If a passenger hands you a note as they board....

I would be surprised if anyone has not seen this, but I did have to do a little edit.....
 

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I've had 2 notes handed to me in my flying career. The first was 2006 when I landed in sba from lax. It had the phone numbers of 2 female pax on the same napkin(never asked them for it :)

Second was day 4 of a trip getting ready to depart ohare. A pax wrote on a napkin that she heard her neighbor sitting next to her say if he had a bomb that he would use it to blow up the plane.
 
Mark815 said:
When I worked 91 I've gotten thank you notes/cards from passengers, it was always kind of nice. Now at the airlines I'm honestly surprised at how much thanks we do get. I've stood in the galley while the people deplane and many times, especially in bad weather, I get "thank you so much" and "great job", "thanks for the safe trip" comments from pax. I figured in 121 people just angrily got off the airplane, but it's nice to see the flight crews get that!
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I flew the jumpseat for a short quick-turn for some first-hand observation yesterday. (I just finished ground school and head to sims tomorrow.) The CRJ flight deck is cozy, so once on the ground I stowed the jumpseat, but then waited so the pax could disembark. At least a third of the deplaning pax thanked me or complimented me on the flight....despite me having had nothing to do with it! But I was in uniform so they just assumed it took three of us to fly it. Most people are pretty good folks.

I traveled heavily for a number of years in previous careers. I always tried to make a point of thanking the crew as I exited. But I also thank driver when I exit a bus or shuttle!
 
vdsteelman said:
I had a pax say, "thanks for not crashing" a few days before the Germanwings crash. The CA and I looked at each other in amazement. The things some people say. But all kidding aside, it's always nice to get a compliment or to see a kid sound asleep after it was your leg landing.
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Erm, well, that is a large part of the job.

You know, the QF32 FO looked right at Richard Champion de Crespigny and said precisely that right before takeoff, no?
 
dustoff17 said:
I read this more as a plea for compassion from the pilot (who may or may not be suffering from depression) rather than a note of appreciation.

She is stating that she has a life and, no matter what's going on in your(pilot's) life, please get me home safe.
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Don't be so cynical. :)
 
dasleben said:
Don't be so cynical. :)
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I know but sometimes you have to call it like you see it......:rolleyes:

IF (note the big "if") the note were a true appreciation one, she would not have mentioned the crash. She would have presented a sweet note of thanks and left it at that. She was clearly stating, no matter what tragedy you have going on in your life, it's not that bad and please consider those of us in the back. Please don't kill us just because you're feeling bad today. IMHO....
 
If we could convince the flying public that tipping the pilots is standard practice, the regionals would not have any more trouble filling the cockpit.
 
Nick said:
My favorite thing so far in this theme was a Japanese boy and his mother shown into the cockpit doorway after landing by the flight attendant. She motioned for him to step in and we scooted our bags out of the way. He produced two origami cranes from his pocket that she had helped him make during the flight to Detroit. We wished them a pleasant flight onward to Nagoya and they of course grinned and bowed and thanked us again. What a difference in cultures.
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One of the best things about flying feed for Northwest was that we flew a lot of Japanese passengers. Seriously, the most polite and respectful people on the planet.
 
dustoff17 said:
I know but sometimes you have to call it like you see it......:rolleyes:

IF (note the big "if") the note were a true appreciation one, she would not have mentioned the crash. She would have presented a sweet note of thanks and left it at that. She was clearly stating, no matter what tragedy you have going on in your life, it's not that bad and please consider those of us in the back. Please don't kill us just because you're feeling bad today. IMHO....
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It seems like this was a nice note that actually showed a lot of compassion for the crew. I know we all have a tendency sometimes to think everyone is only out for themselves, but I would say that we should simply step back and read it for what it is, rather than through the lens of our own worldview. Or at least, be willing to try.

Long and short of it? It was a nice note, and someone was thoughtful enough to take the time to write it. Leave it at that.
 
dasleben said:
It seems like this was a nice note that actually showed a lot of compassion for the crew. I know we all have a tendency sometimes to think everyone is only out for themselves, but I would say that we should simply step back and read it for what it is, rather than through the lens of our own worldview. Or at least, be willing to try.

Long and short of it? It was a nice note, and someone was thoughtful enough to take the time to write it. Leave it at that.
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Fair enough
Wasn't taking anything away from the pilots or their efforts.
 
FlyingScot said:
Here's my hand written note from yesterday's trip.View attachment 30901
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That's typically how appreciation is given on our side of the industry.

Back when I had the ability to jumpseat, I was catching a ride and was seated next to unaccompanied minor likely on his way to doing the parent swap. He was around 5 years old and the nicest little kid you could ever meet. He had a coloring book and colored a picture of Superman and wanted to give it to the guys up front.

So as the flight ended and the doors pop open I see the flight attendant give the picture to the captain. The guy didn't even look at the drawing for 1 second before he threw it to the side. He didn't come out of thank the kid. A kid giving me a picture would be just as good as getting a $100 bill.
 
KLB said:
So as the flight ended and the doors pop open I see the flight attendant give the picture to the captain. The guy didn't even look at the drawing for 1 second before he threw it to the side. He didn't come out of thank the kid. A kid giving me a picture would be just as good as getting a $100 bill.
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Absolutely the hug I got from the owner's son meant more to me than the tip. After that money has been spent I will remember the fact that even though there have been 3 pilots since me, he and his family appreciate my services, but in a different way than a note or a lifesaver handed up to the anonymous pilots in the cockpit. I worked at making sure their travel went as smooth as it could go.

The fact that people in a large plane hand notes of appreciation to the cockpit, is reminiscent of hero worship. All they know the pilots took off and landed safely, whether they did a good job at it they have no idea, whether they are even good people, no clue either. The flight crew could have spent the whole flight on their laptop comparing schedules or scheming how to kidnap a FA. Attributing superhuman values or skills to a flight crew is like believing Brangelina or Gwyenth have something to contribute to the political discussion because of who they are.
 
Flying the turbo-smasher out in EAS land, a, um, lushy lady poured herself out of the 1900 and gave the Grumpy Dragon a great big, wet smooch.

I dig career appreciation moments as much as anyone, and I usually take things in the sprit in which they are given, but I could have done without that particular event.

Richman
 
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