Pilot with a Bully Pulpit
 

This actually happened on a United flight, but since it did happen in Detroit, and with the issues on NW right now it will probably get more discussion here.

A couple of months ago I was flying from DTW to DEN on a CRJ with the two rows of first class, and we were boarded but hadn’t left the gate. It was winter and I had upgraded to 1D, so I was getting a little cold with the door open. I won’t go into all the details of the delay (I’d probably get them wrong and be chastised); but basically they couldn’t fill the “blue water” because the outside connection was frozen. We were delayed for about an hour before ground crewman filled the tank by carrying a (1) 5 gallon bucket down the aisle of the plane.

Throughout the delay the pilot was giving a diatribe over the PA about how much trouble they had getting the ground crew to do their job and that this is what happens when you use contract maintenance. I don’t think he ever said the word non-union, but it was definitely implied. He then went on about how he would get us to Denver as rapidly as he safely could, but we couldn’t fly with a non-functioning lav. He should be in politics, because people were almost cheering him on, while I was thinking that I was going to miss my connection for 5 gallons of blue water. (someone on this forum knows, how many gallons to an airplane toilet flush?)

When we landed people praised were him as he gloated by the cockpit door, but I thought it was the most unprofessional series of announcements I’ve ever heard, and I fly Southwest.

Anyone had any similar experiences in all the troubles at NW?

The only other time I can think of unprofessional announcement was a United ORD-MSP. Weather was rolling in, the Pilot was making a futile attempt to get going before the next wave of weather rolled in. He swings the cockpit door open and says that we can get going as soon as the lady standing in the isle takes her seat. Apparently the FAs weren't working fast enough for him. He keeps going on and on telling her to sit down and she's going to make us all even later.

The problem was she couldn't because the there were two PAX with the same seat on their BPs. They had to get the GA down fix things up. I think the PAX ended up in F. But the pilot didn't think to ask the FAs what was going on before he made an fool out of himself.

Oh oh...I have, I have!

6/26 I was scheduled on a direct MCI-MEM that got cancelled sometime over the weekend. I ended up rebooking through MSP. Got up to MSP and the connecting flight ended up being a circus:
1. "Delayed awaiting inbound flight crew"
2. They changed the equipment, so they had to bump/rearrange people with disappearing seats.
3. Weight restriction kicked in, so people started getting bumped.
4. They changed the gate from C2 to F16 (that's kind of a hike).
**I'm really not kidding about all this by the way**
5. Equipment changed again, so now people can be added.
**At this point we begin boarding, about 1.5 hours late**
6. Resulting delay means some people will miss connections in Memphis, they want off to be re-routed.
7. MEM calls MSP to inform them that no hotels will be made available in MEM for passengers who misconnect due to delay. More people get off, more get on.
8. While all of this (6-7) is going on, the captain/FO continues coming on the PA to remind us that the delay is all in the interest of our "safety".
9. We finally take off about 2 hours late, pilot continues "safety" lecture during in-flight announcements.

I know the press blurbs Re: the pilots actions have emphasized the safety aspect of their disappearing act, it seemed like this guy was his own press agent he was so emphatic. As I was in 1C I also heard him toeing that line wiht the gate agent ("I refuse to push away from the gate until I have final numbers"). He was dragging his feet as much as possible.

I wanted to tell him I could easily get myself from MSP to MEM "safely" in a car, bus or train. I pay NW to do it "safely", quickly and on-time.

For the most part wiht all the pilot and FA issues the last couple of years I have seen or heard very little. Every now and then when the FAs were about to go on strike, you could over hear them in the galley talking about what they were doing etc, but they were not talking about it with customers jsut among themselves and if you were next to the galley you could hear it.

I have no idea what this has to do with NW. If your complaint is with UA you should probably be complaining on this UA board. Things have been hostile enough recently especially in regard to the pilots without any need to incite further hositility.