Negative Experiences with Flight Attendants
Jun 20, 2011, 1:00 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 47
Negative Experiences with Flight Attendants
Based on the number of posts that indicated that the FA in a prior thread behaved unprofessional, I’ve decided to start a new thread to see what negative experiences flyer’s have had with FA’s. During one flight, my girlfriend and I booked seats together for a trip to Hong Kong. Once we were at cruising altitude, the meal service began. We were given a pair of chopsticks each. My girlfriend and I began joking around (i.e. playing) with the chopsticks with each other. The FA noticed this and said to my girlfriend if she wanted me to move to a different seat. I had no idea why she would say this since we were joking around with each other. She then said to her “we can move him to cargo if you want” referring to me. I thought the comment was inappropriate but I did not make a big deal about it. On another flight, after the customs cards were handed out, the same FA (I recognized her from the previous flight) noticed that I had the customs card in my hand and saw me tapping my girlfriend on the shoulder. She immediately said to me “You don’t have to bother her, you can fill it out on your own”. I never asked for her input. I couldn’t see why, on two separate occasions, the FA needed to get involved (i.e. meddle) in our business. Are there similar experiences out there or other negative experiences with FA‘s?
Jun 20, 2011, 2:23 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
This comment is absolutely inappropriate and is a borderline threat. Cargo holds are often unpressurised and unheated, so she is basically threatening your life by making that suggestion. I suggest you contact the TSA and the FAA immediately. This airline should be grounded.
Jun 20, 2011, 2:32 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: London
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Spire Ambassador, Qatar Gold, Etihad Gold, TK Gold, BA Silver, Emirates Silver
Posts: 1,458
This comment is absolutely inappropriate and is a borderline threat. Cargo holds are often unpressurised and unheated, so she is basically threatening your life by making that suggestion. I suggest you contact the TSA and the FAA immediately. This airline should be grounded.
Jun 20, 2011, 4:09 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: CHC
Programs: NZ Silver+Exec Club Blue+Priority Club
Posts: 108
This comment is absolutely inappropriate and is a borderline threat. Cargo holds are often unpressurised and unheated, so she is basically threatening your life by making that suggestion. I suggest you contact the TSA and the FAA immediately. This airline should be grounded.
Negative experiences? I dont hassle crew on the flight and they dont hassle me. It's all good.
However there was one evening I was out on the town with my girlfriend in Edinburgh. Excellent night out. That was until a group of (very attractive, very drunk) ladies sat at the next table. In her drunken haze one of them bumped into me and accused me of trying to grope her. Got very "hic" vocal about it, threatening to get the police involved. Created quite a scene.
I sighed and did the ... shrug at her friends. They sorted her out, got her calm. Then one of the group said, "Right girls, better drink up and head back to the hotel. Gotta be fresh for our early flights."
Guess what- they were BA crew.
Jun 20, 2011, 6:30 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,438
On a recent UA flight I was traveling with my entire family, including toddlers and mother in law. We weren't slow but it was taking us a little bit longer than normal to get our stuff together and get the kids off. The FA came and told us sternly, "Sit down and let everyone else off first". Yes, we had to wait until the entire plane had deboarded before we could get off.
I've been flying for many years but somehow my bad FA interactions always seem to happen on UA.
I've been flying for many years but somehow my bad FA interactions always seem to happen on UA.
Jun 20, 2011, 9:56 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: CLT
Posts: 181
This comment is absolutely inappropriate and is a borderline threat. Cargo holds are often unpressurised and unheated, so she is basically threatening your life by making that suggestion. I suggest you contact the TSA and the FAA immediately. This airline should be grounded.
About cargo holds, I'm not sure where you got the impression that cargo holds are unheated and unpressurized. The design of almost all commercial aircraft places the cargo areas within the confines of the pressurized area to limit. Exceptions will come on small unpressurized aircraft or ones with an additional external baggage compartment (Jetstream models with external pod for carry-ons that don't fit under the seat). Cargo areas are also fed with the same air feed as the cabin with additional heat as an option, but must be able to be isolated in case of a fire (cut off air supply, and contain the fire suppressant).
Jun 20, 2011, 10:13 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AA EXP, AAirpass, & CK 2MM, MR Plat Premier, DL Plat, US Plat, UA RECOVERING GS
Posts: 2,620
Comment being inappropriate- yes; able to move someone to the cargo hold- no. Access is difficult, or non-existent, due to design and fire suppression rules.
About cargo holds, I'm not sure where you got the impression that cargo holds are unheated and unpressurized. The design of almost all commercial aircraft places the cargo areas within the confines of the pressurized area to limit. Exceptions will come on small unpressurized aircraft or ones with an additional external baggage compartment (Jetstream models with external pod for carry-ons that don't fit under the seat). Cargo areas are also fed with the same air feed as the cabin with additional heat as an option, but must be able to be isolated in case of a fire (cut off air supply, and contain the fire suppressant).
About cargo holds, I'm not sure where you got the impression that cargo holds are unheated and unpressurized. The design of almost all commercial aircraft places the cargo areas within the confines of the pressurized area to limit. Exceptions will come on small unpressurized aircraft or ones with an additional external baggage compartment (Jetstream models with external pod for carry-ons that don't fit under the seat). Cargo areas are also fed with the same air feed as the cabin with additional heat as an option, but must be able to be isolated in case of a fire (cut off air supply, and contain the fire suppressant).
Based on the number of posts that indicated that the FA in a prior thread behaved unprofessional, I’ve decided to start a new thread to see what negative experiences flyer’s have had with FA’s. During one flight, my girlfriend and I booked seats together for a trip to Hong Kong. Once we were at cruising altitude, the meal service began. We were given a pair of chopsticks each. My girlfriend and I began joking around (i.e. playing) with the chopsticks with each other. The FA noticed this and said to my girlfriend if she wanted me to move to a different seat. I had no idea why she would say this since we were joking around with each other. She then said to her “we can move him to cargo if you want” referring to me. I thought the comment was inappropriate but I did not make a big deal about it. On another flight, after the customs cards were handed out, the same FA (I recognized her from the previous flight) noticed that I had the customs card in my hand and saw me tapping my girlfriend on the shoulder. She immediately said to me “You don’t have to bother her, you can fill it out on your own”. I never asked for her input. I couldn’t see why, on two separate occasions, the FA needed to get involved (i.e. meddle) in our business. Are there similar experiences out there or other negative experiences with FA‘s?
Jun 20, 2011, 10:20 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
On a recent UA flight I was traveling with my entire family, including toddlers and mother in law. We weren't slow but it was taking us a little bit longer than normal to get our stuff together and get the kids off. The FA came and told us sternly, "Sit down and let everyone else off first". Yes, we had to wait until the entire plane had deboarded before we could get off.
Jun 20, 2011, 10:25 am
#13
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Seattle
Programs: Hyatt, Marriott, Delta, Alaska
Posts: 636
I agree that it sounds like she was joking, but there is a very fine line when joking on an airplane. They can joke with us, but we take risks joking with them, because they have power over us, and we never know how they are going to take a comment made in jest. Or, for that matter, how they would react if we misinterpreted one of their joking comments.
Keep the mutual respect high, keep the jokes light and obvious, and it's all good.
Keep the mutual respect high, keep the jokes light and obvious, and it's all good.
Jun 20, 2011, 11:48 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 47
The FA was not joking in regard to moving me to a different seat. I figured it was because the FA thought I was bothering my girlfriend (even though our playing was mutual). She did not know that the woman sitting beside me was my girlfriend. In the second case, the FA was not joking because my girlfriend was reading a magazine at the time and the FA wanted me not to disturb her.
Jun 20, 2011, 11:49 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 47
This comment is absolutely inappropriate and is a borderline threat. Cargo holds are often unpressurised and unheated, so she is basically threatening your life by making that suggestion. I suggest you contact the TSA and the FAA immediately. This airline should be grounded.
I was asking if other people have had negative experiences with FA’s. I wasn’t asking people to comment on my specific situation. Thanks anyway for your two cents worth.