Airline Devils
To the Grieving Parents of a Fallen Soldier
The great thing about my job as an FA is getting to encounter all aspects of the world society. I get to witness first-hand the good AND the bad. It’s always a new experience and often an eye-opening situation. It’s one of the reasons I love my job so much.
Unfortunately, a couple of days ago, I was forced to eye-witness another category. . . THE SAD. I was working a leg from ORD to Philly and was in charge of the front cabin. The pax entered the cabin as they usually do and I did my best to greet them with a warm smile and a friendly “hello”. As always, most returned the gesture which always goes a long way towards making my job even better. That all changed mid-way through the boarding process. A couple in their mid-50’s entered the jet. The husband entered first. He was a sad and had an air of aloofness to him (he acknowledged me but it seemed a bit forced and odd). I also noticed he was carrying an 8X10 photo of a young man in a Marine Dress Uniform. He was then followed by his wife. She entered the jet and just kind of looked right through me without saying a word to return my greeting. She also had quite an aura of sadness and intensity about her. My first thought was “did something happen in the terminal that upset her?”
American Airlines Waives Award Processing Charges
This was announced American Airlines yesterday Junly 29, 2010 through an email to American Airlines preferred AADvantage preferred customers. What they are touting as a great break through is simply reinstating benefits that were once upon a time considered a standard part of the program of frequent flier and airline loyatly ptograms. In recent years airline profitability has lef to new charges imposed on passangers. As always please check you airline's frequent flier program details prior to booking tickets since most airlines are often changing the entitlements and benfits it offers throught the rewards program. While you're doing that be sure to also look at their hotel, rental car, dining and retail partners to make sure they ones you are using are still part of their program.
"Effective today, July 29, 2010, American Airlines is enhancing the benefits available to our AAdvantage elite status members.
AAdvantage Executive Platinum® members are already exempt from award processing charges for travel ticketed within 21 days of departure when using miles from their account. We are now extending this benefit to our AAdvantage Platinum® and AAdvantage Gold® members, making it even more rewarding to be an elite status member.
Read more: American Airlines Waives Award Processing Charges
Welcome To America Young Lady
Welcome to America, Young Lady
Hello, everyone. I’ve been inspired to write a new article. As my regular readers know, my columns are usually devoted to things in our industry that stress me out. However, I’m going to devote this one to the positive aspect of our industry.
As we all know, the pax in this industry can drive us crazy to the point of wanting to leave the industry. However, we all know that there are many more situations that leave us with a smile on our faces at the end of the day and make it all worth-while. I thought I’d recall a flight in the year that made me do just that.
About a year ago, I began a flight from one of our Hubs to an out-station. It was our last flight of the night and we were flying to an out-station. It was an easy flight where only about half the jet was filled. Everyone had boarded the flight and I was working Coach. We thought that we were done boarding. All of a sudden, one last lady entered the jet. Knowing my irritation with last minute pax, I was temporarily annoyed. However, I noticed she was carrying a very small infant in her arms. In spite of the fact that infants draw a feeling of annoyance from other pax, I have a weakness for infants (in Coach). She had a babe in arms as well as 3 bags. I immediately went to her assistance. I also like light loads because I can devote the appropriate time to my pax and try to give them the special care people expect from air travel (we all know it isn’t completely possible on full flights with 50 to 120 people demanding special treatment, but when the plane is half-full, I love doting special treatment on my pax). I walked up to her and did all in my power to help her out.
Standby Common Courtesy
Standby Common Courtesy
By Dino DiMilo
A few months ago, I wrote an article about Deadheading Rules of Ettiquite. I thought I covered all bases about common courtesies crew members should offer when flying on another member’s aircraft. However, I had something happen on a flight a couple weeks ago that offended me to the point that I felt it necessary to address it in a new article. That topic involves crew members flying on their free time. This article is intended to drive home the need of people flying SA to show some common sense and common decency in their free travels. If it hits home to at least one person in preventing this travesty from happening again, then this article was worth it.
My day started like any other. We arrived at the out-station airport and we were flying back to a hub. Well, it turned out the AC we were supposed to take over had some delays in its arrival to us. We had about an hour to spare before the AC was to arrive. My crew and I knew the gate agent and hung out and caught up with her at the podium (our first mistake when dealing with an AC delay—NEVER stand by the podium during a delay--lol). Suddenly, 3 pilots came up and introduced themselves to our pilots. They were friendly people who let us know they were trying to fly SA to the hub to report for work and were hoping to get on our flight. They were a bit nervous about getting on our flight as the computers indicated the loads were looking tight, and there were 2 more people flying SA to the hub with more seniority than the pilots. My captain told them he’d do what he could to help out fellow pilots make their show time and the gate agent was beyond helpful. Read more: Standby Common Courtesy
Things Flight Attendants Wish Passangers Knew Vol 2
Things Flight Attendants Wish Passengers Knew: Vol 2
By Dino DiMilo
Hello all, it’s your old friend, Dino. Been out and about earning a living and trying to find some inspiration for an article. Well, I struck gold around Memorial Day when the summer travel season started. People who normally don’t travel jumping on their favorite discount travel site and purchasing a round trip ticket for around $100 and expecting the same amenities as an elite flyer traveling 1st class on a 747. I’ve always said that the less a passenger pays for their ticket, the more demanding they become and my theory has once again proven true. Just 2 weeks into the travel season and the “Wal-mart Flyers” (as I call them) have provided me enough inspiration to make a second volume to the vastly popular first edition. So here are a few more observations I’ve made the last 2 weeks:
- If you’re unhappy about the lousy seat you got, don’t complain to me. It’s not my fault you were too cheap to invest an extra $25 to get the seats in the coach section with more leg room. Either see the gate agent and fork over the extra $ (if there are still better seats available), or shut the hell up and live with your own cheapness.
- If you get stuck sitting next to an obese person and I can get you out of the uncomfortable situation without offending or hurting the feelings of the person, for crying out loud, Take the off and change seats!!!! You’re probably worried about offending the person, but truth is they want you to move as badly as you want to move.
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Last Updated on Monday, 21 June 2010 12:29Read more: Things Flight Attendants Wish Passangers Knew Vol 2
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