American Crew Not Great? (Poor int’l. cabin crew experience)
May 26, 2019, 10:33 pm
#31
Join Date: May 2019
Programs: World of Hyatt, AAdvantage
Posts: 179
OP, it’s clear you aren’t an American.
i also notice you’ve been told numerous times in this thread the standing by the crew near the door thing is weird but you choose to ignore it.
Fly non-US based carriers in the future, then you’ll be treated as you believe you deserve to be treated.
i also notice you’ve been told numerous times in this thread the standing by the crew near the door thing is weird but you choose to ignore it.
Fly non-US based carriers in the future, then you’ll be treated as you believe you deserve to be treated.
May 26, 2019, 10:38 pm
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: London
Programs: Executive Club - Gold, HH - Gold, Marriott - Gold
Posts: 372
This thread isn’t about me standing by the door. It’s about their attitude. And how they handle things. Which isn’t of a standard that I expect.
That’s all. I think we are losing track of that. Let’s see how they do tomorrow on the flight back.
That’s all. I think we are losing track of that. Let’s see how they do tomorrow on the flight back.
May 26, 2019, 10:55 pm
#33
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: DFW
Posts: 311
It helps to remember that you are riding public transportation. Just because something isn't prohibited doesn't mean you should do it. Just because watching a movie on your phone without headphones isn't banned doesn't mean you should do it. Just because asking to taste 6 different sodas before deciding which one you want to drink isn't prohibited doesn't mean you should do it. And just because standing right over the shoulder of the crewmember monitoring boarding a few minutes before door closure isn't explicitly prohibited doesn't mean you should do it.
In the service industry (I work in restaurants) there are customers that are deemed PITAs (not the bread). You were a PITA to the crew, and a combination of your social awkwardness, testing the boundaries (well if I can't stand there, how about two feet to the left? How about another step back? Is right here, right next to this other crewmember, an okay place for me to "get some fresh air", right after I got lord knows how many hours of "fresh air", when I'm about to get locked into the metal tube for an international flight?), and being a potential security risk once the flight was in the air. If you argue and try to overexplain your annoying request to the crew on the ground, what's to say another situation wouldn't happen in the air, especially if alcohol were later involved?
Once you're labeled a PITA, no crew member will want to deal with you, and you will get the bare minimum of service. Especially true in high volume service (busy nightclubs, fast food restaurants, economy class service in jumbo jets, etc). I don't believe the crew were maliciously denying you ice when it was obviously right in front of them to spite you, but I imagine it's easy to mishear your request, especially if they are trying to spend as little time interacting with you as possible.
It's a harsh world out there. Feel free to book other carriers, but something tells me it's only a matter of time before you experience the same, or worse, on another airline. All it takes is the crew saying they don't feel comfortable with you on board....
In the service industry (I work in restaurants) there are customers that are deemed PITAs (not the bread). You were a PITA to the crew, and a combination of your social awkwardness, testing the boundaries (well if I can't stand there, how about two feet to the left? How about another step back? Is right here, right next to this other crewmember, an okay place for me to "get some fresh air", right after I got lord knows how many hours of "fresh air", when I'm about to get locked into the metal tube for an international flight?), and being a potential security risk once the flight was in the air. If you argue and try to overexplain your annoying request to the crew on the ground, what's to say another situation wouldn't happen in the air, especially if alcohol were later involved?
Once you're labeled a PITA, no crew member will want to deal with you, and you will get the bare minimum of service. Especially true in high volume service (busy nightclubs, fast food restaurants, economy class service in jumbo jets, etc). I don't believe the crew were maliciously denying you ice when it was obviously right in front of them to spite you, but I imagine it's easy to mishear your request, especially if they are trying to spend as little time interacting with you as possible.
It's a harsh world out there. Feel free to book other carriers, but something tells me it's only a matter of time before you experience the same, or worse, on another airline. All it takes is the crew saying they don't feel comfortable with you on board....
May 26, 2019, 11:02 pm
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: London
Programs: Executive Club - Gold, HH - Gold, Marriott - Gold
Posts: 372
You guys are all so melodramatic.
I wasn’t standing over her shoulder. I stood out of the way and I wasn’t bothering anyone.
I’ve flown over 30 international flights (which I’m sure isn’t as many as most people here but still enough) in the last 12 months on oneworld hence my Gold BA/Emerald one world status. I have had zero issues. And I’m not going to have any because I have common sense.
I don’t believe they were just giving me debatable service I’m sure they were sharing it around the cabin. I could tell they weren’t at the races. They didn’t want to be there. Maybe in business class it was different. But in economy it wasn’t.
Also on the subject of crossing cabins - economy passengers were using the toilets next to PE and no one ever told us it wasn’t allowed. Maybe that’s another example of them not doing their job if that’s not how it’s meant to be.
I wasn’t standing over her shoulder. I stood out of the way and I wasn’t bothering anyone.
I’ve flown over 30 international flights (which I’m sure isn’t as many as most people here but still enough) in the last 12 months on oneworld hence my Gold BA/Emerald one world status. I have had zero issues. And I’m not going to have any because I have common sense.
I don’t believe they were just giving me debatable service I’m sure they were sharing it around the cabin. I could tell they weren’t at the races. They didn’t want to be there. Maybe in business class it was different. But in economy it wasn’t.
Also on the subject of crossing cabins - economy passengers were using the toilets next to PE and no one ever told us it wasn’t allowed. Maybe that’s another example of them not doing their job if that’s not how it’s meant to be.
May 26, 2019, 11:12 pm
#36
Join Date: May 2019
Programs: World of Hyatt, AAdvantage
Posts: 179
You are very invested in your own behavior. Act the same way on the return flight and see what that gets you.
i also work in the service industry and customers like you are tolerated for the amount of time I must tolerate you. I’ll be coldly polite but I will also “mishear” or “forget” your requests, probably on purpose. You’ll get my fake smile and not much more. If you think I’m cold/dumb/unhelpful/incompetent matters not a bit, and somehow my life will go on despite your low opinion of my service.
i also work in the service industry and customers like you are tolerated for the amount of time I must tolerate you. I’ll be coldly polite but I will also “mishear” or “forget” your requests, probably on purpose. You’ll get my fake smile and not much more. If you think I’m cold/dumb/unhelpful/incompetent matters not a bit, and somehow my life will go on despite your low opinion of my service.
May 26, 2019, 11:42 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Israel/United States
Posts: 1,234
I am seeing loads of attitude. But, here are the most glaring examples,
A. “ except for the fact they have a stupid high security level”. Sorry, many like hi security levels. I’d rather have a high level than a “ stupid low level” I gave thus strange aversion to being blown out of the sky!
B. “ I know what American Airlines are like. I’d probably get shot for getting a bottle of water out of my bag”. Generally speaking you are NOT ALLOWED to board flights TO the US with bottles of liquid! So, if you had a bottle of water you appear to have lied to someone to keep it. Just shows how respectful ( not really, you are).
And
in one version of why you want to leave the aircraft you (#7) you are being considerate and not wanting to cough all over people. That was my evening laugh. You are going to be sitting in close quarters for 6 hours. If you didn’t want to cough on people you wouldn’t be taking the trip!
A. “ except for the fact they have a stupid high security level”. Sorry, many like hi security levels. I’d rather have a high level than a “ stupid low level” I gave thus strange aversion to being blown out of the sky!
B. “ I know what American Airlines are like. I’d probably get shot for getting a bottle of water out of my bag”. Generally speaking you are NOT ALLOWED to board flights TO the US with bottles of liquid! So, if you had a bottle of water you appear to have lied to someone to keep it. Just shows how respectful ( not really, you are).
And
in one version of why you want to leave the aircraft you (#7) you are being considerate and not wanting to cough all over people. That was my evening laugh. You are going to be sitting in close quarters for 6 hours. If you didn’t want to cough on people you wouldn’t be taking the trip!
May 27, 2019, 12:32 am
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,669
OP, security is very strict with US airlines, especially on international flights. Passengers in US aviation are not allowed to cross into the aircraft back and forth, either you are in, or you are out. Even when you are deplaning upon arrival, once you exited the a/c door, you can't go back in, even if you forgot something, no backtracking allowed.
So asking to get out, and loitering around the door felt weird to the crew, they were not sure about your intentions, are you trying to leave the aircraft (and leave something behind), do they have to keep an eye on you security wise (like you leave and they lose track of you), is there something going on physically or emotionally they need to be worried about, etc. They assumed you will go back to your seat, so when you didn't they may have been concerned that either you may try to leave the a/c when you got the chance, or that you maybe physically sick, or that you may be acting erratically, all of which would be concerning (or minimally, you were getting in the way).This is on top of their irritation of someone wanting to get out when they just boarded, which is a very rare and unusual situation, and it involves security procedures.
So asking to get out, and loitering around the door felt weird to the crew, they were not sure about your intentions, are you trying to leave the aircraft (and leave something behind), do they have to keep an eye on you security wise (like you leave and they lose track of you), is there something going on physically or emotionally they need to be worried about, etc. They assumed you will go back to your seat, so when you didn't they may have been concerned that either you may try to leave the a/c when you got the chance, or that you maybe physically sick, or that you may be acting erratically, all of which would be concerning (or minimally, you were getting in the way).This is on top of their irritation of someone wanting to get out when they just boarded, which is a very rare and unusual situation, and it involves security procedures.
Last edited by nk15; May 27, 2019 at 12:45 am
May 27, 2019, 4:16 am
#41
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
You kind of can't win with this one, pal. You waited to board until the end-ish out of consideration to others. You do realize, I hope, that this is when the FAs have their dander up the most. They are trying to lock down an international flight and you are , in their eyes, impeding that. If you had boarded in the first group and done the same thing I still would consider that bizarre based on my flying experience. Thoughts and prayers about the ice, though.
May 27, 2019, 6:15 am
#42
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: Hilton - Diamond, IHG - Spire Amb
Posts: 901
The community here (welll seasoned frequent flyers) are for the most part saying your behavior was weird, inappropriate and against norms. This is confirmed by the FA saying you couldn't step off. Who does that???
For the rest of us on here, seeing that one tidbit, leads us to seriously question that the rest of your behavior that flight may have ALSO exhibited such out of the norms behavior.
When you board the plan, sit down in your seat. As simple as that. The time for getting air and walking around was BEFORE you boarded. Not sure how we can make this any more clear.
May 27, 2019, 6:30 am
#43
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Midwest USA
Programs: BA SIL, WN A, UA SIL, Marriott TIT (LT), Hilton DIA
Posts: 1,969
A word of advice Spinstorm - you appear not to be able to take a hint, and not able to perceive when your behavior is significantly out of the norm.
The community here (welll seasoned frequent flyers) are for the most part saying your behavior was weird, inappropriate and against norms. This is confirmed by the FA saying you couldn't step off. Who does that???
The community here (welll seasoned frequent flyers) are for the most part saying your behavior was weird, inappropriate and against norms. This is confirmed by the FA saying you couldn't step off. Who does that???
I think you're being harsh. I regularly see boarders do all of the following: swim upstream to use the lav, block the aisle for "eternity", and step in the jetway (including international flights)
The FA's are used to this and I'm sure it just aggravates them. It is part of the job.
To the OP: AA FA's are not known for their customer service skills, in general. There are some that are great. There are many that are poor.
May 27, 2019, 7:26 am
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,257
we have a stupid level. That's about the best way to describe it.
May 27, 2019, 7:35 am
#45
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: MSP/BUF/BNA/LFT
Programs: AA Plat, Priority Club Gold, Choice Privileges Gold
Posts: 1,225
I think you're being harsh. I regularly see boarders do all of the following: swim upstream to use the lav, block the aisle for "eternity", and step in the jetway (including international flights)
The FA's are used to this and I'm sure it just aggravates them. It is part of the job.
To the OP: AA FA's are not known for their customer service skills, in general. There are some that are great. There are many that are poor.
The FA's are used to this and I'm sure it just aggravates them. It is part of the job.
To the OP: AA FA's are not known for their customer service skills, in general. There are some that are great. There are many that are poor.