Passengers that makes you want to scream
Feb 28, 2015, 6:10 am
#46
Join Date: May 2013
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Feb 28, 2015, 6:49 am
#47
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Maybe BA could differentiate by status and cabin - might satisfy some of the more DYKWIA types. "Apologies for the delay madam, we just realised that the passenger suffering seizures is only a Oneworld Ruby travelling Y on Avios with a 2-4-1. We have downgraded the medical response to one crew member who is strapping them to their seat before resuming the meal service. Now, here's your monopole..."
Feb 28, 2015, 7:28 am
#49
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Feb 28, 2015, 8:04 am
#51
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: BA Blue, EI Silver, Honours Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,209
I should imagine that it does. Most medical emergencies actually require a lot of people. There are a lot of simultaneous tasks going on in medical emergencies. I hesitate to say the more the better, but 5 is certainly not extravagant. Considering one person will be taken up with "Bag and Mask", 2 would be required for chest compressions (which I assume would have happened if there was a defib) and one to look after the defib. In a hospital scenario at least 8 people would attend a cardiac arrest.
Feb 28, 2015, 8:07 am
#52
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Chelsea
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,227
Poor Bafan. It was a pretty innocuous comment. Why all the abuse?
If I peg it onboard - which I hope not - I would expect to be unceremoniously shoved into the nearest loo/cupboard/crew rest area/overhead bin so the crew can get on with their proper jobs and all the highly trained/qualified/professional medical people can get back to their G&Ts.
You do get some real intolerant types on here
If I peg it onboard - which I hope not - I would expect to be unceremoniously shoved into the nearest loo/cupboard/crew rest area/overhead bin so the crew can get on with their proper jobs and all the highly trained/qualified/professional medical people can get back to their G&Ts.
You do get some real intolerant types on here
Feb 28, 2015, 8:21 am
#53
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
Thanks for the laugh! I can see it's a bit OTT but I get the gist of what you're saying and I can identify with it!
No names, no pack drill, but I remember vividly the first time I saw one of the "mover and shaker" elite throw an epic two-year-old type wobbler! I really couldn't believe it and, if I hadn't beein in uniform, I would have taken him into a "no camera" corridor and given him the thrashing his mum and dad should have done as a child! (The man, incidentally, is now a CEO of a major Blue Chip company, has his ugly mug in the FT regularly and is still as big a to55er as he was then!)
At Gatwick, he approached me on the Customer Service desk about 30 minutes after his evening flight to Nairobi had closed (check in used to close 90 minutes before departure for long hauls - that's a long time ago!) I rang everyone I could to try to get him accepted as a late passenger and, reluctantly, the Dispatcher agreed - but as the standbys have been onloaded, he would lose his Club seat and have to teavel Economy with no refund as "it's not BA's fault he's turned up late!"
When I put that to him, he agreed "I've got no bloody choice, have I!" I'll get the sack if I miss this meeting!" I checked him in, handed him his boarding pass - a middle seat down the back - at which point he visually exploded, veins popping out of his bull neck, which had gone a delightful shade of purple, and everything!
"I don't even get a bloody window or aisle seat! Bloody Hell!" and he spun round and threw his beautiful leather brief case about twenty feet where it hit the escalator and tumbled downstairs to fetch up at MacDonalds!
The Police and a BAA Security Manager popped over to see what the fuss was about and I am afraid to say the passenger did get one hell of a going over when he went through security. No orofice was left unexamined!
No names, no pack drill, but I remember vividly the first time I saw one of the "mover and shaker" elite throw an epic two-year-old type wobbler! I really couldn't believe it and, if I hadn't beein in uniform, I would have taken him into a "no camera" corridor and given him the thrashing his mum and dad should have done as a child! (The man, incidentally, is now a CEO of a major Blue Chip company, has his ugly mug in the FT regularly and is still as big a to55er as he was then!)
At Gatwick, he approached me on the Customer Service desk about 30 minutes after his evening flight to Nairobi had closed (check in used to close 90 minutes before departure for long hauls - that's a long time ago!) I rang everyone I could to try to get him accepted as a late passenger and, reluctantly, the Dispatcher agreed - but as the standbys have been onloaded, he would lose his Club seat and have to teavel Economy with no refund as "it's not BA's fault he's turned up late!"
When I put that to him, he agreed "I've got no bloody choice, have I!" I'll get the sack if I miss this meeting!" I checked him in, handed him his boarding pass - a middle seat down the back - at which point he visually exploded, veins popping out of his bull neck, which had gone a delightful shade of purple, and everything!
"I don't even get a bloody window or aisle seat! Bloody Hell!" and he spun round and threw his beautiful leather brief case about twenty feet where it hit the escalator and tumbled downstairs to fetch up at MacDonalds!
The Police and a BAA Security Manager popped over to see what the fuss was about and I am afraid to say the passenger did get one hell of a going over when he went through security. No orofice was left unexamined!
Feb 28, 2015, 8:39 am
#54
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 708
All doctors (unless full time academics/lab based - a tiny minority) by definition spend much/most of their time caring for patients. The GMC revalidation process requires a minimum amount of patient contact plus an annual appraisal which would include resuscitation training every year for all regardless of whether you are an A&E consultant or a GP. So basically I don't agree that a doctor or nurse would be less helpful in an emergency due to pen pushing.Remember that pen pushing can even save lives: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle...ors-diary.html
Apologies - way OT!
Feb 28, 2015, 9:43 am
#55
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,984
We rant ad infinitum, here, on how BA is letting us down and crew can't be arsed and ground staff don't care and blah blah blah, but what about our fellow passengers?
I've had my fair share of encounters with unsavory travelers, from obnoxious individuals to complete knobs. Take, for example, the Alicante flight that I've been on a couple of days ago: a packed flight with people who've decided to take onboard half of their possessions, at least judging by the dimensions of their carrier bags, and that all pretended that the crew literally created the space for them. Without using the space where the yellow-labeled bags should go, obviously.
Then, in Club, the full English runs out, leaving only the frittata or the cold platter. Now, I'm a big fan of the cold platter, and so are my arteries; but I understand that the full English is always the full English, and not having it might cause a bit of a stir. What I don't understand is why a grown man, possibly a man with a job and responsibilities and commitments, needs to behave like a 13-years-old teenager when he's told that, alas, the beloved sausages and bacon have indeed run out. And neither I understand why this man needs to subject the cabin crew, nice to a fault and really ready to find alternatives (seriously, she was showing quite a lot of inventive), to a stream-of-consciousness of rantings including punctuality, bags, the new Club cabin, food, price, the Border Force, all intertwined by the classic accusatory mantra "What are you gonna do about that?". Ignoring that, yes, she's offered you alternatives. Yes, she's offered you to fill a complaint form. Yes, she's apologised. And, no, she can't fetch you another sausage-and-bacon combo because we're in the middle of the bloody air.
Then, finally, a medical emergency happens. A full blown one, including defibrillator, big medkits, oxygen bottles aplenty, a panicked nurse who is asking the crew what can be done for her patient and the cliche call "Is there a doctor onboard?" (luckily, there was, bless him). All this, I should point out, on a A320.
And here comes mr Gold card holder (he took pride in showing it dangling from the handle of this carrier bag), hitting the 'call' bell button multiple times, only to ask the cabin crew, shuttling oxygen back and forth, for a drink. On a flight with 3 crews and a medical emergency going on. As fas as inappropriateness goes, this is second only to the one asking "Y'alright babe?" to a woman at her husband's funeral.
I see this sort of behaviour almost every single time I take it to the skies. Some routes - the Middle East, south of Spain - seem more affected than others, but there's no denying that for every cabin crew not doing his/her job, there are 10 of us behaving like, well, the diminutive of Richard.
Discuss!
I've had my fair share of encounters with unsavory travelers, from obnoxious individuals to complete knobs. Take, for example, the Alicante flight that I've been on a couple of days ago: a packed flight with people who've decided to take onboard half of their possessions, at least judging by the dimensions of their carrier bags, and that all pretended that the crew literally created the space for them. Without using the space where the yellow-labeled bags should go, obviously.
Then, in Club, the full English runs out, leaving only the frittata or the cold platter. Now, I'm a big fan of the cold platter, and so are my arteries; but I understand that the full English is always the full English, and not having it might cause a bit of a stir. What I don't understand is why a grown man, possibly a man with a job and responsibilities and commitments, needs to behave like a 13-years-old teenager when he's told that, alas, the beloved sausages and bacon have indeed run out. And neither I understand why this man needs to subject the cabin crew, nice to a fault and really ready to find alternatives (seriously, she was showing quite a lot of inventive), to a stream-of-consciousness of rantings including punctuality, bags, the new Club cabin, food, price, the Border Force, all intertwined by the classic accusatory mantra "What are you gonna do about that?". Ignoring that, yes, she's offered you alternatives. Yes, she's offered you to fill a complaint form. Yes, she's apologised. And, no, she can't fetch you another sausage-and-bacon combo because we're in the middle of the bloody air.
Then, finally, a medical emergency happens. A full blown one, including defibrillator, big medkits, oxygen bottles aplenty, a panicked nurse who is asking the crew what can be done for her patient and the cliche call "Is there a doctor onboard?" (luckily, there was, bless him). All this, I should point out, on a A320.
And here comes mr Gold card holder (he took pride in showing it dangling from the handle of this carrier bag), hitting the 'call' bell button multiple times, only to ask the cabin crew, shuttling oxygen back and forth, for a drink. On a flight with 3 crews and a medical emergency going on. As fas as inappropriateness goes, this is second only to the one asking "Y'alright babe?" to a woman at her husband's funeral.
I see this sort of behaviour almost every single time I take it to the skies. Some routes - the Middle East, south of Spain - seem more affected than others, but there's no denying that for every cabin crew not doing his/her job, there are 10 of us behaving like, well, the diminutive of Richard.
Discuss!
Feb 28, 2015, 10:15 am
#56
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: MUCCI
Posts: 1,924
Passengers that makes you want to scream
So I've looked at this with interest.
OK - I can tell you when it really goes belly up 3 people is actually quite modest - team of 7 or more in a Hospital would not be unusual - a plane is a bit different but of course comes with a unique set of challenges so you need plenty of help. As long as you have it organised all in the team contribute - that's how you want it.
Who defibrillates is based on who is around, expertise and previous experience. Most defibrillators on planes will auto-detect and work it out for themselves - biggest risk is safety of others and not shocking everyone else to be honest as the space is confined....
On one thing I will be clear - when I did this repat work there was one airline that was in a different league, particularly when it went wrong. That airline is BA. The cabin crew were just unbelievable - my hat off to them.
The only other thing I learned is that the Captain can also help you so much. He has to decide about diversions and keep ground teams informed but he can help. He can stick the seatbelt signs on. This just stops the general traffic - also drops a hint that maybe drinks orders aren't the top priority right now. They can also make announcements. The 2 times I was involved with cases going wrong the Captain was part of the team. Explain what you are requesting and why - they'll do it if they can and they are really good at handling pressure and staying focused - much like we are.....
'Nuff said....
FD.
OK - I can tell you when it really goes belly up 3 people is actually quite modest - team of 7 or more in a Hospital would not be unusual - a plane is a bit different but of course comes with a unique set of challenges so you need plenty of help. As long as you have it organised all in the team contribute - that's how you want it.
Who defibrillates is based on who is around, expertise and previous experience. Most defibrillators on planes will auto-detect and work it out for themselves - biggest risk is safety of others and not shocking everyone else to be honest as the space is confined....
On one thing I will be clear - when I did this repat work there was one airline that was in a different league, particularly when it went wrong. That airline is BA. The cabin crew were just unbelievable - my hat off to them.
The only other thing I learned is that the Captain can also help you so much. He has to decide about diversions and keep ground teams informed but he can help. He can stick the seatbelt signs on. This just stops the general traffic - also drops a hint that maybe drinks orders aren't the top priority right now. They can also make announcements. The 2 times I was involved with cases going wrong the Captain was part of the team. Explain what you are requesting and why - they'll do it if they can and they are really good at handling pressure and staying focused - much like we are.....
'Nuff said....
FD.
Feb 28, 2015, 10:25 am
#58
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
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Posts: 9,883
personally I would not expect to be served drinks by the CC during a medical emergency such as this
but isn't it such a shame that what appeared to be a general thread about nightmare passengers that want to make you scream is getting bogged down on this one topic instead of us hearing lots of different experiences
but isn't it such a shame that what appeared to be a general thread about nightmare passengers that want to make you scream is getting bogged down on this one topic instead of us hearing lots of different experiences
I clicked on the thread to see what some pax do cause the good folks of FT start screaming.
Feb 28, 2015, 11:09 am
#59
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Mucci de la Cuisine Aérienne du Réseau Courte Durée de British Airways
Posts: 4,704
This might be a plan for cardiac arrest somewhere in the world, but it's not best practice.
There should be at least two people doing compressions, taking turns. There's evidence that long term provision of compressions results in poor technique, and likely bad outcome.
The issue about resuscitation with breaths is controversial still as the stopping to provide breaths prevents the provision of regular and competent CPR and leads to too many breaks in compressions. In the most common kind of out-of-hospital arrests, CPR only was associated with a better outcome for patients. However, many resuscitation organisations still don't recommend compressions-only CPR.
Keep in mind this isn't specific medical advice, only the details that guide my practice.
There should be at least two people doing compressions, taking turns. There's evidence that long term provision of compressions results in poor technique, and likely bad outcome.
The issue about resuscitation with breaths is controversial still as the stopping to provide breaths prevents the provision of regular and competent CPR and leads to too many breaks in compressions. In the most common kind of out-of-hospital arrests, CPR only was associated with a better outcome for patients. However, many resuscitation organisations still don't recommend compressions-only CPR.
Keep in mind this isn't specific medical advice, only the details that guide my practice.
Of course a Doctor or Nurse that administers CPR regularly would be perfectly able to do it. However most GPs and practice nurses don't practice CPR techniques as often as BA cabin crew do. If you are lucky enough to get a doctor from an Emergency Department, then great but most will not be familiar with the equipment or even doing CPR. Some countries follow different practices and believe it or not, we can't check a Doctors qualifications during a medical emergency. Believe it or not but you do from time to time get people volunteering to help that say they are a doctor but arn't actually one. When it comes to CPR, time is of the essence, starting CPR as fast as possible can be the difference between life and death and as cabin crew, we will go into action straight away and be familiar with the equipment.
As I said earlier, Doctors and Nurses are great as they can liaise with our Medlink Department and administers injections that cabin crew cannot do. So all medical help is great for the patient.
I can't speak for all airline crew as not all airlines have defibrillators, but if you are on a BA aircraft, the cabin crew will be very familiar with the equipment and practice and are examined on it every year.
I have done CPR for real and I can honestly say that the particular medics that turned up to help at this particular airport were badly trained and useless. So my advice is in certain destinations in the world, you need to pray you don't get ill!!
Last edited by Littlegirl; Feb 28, 2015 at 11:21 am
Feb 28, 2015, 12:08 pm
#60
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