[biljack]

A few weeks ago, I was on a couple of Delta flights. When the announcement was made to prepare for landing, the flight attendant stopped to see that I was shutting down my computer. She was not particularly pleasant and stood there until my computer was shut down.

After she left, the gentleman next to me commented about her rudeness. My response was that she was probably just used to people being difficult about shutting down their electronics. He explained that he was an executive from Delta and had noticed this type of behavior as common with many of the flight attendants. It is something that Delta is looking into.
Upon further reflection, the interaction with the flight attendant did make me feel like a child being scolded for doing something wrong.

On my two return flights later in the week, I made a point of observing the flight attendants. Generally they are respectful, some more than others. On one of the flights, when the flight attendant made the announcement to prepare for landing, her tone of voice seemed fine until she got the the part about shutting down electronics. She switched over to a rude and accusatory pattern of speech. Even though all of the passengers around me were relatively quick in shutting everything down and nobody made a fuss, the flight attendants walked down the aisle scowling at everybody.
The passengers seemed to be on edge about being yelled at or threatened with arrest if they couldn't respond quickly enough.

It seems that because of the difficulty that they have experienced with some customers in the past they assume that every customer will be difficult and therefore treat everybody disrespectfully. This is terrible customer service and would not be acceptable in any other industry.

[Gromit801]

Unfortunately, some people are molded by their real experiences. Probably half the flights I am on any given time, there is one or two people refusing to shut off their computer for landing, or cell phone for departure. I can see where after months of that, some FA's are getting a little too proactive about it.

Maybe airlines need to rotate their crews a bit more.

[airhead]

Originally Posted by biljack

This is terrible customer service and would not be acceptable in any other industry.

Why is it accepted in this industry? Why do so many complain about flight attendants yet the tickets are still purchased? I am not just picking on you...I am picking on the entire industry and the consumers who do not like this behavior or service... yet they still buy the tickets. I don't get it!

And the Delta ex., maybe his job is to "look into it" but is anything really getting done? I know not all FAs are rude. In fact most are pleasant but it takes that one bad apple. a bad passenger can ruin it for everyone too. But why is it tolerated? A bad passenger should be removed or arrested if being extra stupid and a bad FA should be fired (no union rep to help) and should never be able to work in the industry again.

When does the consumer really use the power of demand, put their foot down and say "enough is enough already?" Is the service not bad enough yet?

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

biljack wrote:

the gentleman next to me commented about her rudeness. My response was that she was probably just used to people being difficult about shutting down their electronics. He explained that he was an executive from Delta and had noticed this type of behavior as common with many of the flight attendants. It is something that Delta is looking into.

When the "gentleman next to me" dies, we should have him stuffed, and put on exhibit in a museum operated by the Southern Poverty Law Center, or the ACLU. The label should read: This is the one man, in the airline industry of the early 21st century, who truly cared about the Constitutional rights of air travelers.

It would be nice to think there are more in the airline industry who think like this man. Perhaps there are. Former Continental CEO Gordon Bethune was quoted as saying there are no "Sky Nazis" working for his airline. Despite all this, and as I stated in a previous post, things will have to get a lot worse before they get better. People will have to die as a result of unattended medical conditions in tarmac delays and there will have to be some baseless arrests of some high profile individuals. Perhaps our best hope, in the "Sky Nazi" department, is to have one or more foreign diplomats arrested, or kicked-off a flight, and a resulting foreign relations headache. A long shot, I know. But we can always dream.

[jimworcs]

Airhead...
Put simply.. the consumers have no choice and the airlines know this. They create local monopolies.. and by doing so eliminate choice in that market. By building up their control of markets, and essentially not competing against each other, they distort the market. In other markets, such as Europe and the Far East, where there are viable rail alternatives, service standards are considerably higher. It is market abuse which is creating this problem.. and millions of dollars in "donations" to election campaigns by the airlines which are preventing a solution.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

.. and millions of dollars in "donations" to election campaigns by the airlines which are preventing a solution.

Facts please.

[jimworcs]

The nation’s airlines, including Delta, American, United and Northwest, donated $2.4 million at the federal level during the 2006 election cycle and spent $17.5 million on lobbying efforts in 2006

Source: OpenSecrets.org. Advocacy organisation which tracks political donations.

[airhead]

Thanks Jim. I ask these questions rhetorically to put the question in others' mind. I already know the answers and I appreciate you answering them. I hope more people read them and more people start acting against the infrastructure. Vote out any politicians who stand with the airlines. Write your congressman.

President Oboma campaigned for change. But is he doing anything to change the airline industry? With the economy being slow, the complaints are down so the industry is less noticed. But I remember 2 years ago the industry was at an all time high and so were the complaints, delays, and cancellations.

What happens when the recovery takes place? Are we back to more unhappy passengers? Now is the time fix the problems while the tide is low.

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

One approach to getting the airlines to clean-up their act would be if the government changed Certificates of Operation from being permanent (in the absence of government sanctions) and required renewal proceedings wherein qualified entities could present their case as to why they should be awarded the Certificate, and the incumbent holder is undeserving. Radio and television stations have been subject to such a process for decades. In the case of the latter the public, by law, may submit comments to the hearing examiner as to why the license should be renewed, or awarded to someone else.

[biljack]

Jim- It is interesting that you mentioned the market in Europe. The guy from Delta was actually from a European airlines that had merged with Delta. He did say it was very different in Europe. He encouraged me to contact the airlines with my comments which I did do.

[PHXFlyer]

I now have serious doubts that your seat-mate was actally a Delta employee. Delta has no ownership. not even partial, of any European airline nor has there been any mergers to that effect.

As for the FA's handling of the electronic devices, I have seen over the years a growing defiance of people who refuse to follow those instructions. To some it seems almost like a game of "how long can I hide the fact that I'm texting on my BlackBerry until I'm caught" or "I'll bet I can keep my iPod on even after being told to shut it off." I know the rules seem silly and that a BlackBerry or iPod isn't going to cause a plane crash, but there are those who simply think the rules just don't apply to them.

[Silent Bob]

The FA could have handled things a bit better in the OP's case, but PHX is right about one thing and that is too many people are keeping devices on well after they've been told to turn them off (among other things like leaving trays down, seats back, etc). In defense of some folks who try to keep their laptops on, they are usually doing last minute work and try to squeeze whatever they can until they get the "tap,tap". Others simply don't care about the rules, which i notice in the younger 20-something crowd.

True she didn't have to watch over you like a hawk, but she probably does it out of prior experience. On your next flight just observe folk during take off and landing and look to see who has their phone, ipod, etc still on after the doors are closed. You'd be surprised.

[jimworcs]

I now have serious doubts that your seat-mate was actally a Delta employee. Delta has no ownership. not even partial, of any European airline nor has there been any mergers to that effect.

That is true, although Delta is part of Skyteam, which includes AF, KLM and the nightmare that is Alitalia, so he may have been referring to that.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

That is true, although Delta is part of Skyteam, which includes AF, KLM and the nightmare that is Alitalia, so he may have been referring to that.

Originally Posted by biljack

Jim- It is interesting that you mentioned the market in Europe. The guy from Delta was actually from a European airlines that had merged with Delta. He did say it was very different in Europe. He encouraged me to contact the airlines with my comments which I did do.

Jim I would hope an "executive from Delta" would know the difference between a "merger" and an alliance. Something still doesn't add up.

[jimworcs]

Well so would I phx, (although it is Delta) but I think it is perfectly possible for a passenger to mis-understand what the Delta man was saying.