IMO there is nothing worse than having to run around airports than when ill so I wouldn't blame anyone for loosing it! Fortunately this has only happened to me a couple of times and because I was visibly ill I got special treatment (and space of my own on not very busy flights) from the gate agents and the FAs.

And sometimes it helps pretending that you do not speak French very well, e.g. the Avis agent in CDG who wanted the names, addresses and phone numbers of friends/family in the US and France before he'd rent to me (because I guess a lot of preferred select Avis customers must steal cars) :rolleyes:

A little bit of ignoring and pretending not to understand is sometimes helpful. :)

I'm sympathetic about your difficulties. Your plight made for a good read, though! I can just picture the situation. Haven't we all been there at one time or another? No, screaming probably shouldn't work, but I've certainly felt the need a time or two.

Ok is it just me or is this totally out of line - disappointed, yes, mad, maybe, out of control - no. Breaking things and yelling is inappropriate after kindergarten.

It's just you.

Screaming...
 

This topic looks almost beaten to death, but I've always found "screaming" to be a tool of the non resourceful. Generally, the goal is to get something, and generally screaming doesn't get you any closer to that goal. That doesn't mean you can't be pissed, or angry, but I've found every time I'm confronted with a situation that's not acceptable talking forcefully, but respectfully goes much further. Customer service people have no real motivation to listen to screamers. They are paid (generally poorly) to shuffle problems around. Many moons ago I worked in a customer service envirnoment and those that were polite were helped first, those who were respectful (if pissed) next, and those that were rude, disrespectful, or screaming were given whatever the opposite of help is. By screaming you are selling the idea that your problems are most important, that they are a lesser person than you (because they can't scream back). It may work once in awhile, but most people will just go out of their way to screw you over. I find it especially appalling when things like weather are taken out on GA's...

I haven't screamed at a gate agent, but my AC Elite boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend) twice got extremely mad at gate agents about problems I can't even recollect now. He didn't yell, but he was very mad, very obstinate and rather rude. We got upgraded; I cringed, but didn't turn down the seats. (I did break up with him soon afterwards - couldn't stand his temper.)

It really has nothing to do with government subsidies because 1) it a cultural difference, and 2) although governments may have stakes in airlines like any institutional investor, very few airlines in Europe receive subsisides. Gate agents' responsiveness to upgrade requests has nothing to do with free trade or government subsidies and so on and so forth.

I say this from the point of view of being an American/European citizen having living on both sides of the pond for large amounts of time.

But take the example of British Airways (a profitable airline completely owned by private investors). Yelling at one their staff members will usually land you with a nice conversation with the authorities rather than with an upgrade. Or at the very least being removed from the flight. There are signs everywhere in UK airports indicating that abusing staff, including verbally, is a punishable offence under the law. Screaming to get an upgrade that a passenger did not pay for certainly falls in that category.

I think there is also a rather big difference between the US and Europe in terms of perceptions of what customer service entails.

In the US, there seems a much greater culture of bowing to the wishes of customers, which includes the "customer is always right" mentality. That kind of attitude seems to allow passengers to think they are so important that everything must stop for them, or passengers who cannot restrain their tempers. But it also of course leads to passengers having their wishes fulfilled more often, more easily, in contrast to Europe. On the other hand, Europeans are much less likely to bow to customer wishes just because the customer wishes it. As such, customer service as American understand it is sometimes quite poor, especially in France (where even many Europeans think poorly of the French for their sometimes indifference towards customers). But sometimes a customer really needs to be told when something is not possible, or fulfilling their request simply is not justified or feasible (i.e. why should someone receive a free upgrade if they never paid for it?).

Take the upgrade and agent... in the US, an airline agent might try to work something out if possible (as has been my experience); sometimes it works, byt mostly not. I leave feeling happy the agent tried, but not offended if it deos not work out. An airline agent in Europe will be much quicker to inform a passenger that they are incorrect, that they cannot have an upgrade (asking a BA or KL agent for an upgrade will usually result in a response along the lines of "and how will you be intending to pay for this upgrade?"). I don't feel bad, because I never deserved the upgrade, and telling it straight never offended me.

So in the US, you often seem to find more receptive airline agents, but not necessarily more effective. In Europe, customer service may be more stiff, even bordering rudeness, but it is more to the point, and direct, and in that sense far more refreshing.

I hope that makes sense... not sure it does.

On the other hand, my Dutch mother has always been very persuasive when there is a problem with airlines. She never yells, but she is incredibly persistant, and will niggle and bother the airlines until they finally cave. She restrains herself to avoid being overtly rude or even abusive, but pushes as far as the airline is willing to go before they get pissed off... I am often embarressed by her, but impressed with the results.

I have only once yelled at a gate agent before because they were fabulously rude to me first without provacation, and I was having a fabulously bad day, so I lost it...

How many laptops have you broken? :)

None . . . of my own :D

Dude, I hope you never end up working for me. :p