[CJohnson]

We have all had bad experiences when traveling, but normally I just let them go. On a flight back from a business class in China, I was treated terribly by a woman named Diane. Many people around me expressed concern and one woman insisted that I take her information so I would have a witness. Below is the letter I wrote to AA to discuss the problem and at the bottom is their response.

Basically AA responded with an email that said "There is never an excuse for rudeness! We apologize" They didn't even allow me to respond to the email. This woman was not just rude. She was intimidating and threatening. AA downplayed a terrible situation that shook up many people on that plane. I have never experienced anything like it. I was certain that AA would take the situation seriously. I overestimated them.

Additionally, I have low expectations for the food on flights. I did not feel the need to receive an apology for the bad food. I almost felt as if she missed the whole point of my letter.

October, 27, 2008
American Airlines Customer Relations
P.O. Box 619612 MD 2400
DFW Airport, TX 75261-9612
To Whom it may Concern:
I am writing today to discuss an altercation that I had on flight 288, October 24, 2008. This was an international flight from Shanghai, China to Chicago, IL. I’m going to explain what happened and give you contact information of other passengers who volunteered to be witnesses to the incident.
Towards the end of the flight, an attendant named Diane was passing out breakfast trays. The trays had a cup of fruit and mine unfortunately had a bug crawling on it. I understand this can happen anywhere and wasn’t upset about it, however, I did ask if I could have a new one. Diane took the tray but did not give me a new one. The woman next to me said, “Oh we need one more for her,” to another attendant that was following Diane.
The other attendant asked Diane for another tray for me and Diane said, “She didn’t want it.”
I said, “No I just wanted a new one because there was a bug crawling on that one.”
Diane responded with, “Oh and I put the bug there for her,” to the other attendant.
I turned to Diane and said, “There was no need for a snappy comment, I only asked for a new one. I didn’t say you put the bug there.”
Diane said, “You were accusing me of putting the bug there!” Shortly after this, she started helping other people. I asked the other attendant for Diane’s name.
The attendant responded with, “You know, I’m not going to give you her name. It’s been a long night and we are tired.”
I said, “You really won’t give me her name?”
She said, “No, I really won’t give you her name. Will you please just drop it?”
I said, “fine.” Honestly, I didn’t want to deal with it anyways.
Diane overheard our conversation and snapped, “Did she just ask for my name!? It’s DIANE and I’ll give you the name of my supervisor so you can write your letter!” I ignored her at this point because she was yelling.
The other attendant said to Diane, “Just let it go.”
Diane yelled, “NO! I will not let it go. This woman is ridiculous! She’s crying!”
Everyone around looked over at me and the other attendant said, “She’s not crying”, along with the woman next to me. I was not crying. Diane went away and I assumed that she would come back and apologize. It did seem logical that they would be very tired towards the end of the flight from China.
Diane did come back, but she got close to my face and shouted, “Did you get that?!” I asked what she was referring to and she told me her name was Diane with one N.
I said, “Thanks,” and she stepped away.
She only got a couple of steps away before coming back and saying, “By the way, I don’t need your name because I’m going to get all of your information off of the manifest!” She then stormed off and a woman I don’t know behind me tapped my shoulder and gave me her contact info saying I would need a witness and she would be happy to be one for me. She added that we are at the mercy of the attendants and that this kind of rudeness is unacceptable.
I am doing my best to tell this story as factually as possible and keep my emotions out of it. That being said, I want you to know that I was very offended, embarrassed and intimidated by this encounter. I felt as if I was being bullied. I always understood that Diane wasn’t trying to serve me bugs and I always understood that her not giving me a new tray was only a misunderstanding. I wasn’t angry and certainly didn’t mean to be accusatory or offensive when asking for a new one.
A man a couple of rows back made me promise to report this incident, although I think it was a no brainer due to the severity and level of intimidation used. I hope that this matter is taken seriously as I frequently fly American Airlines and have had good experiences in the past.
Diane may have already reported the incident herself, as she did tell me she was going to get all of my information. I would prefer that my information not be made available to Diane. I took her comments as threatening, as did the people around me.
The woman who volunteered to act as a witness is named Jin xxxx. She was seated in seat 23F. Additionally, there were two other friends of mine seated nearby who also heard the altercation. Considering that they are biased, I will send you their information only if you request it. Jin xxxx’s email address, however, is xxxx@xxxx.edu. I would also be happy with anyone in the area being contacted for an account of what happened.
I appreciate your attention to this matter and hope to hear from you in the near future.


November 21, 2008 Dear Ms. Johnson:

Thank you for contacting American Airlines Customer Relations. I am pleased to respond to your letter.
There is no question that the quality of food served on board our aircraft can either contribute to -- or detract from -- your overall enjoyment of a flight. I am sorry the meal we offered did not meet your expectations. Your disappointment is a cause of concern, and we appreciate your letting us know.
Accordingly, we have sent a copy of your criticism to the Managing Director of Food and Beverage Service so that your perceptions may be reviewed with the local caterer. We are always eager to improve our meal service and appreciate your input.
Nevertheless, there is simply no excuse for rudeness! Our customers should always experience polite service from our employees regardless of the circumstances. Your comments about the lack of courtesy you experienced are of great concern to us. Please accept our sincere apology that we didn't live up to our usual high standards of customer service.
When hiring employees who will serve our customers, we work hard to look for those applicants who demonstrate a warm and friendly attitude. Our training programs emphasize to all our employees, new and experienced alike, the importance of an individualized, caring approach even in the face of the unique difficulties that only an airline can experience. I'm at a loss to explain exactly why you weren't treated with courtesy.
We have forwarded a copy of your comments to our Vice President of Onboard Service for review. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to improve our service.
Ms. Johnson, it is clear from your comments that we both share a belief in the importance of quality service. We want travel on American to be pleasant and trouble free and appreciate being told when it is not. I hope this one experience does not cause you to lose confidence in us. We value you as a customer and are eager to demonstrate our ability to provide the level of service you expect from American.
We welcome all customer feedback. The next time you feel something deserves our attention, please email us via AA.com at www.aa.com/customerrelations. We'll receive your comments without delay and get back to you as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
R. G. Socha
Customer Relations
American Airlines
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