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Flight Attendants Are Behaving Badly Too

ncioll
Explorer C

There has been a lot of press during the last several months of the pandemic about bad behavior of passengers but as a very frequent flyer (A-List Preferred for over ten years) I can tell you I have had multiple experiences in the last year (I am still flying at least two round trips a month for business) from flight attendants that have turned into jerks.  The latest was two days ago on a flight from Chicago to New Orleans where I got onto the plane and was talking on the phone while sitting in my seat while the other passengers were boarding and the flight attendant kept interrupting me on my call and I told her I was on the phone and she started yelling at me uncontrollable.  This was a full 15 minutes before the remaining passengers were boarded and there was no reason for the interruption.  On another flight last month, I was not finished drinking my coffee that I boarded with and wanted to keep my coffee for later and again a flight attendant started yelling at me because I would not throw my half-full coffee away.  On yet another occasion I was looking at my laptop while other passengers were boarding and a flight attendant yelled at me that I had to put my laptop away and when I said "isn't the rule when boarding is over and the front door is closed?" and again the flight attendant started yelling at me and threatened to throw me off the plane.  All incidents on Southwest.  I reported the last two incidents to Southwest customer service but never got a reply of any kind.  So, I turn to this Board.  I guess my point is not only are passengers acting badly but so are the employees.  If you want to be respected then you need to treat others with respect.  It has gotten so bad that I am afraid to even ask a flight attendant a question for fear of getting my head ripped off.  I have a good friend who is a pilot for one of the other big airlines and he tells me it is just as bad with that airline.  I hope these airlines start teaching their employees how to treat customers soon.

6 REPLIES 6

Re: Flight Attendants Are Behaving Badly Too

dfwskier
Aviator A

Not sure what happened to you, but you are right -- the rule is you must shut off your computer and stop using your phone -- AFTER the front door has been closed - not before.

 

Phones and ipads in airplane mode may remain on. Laptops must be stowed..

Re: Flight Attendants Are Behaving Badly Too

bwallet
Frequent Flyer A

I fly pretty much every week, and I've never observed anything. No bad behavior by a passenger. Nothing questionable by a flight attendant.

 

Ten years ago (I was flying transAtlantic every other weekend), while boarding a Delta flight going AMS-ATL, the lady behind me was throwing a fit because her family wasn't seated with her. The FA kept telling her that she was going to find a way to help her, but they lady wouldn't calm down. Finally, the FA said that she was through, and she was going to get the purser. I turned around and told the lady that the FA was trying to help her, and that she should go find the FA and apologize because she isn't going to like what happens next otherwise. However, that instant, the FA came back with the purser. The purser said that there was a seat with her family, and they moved her.

 

I guess my life is boring, but that's the most drama that I've EVER seen on a plane. I'm not sure what planes everyone else is flying on...

Re: Flight Attendants Are Behaving Badly Too

jksobonya
Aviator A

@bwallet wrote:

I guess my life is boring, but that's the most drama that I've EVER seen on a plane. I'm not sure what planes everyone else is flying on...


Right! My life must be super boring too, as the most dramatic thing that's ever happened on any of my flights are crying babies 😂 No angry flight attendants, no angry passengers, and during the pandemic anyway most flights haven't been close to full - even now in 2022, I flew about two weeks ago and the majority of my flights were *maybe* half full. Just got lucky on those I guess ...

 

--Jessica

Re: Flight Attendants Are Behaving Badly Too

RobKiss
Explorer C

To those claiming they have never seen or experienced an issue with a passenger or flight crew, consider yourselves lucky.  I see it frequently, from both sides.  People are just about at their wits end with these mask mandates and rude treatment from companies that we are actually paying for a service.  No more snacks half the time, limited beverages if at all, no empty seats, long layovers, etc. don't make traveling a fun experience any longer. I think airlines all need to stop for a second and remember that if it weren't for the passengers, they would not have a business. Now some a floating the idea of putting people on the "no fly" list for simple frustrations? No thank you.  How about the airlines get back to treating us like valued customers instead of prisoners?  I get it, the job is not pleasant.  People are rude.  EVERYONE is on edge.  If people were nicer to the flight crews, and some members of flight crews weren't power tripping, flights might be a little more pleasant for everyone.

Flight Attendants Are Behaving Badly Too

CupCrusher40
Frequent Flyer B

never had issue with FA in 32 flights

Re: Flight Attendants Are Behaving Badly Too

dfwskier
Aviator A

Never had an FA issue on the 75-80 flights I've flown since May, 2020 - and I don't recall any real passenger altercations either.