Basically, don't ever push the call button.
 

Flying home Friday night on DL between CVG and ATL, I was seated in F next to a pilot (probably Comair, but not in uniform) and was enjoying the conversation. I was parched and pushed the FA call button to request another bottled water. A FA came by and stared at me wordlessly. I nicely asked if I could trade my empty for a full bottle. A moment later, she came back with 2 full bottles and took my empty. Again, no words escaped her lips. The pilot looked at me a little funny and we continued talking.

Saturday morning, coincidently, I'm reading the last Budget Travel magazine and come upon an article, "Journal of a FA", or something similar which is a Q&A interview with an anonymous FA. The headline reads, "Basically, don't ever push the call button" and her A to the Q expresses how annoyed she is when someone pushes the button ... usually to pick up trash right after she's passed through the aisle 6 times.

I did not feel like I did anything wrong, but the look and silent treatment told me I had, in her eyes. Next time, should I go to the galley and help myself?

FA's need to get over it ;)

Maybe she just hated the pilot you were sitting next to.

I fly AA/BA/various_indian_airlines and rarely rarely get "the look" and I think I probably hit the call button once/flight.

I rarely fly coach and never bother when back there, so mileage (in coach) may vary, as they say.

The call button is put there for a reason. Whether or not it makes the FA mad, makes her give you a bad look or not, it is there to call for attention. It is not a 911 number type deal where you only use it in emergencies. You press it to get assistance. If the airlines didn't want you to do it then it wouldn't be there or they would warn you on when to use it. Press it when you need to. Also, when you're sitting in F, the FA is supposed to be at your beck and call within reason. Certainly, asking for more water is well within what is considered reasonable. Don't beat yourself up over it.

I've never gotten a bad reaction and I use the call button maybe not every flight, but frequently. However I usually spend some time prior to that trying to catch the FA's eye and being aware of when s/he is passing by.

( for more on this topic see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=580011 )

I think it depends on the airline. For example, during their 'welcome message' over the PA, United's FAs make it *very* clear that they're there 'for your safety' and to 'assist you in an emergency' - Everything else is secondary and their attitude makes that clear. I've seen them snap at pax who have pushed the call button to ask for a drink or pillow.

However, on a more customer-oriented oriented (and, coincidentally non-union) airline like WestJet I probably wouldn't have a probem pushing the button as they're more 'VFR'-oriented ('visiting friends and relatives') and don't cater to business travellers as much. Southwest may be the same - I'm not sure as I've never flown them.

I've also seem similar cultural differences between Lufthansa and British Airways, i.e. I wouldn't push the button on LH but would on BA (however, that may have changed, as I haven't flown BA in five years).

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver

I read that article in Budget Travel
 

And I was so put off by the article I didn't even bother posting it or a thread about it. The basic attitude conveyed in the article and in the OP's experience was that FAs DO NOT want to be bothered with you no matter what it is. I have had great FAs and really sucky FAs but I have been noticing that the average is sliding downhill.

Cheers

Flying Alitalia MIA-MXP, the FAs hid in the back galley for the entire flight, and people kept pressing those pesky call buttons, once in a while an FA would emerge and clear the calls on the main control panel :D

YOu did write a letter to the company president identifying the crew and what happened did you not? Otherwise, you're pretty much as bad as they are.

http://www.budgettravelonline.com/bt...090701127.html

Wow. What garbage. Don't push the call button and here's how to get around the rules of not tipping us. And my favorite: "Sometimes we party with staff from another airline in someone's room, the hotel lounge, or poolside. Snacks and cocktails are always provided by the airline (wink, wink)."

So she's bragging about her embezzlement as she trashes her job.

I'm surprised the magaizne published that. I'm not surprised the confessor was anonymous.

Survey Says...
 

I thought the call buttons were only to be used as game show buzzers. At least that's what we used them for when flying to Sanford on Allegiant Air. :D

I never use the call button simply because I like to get up now and then.

I have heard a lot of stories about pax being glared and stared at ... and I believe them.

But Sunday I was in coach ( :o ) AA SFO - ORD, and the pax ahead of me inadvertently pushed the call button. The FA came and very pleasantly asked if they needed something. Turned they didn't and the turned out the light.

Actually, though I am lucky ( or good ) enough to be able to fly up front most of the time, I have had nothing but pleasant experiences with AA FA since they adjusted to the last pay cuts.

Well this attitude caught me by surprise. I fly a few carriers, but most of my miles are on DL metal. DL FA's are generally pleasant, often downright friendly. Who knows where the anonymous Budget Travel FA is employed.
I'm not losing any sleep over it, and would do it again and expect a different, more appropriate reaction.

robb, thanks for posting the link. Everyone should read this, it's only one page of print. Again, in my experience, it's not representative. Gawd, I wish I knew who employed that b**ch!

Why Not Dispense with FAs?
 

Given that they're slacking off these days, in the U.S. at least, I suggest the FAA re-visit the need for more than one or two FAs per mainline aircraft. There's generally no food offered in Y, and pax could easily bring their own drinks.

Safety? What do FA's do? There's virtually no chance of an airline crash these days, with aviation now outstripping rail as safety champ. Traveling by car you're 20 times more likely to die or be severely injured. Do you carry a personal assistant to help with evacuation? I submit not.

On-board security? I vote for sky marshals.

The once-every-few-years U.S. air crash will kill you. There's nuthin' the FA's can do to help you. They're goners too.

I don't think airline passengers should pay the costs of transporting flighty, dim wanderers out for free travel bennies.

Really FA's need to lighten up, especially when working in F or C. My personal experience flying CO is that I never have to push the call button. There Is never reason to use it especially in BF but even in Y. FA's are walking back and forth, and askign if they can help, sometimes even "too much."

I was on my commute last week, and it appeared that someone was sleeping and woke up after the trolley went down the aisle. They pressed the call button, and the FA brought them something to drink, and appeared to be smiling while doing it.

YMMV.

OP,

Nothing in your initial post signified a bad attitude, or inappropriate reaction, really. Is it possible that you missed something? (Like that she had just walked through the aisle 15 seconds before with bottles of water.)

Or is it possible that she simply smiled and did as you asked without any verbal response because none was needed?

I only ask because you said that the pilot looked at you funny as well. Which makes me believe that either 1) you did do something a little weird (and I don't think asking for water in first class would qualify) or 2) your perception might have been off. No offense intended.

I was in an aisle seat and partially turned toward the window seat for ease of conversation so it's possible I missed her walking through the cabin every 10 minutes. It was hard to read her facial expression, but there was no smile. I can't imagine why she wouldn't have asked me how she could be of service. She literally stood there and stared until I made my request - no long pause or anything, but a couple seconds. It felt strange, but it wasn't until I read that article the following day that I became convinced that she wasn't at all pleased with my request or the form it took. That's probably the only time in hundreds of flights that I have pressed that button, and only the second time I've felt a FA's wrath, so naturally I made the connection.

No offense perceived. I do weird stuff all the time, but not that flight IIRC.

But what's the accounting for the pilot's expression then? I can't imagine that a pilot would find that request unreasonable on its face.

Could be that the pilot found the FA's reaction to be odd, but didn't want to say anything out loud because he was non-rev.

possible

Maybe the pilot and FA know each other? Or maybe they "know" each other? ;) :D

I am going to guess NW.

'
Maybe they wanted you to join them and you could just not detect their subtle nuanced facial inflections.

:rolleyes:

I actually do think FAs do quite a bit of work, but it's hard to argue with your full post...and the above line is funny :D

You wouldn't know it from this sorry excuse for an FA. :(

I swear on my last flight the FAs were using the call button to send signals (other than the usual ones like "look here- i need more water").

I should have started playing with their gamepad.

Maybe he was wondering why you kept both bottles rather than give one to him? :D

Could be, I guess I read it the way I originally interepreted it (that the odd look was directed at the OP). But if the pilot looked at the FA weird, then there are many other possibilities.

1. Use the call button after trying and failing to accomplish the desired task or action yourself.

2. If the flight attendant gets huffy, you may file a complaint where the primary subject is the huffiness and the optional secondary subject is the misunderstanding about the call button.

3. Unless the airline has published rules about the use of the call button (I don't think any airline has) the passenger does not have to give the airline the benefit of the doubt when deciding whether or not to push it.

Travel tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm

We both started the flight with Woodford Reserve on the rocks. Having a 100 mile drive after we landed, I switched to water. I don't know his plans, but he kept on with the WR. I'd have shared (the water or the FA :D ) if he'd asked.

That's actually a reasonable explanation for his odd look and her delivery of 2 bottles instead of the one I asked for. At the time, my interpretation was that she darn well wasn't answering a second ding for another water.

I doubt that FA was the same one that penned the BT article, but every time I reread it, I get steamed, and hope I never find myself on one of her flights. :mad:

He wasn't in uniform, was he?

First line of the original post.

No, he was naked. :D

Actually, I was wondering why he was not in uniform. I guess there's rules about when you must and when you may not wear your uniform, but I have no idea what they are.

1. He told me he lived in Atlanta and his job was in Cinncinati.
2. He told me he was a pilot.
3. He said he flew RJ's.
4. He said he flew between CVG & ATL more than once a week.

I assumed from those clues that he worked for Comair. I guess there are multiple other possibilities, but that just seemed too likely.

Anyone care to enlighten me on the uniform rules/guidelines?

No alcohol consumption while in uniform is the rule.

Yep. Guess I should have read closer.

Can't be- NW doesn;t hand out the coach snacks in First Class.