The call button . Does it ever work?
 

Gone home to my parents place for thanksgiving (STL-ORD-SEA), was glad to have me and my partner in F.

One thing is always predicatable. FA's will do a dissapearing act after meal service (esp in Domestic F).

So what I would normally do is walk up to the front galley and get what I want. I must have given the FA a shock, she told me to sit down and "I'll get it for you" and that " I should not come up front".

Felt wierd, wish I had used the call button. All I wanted was more coffee....

Do those call buttons really work? LOL

I thought they were there to provide extra light and some music.

Dan

Beware the call button! I'm convinced its use automatically places a "this guy/gal is a pain in the butt" in your permanent computer record!

I do this:

1. when I enter the plane I have a big smile on my face, because I sincerely know this is the best flight crew I can have.

2. I greet the FAs like I know them well and we are friends. They're not sure if they should recognize me or not, and they always respond positively, making the experience positive for me. Sometimes I do recognize them.

3. I ask how their day is going and take an interest in them during the flight. We make a bit of small talk.

4. During the flight, if I need anything I do use my call button and never have a problem with doing it, although never unnecessarily. I have hit the button for:

to ask the FA to ask the pilot for channel 9 (if I forgot to ask the pilot myself or arrived too late and the cockpit door was already closed)

to ask for pillows

more coffee

fresh water

etc.

I amost always get a response.

Once when I didn't (a memorably bad redeye in C) I went to the galley and made my request and the FAs dutifully and politely complied (food, they never offered but there was a snack of cold cuts and had I not asked I wouldn't have eaten.)

It's not that I use the button even once on most flights...I don't. But on some flights the service still isn't up to par and after patiently waiting for an FA to walk by, if one doesn't, I will use the button.

I'm of the opinion that in general, the call button should not be needed in First Class. Of course, on a late evening flight with everyone sleeping, it serves a purpose.

That said, sometimes in the economy cabin, on some aircraft,when you are cornered in the back galley by the line to the lavatories, sometimes you literally cannot hear the chime
and I'm not the sort to continue to stare at the peanut light in the ceiling, just waiting for it to come on...so they can be missed.

The DC10 was the absolute worst for call chimes....installed in the armrest and easily pushed, on a typical flight it could be hit probably 40-100 times an hour by mistake (this is not an overstatement)- so I must confess that I have completely ignored the call chimes/lights on this airplane, and relied upon frequent walks up and down the aisle to attend to passenger needs. Ding, ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding....

Also, it is a common pet peeve of flight attendants who answer the call light to pick-up an empty plastic glass, especially when there has been plenty of pick-up activity and coverage in the aisle....

I have flown with crews where it seems I'm the only one who gives a **** enough to answer the calls - although that is the exception in my experience.

I thought the standard annoucements for DC10 flights included instruction on which button is the overhead light and which one is the call button. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

I personally cannot stand being seated constantly for more than 2 hours since I'm way too hyper. (so if you're sitting next to me in aisle, be prepared to be bothered http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif) On long long flights (across the Pacific, for example), I would walk to the galley on upper deck and b.s. with the FAs. Often enough they would then offer me: food, wine (from First), snack items, or just a good chat. From talking to these ladies, I have a feeling that as long as you don't start scouring around the galley and taking food without their approval, they always welcome your visit and your small talk. After all, after the meal service stops and everyone falls asleep, they really don't have anything much to do.

Nevertheless, on a recent SFO-HKG, saw this passenger who simply walked in the galley, opened the cabinet, took a bottle of wine, pour himself a healthy glass, ho-hummed for a minute in the galley and sat back down. The FAs were giving him the look but he simply didn't care. If air-rage isn't a federal offense, I would strangle him. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Cuz that's impolite.

Of course, visiting the galley right around feeding time is a big mistake because they're just way too busy.

Actually had an FA tell a guy that the call button was for emergency use only!

The call button may have hung around long after the FA-to-pax ratio made it an artifact, like the little ashtrays (now sealed) that serve no purpose on non-smoking flights. Before deregulation, air fares (in real-dollar terms) were much higher than today, and airlines competed on in-flight service but also had the revenue to do it.

Not the ones I press anyway. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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~ Glen ~

As a passenger, I have never liked to use the call bell. I think it stems from travelling extensively on KLM intercontinental flights when I was younger - I was always scared sh*tless of what some of those feisty KLM female cabin crew might say or do if I "dared to ding". That said, I do prefer to take a walk to the galley as it is nice to stretch your legs, and if the FA's aren't too busy and are feeling sociable, its nice to have a chat. Unless your sitting in the middle seat of 5 in Y on the UA 777 with both people either side of you sleeping!

As a FA I would say that I have no probs with pax pushing the call bell except when:

1. It is for a request for another drink/sandwich/meal etc etc when all the crew are still out in the aisle serving other passengers who haven't had anything yet.

2. It is during taxi or whilst holding on the taxiway waiting to depart etc etc. I had a passenger ding the call bell light and demand a cocktail whilst we were taxi-ing out to take off a few weeks back.

3. It is, as already mentioned, just for the purpose of giving you an empty glass or cup.

Also, some passengers think that if you press the call bell several times in short succession, the flight attendants will come running somewhat quicker. I can assure you that on many airlines they will, as 6 or more chimes on the call bell is the indication of an in-flight emergency on many carriers!!

S

[This message has been edited by SamuelS (edited 11-26-2000).]

I've often wondered about Channel 9... seems it only works on about 20% of the flights I take. Do you actually have to affirmatively ask the cockpit to enable it? I thought it was programmed in like all the music channels, and some flights had it but most didn't. I didn't realize they could turn it on and off.

Channel 9 (ATC) enabling is solely at Captain's discretion.

Sometimes if a few pax ask nicely, he will enable it. Sometimes not. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

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~ Glen ~

there was a channel 9 thread recently, but for me bottom line is to ask the pilot personally when I board. Don't always get a yes, but it works better than anything. I only ask the FA if I've boarded later and the cockpit door is closed, or I've forgotten to ask.

Once recently I was upstairs on a four seven-400 and a "gentleman" was getting snippy about channel 9 being activated. As most or you know it's differant on -400's (I think 13?). In any event the FA intercom somehow got pumped into the entertainment system and a few of us were truly entertained by the insights provided by the FA's conversation regarding this guy. Before she went too far I motioned to her and let her know she was broadcasting to the pax. Her expression was priceless!! Both she and the purser were very appreciative of the heads up.