FAA1996

Better yet, OP shouldn't come back to the US, stick to his Doha-Tokyo flights instead....

hotelboy

When I read this this morning I thought it was strange. So I called up a AA 777 captain buddy of mine and a DL FA buddy. Both have never heard of such stupidity. My DF FA pal said that you are extremely lucky that you were not kicked off your flight. Not because you were bothering the crew but because of the coughing and the request for "fresh air." It takes a lot to get a International flight off the gate. You were slowing things down and possibly making the flight late. As others have said you are a DYKWIA.

BearX220

There is a (pretty well justified) meta-narrative that AA is not a customer-first airline and cannot execute on its service promise with any consistency. But that does not mean OP has a point here. Any economy passenger who wants to venture two cabins forward of his assigned seat and essentially participate in the front-door greeting / boarding process will attract negative attention and brand himself as aberrant, or at least someone to keep an eye on.

seigex

I switch between ANA and AA business class for international. The service is night and day. ANA FAs are super attentive and helpful, and will help in any way they can. AA are typically rude and are sight unseen for most of the flight. Even when you do see them, it's rushed and they don't typically like questions that take them away from their routine. And god-forbid you bother them when they're gossiping or playing on their cell phone in the middle of the flight.

That said, standing by the door, or trying to get outside of the door after entering the plane just isn't appropriate, and if you need air before the flight takes off, just delay boarding until the end, or stand in the sky bridge and let people go by you before you cross the threshold and you're good to go. But if I were an FA, I wouldn't want you disrupting the flow or lingering around near the door as people are loading the aircraft either.

I've also never been denied ice, even have to tell them not to give me ice when I ask for a full can, even in economy. They probably didn't didn't understand the request and were in their typical hurried state so they could get back to gossiping and playing on their phones.

AANYC1981

Hawaii crews are the best!

SamOF

This.

OP—I am so, so, incredibly sympathetic to your point that AA international crews have sub-par customer service skills. It's not just US-based airline thing—Delta's are so much better, and I actually think overall United's are much better at this point. AA simply doesn't seem to care to teach customer service skills or enforce customer service standards among its senior crew, and it shows. The naturally skilled ones who are internally motivated to be great are really a treat, the inexperienced ones who are motivated can be ok if they can figure out what to do on the job, and the rest are mediocre to unpleasant.

The ice incident I find very easy to imagine, and is totally inexcusable.

All that said, I also agree with the universal consensus here that you were behaving extremely out of the norm during boarding, as do many of the posters here who seem to agree with your broader point. I hope you can take that in—it can be subtle, but what you did is just Not Done for many reasons that have been explained upthread, and it doesn't surprise me in the least that the crew acted like they didn't want you to be there, because I'm quite sure they didn't.

Again—saying this as someone who completely agrees with your broader point.

AA100k

Antarius

The mentality of "if you don't like the way it is in America exactly as it is, then don't criticize or come here" is the most un-American thing I've ever heard.

I'm an American and I think the TSA is worthless. Am I going to be kicked out?

rumboj

AA100k

sluggoaafa

Sorry you had encountered a "Poor int'l cabin crew experience" on your LHR-ORD flight.

First, I find it extremely odd that you were denied ice during the flight. Was this from both aisles, or even from the aft galley? Every single FA denied you ice? Every FA denied you an answer to your questions? This I find very odd, as ORD crews are some of the best in the system. Sure, since ORD lost the Asia routes, many of the more Senior FAs have taken over the European routes, but everyone denied you ice/answers?

As for you standing next to the boarding FA for Fresh Air, yes, that is odd behavior. The Security at LHR even frowns when the crew needs to step off the aircraft, so I can see why you were denied getting off. The boarding door (as well as the cross aisle) is very busy with activity. People boarding with luggage, (hitting everyone and everything), cabin crew stowing items, B/C galley FA may need to check certain compartments in the area...even being in the way sometimes of boarding pax, ground personnel like Caterers, Maintenance, Agents coming/going, and sometimes pilots doing last minute checks....PDBs of Water, OJ, Sparkling Wine, which is often set up next to the 2R door (opposite of boarding door), delivery of newspapers to BC pax, and crew getting the aircraft ready for departure ensuring bags are stowed and closing of OHBs.

I know when I've been the greeter/director, I'm very animated in greeting/directing, and someone standing next to me gets in the way, whether it was at the beginning, or last 10-15 people.

It may have been stuffy in the cabin as 1) the APU was not working, so had to wait for the engines to start to get some air movement, 2) the ground air had been disconnected as the ground crew was preparing the plane for departure.

Hope your return flight goes much better.

enviroian

Well...the flight was catered in London and in England ice is a precious commodity. If you get more than one cube in your glass consider yourself lucky.

nk15

LHR-USA on AA I think is probably the route with the most aggressive security, I believe (pre-boarding interviews of all passengers, and I don't recall if they do random bag checks at the gate)...

sluggoaafa

LOL, true, Europeans often don't like ice....however, LHR is very good with ice. Coming out of NRT or PKE/PVG on the other hand, I can agree with! Large cubes of ice and that's about it! LOL

nk15

The AA international cabin crews are often lacking...those flying the Asian routes are notorious for "senioritis", in all cabins...The GA agents are not any better...I was once boarding a flight ORD-PEK in J. They started boarding well ahead of the published time and they had boarded the whole 788 in 15-20 minutes. I was hastily getting coffee across from the gate and they were yelling at my partner that they need to close the doors now, a good 50 minutes before scheduled departure, and that they will leave me behind if I didn't board in one minute...AA staff is out of control sometimes...

I carry the "above and beyond" certificates of appreciation with me when I fly and I am having great difficulty giving them out...Nobody goes above and beyond these days, it seems...I usually end up giving them at the end of the year to some just for doing their jobs, just for "not messing up", lol...