arrow2fast

actually, when serving food, they are wearing these plastic gloves.
So no - normally their fingers do not fondle our food

Stripe

Who wears plastic gloves? The FAs in the galley? I've never seen that. I have never seen hairnets either, which are standard in food service work. There are myriad ways germs can get passed around an airline cabin, both around the food and elsewhere. I just don't see this particular incident as adding much to the danger already there. As I said above, an FA picking through and eating the passenger's food before it's served is objectionable on many levels and worthy of a complaint to AA. I just don't think the sanitary aspect (or should I say the "salivary" aspect) is the worst, especially in the case of heated and salted nuts.

The only time I ever see plastic gloves on the FAs' hands are when they are collecting garbage into a bag in Y.

tom911

And when you shared that with AA, what did they say?

fly747first

Probably that they don't care and pax are lucky to be getting free nuts from them anyway

anabolism

Disgusting. I hope you used the "Contact Us" link on the AA web site to send a note to Customer Relations. Be sure to mention you have a photo.

FAs are usually serving food, not preparing it. Even when they plate items, they usually use utensils.

That would be true if nuts were being cooked to a high enough internal temperature, but they are not. They are just being warmed up.

TheSkyGuy

Yawn.

While his behavior may have been inappropriate, taking pictures of a crew member without permission is against airline policy.


Eating nuts out of the tin and spitting into the tin would be two completely different behaviors.

Chewie

As a career microbiologist (with plenty of fancy, over-priced degrees), I approve this thread.

A few caveats, however.

If virus transmission is a concern, the salt has a minimal effect. There are also plenty of organisms (spores) and salinophiles (salt-lovers) that can survive the salt. There's not enough salt to act as a preservation method, it's more for the flavor.

There's also not enough heat exposure to have a major effect on the bioburden. There's also not a single layer or sufficient dispersion of heat to ensure every nut gets the same heat exposure.

Most important (then I'm done with my soapbox), I really, really like Pecans and I demand retribution for the OP just on that basis, alone!

Ironically, I wonder if people assume the pillows, blankets and seat backs are steam-cleaned between passenger contact periods. The air jets aren't sterile either!

cmd320

Curious if this policy is in place simply to protect crew members from being photographed doing things against policy themselves.

TheSkyGuy

If an employee is doing something wrong, it's quite easy to identify them without a photo. Flight #, service cabin they're working, name tag, etc. provides more than enough info to the airline to find them. Personally, I don't think anyone should be subjected to have their picture taken without permission. You don't often see it in any industry other than aviation, and I don't know why that is.

LINDEGR

What is the statute of limitations on complaining? I often complain up to 60 days after an incident and think that is reasonable.

anabolism

Thanks for a terrific post! ^

Nothing ironic about it. On some flights, the pillows and/or blankets are washed and wrapped in plastic, but on many they are not. People blow their nose into the blankets, sneeze into the pillows and blankets, wipe their feet on the blankets, prop up their shoes with the pillows, etc. Sick people sneeze into their hands and then adjust the air vent, use the IFE controls, adjust the seat, open the bins and lavatory door, etc. I wipe touch surfaces (including seat belts) with Super Sani-Cloth hospital-grade disinfecting wipes, and use a tissue to open and close the lavatory door. I also wipe touch surfaces in hotel rooms.

I understand there are no guarantees. A FA may wash his or her hands before serving, but pick up the dirty dishes and utensils of a sick passenger before bringing me my meal. The wipes help improve the odds.

kb9522

I'd probably have forgotten about the fact my mixed nuts were missing pecans about 10 minutes after I finished them, nevermind 60 days from then.

ryan182

LOL, and this is why you shouldn't read FT in a meeting.

wow are you being intentionally obtuse or do you actually believe that claptrap? So you can identify them, they will deny everything, say there's no proof and the complaint gets round filed. And you really want to contend that outside aviation no other employees end up being photographed or recorded when customers think they are doing wrong....thats just embarrassing.

LINDEGR

Isn't the poster likely to be MORE careful if he (mistakenly) believes it can be transmitted more easily than it actually can be?

LINDEGR

What is the distinction between "heated" and "warmed over"?