Should You Complain On Flight About Bad Service?

Should You Complain On Flight About Bad Service?

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Reader Craig posted an interesting question in the “Ask Lucky” forum. While it’s a fairly long story/question, I do think it raises an interesting question, which is why I think it’s worth answering here:

I have the utmost respect for the majority of crew. I understand parts of their jobs are tough and rather thankless and I generally give them alot of leeway in regards to attitude but when should you challenge something that I believe is incorrect behaviour? I am sitting in 1A on a AA transcontinental fight JFK-LAX. It was a 10am departure so it’s not a red eye fight but I had a long previous night and a quick look around the cabin show 9 other pax trying to get some sleep with the seats flat and blinds down. I say trying as the crew (5 currently with the odd guest) are in the forward cabin, lights on, no curtain drawn having what could only be described as a loud gossip session with the requisite loud talking, laughing etc. This has been going on since the rather rushed and rote lunch service.

My question is: do you complain about crew whilst on the flight? After being unable to sleep even with Bose headphones on I got up and went in and asked, politely, that I and from the look of it the rest of the cabin would like to sleep so could they draw the curtain and perhaps talk quieter?

Well, I was met with cold stares from all and open hostility from the lead crew who served first stating that they have “done their work” and “are just passing the time.” I replied that I thought their work ended only after we landed and deplaned I was told that sorry if you don’t think we can have a moment to ourselves and then dead silence and stares from them all. I have gone back to my seat but they are all still there. Talking loud. Ignoring me completely. The person in 3A has now gone up and told them to “be quiet! Now!” I am a full revenue passenger but that is not the point. It seems this crew genuinely don’t care what the passengers think. I am going to leave a complaint but should I have bothered to call them out at all during the fight?

First of all, that sounds absolutely terrible. I’ve had a lot of bad service, but asking the crew to quiet down in first class and basically being told to shove it is appalling.

American-A321

Let’s address the big picture question of when it makes sense to address a crew directly.

US airlines don’t have onboard supervisors

I think part of the reason service is so lackluster on US carriers is because the lack of a crew member in a position of authority. At US carriers the lead flight attendant is simply someone who gets paid a couple of extra dollars an hour to make announcements and do the paperwork. They don’t have the ability to really discipline the crew, so they’re not actually “supervising” the crew.

Contrast that to foreign carriers, where the purser/inflight service manager/customer service director (whatever the term might be) is actually in a position of authority. Foreign crews aren’t just scared of being disciplined by management, but also scared of being disciplined by their purser, because they really are an authoritative figure.

When do I address problems onboard?

As a general rule of thumb, I’ll address problems onboard if there’s something which can actionably be done to fix it.

For example, I’d mention something to the crew if the cabin is too warm, there’s too much galley noise, the lighting is too bright, etc. After all, you want to give them the chance to fix it.

However, personally I’d almost never address service problems as such onboard a flight. In other words, I’d never tell a flight attendant to their face that I thought they were rude, lazy, etc.

The one exception would be if I were flying a foreign carrier, and towards the end of the flight the purser came around to ask how everything was (which is the norm). I’d have no qualms saying “to be honest the service was really lackluster,” or whatever the problem might have been.

But I’d never even address it with a purser earlier in the flight. Because even if the purser has a conversation with the crew in an effort to fix it, it would be incredibly awkward to be served by the crew which you just caused to be disciplined.

How my approach differs on US carriers

All that being said, my approach differs considerably on US carriers. Why?

  • There’s not an authoritative crew member onboard, which tends to mean all the flight attendants have each others’ backs
  • Post-9/11 flight attendants have a lot of latitude to kick people off planes for anything they might consider “disruptive,” which leads to some crews being on power trips

So on US-carriers I’m even milder. I’d only address service issues if it’s something I knew they could easily fix. And then I’ll only address them once. Furthermore, I’d never take a threatening tone, or say anything which could be interpreted in a threatening way (“if you don’t quiet down I’ll complain”).

I actually think Craig took the right approach here. I would have brought it to the crew’s attention. In his shoes perhaps the only thing I would have added after the first statement is that “the whole reason I booked American first class is so I could get some rest, and I can’t do that with the noise level.” That way you’re not directly calling them anything, but you are explaining in an abstract way what you paid for and how your experience differs from your expectations.

Bottom line

Craig’s situation is really unfortunate. In his shoes I’d be writing a very strongly worded, factual letter explaining that:

  • The crew was extremely loud to the point that you couldn’t sleep
  • You brought this to the crew’s attention, and they informed you they were “done with their work” (this is the key detail, and what will get them in most trouble)
  • Other passengers couldn’t sleep either, as they reported the same problem

It sucks when this happens, though fortunately service that bad is at least somewhat rare.

What’s your approach when it comes to addressing crews over service issues?

Conversations (55)
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  1. Jonny Guest

    I had exactly the same experience on an overnight from Denver to London with United Polaris just today. Lights on. Noisy chat through the night. Banging around in the galley 3 hours ahead of landing. Complained and was met with "what's your problem?!" Honestly since they all got back from Covid pretty much all airlines that fly international have a rotten attitude.

  2. David Guest

    On a related matter, see this article ---
    http://www.theglobalist.com/united-airlines-aviation-industry/

  3. John Joseph Guest

    On UA EWR-FCO in so-called BusinessFirst, before landing in Rome the lead f/a came around & asked all the psgrs if they'd like fresh fruit and croissants for bkft. After they plopped it down, I thought "that sure looks skimpy for Business Class". One croissant and a bread & butter plate with a tiny portion of fruit.

    I happened to still hv the menu in the seat pocket and was really surprised to see that...

    On UA EWR-FCO in so-called BusinessFirst, before landing in Rome the lead f/a came around & asked all the psgrs if they'd like fresh fruit and croissants for bkft. After they plopped it down, I thought "that sure looks skimpy for Business Class". One croissant and a bread & butter plate with a tiny portion of fruit.

    I happened to still hv the menu in the seat pocket and was really surprised to see that it showed filet mignon and omelets. So I went to the galley and opened the curtain to find the entire cabin crew including Y chowing down on steak and eggs.

    At that point I got into it with the lead f/a, Mr. Lucca, whose defense was that if anybody wanted it, they would have given it to them but nobody asked for it. Of course, they didn't ask for it, because you deliberately did not offer it.

    I've never flown United international since that episode and am very happy to say I have diverted a lot of international revenue away from UA.

    Can you imagine that happening on Qatar, Emirates, Ethihad or Singapore?

  4. Nick Guest

    I would avoid Delta. I too was removed from a flight because the flight attendant was on an ego trip.
    We boarded the flight (first class) with nobody to greet us. After about 15 minutes the flight attendant comes out of the bathroom and walks by everyone. He goes and starts visiting with another attendant right behind me.
    When they were blabbering on and on I finally said, "excuse me." He retorted, "I...

    I would avoid Delta. I too was removed from a flight because the flight attendant was on an ego trip.
    We boarded the flight (first class) with nobody to greet us. After about 15 minutes the flight attendant comes out of the bathroom and walks by everyone. He goes and starts visiting with another attendant right behind me.
    When they were blabbering on and on I finally said, "excuse me." He retorted, "I will be with you in a minute." After he was done visiting
    with his co-attendant, he comes to me and says, "what did you need." I replied I didn't "need" anything. I asked for his name. He instantly became enraged and told me if I was going to cause problems, he would have me removed from the plane. I, without being nasty or raising my voice, told him I was not causing problems. I informed him that nobody had said word one to any of the passengers. Drink service was not offered. He then cut me off and said he is under no obligation to provide drink service. I replied, "that's fine, I didn't request a drink." And then he exploded! Started screaming at me! Yelling at anybody who would listen, "Get him off my flight!" And I was asked to gather my belongings and follow the agent off the plane, which I did.
    The other agent saw everything and apologized profusely.
    Delta refused to do anything but finally deposited 12,500 Skymiles in all of our accounts after one of the other travelers (Diamond) wrote in stating how inappropriate the flight attendant was. How embarrassing and humiliating!
    Needless to say, flight attendants need to be monitored and controlled. And, if you have an opportunity to travel, I would suggest any other airline, rather than Delta.

  5. AlexS Diamond

    Reason #9328 why my company tries to put people on non-US metal as quickly as possible. It's pure selfishness of the crew.

    @George Hanson -- thanks for the link, bookmarked! Hoping I won't need to use it. That said, been flying B6/DL exclusively for domestic flights over the past 3 years and haven't encountered a bad crew. There's been some great ones, some average ones, but fortunately nothing worth complaining about. Ground Ops a...

    Reason #9328 why my company tries to put people on non-US metal as quickly as possible. It's pure selfishness of the crew.

    @George Hanson -- thanks for the link, bookmarked! Hoping I won't need to use it. That said, been flying B6/DL exclusively for domestic flights over the past 3 years and haven't encountered a bad crew. There's been some great ones, some average ones, but fortunately nothing worth complaining about. Ground Ops a few minor complaints/suggestions, but that's it.

  6. EMB Guest

    Several months ago, we flew from ORD-HKG on Cathay Pacific Business Class using AAdvantage miles for a trip to Indonesia. As I had flown on CX many times in the past, I was once again thrilled with their service. On the return, was routed on AA HKG-DFW on their new route (which is to compete with CX). Same thing happened on this AA flight as described above- at about 6 hours into a 16 hour...

    Several months ago, we flew from ORD-HKG on Cathay Pacific Business Class using AAdvantage miles for a trip to Indonesia. As I had flown on CX many times in the past, I was once again thrilled with their service. On the return, was routed on AA HKG-DFW on their new route (which is to compete with CX). Same thing happened on this AA flight as described above- at about 6 hours into a 16 hour flight the FA crew began talking loudly in the galley and would not stop after being asked nicely to please stop as passengers were trying to sleep. (The cabin lights were off and most passengers in Business Class were attempting to sleep, but weren't having much success due to this extremely noisy FA crew!) I fly for work domestically in the US and my miles are hard earned. For that reason, I will ALWAYS try in the future to book flights using my AAdvantage miles on CX rather than AA- especially for those long haul trans-pacific flights! As I am nearing in on 2 million AA miles, I want to reach Platinum for life so I'm kind of stuck flying AA at this point. But, once I pass that threshold, all bets are off!

  7. john Guest

    Lucky, I am surprised that on foreign carriers the pursers or lead FAs, who you say are not part of management, have the authority to discipline other FAs. I would be interested to know how that works. Thanks.

  8. Eric Guest

    Personally, I think that the expectation for real sleep on transcon that departs at 10am should be far different than a red eye flight regardless of class flown, I think you should expect to perhaps be able to nap a bit but the entire flight is in broad daylight, I would think that the majority of the folks had gotten a full nights rest, crew included, and daytime actives like reading, working, talking and IFE would be the expected norm.

  9. Kieran Guest

    @concorde02

    Like Dylan mentions, even on US carriers it is possible to constructively address issues of the right approach is taken (at least some of the time). Focus on making "complaint" about "bad service" as you put it in your post, then I can see why you say never bother. I was talking about resolving issues, through effective communication, if it seems possible to be heard. This is "soft" communication, and can help in these...

    @concorde02

    Like Dylan mentions, even on US carriers it is possible to constructively address issues of the right approach is taken (at least some of the time). Focus on making "complaint" about "bad service" as you put it in your post, then I can see why you say never bother. I was talking about resolving issues, through effective communication, if it seems possible to be heard. This is "soft" communication, and can help in these situations. If you don't intend to at least try to resolve these issues as they happen (which are often down to something other than malicious will), then really you tacitly accept the situation you end up complaining of as your halfway out onto the airbridge.

    It's a bit confusing trying to follow your words about the last minute feedback to the purser, which is where I take a different view to Lucky. As Lucky said himself, U.S. legacy carriers don't have real pursers (and the like), just someone who gets paid more for doing announcements and paperwork, so why are you trying to infer linkage of my specific comments here to something else (as if it's a substantial thing)?

    As for what's "easy fix" and "complaint" it's all a bit of artificial semantics. Either something is within the scope and autonomy of the person in question (in which case, it can be an easy fix if approached right), or it isn't (and then it's unreasonable to shore up a complaint against someone for that).

    I certainly consider it better to constructively deal with issues as they arise where possible, not to stew on them without saying a word, until potentially blindsiding someone (who may not even be aware there was an issue) at the last moment. Of course, that's just my philosophy (which is why I disagree with Ben on that point, not condemn or disparage him for having it - everybody has their own way). Sometimes you do need to document an issue (by putting in a complaint letter or making formal report), but it's preferable to always give opportunity to resolve first, before giving complaint.

  10. wim Guest

    US airlines of course rank lowest in service and should be avoided if alternatives are available. What helps in the case of AA is Twitter postings, they repond nearly immediately is my experience. Thus if the flight has wifi this kind of unacceptable behaviors is really easy to solve.

  11. George Hanson Guest

    http://airconsumer.dot.gov/escomplaint/ConsumerForm.cfm

    Using this DOT Airline Complaint Form is highly effective and the ONLY way I have found to actually get the attention of any domestic airline. It is my understanding they are required to personally investigate and respond to each and every complaint registered through that portal. Those complaints are the ones that register against their "official" service record (or lack thereof) as published by the DOT so the airlines hate it if you use...

    http://airconsumer.dot.gov/escomplaint/ConsumerForm.cfm

    Using this DOT Airline Complaint Form is highly effective and the ONLY way I have found to actually get the attention of any domestic airline. It is my understanding they are required to personally investigate and respond to each and every complaint registered through that portal. Those complaints are the ones that register against their "official" service record (or lack thereof) as published by the DOT so the airlines hate it if you use it regularly. FYI.

  12. Brian L. Gold

    @Danny - "Wouldn’t you want to enjoy your job and the daily challenges that it offers?"

    Well, I think everybody WANTS to, but whether or not you actually DO isn't entirely in your control.

  13. David Guest

    You should always complain, reasonably - as Dylan & 2pax suggest, above.

    My experience, as a European flyer (BA program) but using AA often, is all too frequently the same as described by others here: the crew often detached from the paying flyer, seemed to be doing "us a favour" versus decent customer service.

    If it wasn't for accruing points & tier credits towards my BA program, I'd be using another carrier in the...

    You should always complain, reasonably - as Dylan & 2pax suggest, above.

    My experience, as a European flyer (BA program) but using AA often, is all too frequently the same as described by others here: the crew often detached from the paying flyer, seemed to be doing "us a favour" versus decent customer service.

    If it wasn't for accruing points & tier credits towards my BA program, I'd be using another carrier in the US tomorrow.

    I wonder if anyone in a position to influence change within AA will read this thread?

  14. WDAL Guest

    AA is in the process of expanding the Purcer role to JFK-LAX/SFO as the number of crew, product, and service level warrant having one onboard. The program itself is actually getting a new training course that was originally developed by BA and will see all AA and US Purcers going through for service and social training.

    One thing a lot of flight attendants seem to forget is the curtain that can be pulled to shield...

    AA is in the process of expanding the Purcer role to JFK-LAX/SFO as the number of crew, product, and service level warrant having one onboard. The program itself is actually getting a new training course that was originally developed by BA and will see all AA and US Purcers going through for service and social training.

    One thing a lot of flight attendants seem to forget is the curtain that can be pulled to shield the cabin from light and noice. The MD80s even have them at the F galley. On a recent late night flight on a 737 the back galley curtain was closed and it essentially blocked all light and conversation noice from the last few rows. A pet peeve of mine is that the 777 have them to shield the F and J galleys but I have only seen them used once.

  15. 2pax Member

    This has happened to me too. I always take the view: 'What can I do about it?' and the answer is get earplugs and an eye mask. I nearly always carry these on any flight. On the occasions that I don't, my first tactic is to tell it from my point of view, not point the finger at the staff. So I try something like this: 'Sorry to trouble you by I was hoping to...

    This has happened to me too. I always take the view: 'What can I do about it?' and the answer is get earplugs and an eye mask. I nearly always carry these on any flight. On the occasions that I don't, my first tactic is to tell it from my point of view, not point the finger at the staff. So I try something like this: 'Sorry to trouble you by I was hoping to get some sleep on this flight. Do you have earplugs and an eye mask I can use?' It immediately indicates the problem, doesn't criticise the staff, but shows that you are willing to take action to make yourself more comfortable. Most flight attendants are not dumb, and know that they might be part of the problem, and modify their behaviour - and even if they don't, if you got the eye shades and the ear plugs, then problem solved, and they didn't have to modify their behaviour.

    On the broader question of complaining while in flight - I take the view that you address something that can be easily solved - but bad attitude is not usually one of those - and then the 'outraged of Sydney' letter/email is used. If I do need to say something on the flight, make sure it attempts to solve the problem rather than attack the staff member. Oh and hold off the union bashing. Believe me, misbehaving union members are the bane of union organisers too.

  16. Danny Guest

    This happens to me every time I fly with AA. It is the culture and work ethic of the AA crew. You couldn't get away with this behavior talking loudly to your fellow employees if you worked in a department store or office environment. Your supervisor would be on top of it.

    Last time I flew with AA the male FA said at the beginning of an early morning flight, "I can't wait for this...

    This happens to me every time I fly with AA. It is the culture and work ethic of the AA crew. You couldn't get away with this behavior talking loudly to your fellow employees if you worked in a department store or office environment. Your supervisor would be on top of it.

    Last time I flew with AA the male FA said at the beginning of an early morning flight, "I can't wait for this day to be over." I thought to myself that this is so sad. Wouldn't you want to enjoy your job and the daily challenges that it offers?

  17. mike Guest

    I also flew JFK-LAX first class and saw similar problems. Had terrible service from FA and FA talking in front of plane. I never said anything to them cause the FA our on some power kicks lately.

  18. Sam Guest

    The story sounds like my typical AA international flights. All in F class.
    One time grandma type FA refused to serve me dinner because she was lazy.
    On my last flight, a douche from C class was hitting on an ugly C class FA in the galley.
    Unfortunately, I was in row 4 on 777 and the noise woke me up.
    I was so pissed that I got up and stared them while I went through them toward the lav in C class.
    On the way back to my seat, I saw they were gone.

  19. Dylan Member

    I've had 100% success on all carriers I've flown where this has been a problem (AA, BA, US, CX, and even SQ). I simply state in a friendly matter that I'm really tired and having trouble sleeping, and would really appreciate it if they could keep the noise a bit lower as I can hear them talking through my headphones. I make a similar request when the cabin is too warm on flights.

    I've had...

    I've had 100% success on all carriers I've flown where this has been a problem (AA, BA, US, CX, and even SQ). I simply state in a friendly matter that I'm really tired and having trouble sleeping, and would really appreciate it if they could keep the noise a bit lower as I can hear them talking through my headphones. I make a similar request when the cabin is too warm on flights.

    I've had similar issues with other passengers as well, and in that case I bring it up with the crew.

    I find the key is to not put the crew strongly on the defensive, but to just calmly yet firmly explain your issue and the simple thing they can do to help you out. I find most people are open to that, especially as I'm generally very friendly and polite with the crew at the start of the flight and during the meal service.

  20. Chris Guest

    Years ago, my boss was on an international United flight. He had a couple hundred FF miles and was flying in first class. The cabin crew was inattentive and rude... so my boss used the air phone to call the frequent flyer help desk. 10 minutes later, the pilots got a fax over the corporate data link --service improved, a lot.

  21. Ben Littler Guest

    That's sad to hear. I would DEFINITELY write a nastygram to AA ! Sorry about your experience I"m sure it ruined your day. US Airlines are rapidly deteriorating.

  22. concorde02 Guest

    @Kieran
    Toward the end of your comment when you said you disagree with Ben, did you see that Ben specifically says he ONLY does that for non-US carriers. I agree with Ben that it is no point doing for US carriers.

    I tend to think that for foreign carriers, your comments may make the change if you do on board, either for easy fix (do it at the time comes), or about their...

    @Kieran
    Toward the end of your comment when you said you disagree with Ben, did you see that Ben specifically says he ONLY does that for non-US carriers. I agree with Ben that it is no point doing for US carriers.

    I tend to think that for foreign carriers, your comments may make the change if you do on board, either for easy fix (do it at the time comes), or about their bad service (then do it at the end of the flight). However, if you complain later on the complain letter, foreign carriers tend to not take it less serious then US carriers.

    For US carriers, never complain about bad service, just only easy fix...

  23. Bill Guest

    I've had this happen, though I agree it's rare. That is why I use Twitter. I'd try to get the first names of the crew and then tweet the airline flight info to the airline...and other Gripe services. Let the shaming begin...and let the airline handle it. That's all you can do after politely asking the crew to be quieter or end a potentially disruptive behavior.

    To be fair, it also is important that...

    I've had this happen, though I agree it's rare. That is why I use Twitter. I'd try to get the first names of the crew and then tweet the airline flight info to the airline...and other Gripe services. Let the shaming begin...and let the airline handle it. That's all you can do after politely asking the crew to be quieter or end a potentially disruptive behavior.

    To be fair, it also is important that you not ONLY send negative tweets...or else you sound like a rampant complainer. I make sure to tweet positives whenever I have a noteworthy gate agent, ticket counter rep, or FA (or at hotels similarly). Thus, when I do have the occasional complaint that needs to be aired, I feel like I've set the stage for being a fair-minded consumer. (It also helps if you have status and mention it in your tweet!)

    FA contracts usually don't permit the airlines to take a lot of action unless they have sufficient complaints in writing about the same individuals. (Even then, I have my doubts. I love unions...but this is one area where unions lose the consumer public support for protecting the poorer representatives among their membership.)

  24. Adam Guest

    Don't assume that this problem is an American one only. Qantas domestic flights are famed for this kind of rudeness and I've encountered it countless times - in fact, it's the reason I avoid flying with them now. Their FAs are often pretty bad on international flights, too.

    That said, you'd be very unlucky to encounter this kind of behaviour if you're flying business or first, Qantas FAs like to reserve this kind of behaviour...

    Don't assume that this problem is an American one only. Qantas domestic flights are famed for this kind of rudeness and I've encountered it countless times - in fact, it's the reason I avoid flying with them now. Their FAs are often pretty bad on international flights, too.

    That said, you'd be very unlucky to encounter this kind of behaviour if you're flying business or first, Qantas FAs like to reserve this kind of behaviour for economy passengers. Complaining to them will do exactly nothing, and complaining to the airline will yield exactly the same result.

  25. John Guest

    I actually had the opposite problem. The FA in F on the Sunday 6:30 from BOS to PHL was the best I've had in a long time. I asked if she wanted any of the "great job" cards USAir sends me and she said, "While it was nice, I usually just throws them away."

    Is there a way to help them out?

  26. Brian L. Gold

    @James - "We need Open Sky competition to bring in foreign airlines to serve the domestic routes."

    That will NEVER happen (for a variety of reasons). EVER.

  27. Tim Guest

    You are crazy to complain to a FA about their behavior during the flight. Do you really think they care and will change the behavior? You're pretty arrogant if you believe this. This is a time where you just need to endure. I have complained to Delta about a FA via email after the flight and received 5,000 Skypesos and an apology letter. I think this is the best outcome. People aren't going to change because you are uncomfortable ------ get used to it.

  28. Laura Guest

    Yet if any of us were talking that loud and not stop when asked we would be handcuffed and escorted off upon landing. They basically act as if they are untouchable and think they can do anything they want. I have had this many times. Will think carefully next time about taking LAX-JFK or vice versa. Sounds like one of the worst routes.

  29. Anastasia Member

    While I haven't had problems directly with the crew on a lot of flights, I have had trouble with other passengers - talking loudly when the lights are off on a red eye flight, refusing to control their (relatively old, ~10 years old children) and when I"ve complained to flight attendants they've refused to talk to the passenger in question or to in any way enforce the airline's guidelines about discipline and the like. In...

    While I haven't had problems directly with the crew on a lot of flights, I have had trouble with other passengers - talking loudly when the lights are off on a red eye flight, refusing to control their (relatively old, ~10 years old children) and when I"ve complained to flight attendants they've refused to talk to the passenger in question or to in any way enforce the airline's guidelines about discipline and the like. In the past, I have written directly to Delta customer service, who usually ended up giving me several thousand miles to compensate for my discomfort. Obviously not something to abuse, but if you try you can get quite a good amount of miles out of that discomfort, at least on Delta.

  30. James Guest

    US domestic airlines service in going down the drain compare to foreign airlines.
    We need Open Sky competition to bring in foreign airlines to serve the domestic routes.

  31. Brian L. Gold

    @James - "Fly BA instead… Way better than any of these American carriers"

    How is he supposed to fly BA if he's going JFK-LAX?

  32. Christian Guest

    My wife and I had a similar experience on Delta in business class returning from Europe, showing Delta is most certainly no better. Not a lot of fun hearing the FA's gossip about you.

  33. Marcus Member

    For a while I was commuting to Moscow and on an extremely busy trip was returning to the west coast on Emirates. DME DXB is essentially a red eye and the connection is short. I boarded the DXB SFO flight and fell asleep. When I woke up I was extremely hungry having skipped dinner the previous hectic evening. Flying F ( revenue) I thought I was safe in ordering off the menu. But when I...

    For a while I was commuting to Moscow and on an extremely busy trip was returning to the west coast on Emirates. DME DXB is essentially a red eye and the connection is short. I boarded the DXB SFO flight and fell asleep. When I woke up I was extremely hungry having skipped dinner the previous hectic evening. Flying F ( revenue) I thought I was safe in ordering off the menu. But when I tried to do so the FA told me very sternly that "this will take over 30 minutes to heat" . Her whole body language warned me against asking for anything. Ravenous as I was I asked for a cheese plate which after another stern look she brought without any comments. I deplaned having not had a serious meal in well over 24 hours
    I sent a strong letter of complaint to Emirates pointing out how frequent a revenue F customer I was and specifying flight number and seat number.
    All I got was a form letter saying they were disappointed.
    I don't think complaining helps it's just luck of the draw. ( happy to send copies of all correspondence to Lucky should he so desire)

  34. Kieran Guest

    Unfortunately this happens with cabin crew sometimes - it's a job that has a higher proportion of people that treat the job as ancillary to the lifestyle it allows (a party lifestyle). I think this is an artefact of the fact that cabin crew fringe benefits get better the longer you are in, leading to the retention of people who long lost interest in the job itself (and who would have moved on otherwise, if...

    Unfortunately this happens with cabin crew sometimes - it's a job that has a higher proportion of people that treat the job as ancillary to the lifestyle it allows (a party lifestyle). I think this is an artefact of the fact that cabin crew fringe benefits get better the longer you are in, leading to the retention of people who long lost interest in the job itself (and who would have moved on otherwise, if it wasn't for the golden handcuffs).

    In Craig's particular situation, where you encounter a coven of such cabin crew (which often tends to be the way, bad crew tending to cluster together on the rosters), the best you can do is beg nicely and hope they might have some sympathy - otherwise I'd leave well alone. You might make comment once back on land, but these types tend to harbour grudges and remember names (and tend to be protected), so I'd consider hard whether it's worth it in the end.

    If it's an isolated bad apple in among the cabin crew that day, you'll have better luck more likely and can be more open in your approach (no need to beg).

    In any case, I wouldn't complain either in the air or on the ground about minor quibbles, it'd have to be a significant service fault (if it would make me reconsider about flying that airline again, that's a significant service fault). I disagree with Lucky about holding off on addressing significant service issues with the purser/cabin supervisor until the last moment (no doubt, he's worried about retribution if addressed earlier) - if you are likely to be heard, best to nip it in the bud early (but be reasonable and moderate in doing so, and only after failing to resolve things directly).

  35. Lola New Member

    Similar experience AA, F, JFK to LAX. Service was terrible. Totally indifferent, lackluster and borderline rude. You can have an amazing hard product, but if the FAs aren't "on board" than why bother?

  36. Fran New Member

    I had a similar experience several years ago except is was an American Eagle flight with no First Class. However, the smaller plane made it worse as I was in 1A too, but the size of the plane had them that much closer to me. I got the exact same treatment from the crew. I even think they stepped it up a bit and actually began talking louder when I got back to my seat....

    I had a similar experience several years ago except is was an American Eagle flight with no First Class. However, the smaller plane made it worse as I was in 1A too, but the size of the plane had them that much closer to me. I got the exact same treatment from the crew. I even think they stepped it up a bit and actually began talking louder when I got back to my seat. Luckily is was only a 2 hr flight. I complained to the airline afterwards as well and received an apologetic form letter. So to answer your question now based on past experience I would not complain directly to the crew. It is really a disgrace the way they have attempted to upgrade the transcon experience. However it is only reflect in the outrageous fares not the performance of the crew.

  37. Jay Guest

    I am very glad I do not live in the US, it would pretty hard to avoid a crap airline if you fly within the US.

  38. Ben Guest

    Time to fly Delta. FAs are attentive in D1.

  39. Steve Diamond

    Craig,

    Can you give us the date of this flight?

    Thanks

  40. travel4b Gold

    This is why they have wifi onboard! I would so be on the AA website right away with a complaint. I did that recently - complaining about a really abusive gate agent in Charlotte and got a pretty non-generic reply email within 45 minutes. I like to think that they followed up but who really knows. Anyway isn't this what twitter is for, too? I would politely get some names and include that.

  41. William Guest

    That's what happens when you have surly union flight attendants who should have been required to retire years ago. There's little motivation for them to do their jobs if it is difficult to terminate them.

  42. adi_t Gold

    Interesting-- I too have had a similar complaint. Both in First and Economy. Flight attendants are entitled to their time to chat, of course. But, and this is ESPECIALLY true on a night flight when people are sleeping, they should try and keep their volume low. Unfortunately with ever tighter seating, galleys- esp on narrow-bodies- are barely partitioned off from the rest of the cabin so it's hard to isolate the noise.

    I would...

    Interesting-- I too have had a similar complaint. Both in First and Economy. Flight attendants are entitled to their time to chat, of course. But, and this is ESPECIALLY true on a night flight when people are sleeping, they should try and keep their volume low. Unfortunately with ever tighter seating, galleys- esp on narrow-bodies- are barely partitioned off from the rest of the cabin so it's hard to isolate the noise.

    I would have been hesitant to film the crew directly; however I would have made a audio recording from my seat that documented the noise level and then followed up.

  43. Carlos Member

    I had similar issue on flying F on AA on flight from LAX to LHR. I got up said something and they also looked at me funny. After flight my wife told me next told me next time we fly another airline the FA were to loud and I could not sleep. Two weeks ago we flew Delta ATL to GRU on business and she loved it. AA needs to improve or they will continue to be second choice for many travelers

  44. James Guest

    Fly BA instead... Way better than any of these American carriers

  45. Chandan Bhat Gold

    After reading this post I remembered two things first when you talk about foreign carriers and how you could complain about the FAs it reminds me of this: https://donotflyemirates.wordpress.com/2014/09/08/open-letter-to-hh-sheikh-ahmed-bin-saeed-almaktoum/
    and secondly it also reminds me and also talking about actions:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3180905/Pictured-interior-designer-suing-Etihad-Airways-227-000-claims-suffered-injury-sitting-obese-man-flight-Abu-Dhabi-Sydney.html

    After reading this post I remembered two things first when you talk about foreign carriers and how you could complain about the FAs it reminds me of this: https://donotflyemirates.wordpress.com/2014/09/08/open-letter-to-hh-sheikh-ahmed-bin-saeed-almaktoum/
    and secondly it also reminds me and also talking about actions:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3180905/Pictured-interior-designer-suing-Etihad-Airways-227-000-claims-suffered-injury-sitting-obese-man-flight-Abu-Dhabi-Sydney.html

  46. JW Guest

    It does not matter how much you complain, these FAs are unionized so management cannot punish anyone who provides bad service unless they leterally hit you in the face with intent. Unlike most foreign airlines which can administer corrective actions. Domestic airlines are not really scared of FAs but more like Pilot unions will strike with FA unions, yea, their relationship is that good.
    However, with that said, what you experienced is rare.

  47. Brian Guest

    If you get rude reaction when you politely try to address an issue. You just gotta simply say "May I get the complain card and your name?".
    They will beg you not to submit the card.

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ Brian -- For what it's worth, American doesn't have complaint cards onboard.

  48. Curried Guest

    I would go ask them again to be quiet noting that this is the second time you have asked them and the guy in 3A asked them as well but have my phone in my hand with the recorder on (video if you can pull it off) and forward the recording to AA customer service.....

    1. lucky OMAAT

      @ Curried -- While I don't disagree with the idea in general, in practice that's pretty risky and not something I would do.

  49. Kris Guest

    If they finished their work, they shouldn't be getting paid, right?

  50. The Value Traveler Guest

    Well John, you should've just got up and took another seat or put on your Bose headsets that you rave about so much heheh :). I'm curious...were you on American Airlines?

  51. Santastico Diamond

    Well, good luck complaining to them in flight. As now every airline employee feels they are an authority and entitled to make decisions and call the cops if they believe you are a threat you may be surprised to have the cops waiting for you when you land at your destination because a FA thought you were a threat. Unfortunately we are living days where any TSA or airline employee can decide if they will make your life miserable or not.

  52. Captain Kirk Guest

    Craig should absolutely complain to the airline. He tried to resolve the situation directly and was basically told off so the only course of action after that is to make the airline itself aware. There is no reason for any crew let alone a FC crew on a transcontinental flight to be rude to passengers. The attitude conveyed by the crew is what I expect from a 17 year old kid flipping burgers over the...

    Craig should absolutely complain to the airline. He tried to resolve the situation directly and was basically told off so the only course of action after that is to make the airline itself aware. There is no reason for any crew let alone a FC crew on a transcontinental flight to be rude to passengers. The attitude conveyed by the crew is what I expect from a 17 year old kid flipping burgers over the summer, not a adult in charge of the safety of passengers on a commercial airplane. The fact he was a paying customer for FC shouldn't matter, because no matter what reason the passenger was in the seat (miles, upgrade, etc.) the service should be good and attitude positive, but since he was a paying customer, the airline knows that is their bread and butter and would do wisely to listen to what he has to say.

  53. John Carter Guest

    I've had my fair share of horrible cabin crew and situations on the aircraft that calls my attention and makes the flight simply unbearable and uncomfortable. I just last month on a LAX-JFK flight in F the crew wouldn't stop talking so loud, some of them were even cursing, barely walked around the cabin and their service was garbage. It was probably one of the worse flights I've had. Follow the week after yet again...

    I've had my fair share of horrible cabin crew and situations on the aircraft that calls my attention and makes the flight simply unbearable and uncomfortable. I just last month on a LAX-JFK flight in F the crew wouldn't stop talking so loud, some of them were even cursing, barely walked around the cabin and their service was garbage. It was probably one of the worse flights I've had. Follow the week after yet again another horrible flight. I'm not one to complain but the airline should know that their service on board is going downhill. The response was your generetic response you would get some customer service "I apologize, we value your opinion, blah blah blah" if they value our opinion like they say their service and cabin crew would deliver a much stellar and state of the art service. At the end of the day once they get our money - for them customer satisfaction and comfort is not their primary focus.

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Jonny Guest

I had exactly the same experience on an overnight from Denver to London with United Polaris just today. Lights on. Noisy chat through the night. Banging around in the galley 3 hours ahead of landing. Complained and was met with "what's your problem?!" Honestly since they all got back from Covid pretty much all airlines that fly international have a rotten attitude.

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David Guest

On a related matter, see this article --- http://www.theglobalist.com/united-airlines-aviation-industry/

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John Joseph Guest

On UA EWR-FCO in so-called BusinessFirst, before landing in Rome the lead f/a came around & asked all the psgrs if they'd like fresh fruit and croissants for bkft. After they plopped it down, I thought "that sure looks skimpy for Business Class". One croissant and a bread & butter plate with a tiny portion of fruit. I happened to still hv the menu in the seat pocket and was really surprised to see that it showed filet mignon and omelets. So I went to the galley and opened the curtain to find the entire cabin crew including Y chowing down on steak and eggs. At that point I got into it with the lead f/a, Mr. Lucca, whose defense was that if anybody wanted it, they would have given it to them but nobody asked for it. Of course, they didn't ask for it, because you deliberately did not offer it. I've never flown United international since that episode and am very happy to say I have diverted a lot of international revenue away from UA. Can you imagine that happening on Qatar, Emirates, Ethihad or Singapore?

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