[texto]

I just completed a multicity return from Manchester(UK) to LAX and SFO via PHL. The flight attendants on the international leg are the nicest and friendliest but the ones on domestic leg (PHL-LAX, SFO-PHL) are the rudest. I'm one of the nicest passengers always smiling and courteous to everyone. I don't even know this flight attendant and have never seen him before anywhere in my life. He is serving drinks throwing things at people's tables as if he's feeding dogs. I'm sat in the middle seat. He serves the window passenger asking "what he would like". After serving him, he then turns to the aisle completely ignoring me asking him "Now what you would like ...". That was deliberate. He simply chose to not serve me. The others are pretending to be busy (on a 5 hour flight!!) and when serving tea/coffee they walk fast serving one or two.
How do you put up with such rude behaviour?

[jimworcs]

There is a pretty generalised atmosphere of hositility towards customers in the US based airlines. Staff have had their pay and benefits cut to the bone whilst executives pay themselves huge bonuses, often whilst the airline is either bankrupt or losing money. Meanwhile standards of service have fallen so low, that the customers are resentful and angry at being treated like cattle.

This toxic combination, largely the result of deregulation which allowed the airlines to create huge local monopolies and to pretty much do what they like without any intervention, is the cause. When travelling internationally, it is almost always better to avoid US based airlines. For US domestic travel, there are a few reasonable choices... Virgin America, JetBlue, Alaska, possibly SouthWest. The old mainline carriers, the worst of whom are Delta, but also United, US Airways and AA are to be avoided at all costs.