colpuck

yes it is rude to have your light on during a red eye

Dr. HFH

... and good on AA for taking it seriously. We hear so much about AA not caring; how nice to hear something nice from AA.

No -- that's why they have earplugs.

dickinson

On a trans-con red eye with my wife, a couple conversed in such a loud volume that it completely defeated my wife and my noise cancelling headphones. FA politely asked them to keep their voices down; they refused to do so. People all around them trying to sleep were trading glances and grimaces. It really made the flight an uncomfortable experience. A little common courtesy goes a long way on flights.

erik123

What time was arrival?

Talking after 11PM is inconsiderate in my book. As is using foul language instead of asking politely.

thunderlounge

He should have!



My wife is completely deaf in one ear. What sounds normal to her is quite different to others. Thankfully she agreed to inline seating on some upcoming overnight flights, as she’s also a talker!

C17PSGR

Couple of notes ..

1. AA pilots are not in ALPA. So if he had an ALPA lanyard, he's not an AA pilot.
2. You boarded a flight at 2230. It is beyond rude to be having a conversation on a redeye beyond whispering quietly to your seatmate. That doesn't excuse inappropriate language or behavior but I hope you understand carrying on anything other than a whispered conversation. Many of us on redeyes (in F or Y) have a full day of work on the other end and are just shifting coasts overnight.

Ber2dca

Red eyes aren't sleeper trains..if you or your bosses think they are..reconsider.

jordyn

I'm someone who sleeps reasonably well on planes and would normally expect to sleep on a redeye, but having said that I'm also conscious of the fact that some people don't sleep that well. As long as they're having their conversation in a reasonable tone designed to contain the conversation to their own seats, I don't expect everyone else on the plane to conform to my preference to sleep. For that matter, there's often small children on planes who are going to make noise whether it's rude or not, so if you're not prepared to sleep through some noise it seems like you're just generally going to have a bad time of flying. If you can't sleep through some noise and you really need to be well-rested the next day, flying on a common carrier is probably a bad idea.

ESpen36

My two cents:

1) Pilot was completely out of line to speak to anyone that way. You did right to report him.

2) Any extended conversation between seat mates is poor form on redeye flights. The overwhelming majority of pax are trying to get some rest, and it is inconsiderate to others to carry on a conversation, even trying to whisper. (Yes, some of us have very sensitive hearing and can be kept awake by a quiet conversation even when wearing noise-cancelling headphones!) Whatever topics you need to discuss can wait until the ground. Or, at bare minimum, walk up to the galley/lav area and have a brief (and whispered) conversation there. But not at your seat. Just my opinion.

DCP2016

While AA mainline pilots are with APA, their subsidiary airlines Envoy, PSA, and Piedmont pilots are represented by ALPA, so it was most likely a regional pilot deadheading.

tom911

You've just got some added publicity that you probably weren't expecting:

Was Pilot Justified for Demanding Conversing Passengers to Shut Up?

C17PSGR

Well ... not everyone can afford to fly private.

Obviously, their conversation was not contained to their own seat or they would not have attracted the attention of the pilot. While I've lived in enough countries and traveled enough to understand I don't expect others to conform to my personal preferences, these individuals were not children unable to use common courtesy on a redeye and to confine their conversation to their own seat.

C17PSGR

UA, DL, and AS pilots are also ALPA. I believe FedEx and UPS are as well. So who knows? Additionally, OP said the pilot said he is typed on many different types of planes. AA pilots might be typed on different types of planes as they progress through their career. They don't, however, fly multiple types.

nk15

It seems like the "polite conversation" at 11pm drove a trained professional to his breaking point....I think the take home message is you should not be talking on a red eye...

brewdog11

Unfortunately, no. I didn't think to, and it was so hushed that I don't think I could have. I do have a witness to corroborate.

So if I'm on a flight at 1:30pm and no one else is talking, I need to keep my mouth shut? Sorry, but your logic is flawed. I guess you could say the pilot was "quite rude" (although I'd take it much further and describe it as hostile), but I wasn't rude at all.

Perhaps you should look into this or, more economically, this if you desire a redeye in silence.

Completely happy with how AA has handled this. While they may not be able to do much, I at least appreciate them taking the time to discuss it with me. Simple steps like this keep me happy with them.

Well we weren't convsering "in such a loud volume that it completely defeated [other passengers'] noise-cancelling headphones." We were surrounded by other people--some awake, others asleep--who were not disturbed at all.

Don't try and hide the condescension in your tone, now. I don't have a full day of work in the morning? Perhaps alternative flight or train travel arrangements would be preferable to you and others who require complete silence in transit.

It sounds like you've accepted the fact that you're in a shared space. What gives, then?