Call button etiquette?
 

OK, I'm curious: Where is everybody's thermometer on using the FA call button?

Umpty-thousand miles later, I have to admit I still look at it more like a fire pull box than as a bell-rope; more for the "Excuse me, this person next to me seems to be dying" than "Hi, I want a blanket."

Some of the threads in the AA forum about FC service have me noticing that there seem to be pretty wide opinions, though.

When do you use the call button?

Has that changed?

What kind of response do you get?

Does it vary by line, COS, or metal?

FAs, please chime in as well!

--Laird

I have long since given up on using call buttons on US carriers, even on international flights. You're lucky if anyone responds at all, and even if they do it's likely to be 30 minutes later with attitude. If I need something I walk myself to the galley and talk to the FAs there.

On Asian carriers, it's a whole different story. FA's arrive the moment your finger contacts the button.

As I once noted previously, when the topic first arose, never! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

laird,

There's plenty of info on this topic. Use the search function.
But since you asked...The call button is the newest musical instrument of the 20th century.

Dan

If i'm sitting in international biz or first, and it takes the FA 30 minutes to get my glass of water---bing

I recently flew to SAN and there were lots of UM (end of the school year). We were taxiing towards take off and the call button goes off, FA gets on PA and goes through the spiel "is the an emergency, etc" as we wait for a few minutes, it happens again. Apparently, some 8 yo UM really needed to go. She went back and got him and took him up the FC lav. No big deal, accident (ehem) averted and she was really good natured about it.

I don't use it at all.

The legitimacy of the request to the FA dictates where the thermometer will most likely be placed... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I press it whenever I want something if I haven't seen a server for a few minutes. Usually it's a water refill. Why not?

jer-

ROTF-LOL

And you should really receive a nice one (1) level promotion in elite status for your wonderfully appropriate comment.

MisterNice

Another vote for the "Never used it" box.

What do you do on a long flight when all the FA's have disappeared into galley/crew rest areas and you're dying of thirst?

bing.

Well, none of the FA's have posted on this thread yet, so I'll come out and ask.

Let's suppose regular service has been completed; I'm in an aisle seat; I need a drink of water to take a pill; the FA's aren't in sight.

Would you rather that I ring the bell, or that I come to the galley? Does the class of service make a difference?

On a UA flight a few weeks ago: A flight attendant announced over the P.A. system, "They've given us some survey forms to pass out on this flight. If you'd like to fill one out, please press your call button."

I think you can figure out what happened next. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Perhaps this belongs in the Funny Things thread?

I fly coach 95% of the time and international 85% of the time. If I need something I get up and get it if the seat belt light is off. I may feel different if I flew FC all the time. It is nice to get up and move around as well as chatting with flight attendants in the galley.

Not ringing my call button may also have to do with being a prior airline employee. I felt it was rude when I was staff. Airline employees try to be as inconspicuous as possible.

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The world is a book, and for those who do not travel, read only a page.
-Saint Augustine

From a former Flight Attendant, it's rude to use the button. I agree if you want something on a long flight get up and get it. For one it's hard to find the exact spot the button came from. You really can't see the little light when ur walking through the plane. Second most of the time someone rings it, it's for something dumb. Like a pillow or a blanket. Either grab one when you first get on the plane, get up and get it yourself, or trying bringing ur own (those things are nasty, the blankets are just folded up and thrown back up there for the next flight, and the pillows as well. The FA's have enough to do. Remember, their primary function is safety. And also that they are human too, and they need to eat, sit down and take a break, have time to use the lav. So once again, just get up and go ask.

I will add that I only use it on longhauls. I also enjoy getting up and taking a walk, however if you have the window seat and would be waking the person at the aisle, then I prefer to use the button.

What is the big deal. If I need something and I don't see the FA's in the asile, regardless of the class of seat I'm in, I ring for the FA. If I have to wait too long i get up and go to the galley. Sure the FA's are there for my safety and also for my well being. Granted I rarely call for a FA and do not make it a regular habit, but at the same time I'm not shy about pushing the button.

I don't agree that you should have to get up and get something. The call button is there for that very reason. Most of my travelling is long hall business class. If I'm in the middle of watching a movie, I'm not getting up for anyone. I get worse than that. If there is no response to my call in about 5 mins, I turn off the call and push it again (can hear the "ding" in the galley). I repeat this until someone comes. Maybe I am just lazy and impatient ....

I used it once after witnessing the port engine's cover become unriveted, flap around in the wind for a few seconds, and then break off. (On a domestic UA flight) A flight attendent did respond quickly.

The fact that you consider the flight attendant your "server" is probably why F/A's aren't fond of responding to the button. That's really not what they are there for.



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Have a great day!!
~~Missy~~

Oh boy, another discussion about the purpose of F/A's.

So far we have two posts saying that FA's aren't there for service, they're on the plane for safety. That's a cop-out.

If F/A's are really there only for safety, cut staffing to FAA minimums and reduce pay (due to unchanged safety requirements but no service).

I'll take the lower fares and get up to make my own drinks in the galley!

Lets be honest. Please. I have never bought the "being there for safety" thing. Yes, that is one reason. But the FAs are hired there to do many other things. I am sure that if an airline offered their FAs to take away from their duties all that "other" stuff like serving meals, drinks, bringing pillows, etc. they could reduce costs by having less FAs and also by paying them less. Competition would probably be higher for those jobs as the FAs would be able to read and chat in their own time and space as their work load would be reduced.

If they are there for safety only, how come we do not have also attendants in buses and trains. Trains and buses also crash and people also die when that happens.

BTW, the first time I flew on an Asian airline (I was on business) I got up to get water. The FA said she would bring it to my seat, and when she did she told me to call her anytime with the call button if I needed a refill. I immdiately thought of UA, AA, DL, ....et al.

I fly long haul all the time. The problem is if we are not in the galley, we don't always hear the chime, but the light should show, and we will go and see what it is that you need. I disagree with the person who thinks that it is rude. Whilst I am more than happy for people to come and stretch their legs and pick up what they want, it is not always possible on night flights when there are people asleep between the the passenger or the aisle. There is, there always must be one person minimum not on rest at any time. That is what they are there for, whilst my ex-colleague is absolutley correct, we hope that we will never have to put it into use.

We all know the sort that use them bell as though they were summoning the parlour maid, we can deal with that as well. Indeed, one poor soul could not distinguish betwen the bells as the design is sometimes awkward. She kept wondering why we kept comming and was so embarrassed, although we assured her that she had no need to be. Give me people like her any day!

In 15 years of heavy travel, I think I've used the button 10 times.
I like to get up during the flight as long as I'm not in the way.

I'm with Tomphot on this one. Getting up gives me an excuse to move around without wandering aimlessly about the cabin. The only time I'll use the button is if I'm in a window seat and my getting up would disturb passenger(s) between me and the aisle, if there's stuff on my tray table that would be difficult to get out of the way, or if the seatbelt sign is on. That's not because I don't want to ask FAs for anything, though. I really do prefer to get up.

I'm more than happy to go to the galley to get a drink -- if I fancy the walk. That happens about 90% of the time. If I don't fancy the walk, I expect the FA to answer the bell. I'll ask politely ("When you have a moment could you please..."), and I expect a polite response. When I go to a restaurant and I want to order another bottle of wine, water, whatever, I don't expect to have to walk into the kitchen.

And as regards the safety vs. service issue, surely the trick is for the FAs to be seen to provide full service, whilst being completely in command of the safety aspects of the job (hopefully never to be seen)?

Well, firstly, doing long-hauls and having been in a window seat on all but one of them that I can remember, I mostly stay where I am. Climbing over 1 or 2 other people to get something and then climbing back over them to get back to my seat is pretty disruptive, especially if they and/or I are watching a movie.

British Airways have the worst FA's I've experienced, being quite capable of going over 2 hours without ever responding to the call button.

Despite what some have said, I've always had reasonably decent service from UA and US FAs. NZ, QF and AN are consistently good, and, as others have commented, Asian carriers such as SQ, TG and MH even better.

On one SQ flight, the barman ... er, I mean FA ... started simply bringing a Cointreau when I rang, since that was what I asked for previously! (and this was in the cheap seats down the back)

This is the sort of service which makes me continue to fly SQ whenever possible ... even though I may not get Mileage Plus status bonuses and other airlines may be cheaper. At the other end of the scale, I haven't flown BA since I experienced their "never answer the call button" FAs and quite possibly never will. This difference between SQ and BA was one of my reasons for switching from using QF and its allies to using Star Alliance.

I'm sure some airlines, and their FAs, underestimate how much goodwill they can generate by simply providing decent service and how much they can lose by giving lousy service in this area.

I use the bell every 10 minutes because I like to see the FA's running around the cabin. I turn it off quickly to add to the confusion. Makes for great entertainment on long-hauls in coach.

Yes. I'm kidding.

I've only used it for a drink when I'm at the window and the person next to me is sleeping, or if I've done my usual stupid thing like spilling something in my lap. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Flip

Hi missydarlin:

In my eyes, service is exactly why they are there and I choose airlines with better service over ones with "primarily here for your safety" attitudes.

And I've rarely had any negative response from a crew member for pressing the call button.

Have you guys watched "Made"? It's in theatres right now. TW attendents in First do respond quickly.

I used it once by mistake....

I don't think I've ever used it except when they ask for me to ring my call button. I'm more than happy to do it then, because it means they're upgrading me!

Maybe once or twice.

A friend, who is a new FA, once announced that "if anyone would like a second ice cream bar, please ring your call button" - I guess it was pretty funny. I would have rung it then also. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif


I appreciate their safety role as well as their service role.

Compton Sid:

But do you expect the restaurant to offer you an airplane ride, Sid?... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

*I* can't stand when a passenger keeps ringing the call button.

BING BING BING BING BING BING for every little thing.

There was some guy on a recent CO EWR/HKG nonstop a couple rows in front of me in BusinessFirst. Couldn't keep his fingers off that call button, let alone figure what he needed in one shot.

I was not only P.O.'ed at him for annoying the hell out of me for his incessant BING BING BING'ing, but for causing his seatmate to likewise get annoyed such that he changed seats... into the empty one next to me.

So it's not just annoying to the flight crew - it's annoying to fellow passengers.

I consider the class I am travelling. Flying coach, I usually don't ring the bell because I think they are pretty much understaffed. In addition, I always try to get the lowest possible prices, so I accept that the FA's are not my personal servants.

Flying business, I don't have any scruples. The ticket costs a lot of money, and there are enough FA's around.

The reaction of the FA's depends on the airline. In asian airlines, the FA's seem to be embarassed when you walk over to them to get something. It's just the opposite with european FA's.

On BA: "Hi, I am Scott, your Cabin Service Director on your flight to Amsterdam today If there is anything I, or indeed any of my crew can do to make your flight more pleasant, please do not hesitate to ask, or use the call button above your head"

(I have heard it so many times I know the exact words),

do I use the button? no.... I guess frequent flyers consider the button of limits..

I probably use the button once a year. On most of what I fly (AA MD80/737 less than 1000 miles), there should be no need to ever hit the call button if the FA is doing a good job. Not even an outstanding job, just a tolerable one. Especially on an MD80, where there's 1 FA for 14 people that for the most part know the drill and when to ask for what.

I don't use it nearly enough

I am not sure but I certainly heard no "dong" (or sound of any kind) the times that I have used it. Sad really since the FA probably did not hear anything either. On LH in Y a FA came by and turned the light off and walked fast further down the aisle without asking me if I might have had a reason for pushing the button. In Y (which in my opinion is where one needs the button the most) it takes ages for the FA to come and bring one drinks or whatever.

In Business it at least works pretty quickly but then you get much more attention there so it is not really needed.

I must say I have difficulty understanding how someone could fly for ages and not use the button, and I certainly fail to see what is rude about using it.

Obviously the button was put there for people to be able to get the attention of the crew for bringing them drinks, snacks or helping them with other requests. That is what it is there for.

Furthermore, when I am in a window seat (and I almost always am) then I am certainly not going to do the very difficult movements required to get out of the seat. If you don't want me to use the button then either:
1) Remove it
OR
2) Built airplanes with space enough for one to move around.

And on a side note: as far as I am concerned the FA is primarily there to get me food and drinks. If the plane is really going to crash then the FA will die like everybody else...!

Getting back to my first sentence, I think I should slowly learn to use it more. That is the only way one can really benefit from the service offered in Y and max out on the airfare. So far I am way to polite/shy (or whatever) to use it often to get cola and water but I am hoping I will be able to change this gradually.