Delta FAs Recognizing Passengers By Name
Apr 18, 2019, 1:21 pm
#16
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
Had an odd experience with this recently, though not so nice. Was in paid F and the lead FA was doing PDB's and thanked 1B for being a Platinum, and also a few other Plat members behind me but just asked for my drink by name. Then a bit later thank 1D for being a Plat too, while I was sitting there as a DM. Really no big deal in the scheme of the world, but odd to thank your PM's and not your DM in the first row. No one is perfect, let alone the technology the FA's are using, but odd everyone else got it. On the other end, I called into the DM line and some of the first words out of the agent were " Wow, thanks for spending so much with us last year!", which was nice I thought.
Why didn't you call the FA on it? Sometimes FAs read the manifest wrong; for example, on a couple flights, the FA thought I was a nonrev and if I hadn't said something, I would have gotten the last choice of meal. Also, sometimes on partners, the manifest is wrong.
Apr 18, 2019, 1:59 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Dayton, OH/CVG
Programs: DA Diamond(1 MM), Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador/Charter Ambassador, Hyatt Glob, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 880
Had an interesting situation a few months ago: i went standby on an earlier flight out of MSP to LAX. Unfortunately, the only seat available was a window in the second to last row. Not my favorite seat clearly, but its on me 100% since i wanted to go standby. I gave up a first class upgrade on my original flight to go standby. Again, my choice. no complaints at all.
About an hour in to the flight, the FA came back and said "what are you doing back here?" and we both chuckled. Assume she saw my Diamond status on her hand held thingy. I explained the situation. She was nice enough to comp me a drink as if I were in C+.
It was good for the soul to sit back there for me. Made me REALLY appreciate my status and the perks that come with it.
About an hour in to the flight, the FA came back and said "what are you doing back here?" and we both chuckled. Assume she saw my Diamond status on her hand held thingy. I explained the situation. She was nice enough to comp me a drink as if I were in C+.
It was good for the soul to sit back there for me. Made me REALLY appreciate my status and the perks that come with it.
Apr 19, 2019, 12:14 am
#18
Join Date: May 2004
Location: formerly Gold now Diamond, formerly MSY, now LAX, formerly NW, now DL
Programs: Hyatt Plat, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Delta Diamond/1MM
Posts: 4,635
On my ATL-CDG flight in C+ recently, I saw the FAs give cards to a number of passengers that I think were DM/PMs. Seemed like they were handwritten thank you notes from what I could see. I was DM and my partner PM, but didn't get one. Though we booked on to the flight 12 hours prior to departure.
Apr 19, 2019, 3:10 pm
#19
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: SEA once more (previously CDG and NRT)
Programs: Former DL DM and UA 1k, now a J class free agent (UA Gold, AS MVP Gold)
Posts: 2,450
I certainly have crews that I see a lot. My last dozen CDG-SEA flights in D1 the purser has always been Randall or Kim. Every time. What is odd is the service difference between them. Randall does the standard thing of creating everyone by name, mentions their medallion status level / thanks them for their loyalty, etc.
But with Kim, its a different story. She’ll do all that stuff with the other passengers. But with me, it’s always just a cold hello, what would you like for your main course. I swear it’s like she has it out for me. It’s quite noticeable. I Can’t think why, as I’m always very polite to the flight crew.
But with Kim, its a different story. She’ll do all that stuff with the other passengers. But with me, it’s always just a cold hello, what would you like for your main course. I swear it’s like she has it out for me. It’s quite noticeable. I Can’t think why, as I’m always very polite to the flight crew.
Apr 19, 2019, 5:20 pm
#20
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: LAS
Programs: DL PM, Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 894
I usually appreciate it, but on a recent transcontinental, the FA called everyone Mr. or Ms. X, but did so pretty loudly, so not just my seat mate (who I was not flying with) but much of the cabin could hear my last name (and I could hear everyone else's). While I appreciate the personal touch, I think that a bit of discretion especially for more private people may have been appreciated....
Apr 19, 2019, 6:50 pm
#21
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Posts: 1,791
There are a lot of nuances to FA/Pax engagements, hearkening back to the times when the FA would get down, almost on a knee, to have an "eye level" meaning fun encounter----pretty much in the F cabin. Frankly, I never thought they had to get down a level to communicate, but if that's what was needed, OK. As for addressing passengers by first name, my wife and I are both now over 70, have travelled for almost 5 decades together, and are not used to having a 25-30 yr old address us by our first names. In most cases, the FA has not even asked either how our first name might be pronounced or whether we would be OK with that type of address at all.
All that said, whatever the FA does in addressing a pax by whatever name, an attempt to modulate the decibel amount to just what is needed would be the best, IMHO.
I could do without the "first name" stuff, even at the risk of being called a curmudgeon. "Mr" or "Ms" was what worked for decades, and I, for one, would be OK if they had stayed with it.
Apr 21, 2019, 8:11 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,209
I know that some people are more private than others, and Delta respects that by only listing the first 3 letters of the persons last name on the upgrade list. My point is, addressing someone as Mr. or Ms. X is a nice touch, but doing it so loudly that the entire cabin hears it is not as optimal IMO.
Apr 21, 2019, 8:12 pm
#23
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,209
I agree with the OP and don't think the OP is silly at all. The FA's doing this are nice and well meaning, but many, probably with a need to project voice in a context of an aircraft with significant background noise, pronounce names that overflow to a lot of ears.
There are a lot of nuances to FA/Pax engagements, hearkening back to the times when the FA would get down, almost on a knee, to have an "eye level" meaning fun encounter----pretty much in the F cabin. Frankly, I never thought they had to get down a level to communicate, but if that's what was needed, OK. As for addressing passengers by first name, my wife and I are both now over 70, have travelled for almost 5 decades together, and are not used to having a 25-30 yr old address us by our first names. In most cases, the FA has not even asked either how our first name might be pronounced or whether we would be OK with that type of address at all.
All that said, whatever the FA does in addressing a pax by whatever name, an attempt to modulate the decibel amount to just what is needed would be the best, IMHO.
I could do without the "first name" stuff, even at the risk of being called a curmudgeon. "Mr" or "Ms" was what worked for decades, and I, for one, would be OK if they had stayed with it.
There are a lot of nuances to FA/Pax engagements, hearkening back to the times when the FA would get down, almost on a knee, to have an "eye level" meaning fun encounter----pretty much in the F cabin. Frankly, I never thought they had to get down a level to communicate, but if that's what was needed, OK. As for addressing passengers by first name, my wife and I are both now over 70, have travelled for almost 5 decades together, and are not used to having a 25-30 yr old address us by our first names. In most cases, the FA has not even asked either how our first name might be pronounced or whether we would be OK with that type of address at all.
All that said, whatever the FA does in addressing a pax by whatever name, an attempt to modulate the decibel amount to just what is needed would be the best, IMHO.
I could do without the "first name" stuff, even at the risk of being called a curmudgeon. "Mr" or "Ms" was what worked for decades, and I, for one, would be OK if they had stayed with it.
Nov 30, 2019, 4:51 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,883
Caught a glimpse of the FA's handheld device showing the seat map. Lots of different color codes - a lot more complicated view than it used to be. My seat was purple colored. My companion was gold colored. I think there were other colors as well. There were also a couple seats that looked to have a bag of money symbol. Any idea what all the colors and symbols mean?
Nov 30, 2019, 6:25 pm
#25
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: SYD
Programs: QF Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 29
Caught a glimpse of the FA's handheld device showing the seat map. Lots of different color codes - a lot more complicated view than it used to be. My seat was purple colored. My companion was gold colored. I think there were other colors as well. There were also a couple seats that looked to have a bag of money symbol. Any idea what all the colors and symbols mean?
Nov 30, 2019, 8:20 pm
#26
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: PDX
Posts: 91
This is so interesting to read people's experiences with this.
I was sitting in economy from AMS-PDX in September and had a FA come up after meal service and say "Ms Pdxkat, we just wanted to thank you so much for being a corporate flyer.". I thought it was SO weird, but it gave the other passengers something to talk about (I heard the people behind me speculating what company I must own"
I was sitting in economy from AMS-PDX in September and had a FA come up after meal service and say "Ms Pdxkat, we just wanted to thank you so much for being a corporate flyer.". I thought it was SO weird, but it gave the other passengers something to talk about (I heard the people behind me speculating what company I must own"
Nov 30, 2019, 10:07 pm
#27
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 224
Caught a glimpse of the FA's handheld device showing the seat map. Lots of different color codes - a lot more complicated view than it used to be. My seat was purple colored. My companion was gold colored. I think there were other colors as well. There were also a couple seats that looked to have a bag of money symbol. Any idea what all the colors and symbols mean?
Dec 1, 2019, 4:20 am
#28
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
Dec 1, 2019, 4:35 am
#29
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: LGA
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Marriott Plat Prem., Hilton Gold, National Exec Elite.
Posts: 2,533
On DTW to FRA the flight was delayed by two hours (after we boarded) - and one of the FAs went around Delta One greeting everyone by name and status. of course as soon as he finished with the lady behind me, I turned and said "Wow, you're a 3 million miler, that's crazy" 
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Dec 1, 2019, 7:11 am
#30
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: DTW
Programs: DL PM, Natl-Exec Elite, Hertz-President Circle, Marriot/Starwood-Gold, HHonors-Gold
Posts: 678
Had an interesting one like this a couple of years ago when seated in F. The pilot came back, addressed me by my last name, and thanked me for my status and loyalty. He did not thank anyone else, so it felt extremely awkward. Got some strange looks from those seated around me. Only thing I could figure was that I have the same last name and same first initial as a well known golfer and maybe he thought that was who I was from looking at the manifest. I was only a nothing special PM, definitely no high-rev, not even a decades worth of maintaining status, nor anybody influential, so it certainly couldn't have had anything to do with me or my status.
Now I was once recognized by an FA out in public once, which caused my wife to conclude that I was traveling a little to frequently.
Now I was once recognized by an FA out in public once, which caused my wife to conclude that I was traveling a little to frequently.
