Can I help you

Was this flight within the last 8 years otherwise that is impossible?

Prospero

From what I read from your opening post, your mood became increasing frosty during the immediate run up to boarding, but what I gather, boarding commenced as it should, more or less, with Group 1 held back until after the pre-boarding had completed, and that tested your patience which in turn set your general outlook for the rest of your flight. This sounds entirely avoidable. Travel, in all its forms requires a healthy and positive mindset, without which we ultimately end up checking into the Priory.

I’ll be frank, I am a little disoriented by your reaction when you became aware the crew were dealing with a medical emergency. Here, every one of our individual needs immediately and quite naturally drop down the scale of the matters crew will be attending to.

Edited to add: I realise now you’d be satisfied with a simple apology. While I’m sure this would provide closure, reading your account and moreover the content of your complaint, I’d need more from you to be persuaded to offer this, but admittedly I’m not in the CS business.

allturnleft

The bit I am trying to unpick are the repeated interactions you had with the ‘CSD’

Taken at face value it sounds like he saw you as a trouble maker or took a major dislike to you and was out to win a battle with you; what was the thing with the Captains pillow? ; was that mean sarcasm or banter?

Most moans about CSDs on here are about ineffectual/absent ones; yet he kept coming back. On a normal flight its rare to have any interaction with a random member of staff not offering the immediate service. What was the game being played here?

It sounds like neither party resolved their grievances on board

dougzz

It seems the notion of CSD comes from a LinkedIn profile. When I browse the profiles of those I work with I find some amusing stretches of reality.

s0ssos

Not to pick on you, but why is it many people on FT recommend passengers who aren't physically that able fly in business if they can? Because apparently the crew won't do anything extra for them?

Your problem was flying BA. Now, people are commenting it is better than AA (and other American airlines) and I'd have to agree, but on Asian airlines they routinely help you with luggage. Even budget carriers have nicer flight attendants (more capable. The customer doesn't care if they have "baggage handling insurance" or not, they just care how they are cared for). And I think on the Middle Eastern airlines they are also generally very helpful in business (haven't flown too much so cannot comment).

But what all the posters are saying is you aren't the boss, or even very valuable, on the BA flight. You have to act deferential to get better treatment. You should fly in the US and see how "timid" everybody upfront is. "Yes, please." "If you don't mind ..."

Andriyko

You should not have created a situation where cabin crew should have defused something. Again, travel can be frustrating and it is entirely possible to reach the boarding gate in a foul mood because of a delay here and there, people blocking your way everywhere, not having enough sleep, being stressed after a cancellation and having had to deal with the rebooking, but if you entered the aircraft in such a mood and where cabin crew had not done anything wrong to you it was upon you to defuse the situation. I would have offered an apology to cabin crew explaining what put you in such a bad mood but mentioning that you do realize that that does not excuse you for being unfriendly (and possible rude by your account of events?) to them.

I'm sorry but I don't see what BA should offer an apology for apart from your frustrating experience because you were travelling in a cast. Yes, it is inconvenient. I was wearing one for a month last February and I know how much it limits one's capabilities to do stuff. We are only hearing your side of the story, but even from your account it does not seem that cabin crew did anything wrong. You set up yourself for a bad flight and you saw everything in a bad light (I know how that can happen and I have been there myself). I will repeat myself that it reads like you are the one who should have apologized. Something tells me that that would have made your experience much better.

UKtravelbear

Saying please and thank you and can I have ... is not being deferential. It's how adults interact on a daily basis and shouldn't change just because you are on a plane.

s0ssos

I see you haven't been to NYC. You can read about that in the myriad of threads on FT.

Many people who fly frequently change a lot on the plane, in the airport. At least in the US. They become a lot more respectful, no matter what their normal status in society is. Because you don't want to say anything to the stupid TSA agent, no matter what they are making you do. On the flight you dare not argue with the flight attendant, even when they are wrong, because they will say "this passenger makes me feel uncomfortable" and tries to get you thrown off.
And as the OP noted here, on the plane the cabin crew said "the police will meet you". For what? What would be considered anything worthy of an interaction with the police? I guess I mean "on the ground", not "on a plane". Which you presume doesn't make a difference at all.

UKtravelbear

lol I've been to NYC close on 30 times and 50 odd times to the US in total in the last 20 years so please don't try and tell me about behaviour. Never had a problem with anyone to be honest. Not because I'm timid but because I'm polite.

If you start off with a bad attitude you get one back. Perhaps people need to remember that.

As to the police being called we have no idea if the OP said / did anything that they didn't mention in their screed that would have warrented it.

Ancient Observer

UKT...
That's my experience as well. A bit of charm and a nice smile go a long way on a plane journey.
I have been very grumpy on my way to Sin from downtown rather too many times. However, the grumpiness needs to be turned off at the airport. I hope I have always managed that.

HIDDY

If you didn't request special assistance then you aren't going to get any further with this.....forget it.

snaxmuppet

As someone who doesn't fly with my job I have noticed a lot of very grumpy and, to be honest, rude people in the lounges. I have often asked myself... surely these people don't behave like that at home do they? I know people do change at work... sometimes they have to to do their job... but AFAIK most people revert back to their normal family-friendly self at home... I just wish they would bring their family-friendly self to the airport instead of the grouchy, grumpy, rude and, not to put too fine a point on it, unpleasant self. Of course, I know not everyone is unpleasant and I have also come across many more people that are flying with their work that are lovely to meet and to talk to... but there is a sizeable minority who remain with their work self when travelling.

s0ssos

In what customer service role is that taught? Restaurants? Retail stores?
Or just British Airways?

UKtravelbear

In this case the bad attitude started with the OP snapping as soon as he got on board or did you miss that bit?

s0ssos

No, the bad attitude started with the OP injuring the wrist.
You say fliers should be considerate of crew. What about the other way around? No sympathy for someone in a cast and unable to use one arm?