Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspective

[Qgar]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

While I agree that the flight attendants are an important aspect for the safety of the flight if passengers stop flying on your airline because they are nasty or disgusting they have to go. We have a few who use the "Im just here for their safety" routine and are rude to the passengers and it makes by blood boil. You guys are the face of the airline and really the only human interaction the customers experience. As for the old blue hairs that can't open the door, well they really shouldn't be working, if they do their job well and go out of their way to make the passengers comfortable/happy then I have no problem with how old they are. I don't care how old/hot you are if a passenger complains about you to the gate agent or us on their way out then you aren't doing your job well.

I agree with you for the most part...except your last sentence. You do realize there are 2 sides to every story, right? There are some pax who refuse to comply with simple instructions re seat belts, stowage of luggage, etc. You, as a CA or FO, need to find out the FAs side of the story BEFORE blaming the FA. We're there for safety and to enforce FAA regs, as I'm sure you know. Unfortunately, there are some pax who are difficult, refuse to comply THEN complain to the pilots and/or gate agents. :whatever:

 

[jynxyjoe]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

They complain loudest when they are told they can't break the company's procedures relating to safety.

Ms. I'm sorry but if you need a extension belt you can't sit in the exit row. No I don't care how bad you need the leg room or how much you paid.

Always amazes the hell out of me they are ruder than blank to my flight attendant but when I come out they'll listen politely.

Maybe we just need to make them all 19 seaters. Beech 1900 here I come. Or better yet, just have each passenger sign a letter of agreement when they come on that if something happens they expect to die and families will not sue the airline, but I'll happy sue the jerk next to me. We'd like to get you some help to save your life, but you'd obviously rather injure yourself and those around you by leaving bags in the isle and on your lap when we hit turbulence.

 

[Qgar]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

They complain loudest when they are told they can't break the company's procedures relating to safety.

Ms. I'm sorry but if you need a extension belt you can't sit in the exit row. No I don't care how bad you need the leg room or how much you paid.

Always amazes the hell out of me they are ruder than blank to my flight attendant but when I come out they'll listen politely.

Maybe we just need to make them all 19 seaters. Beech 1900 here I come. Or better yet, just have each passenger sign a letter of agreement when they come on that if something happens they expect to die and families will not sue the airline, but I'll happy sue the jerk next to me. We'd like to get you some help to save your life, but you'd obviously rather injure yourself and those around you by leaving bags in the isle and on your lap when we hit turbulence.

:clap: Well said!

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

God I hope you are kidding. Flight attendants are there to save pax ass, not kiss them. You're just being satirical right?

Most of our flight attendants wouldn't know what to do to save a "pax ass". So all they are there to do is serve drinks and look good, which they fail at. Heck, they'll all leave now that we don't have travel benefits.

And yes, I'm super annoyed when passengers don't listen, but it drives me even more up the wall when a stewardess cops an attitude to the pilots about whose "plane" it is.... we're a freakin' team here. I don't need you to tell me to call the hotel, fill out your hotel room sheet, tell your passenger to move because you don't have the balls to, etc. I've even had a steward call up the cockpit at 10K in a climb because I flipped off the seatbelt sign "are you sure you wanted to do that, no one ever does"..... uh yeah dude, it's in our checklist at the end of sterile.

:clap: Well said!

And no, I haven't been rebuffed by any FAs..... maybe revolted by them...

There's no reason to act like you're there to do anything but kiss the customers ass unless they are out of line.

 

[Qgar]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

Most of our flight attendants wouldn't know what to do to save a "pax ass". So all they are there to do is serve drinks and look good, which they fail at. Heck, they'll all leave now that we don't have travel benefits.

And yes, I'm super annoyed when passengers don't listen, but it drives me even more up the wall when a stewardess cops an attitude to the pilots about whose "plane" it is.... we're a freakin' team here. I don't need you to tell me to call the hotel, fill out your hotel room sheet, tell your passenger to move because you don't have the balls to, etc. I've even had a steward call up the cockpit at 10K in a climb because I flipped off the seatbelt sign "are you sure you wanted to do that, no one ever does"..... uh yeah dude, it's in our checklist at the end of sterile.


And no, I haven't been rebuffed by any FAs..... maybe revolted by them...

There's no reason to act like you're there to do anything but kiss the customers ass unless they are out of line.

If you're serious, you have no clue. Day one of FA training is what's the #1 responsibility of a FA? Passenger safety. Wow, just wow. I expected better from you.....

 

[jynxyjoe]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

If you're serious, you have no clue. Day one of FA training is what's the #1 responsibility of a FA? Passenger safety. Wow, just wow. I expected better from you.....

The FA's tell me that Delta has the opposite view. Customer service is first, safety is a byproduct.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

If you're serious, you have no clue. Day one of FA training is what's the #1 responsibility of a FA? Passenger safety. Wow, just wow. I expected better from you.....

Well I expect better from the idiots running the back, but I'm proven wrong day in and out. I mean seriously, how hard is it to count how many people are on the plane? How hard is it to tell me what you need serviced.... instead of having me make three different calls to passenger service? How hard is it to throw out ice (and no, don't throw the bag out the door, throw the ice out the door and put the bag in the trashcan.... but I didn't think I had to go into that sort of detail)?

How hard is it to SIT down and STRAP in when you hear the god-dang gear come down, rather than telling me "I didn't hear the double-chime"? How hard is it not to get in a fist-fight in the back over your "duties and responsibilities"? How hard is it to use the interphone rather than the PA to tell your other FA (while pax are on board) I need you up front come and help me get these people boarded?

 

[MQAAord]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

Here's my thoughts:

I don't give a flying leap if you are offended by not having a "hot" F/A to look at. Too bad. This is 2009, not 1950. Deal with it. I'd rather have a F/As who is polite, kind, and competent, regardless of that person's age.

The job of F/A is a delicate balancing act of service & safety. If ANY F/A (any age!) gets to the point of being rude & surly to the pax, something needs to change. The attitude needs to be readjusted or the F/A needs to quit/retire/find another job. Safety duties CAN be accomplished while still being kind & polite to the pax. There's really no need to be a jerk to the pax, if they refuse to comply with crew instructions, they're taken off the plane or are met by authorities on the ground.

F/A training & hiring NEEDS to make sure that the F/As they're sending to the line are competent, so that you don't have F/As like are described in one of the posts above. Ditzy, stupid, surly F/As give EVERY F/A a bad name, and that's not okay.

The height/weight charts of the past directly contributed to increased levels of anorexia & bulimia among F/As. I do not believe in height/weight charts, but I do believe in a set of physical standards. These standards include the ability to physically manipulate all equipment relating to the job, including galley equipment and all cabin doors/exits. If a F/A can not manipulate the door/exit, sorry, you should no longer be a F/A. I think a F/A should be able to walk down the aisle forward-facing, be able to exit expeditiously out ANY exit on the fleet, and fit in the F/A jumpseat without the use of extensions. I do not feel these requirements are discriminatory, as they are directly related to the duties of the job. Also, they do not involve "numbers" of any kind (age, weight, BMI), but are related to job duties.

If a person can do the job, and do it well, I don't care how old they are. They have the right to their job. If they CAN'T do it well, I don't care how old (or young) they are, they shouldn't do the job anymore.

Just my nickel's worth of my two cents....

 

[mikecweb]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

I don't know bout the rest of you but this sure makes me want to make the leap to the passenger airlines.

 

[Qgar]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

I don't know bout the rest of you but this sure makes me want to make the leap to the passenger airlines.

I'm having a very hard time believing EVERY FA he works with is this bad. He's probably trying to be a comedian or has started Happy Hour early today! :beer:

Are there bad apples in the FA garden? Absolutely! HOWEVER, he and other pilots should man up and report ineptitude like that to their company.

For the record, there are some pilots who aren't exactly prizes to work with.

 

[MQAAord]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

Are there bad apples in the FA garden? Absolutely! HOWEVER, he and other pilots should man up and report ineptitude like that to their company.

Absolutely. Please, if one flies with a F/A who really is as inept as described, PLEASE go through your airline's channels for bringing it to someone's attention. If it's a recurring theme among F/As, then something needs to change in your F/A's training department. Be the reporting procedures to go through professional standards with the union, a CP or even talking with an inflight supervisor, please take the first steps towards reporting it.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

I'm having a very hard time believing EVERY FA he works with is this bad. He's probably trying to be a comedian or has started Happy Hour early today!

Kinda hard to start happy hour on reserve....

I guess I really shouldn't expect much considering that Pinnacle FA school is 3 weeks zero to hero.

I will be taking copious notes from now on about how our FAs look, act, etc., to come up with a better picture of the Pinnacle flight attendant.

 

[Velocipede]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

2: If the FA needs a walker to get around, they probably shouldn't be FAing.

I love hyperbole. You have NEVER seen a F/A with a walker, so give us a break.

I know NWA only got rid of their FA's with walkers because the captains started making the FA's demonstrate their ability to lift and open the cabin door.

I don't know about YOUR airline, but mine has something called F/A recurrent. They have to demonstrate their ability to operate ALL emergency exits and equipment annually. Or they don't fly. Period, end of story.

For that reason, your story about individual line Captains requiring an emergency exit demonstration prior to a line flight doesn't hold water.

Anyways.... older FAs.... if they are hot, are good. The whole point of a stewardess is to serve drinks and look good. At least that's what it used to be about.... boy I wish I had been around in those days.

So, in other words, you prefer to let your "little head" do your thinking for you.

Methinks he has been rebuffed by a cougar or two.

Rebuffed by a cougar? Sounds like someone singularly unsuccessful with F/As. Seriously, son, its not that hard to attract F/As. Remember, you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Most of our flight attendants wouldn't know what to do to save a "pax ass".And no, I haven't been rebuffed by any FAs..... maybe revolted by them...

Apparently, its a two way street.

Well I expect better from the idiots running the back, but I'm proven wrong day in and out.

If you want to be treated like a professional, perhaps you should extend that courtesy to your F/As. You treat them well, they'll treat you great. Honey/vinegar, remember?

I'd rather have a F/As who is polite, kind, and competent, regardless of that person's age....There's really no need to be a jerk to the pax, if they refuse to comply with crew instructions, they're taken off the plane or are met by authorities on the ground.

:clap:

F/A training & hiring NEEDS to make sure that the F/As they're sending to the line are competent, so that you don't have F/As like are described in one of the posts above. Ditzy, stupid, surly F/As give EVERY F/A a bad name, and that's not okay.

:yourock:

The great thing about Amber and Qgar is they're BOTH F/A supervisors and know what qualifications are required BEFORE F/As are released to the line.

If a F/A can not manipulate the door/exit, sorry, you should no longer be a F/A....If a person can do the job, and do it well, I don't care how old they are. They have the right to their job. If they CAN'T do it well, I don't care how old (or young) they are, they shouldn't do the job anymore.

That's the bottom line.

For the record, there are some pilots who aren't exactly prizes to work with.

I'll bet we ALL know at least one. :yup:

 

[MikeD]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

Rex, you should've told them that since you're a pilot, you need a window seat. You need to be able to see outside.

I've heard that works well with the FAs.

 

[jynxyjoe]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

I don't know about YOUR airline, but mine has something called F/A recurrent. They have to demonstrate their ability to operate ALL emergency exits and equipment annually. Or they don't fly. Period, end of story.

For that reason, your story about individual line Captains requiring an emergency exit demonstration prior to a line flight doesn't hold water.

Well since I don't goto the F/A recurrents, I wouldn't know. As I've been told the two gals were supposedly on the top %1 of the seniority list and the other exploits include sleeping on top of everyone's passports (as a purser, if I'm spelling that right) and not being able to find them for 2.5 hours when they landed. Using the bev cart as a walker the whole flight.

It was a crazy enough story I've asked around any chance I get and everyone at NWA I've talked to says they've heard the story. I don't know if there are any NWA'ers on here.

I'm not a big fan of pushing urban legends or wild stories but I've heard it so many times I guess I just assumed it to be fact.

 

[Velocipede]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

Come on, jynxy. You KNOW that's an urban legend. Just because a story gets repeated a lot doesn't make it true.

 

[jynxyjoe]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

Come on, jynxy. You KNOW that's an urban legend. Just because a story gets repeated a lot doesn't make it true.

Folks at NWA always seemed like a pretty up front bunch and very professional.

I don't KNOW anything. Guys/Gals seemed pretty sure of themselves.

 

[Velocipede]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

I don't KNOW anything. Guys/Gals seemed pretty sure of themselves.

That's why courts won't admit Hearsay evidence. The court system makes you stick to stuff you KNOW.

 

[jynxyjoe]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

That's why courts won't admit Hearsay evidence. The court system makes you stick to stuff you KNOW.

Rrrrrright. Are you trying to pony for a sidebar?

 

[ChasenSFO]

Re: Continental Airlines passenger experience.... my perspec

I hear good things about CO, especially the fact they give you a meal. Hell, UA on the 5.5 hour flight from SFO-HNL offered nothing but a sandwich...FOR $12!