AA090 (Poor experience in Y, daytime ORD-LHR)
Sep 10, 2019, 2:20 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
AA090 isn't normally a busy flight. In fact its a quiet one. I paid for the the same product as the person at the front of the cabin, possibly more. I doubt if many airlines run out of meal choice two thirds of the way up the cabin which they clearly did.<snipped the rest>
If you choice is the least favored option and you are near the end to choose, then you are in luck. They are not going to overstock simply so everyone can get their choice
For that reason, I suggest to sit in the area which will be served earlier, if the meal is that much of an issue. I have been left with no choice on BA, so this isn't something BA is perfect at either.
The FA has a lot of people to serve, and maybe this one was having an off day. No matter what the FA said about the issue, you were still not going to be satisfied there was nothing available you desired to eat.
Sep 10, 2019, 2:23 pm
#32
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,194
That's an odd sort of question. Ive never flown AA before, Ive flown DL and UA in terms of US carriers. Mainly Ive taken BA flights and LoCo flights e.g. EZY and RYR. I flew VS a few times in the not very recent pastas well as a few legacy European carriers. Ive had mostly good experiences with only a few poorer ones. Why on earth would it be happening regularly? My interaction with the FA was very limited in terms of verbal exchange, like four words and I was perfectly polite. I didn't express any great sentiment as I knew it was pointless. I'm not getting your question tbh.
Not that it would apply to you, but in my experience, since I only fly OW airlines, If I were to fly another airline, lets say having a bad experience, it would be not be practical for me to judge that airline just on one experience.
not that I am sticking up for AA by any means, but sorry your expectations were not mean.
As it is , in all aspects of our like, sometimes we deal with nice people and sometimes we dont.
I am sure we have, if dining out, for eg, have had great servers and not so great servers.
Sep 10, 2019, 2:40 pm
#33
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold but PlatPro thanks to LPs
Posts: 4,439
Sep 10, 2019, 3:57 pm
#34
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Midwest USA
Programs: BA SIL, WN A, UA SIL, Marriott TIT (LT), Hilton DIA
Posts: 1,971
I don't think it's too much to ask that the FA's are not surly or rude.
My experiences with domestic AA FA's has been markedly better than international routes.
My experiences with domestic AA FA's has been markedly better than international routes.
Sep 10, 2019, 4:12 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,285
This is not going to change for Y paxs. Parker makes it clear (and even UA and DL to a lesser extent) his priority are the people in the front paying the big bucks. The FAs aren't going to change and no one is going to make them change. This is the state of the industry. Cheap airfares get you Wal Mart service. Honestly what do I see in Y? Paxs so engrossed in their phone they wouldn't notice if the FA serving their beverage had horns growing out of their head. When I'm in Y (and thank god 98% of the time MCE) my only hopes are an empty middle seat next to me, which usually doesn't happen, and absent that no POS next me, screaming baby, unkept/unwashed individual. And that the flight arrives somewhere near ontime.
i also have the same expectations as you when flying in Y.
Sep 10, 2019, 4:28 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,285
Unfortunately as is typical at airlines with large workforce, the more "senior" FA's get first pick on what routes/flights they want to work. The more "senior" ones usually pick the transoceanic routes while the more "junior" ones are forced to operate shorter domestic routes. That's why at least in the Y cabin it is common to get fantastic service on short haul domestic hops but get surly/dismissive service on longer transoceanic flights. This is a shame because those are also the routes they have the most competition and should be showcasing their "best product/service".
Sep 10, 2019, 5:41 pm
#37
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,715
Sep 10, 2019, 6:35 pm
#38
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: MSP/DFW
Programs: Priority Club PLT, Marriott Titanium, AA EXP
Posts: 480
This is not going to change for Y paxs. Parker makes it clear (and even UA and DL to a lesser extent) his priority are the people in the front paying the big bucks. The FAs aren't going to change and no one is going to make them change. This is the state of the industry. Cheap airfares get you Wal Mart service. Honestly what do I see in Y? Paxs so engrossed in their phone they wouldn't notice if the FA serving their beverage had horns growing out of their head. When I'm in Y (and thank god 98% of the time MCE) my only hopes are an empty middle seat next to me, which usually doesn't happen, and absent that no POS next me, screaming baby, unkept/unwashed individual. And that the flight arrives somewhere near ontime.
Sep 10, 2019, 7:13 pm
#39
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: lax
Posts: 3,892
If you ever do fly AA again, consider the special meal option
Sep 10, 2019, 7:34 pm
#40
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Sitting here for over 40 minutes waiting for a gate at MIA. This of course a constant occurrence. You wonder why customer facing employees have bad attitudes. Management sees no problem with AA’s lackluster operation and profit metrics. In fact they seem to be proud of it or least not very concerned. Surly FAs are the least of problems,
Sep 10, 2019, 8:01 pm
#41
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,065
Sitting here for over 40 minutes waiting for a gate at MIA. This of course a constant occurrence. You wonder why customer facing employees have bad attitudes. Management sees no problem with AA’s lackluster operation and profit metrics. In fact they seem to be proud of it or least not very concerned. Surly FAs are the least of problems,
Did you get the announcement from the captain when landing “well folks ....”
Sep 11, 2019, 6:56 am
#43
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
I think on quantitative metrics (OTP, completion, IDBs, etc.) AA is now markedly worse than UA. On human / soft factors, different outcomes on different days, but I don't think people book either airline for the service.
Sep 11, 2019, 7:19 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,283
Sep 11, 2019, 8:47 am
#45
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,205
All airlines run out of meal choices, but there is a way of telling people and it would appear that this was lacking. She could have cared less and it showed. On AA the is no one to whom you can complain - there is no Senior Crew member (CSD/CSM) who is in charge. The crew can and do as they please and are answerable to no one. I flew this route in J about mid-June. As others have pointed out, BA do not offer a day service and I love the timings of this flight. The crew working our side were as miserable as the day was long. Smiling was not part of their Job Description. The pair working the other side were clearly totally different. We swapped. Clearly this was novel but no one could find a good reason for saying No other then the meal orders had to be moved. We had a most pleasant flight with two friendly and convivial people.