Flight Attendants!

[Travelpro72]

Well until the pilots started the "do your own job" ordeal it was procedure to ask the captain to radio for an agent. The captain is to be the head of boarding or something like that. It was in writing somewhere. Some guys will and some won't deal with the dupes. I don't expect them to do it. As for full flights that have all the drama you must be very lucky Itest in your trip selection. I have had my fair share of the madness all summer. MCO flights certainly are nasty on a good day. Now as for the fragile comment, Hardly. I simply have an opinion and will stick by it. I don't feel I'm wrong. Now we can move on.

 

[Itestwell]

Well until the pilots started the "do your own job" ordeal it was procedure to ask the captain to radio for an agent. The captain is to be the head of boarding or something like that. It was in writing somewhere. Some guys will and some won't deal with the dupes. I don't expect them to do it. As for full flights that have all the drama you must be very lucky Itest in your trip selection. I have had my fair share of the madness all summer. MCO flights certainly are nasty on a good day. Now as for the fragile comment, Hardly. I simply have an opinion and will stick by it. I don't feel I'm wrong. Now we can move on.

The pilots should have never had to start a "do your own job" campaign. There job has nothing to do with seat dupes, catering, etc... Each department should be held accountable. Flight attendants are now at minimum staffing, and if they cannot leave the a/c, the dupe seats should be sent right back up the jetway (politely), and if there is a catering issue, have the agent call when she comes to close out the flight. That would get some attention around here, fast.

And I have my opinion as well as every right to disagree with you respectfully. Why would you choose to tell me to ignore your posts instead of engaging in a debate?

Moved on. (Can I make one more med check joke, tho? :bleh: )

 

[Itestwell]

I HATE

Yikes. :blink:

 

[EMBFA]

I don't think anyone could work as a flight attendant for any amount of time if they were "fragile."

Pilots calling for agents- this is 'procedure'- it's clunky and unreliable to tell a pilot to call the tower to connect to customer service to call the gate, well show them how unrealistic it is. The document you are referring to is from a couple of years ago, the captain is the on-time departure coordinator or some such thing and it detailed to the minute when you should close overheads and the like. Ho-hum.

What would I offer as a solution. Well, I've always been of the opinion that Customer Service Agents should be just that. They should work flights at the computer, issue tickets, boarding passes, involuntary reroutes, FIMS, what have you. They should be highly trained experts on the reservation system and be empowered to make decisions and do service recovery. They should be sharply dressed, SEATED at ticket counters and podiums.

There should be another department of customer service called simply Airport Agents, or Assist Agents or something. These would be similar to the CAR program but more involved. These people would be the ones that assist with wheelchairs, Ums, cart driving/dispactch, line handling/kiosk assistance at the ticket counter and most importantly the 'physical' aspect of working flights. They would be in a more polo/pants type of uniform. The Customer Service Agent's focus should be working the flight, clearing upgrades, misconnects, paperwork etc at the podium. The Airport Agent would board pre-boards, pull tickets, check bags, and be a constant presence and liason with the gate. They would have a radio to contact the gate, catering, cleaners, and ramp to keep everyone in the loop. It would be almost a 'gopher' type of job, lots of variety, entry level, great for a first job or a post retirement job for people who like the fast paced enviornment of the airport. Maybe the current set-up is similar, I don't know, it seems to me there is one agent running around trying to do ten things as once, which takes the focus off the customer, which in the end results in more delays, miscommunication, and poor product delivery.

Parents/kids--- you are right USY1, you shouldn't judge. You can usually tell which way it's going to go when you see them on the jetway. Nice mommy might flash you a harried smile while crazy mommy will glare at you and ask where she's supposed to put the stroller, and proceed to treat you like a lazy maid. I try and give them a quick friendly briefing- there are baby changing tables, diapers should be disposed of lav trash, we have juice but no longer carry milk, please make sure they are seated and must not be in the aisles when the seatbelt sign is on, and bassinett etiquette if it's international. That seems to prevent ugly scenes like a tray table poopy diaper changing or baby's first high heel injury.

 

[US1YFARE]

I don't think anyone could work as a flight attendant for any amount of time if they were "fragile."

then how on earth can some RSV's allow a BH to work them up enough to cry? I just don't get that.

 

[EMBFA]

Not this reserve!

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

It could be a generational thing w/ the kids issue.
Once someone(such as myself who is in his 40's,thank you very much) has kids you look less at the families as a problem and more of what can I do for these people. When I had no kids I felt the same as many of you do now. Now I realize that it is difficult moving non cooperative kids around an airport and on to planes.
The matter of how kids behave is really a reflection on the parents. Traveling w/ kids ,which I have done a lot of, is never fun but can be even worse when some F/A's make it harder for you instead of helping and making it easy for everyone. The more helpful the faster and smoother things go. I never over did it before but now you can bet I'm the most helpful guy you've ever seen.
No problem just don't prejudge yourself, if you plan on having kids.

 

[WCT]

Not this reserve!

Wow. I would take you as my lead anytime. Luckily on the West we don't have a lot of mean grannies, or harsh seniors. We might be paranoid, but a lot more layed back. As far as the seat problems, they are a reality of this res system. WE have dealt with it for years!! That is why we have paperwork on us at all times, makes things a lot easier. I can't stand the switching seats thing either, but sometimes you don't have a choice. Worse comes to worse I call for a CRO. They are trained to fix these problems. If someone doesn't want to move and nothing is workng, call the Complaint Resolution Officer, plain and simple. :unsure:

 

[CO738]

This is ironic.

I was flying US/West Thanksgiving season PHX - DCA n/s. Full 757-200 going out to Reagan...

I was flying coach, and the gate agent was asking pax to change seats to accommodate a family of 6 who wanted whole row A - F. Finally, the gate agent said she gives up and passes the buck to the f/as. They sigh, noting we are now 10 mins behind our push time.

I am sitting behind the family row and offer to give up my aisle seat - maybe someone can sit BEHIND the "family row." I was told by the mother to "stay they hell out of it. It's between me and this &*$(# airline" (yes, in front of the kids). I know flying can be stressful, but this woman would not stop until they all had the same row.

Here's the kicker, the man with the aisle seat would NOT move (they were down to 5 of 6 seats occupied by the happy family). After begging and pleading the man still refused to get out of the seat.

Now, we're 20 mins late.

The flight attended asked the woman to take her seat, but standing in the aisle seemed to be her solution to the problem. I offered again and was told by the woman to "go away."

Finally, the man gets out of his seat, speaks his piece to the woman and moves.

We push back 25 minutes late.

On the way off the a/c the FA thanks me for trying to give up my seat. Happy Thanksgiving to that crew!!!

PS - the mother was about 40. The oldest kid was probably 13 or so and could have sat by himself. The youngest seemed -- ehhh --- maybe 4 or 5 years old.


Here's the solution,


IF YOU ARE A FAMILY, make a point of BOOKING YOUR TRAVEL EARLY that way you have the whole cabin to chose from when you select your seats.

Don't expect to buy 6 tickets last minute and hope for the best. Airplane leave the gate packed these days.

 

[WCT]

I was on an RJ once as a customer and witnessed the F/A allow the whole family "Seat Rodeo" turn into a free for all.

I'm pretty into being in the seat I picked and very seldom will I voluntarily move so a family to sit together. The F/A allowed it to become a cattle car. So this lady came up to me and said, "Would you mind moving so my family can sit together" I promptly and politely said "No, I paid $1,275 for the ticket and this is the seat I picked and this is where I'm staying" I got the, "I can't believe you" eyeball stare and I looked at her and said, "Ma'am when you made your reservations you could have asked the agent to try to find you seats together, but you chose not to, so how is that my problem? I planned ahead and I have the seat I want"

Boy did she pitch a fit squawking to everyone who would listen. I didn't start out to hassle anyone but the F/A lost control & I decided to not move. I know it's weird but I know many elites that will NOT budge from the seat they picked.

But US1YFARE is correct. Preconcieved notions regarding families and customers or employees in general is a very bad way to start a trip..

That is correct. You shouldn't have to give up your seat. I have plenty of elites that don't get first class all the time, so they get exit row aisles, window, or worse a regular row aisle or window. No one who payed for the seat should have to sit in a middle, or unreclined seat, just because a family is seperated. Drive for heavens sake! That is what we did when I was a kid. If you can't sit together in the same row, or two rows, I guess you will have to take the next flight. If it is a single parent with one child, it is usually very easy to get a window, middle, or aisle together. Maybe if we had all windows and aisles there would never be a problem. Or stick them in the middle of the wide body, nobody likes those seats!!

 

[flytchick]

But - I also have had elites in f/c who have refused to change seats when it was very obvious that doing so would have made someone's life a lot easier. I have had elites refuse to move to accomodate honeymoon couples (not comp'd) and once a f/a pax would not move so a couple on their way to a funeral could sit together. I would say when I work first, 9 times out of 10 first class passengers NEVER move for anyone regardless of the situation. On the other hand I have had 3 f/c passengers in the last 2 months take a soldier's coach class seat, regardless of the location, and move the soldier up to first. CLASS ACT!!

 

[JS]

You people complaining about switching seats for a family to sit together are being just as idiotic as the people demanding a whole continguous row.

Rather than assume they bought all those tickets at the last minute (on US? unlikely unless you're rich), don't you think that maybe they misconnected? News flash, it happens often on every airline, with US being one of the worst.

How about a middle ground -- move to an equivalent seat if a parent and small child are separated but insist the airline employees do something else if they want you to move from an aisle seat to a middle seat so an adult couple can sit together (honeymoon schmoneymoon), or a family of six who want an entire row.

Karma has worked for me; I've switched seats for someone else twice, and twice I've had a middle seat and someone needed adjacent seats and I ended up with an aisle seat. I suggest you try that rather than whine like a baby about how you paid thousands of dollars for a ticket and you're not moving from seat 14C to 17D just to prove a childish point.

 

[WCT]

But - I also have had elites in f/c who have refused to change seats when it was very obvious that doing so would have made someone's life a lot easier. I have had elites refuse to move to accomodate honeymoon couples (not comp'd) and once a f/a pax would not move so a couple on their way to a funeral could sit together. I would say when I work first, 9 times out of 10 first class passengers NEVER move for anyone regardless of the situation. On the other hand I have had 3 f/c passengers in the last 2 months take a soldier's coach class seat, regardless of the location, and move the soldier up to first. CLASS ACT!!

That is a class act. Military should have an upgrade automatically in our system.

Is there any other airline that has a rule about kids in first class, infants?? I don't care how rich you are, there should be some guidelines and some professionalism brought back to f/c. There should be an age limit. Or is that being discrimiatory? Infants should be uphold to Govt highway rules, car seat or no seat.

 

[JS]

That is a class act. Military should have an upgrade automatically in our system.

Is there any other airline that has a rule about kids in first class, infants?? I don't care how rich you are, there should be some guidelines and some professionalism brought back to f/c. There should be an age limit. Or is that being discrimiatory?
...

An age limit for sitting in First Class is an arbitrary measure of "acceptability", and is kinda pointless for domestic F on any airline, let alone US. It's not First Class travel, it's just a bigger seat.

...
Infants should be uphold to Govt highway rules, car seat or no seat.

OK, but this also means that I can smoke on the plane, and I can carry a gun with me on the plane and not even need a concealed carry permit (which I do have but most people don't).

 

[WCT]

OK, but this also means that I can smoke on the plane, and I can carry a gun with me on the plane and not even need a concealed carry permit (which I do have but most people don't).
[/quote]
WHAT??? How does that pertain to infants being in a car seat?? NO, you can't smoke, not permitted to carry a gun!! If you care about your child, instead of taking the cheap road of things, buy another seat and put in a car seat! This is another FAA mistake.