the marriage proposal comment, did the pilot propose to someone sitting in row 37 or propose on behalf of someone else?
I might be slightly annoyed if this was constant during the flight but it sounds as if the pilot chatted rather boarding and before takeoff.
I am confused by the marriage proposal comment, did the pilot propose to someone sitting in row 37 or propose on behalf of someone else?
I wouldn't put it above my client to arrange something to that effect considering what they put me through for 3 weeks...
As to the proposal, the pilot popped the question for the guy in 37(?)A to his now betrothed in 37(?)B. Verrrrry classy...
This unfortunately happened whilst I was in line for the loo, so I didn't have the pleasure of missing it.
Oct 14, 2008, 9:45 am
#10
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IThe above actions struck me as something that was more aimed at the LCC holiday-traveller crowd, not a "real" (i.e., One packed with frequent biz travellers...) airline. All of my previous flights on AA (Maybe 30 or so...) have had very professional crews, so this struck me as odd and slightly offputting.
Is this a common occurrence on AA???
Is this a common occurrence on AA???
Oct 14, 2008, 10:01 am
#11
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That is kinda odd. The pilots are usually too busy under 10k feet to ramble about where you are, and on a 777 flight the airshow takes care of the rest.
Typically on a LHR-USA flight, after you get up and a little outside of London, you get the welcome aboard message with the "we're cruising out over Cardiff, on up over Shannon and across the N. Atlantic, coming down over the Canadian maritime provinces, etc. etc.", but nothing more.
Typically on a LHR-USA flight, after you get up and a little outside of London, you get the welcome aboard message with the "we're cruising out over Cardiff, on up over Shannon and across the N. Atlantic, coming down over the Canadian maritime provinces, etc. etc.", but nothing more.
Oct 14, 2008, 10:07 am
#12
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That is kinda odd. The pilots are usually too busy under 10k feet to ramble about where you are, and on a 777 flight the airshow takes care of the rest.
Typically on a LHR-USA flight, after you get up and a little outside of London, you get the welcome aboard message with the "we're cruising out over Cardiff, on up over Shannon and across the N. Atlantic, coming down over the Canadian maritime provinces, etc. etc.", but nothing more.
Typically on a LHR-USA flight, after you get up and a little outside of London, you get the welcome aboard message with the "we're cruising out over Cardiff, on up over Shannon and across the N. Atlantic, coming down over the Canadian maritime provinces, etc. etc.", but nothing more.
Oct 14, 2008, 10:11 am
#13
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Ah, yes...at first glance it seemed the pilot was talking all the way over...
Oct 14, 2008, 10:46 am
#14
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I know several of you remember this harmonica playing pilot:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ight=harmonica
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ight=harmonica
Oct 14, 2008, 5:59 pm
#15
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I'm sure there are policies regarding taxi speeds, but if WN can move their 737s safely at faster taxi speeds, why can't AA 737s (and all other aircraft for that matter.) If you think the AA management pilot was upset getting stuck behind the slow AA , imagine what a WN pilot goes through having to, "follow the American MD80 via Alpha, Bravo, hold short Foxtrot."