Not a Good Time with NWA Flight Attendant

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gurisudenko

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On Friday night I boarded NWA 107 PHX-MSP, on a 752. I made my way to the seat I was assigned, took one look, and said, "Are you kidding me?" The seat was right next to a big bulging wall, and the seats in front and behind it - couldn't see anything either.

I was wearing a really cool pin that I got from the WAI Conference in Nashville...it's all in rhinestones and it reads, "I <3 FLYING". I pointed at it and explained that I love to fly, not stare at the wall. I also reasoned that there were about 80 people seated in window seats, and one of them probably could care less whether they were able to have an outside view. I maintained a friendly demeanor - I wasn't angry at all, just trying to negotiate as an NWA customer.

I asked the flight attendant if I could possibly trade with someone who may not be bothered by not seeing outside during the flight. She didn't respond very well and seemed irritated. I asked the passengers, "Is anyone here not bothered by this? Raise your hand and maybe we can trade places!" No one raised their hand. A woman boarded the aircraft and took a nearby window seat as I was explaining still that I was bothered and I would like to fix that problem if it were possible. The flight attendant turned around and said, "Why don't you try talking to an angel instead of complaining about where you have to sit?!"

Uh...angel? Huh? That confused me.

"I fly aircraft! I'm used to seeing my surroundings - this is awkward!"

A man yelled, "She's a pilot!"...in an attempt to pursuade someone to work with me.

I ended up trading seats with the lady, all the while being glared at by at least 25% of the passengers.

And I flew the 757-200 sim at NATCO DANGIT...ON ONE ENGINE OUT OF EAGLE COLORADO AND THEN CIRCUMNAVIGATED A THUNDERSTORM!!! And what do these PAX do?! Glare at me. :mad: Sorry, had to say that. I'm sure some of you can sympathize with my mentality at that point.

I felt disrespected by the flight attendant, and as if some of the PAX thought me to be a danger to the flight. Every time I talked to my neighbor, the lady next to him would lean forward and GLARE at me like I was something on the bottom of her shoe. The conversation was about aviation education and outreach..if that matters???

I wanted to tell the NWA Flight Attendant that I felt hurt and disrespected by her attitude toward me. I felt as though I had been judged, and I feel that she did not represent Northwest Airlines very well at all. I should have, especially as a fellow woman in aviation.

*sigh*

I'm guessing I'm not the only one who has been through this. I'm wondering if 737 captains not in uniform have gotten the same treatment. I feel like such a friend to aviation and then to have people already in the industry treat me like that...REALLY HURTS.
 
Cool, you made a scene on an airplane because you wanted to look out the window. A trip to seatguru.com perhaps should've been in order while placing the ticket order?
 
I'm sorry... you played the "I'm a pilot" card to get a window seat? :confused: I understand wanting to look outside but geez... making a scene on the plane was probably not the best solution. I would have looked at you funny too.
 
I'm not even a commuter and I've had run ins with flight attendants over the most ridiculous things. Things that made me scratch my head and wonder if they were serious. Long story short....Don't let it get to you. You're fine, maybe a little brused ego but nothing worse. She's the bad apple, not you.
 
well I would not fly with Northwest again just on the experience you had.. because you were trying to be nice and all..

..buuut I would make sure to book a window seat in advance (sometimes you do get unlucky sitting inbetween both windows but if you check online where you are sitting you should be ok) and if you did book one in advance then you just got unlucky with a blocked view + probably a underpaid/unhappy flight attendant.

That sucks, better luck next time. Next time do first class j/k
 
So, let me see if I have this story right.

You made a scene because you wanted a window seat, and you are now unhappy because people didn't fall all over themselves to give you one.

Am I missing something here?

If you want a window seat, book one. Don't blame the FA or the other passengers for you not getting a window seat when you didn't book one.
 
Usually when I tell someone I'm a pilot, it's a positive experience. I *usually* mention it around flight crew when I want to learn something, which is just about always. And it's fine. So I operated on that.

In this situation, I was friendly, and was met by a total lack of friendliness on the part of the flight attendant. I've never encountered this so it was almost a "I don't know what to do" situation. It's like trying to pick a flower...and it zaps you like a tazer. I was standing there like, ":confused: "

My reasoning was that, given I was a student pilot, it was very awkward for me to be in that seat during the flight. I had asked if, after the aircraft was fully boarded, I could ask a fellow passenger if they would like to trade. I did NOT get a clear answer at all, which may have solved the whole thing right then...I just got glares??? If she had said no, I would have understood. But I got a type of communication I didn't understand and didn't make sense. A professional member of an NWA flight crew glaring at my innocent (and maybe slightly naive) request.

It's awkward for most of the flying public, not just me. Boeing has psychologists working with design of new aircraft, and it has been debated heavily whether the public is ready to fly in BWB aircraft with no windows. They're not. And I'm not. And everyone thought I was a weirdo whilst taking advantage of the product of Boeing's preliminary studies :mad:

Oh well...you live and you learn, right?
 
tonyw said:
So, let me see if I have this story right.

You made a scene because you wanted a window seat, and you are now unhappy because people didn't fall all over themselves to give you one.

Am I missing something here?

If you want a window seat, book one. Don't blame the FA or the other passengers for you not getting a window seat when you didn't book one.

Tony, you and I are thinking the same way too much lately, you've clearly gone soft :)
 
If you want a window seat, or any other specifics in your seat assignment, ASK THE AGENT when s/he gives you your boarding pass. The flight attendants do not determine seat assignments, and it would be wrong to expect the F/As to move everybody on the airplane around on every flight to make everybody happy with their seats!

You could have taken on the 'asking' yourself, asking fellow pax if they wouldn't mind switching seats with you. Sounds like you made a spectacle of yourself over a pretty petty thing.

Why did you expect special treatment because you're a woman? Are you a NWA employee? Were you in uniform? Why did you throw out the 'pilot' card? Generally speaking, that doesn't build 'favor' points in F/As' eyes.
 
If you really wanted a seat by a window, perhaps you should have bought a "premium seat" instead...

And about that 737 CA you mention - I bet they would be happy to even get a seat on the plane :) - I doubt they care where it's located.

"Circumnavigated a thunderstorm?" So, you turned away from it? Man, that takes skill!

I'll probably be chastised for this, but seriously, get over yourself now before you make an ass out of yourself in public in the future...nobody cares that you're a pilot...
 
wheelsup said:
I'll probably be chastised for this, but seriously, get over yourself now before you make an ass out of yourself in public in the future...nobody cares that you're a pilot...

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: .

ERAUNDisease is what I call it :)
 
wheelsup said:
I'll probably be chastised for this, but seriously, get over yourself now before you make an ass out of yourself in public in the future...nobody cares that you're a pilot...

well said.
 
gurisudenko said:
My reasoning was that, given I was a student pilot, it was very awkward for me to be in that seat during the flight.

Why??? What does being a student pilot have to do with anything?
 
Oh oh oh...I booked a window seat at the self check in. That was the best part. On the little picture of the plane, there was a window there. I put my little finger on the screen and it went, "BEEP!" This is what I looked like when I booked that seat at the airport :rawk:

And this is me when I walked into the plane and saw the "window" :confused:

Yeah I got served. Go ahead, laugh at me. I know judo.
 
NWA sucks.

I always try for an aisle seat, not a window; the windows are too low for tall guys to look out of comfortably, and the aisle provides more shoulder room and quicker response on cocktail refills. :D
 
wheelsup said:
If you really wanted a seat by a window, perhaps you should have bought a "premium seat" instead...

And about that 737 CA you mention - I bet they would be happy to even get a seat on the plane :) - I doubt they care where it's located.

"Circumnavigated a thunderstorm?" So, you turned away from it? Man, that takes skill!

I'll probably be chastised for this, but seriously, get over yourself now before you make an ass out of yourself in public in the future...nobody cares that you're a pilot...

Amen to that.
 
So, you GOT a window seat, didn't like it, and then made a fuss?

You aren't winning any points with me, and I'm supposedly the softy liberal here.

Now, maybe I'm just crazy, but personally, after seeing the view from the cockpit myself, the view from FL350 out a porthole sized window just isn't that exciting. I read a paper, turn on the mp3 player (which will never play DMB's Crash again so I don't end up in Gitmo for singing along) or do a host of other things with only the occasional glance out the window. In fact, I PREFER the AISLE seat!
 
ahh you did select a window at check in? Well you got unlucky.. i'm a wuss I might have asked others to trade but i'm sure they wouldn't want to look at a wall either so I would have hesitated with asking. You just got unlucky on that flight.

*not laughin at ya*
 
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