AA can turn roses to thorns ? AA culture is a ‘hit or miss’
Mar 5, 2023, 11:44 pm
#31
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA PPro (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Uber One
Posts: 1,348
May 15, 2023, 3:58 pm
#32
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 28
Anyone who equates AA to either a Rolls or Bentley has not been flying the same AA I have been.
AA customer service is pathetic.....esp the Grumpy Granny flight attendants.
The rule about AA service....the longer the flight and higher the fare the worse the service.
CMH to LGA is prob going to be OK in either class. MIA to GRU, esp. in J, absolutely the worst service in the industry.
AA management is apparently not concerned with the inflight product, or we would see them taking on the
geriatric's union and ridding themselves of the emotionally incontinent amongst their staff.
AA customer service is pathetic.....esp the Grumpy Granny flight attendants.
The rule about AA service....the longer the flight and higher the fare the worse the service.
CMH to LGA is prob going to be OK in either class. MIA to GRU, esp. in J, absolutely the worst service in the industry.
AA management is apparently not concerned with the inflight product, or we would see them taking on the
geriatric's union and ridding themselves of the emotionally incontinent amongst their staff.
May 15, 2023, 4:02 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Anyone who equates AA to either a Rolls or Bentley has not been flying the same AA I have been.
AA customer service is pathetic.....esp the Grumpy Granny flight attendants.
The rule about AA service....the longer the flight and higher the fare the worse the service.
CMH to LGA is prob going to be OK in either class. MIA to GRU, esp. in J, absolutely the worst service in the industry.
AA management is apparently not concerned with the inflight product, or we would see them taking on the
geriatric's union and ridding themselves of the emotionally incontinent amongst their staff.
AA customer service is pathetic.....esp the Grumpy Granny flight attendants.
The rule about AA service....the longer the flight and higher the fare the worse the service.
CMH to LGA is prob going to be OK in either class. MIA to GRU, esp. in J, absolutely the worst service in the industry.
AA management is apparently not concerned with the inflight product, or we would see them taking on the
geriatric's union and ridding themselves of the emotionally incontinent amongst their staff.
May 16, 2023, 12:27 pm
#34
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,039
I thought of writing this reply in the thread(s) you started on this topic a long time ago when you were giving up the game with AA but didn't. You had and have very valid points.
For those turned away by the "grumpy granny" service issues: try flying with a (service) dog. AA is the most dog-friendly airline out there by a wide margin.
I fly AA almost exclusively internationally (meaning very little domestic travel, not only flying AA) and never have experienced the type of service that so many of you rightfully complain about here - largely because I have found that those same senior FAs mostly are huge dog lovers and really make sure she had a comfortable flight. Even on CDG-DFW and back which I took about two times a year throughout the 2010s.
We got leftover food where they scraped the seasoning off the meat before it was cut and handed to her, for example. We got onboard upgrades to F on the old 777-200 courtesy of the cabin crew (OK, now that's really been awhile) or the crew made sure that I had no seatmate on the transcon A321T (by giving 6F an onboard F upgrade). When boarding last (what I usually do), someone took care of 'reserving' some room in the overhead bins - those little touches that make me feel appreciated as a customer.
OK; granted, yes, the food could be presented in a nicer, more 'premium' way, and sometimes it wasn't heated properly, but that happens on QR as well. Not as often, but it does.
In fact I try and make AA my go-to airline when going EU-South America even though there's direct flights by other airlines taking hours less and saving me the US transit 'experience'.
On AA, all it takes is a one-minute phone call to the EXP desk, followed by a one-minute phone call to someone at special services where the EXP agent transfers me to get the dog approved and entered into the system, ready to travel. Absolutely hassle-free. Try that with LH/LX, or UA for that matter - no chance.
Now that she is no more, I`ll have my first dog-free TATL flight on AA next month. We'll see how that goes.
For those turned away by the "grumpy granny" service issues: try flying with a (service) dog. AA is the most dog-friendly airline out there by a wide margin.
I fly AA almost exclusively internationally (meaning very little domestic travel, not only flying AA) and never have experienced the type of service that so many of you rightfully complain about here - largely because I have found that those same senior FAs mostly are huge dog lovers and really make sure she had a comfortable flight. Even on CDG-DFW and back which I took about two times a year throughout the 2010s.
We got leftover food where they scraped the seasoning off the meat before it was cut and handed to her, for example. We got onboard upgrades to F on the old 777-200 courtesy of the cabin crew (OK, now that's really been awhile) or the crew made sure that I had no seatmate on the transcon A321T (by giving 6F an onboard F upgrade). When boarding last (what I usually do), someone took care of 'reserving' some room in the overhead bins - those little touches that make me feel appreciated as a customer.
OK; granted, yes, the food could be presented in a nicer, more 'premium' way, and sometimes it wasn't heated properly, but that happens on QR as well. Not as often, but it does.
In fact I try and make AA my go-to airline when going EU-South America even though there's direct flights by other airlines taking hours less and saving me the US transit 'experience'.
On AA, all it takes is a one-minute phone call to the EXP desk, followed by a one-minute phone call to someone at special services where the EXP agent transfers me to get the dog approved and entered into the system, ready to travel. Absolutely hassle-free. Try that with LH/LX, or UA for that matter - no chance.
Now that she is no more, I`ll have my first dog-free TATL flight on AA next month. We'll see how that goes.
May 16, 2023, 3:03 pm
#35
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,094
AA can turn roses into thorn bushes, yes AA is still an Angry Airline. And yet, AA profits are soaring see https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-b...aring-53acdb2e
The AA culture appears divided. For example, AA in CMH is friendly, smiling and happy. Then the FAs on a flight from CMH to DFW are grumpy, sour faced and angry.
After giving up AA status and flying Southwest, we have had no such issues with Southwest for nearly 5+ years. As a matter of fact, it appears that Southwest has delegated more to the frontline any decisions regarding customer satisfaction.
Is it wishful thinking that AA culture is going to improve?
The AA culture appears divided. For example, AA in CMH is friendly, smiling and happy. Then the FAs on a flight from CMH to DFW are grumpy, sour faced and angry.
After giving up AA status and flying Southwest, we have had no such issues with Southwest for nearly 5+ years. As a matter of fact, it appears that Southwest has delegated more to the frontline any decisions regarding customer satisfaction.
Is it wishful thinking that AA culture is going to improve?
AA has variable cheerfulness and quality but most employees are good to great and the extremes are rare.
May 16, 2023, 4:00 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,072
JFK-BCN this past week in J. The crew up front was good. Not great. I felt they were just going through the motions of getting the pax fed so they could sleep and not talk (this was a 5pm departure). The FA that my wife and I had was very nice and went above and beyond in one situation. So, no - the senior crews aren't all cut from the same cloth. I found that trip to be a good one....
May 16, 2023, 7:44 pm
#37
Join Date: Mar 2023
Location: Monserate Winery
Programs: QR Platinum, Lifetime PAN AM Clipper Club
Posts: 113
I had been looking at buying a ticket to South America in Mixed 1st and Bus class until I saw
. The couple saved for 3 years to buy $10k Flagship tickets to Japan and the crew hardly showed their faces(read next to zero service and no food). It's a 45 min. video.
May 17, 2023, 6:50 am
#38
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: Non-Affiliated
Posts: 7,430
Delta dealt with its culture problem. I was a DL PM/DM at the time, and there was vitriol. I remember seeing signs on baggage carts saying "Does your paycheck say Delta? Then why does your uniform?" Delta made culture a priority in general but especially following its mergers, and as a result, things like this faded away. AA has not made it a priority.