From the New York Times: "The mystery is why so many people are willing to put up with an airline that, in the words of The Economist, “has become a byword for appalling customer service, misleading advertising claims and jeering rudeness towards anyone or anything that gets in its way. Nobody helps you — it’s as simple as that,” said Malcolm Ginsberg, editor in chief of the travel newsletter aerbt.co.uk, describing what happens to Ryanair passengers who need assistance at the airport."
Full article.
31 July 2009
30 July 2009
2010 SkyMiles Frequent Flyer Program Benefits
Delta has announced 2010 changes to the Skymiles program. They are not trivial and most writers regards them as good. See
here for details. It includes:
* Diamond Medallion Status: 125,000 MQMs or 140 segments. Complimentary Delta Sky Club™ membership, a 125% mileage bonus, more fee waivers and exclusive rewards.
* Rollover MQMs: Any MQMs you've earned above your Medallion qualification level at the end of the year will roll over to your MQM balance for the following year.
* Choice of Benefits: Choose the benefits that best fit you" Systemwide Upgrade Certificates that are redeemable on the day of departure, the ability to Gift Medallion Status to a friend, bonus miles you can keep or donate to a SkyWish charity and Delta Sky Club One-Day passes.
* Direct Ticketing Charge Waivers: for Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Medallion members.
A good analysis is in the Travel Skills Newsletter, here.
here for details. It includes:
* Diamond Medallion Status: 125,000 MQMs or 140 segments. Complimentary Delta Sky Club™ membership, a 125% mileage bonus, more fee waivers and exclusive rewards.
* Rollover MQMs: Any MQMs you've earned above your Medallion qualification level at the end of the year will roll over to your MQM balance for the following year.
* Choice of Benefits: Choose the benefits that best fit you" Systemwide Upgrade Certificates that are redeemable on the day of departure, the ability to Gift Medallion Status to a friend, bonus miles you can keep or donate to a SkyWish charity and Delta Sky Club One-Day passes.
* Direct Ticketing Charge Waivers: for Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Medallion members.
A good analysis is in the Travel Skills Newsletter, here.
29 July 2009
Putting Some Personal Contact Back Into Flying (NYTimes.com)
"... some airlines, stung by a wave of negative publicity about their treatment of customers, are reversing course. One is Delta Air Lines, now the world’s largest carrier after its merger with Northwest. It is reviving a service program known as the “Red Coats,” for the crimson-jacketed airport service people who assist passengers in need. Delta has already brought the agents back to Kennedy Airport, and last month it added more than 100 at its biggest airport hub, Atlanta. As of Aug. 1, about 500 of these agents will be in circulation at more than a dozen airports, including terminals in Washington, Los Angeles, Boston, Cincinnati, Memphis, Newark and New York.
The Red Coats program, which dates back to the 1960s, “was one of our better-known services,” Gil West, Delta’s senior vice president of airport customer service, said in an interview. The decision to disband the program in 2005, while the airline reorganized under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, was viewed as a mistake by some employees, he said. He said the new agents were being drawn from within Delta’s ranks but that they would be selected through a “highly competitive” process and would be paid more than other airport agents.
The new Red Coats will be able to use hand-held devices to print boarding passes and issue vouchers to airport clubs."
Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/business/28service.html
The Red Coats program, which dates back to the 1960s, “was one of our better-known services,” Gil West, Delta’s senior vice president of airport customer service, said in an interview. The decision to disband the program in 2005, while the airline reorganized under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, was viewed as a mistake by some employees, he said. He said the new agents were being drawn from within Delta’s ranks but that they would be selected through a “highly competitive” process and would be paid more than other airport agents.
The new Red Coats will be able to use hand-held devices to print boarding passes and issue vouchers to airport clubs."
Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/business/28service.html
Delay + Poor Gate Choice = Insult + Injury?
Coming back from O'Hara last night we were delayed an hour due to weather. There were a lot of people on board with connections, and some with int'l connections; as we were deplaning in concourse T there was a page: "The four people who are connecting to a Lagos flight - your plane is waiting in Concourse E."
My question: Why did Delta bring us into gate T-2 (the end of the concourse) when many Delta gates much closer to the terminal were empty? Bringing us in to the end of the concourse added insult to injury, so to speak, and either Delta held the Lagos plane longer than they needed to otherwise or those 4 people missed their plane.
My question: Why did Delta bring us into gate T-2 (the end of the concourse) when many Delta gates much closer to the terminal were empty? Bringing us in to the end of the concourse added insult to injury, so to speak, and either Delta held the Lagos plane longer than they needed to otherwise or those 4 people missed their plane.
27 July 2009
Delta's answer and my puzzlement (re: Where is Delta posting on-time performance?)
Dear Customer Care,
Thanks for your reply but could you please detail out the steps to find the performance for a specific flight? I was unable to figure this out.
Thanks for your reply but could you please detail out the steps to find the performance for a specific flight? I was unable to figure this out.
Thank you.
On 7/27/09, Customer Care <customer-care@delta.com> wrote:
> Dear Mr. Marcus,
>
> Thank you for contacting us through delta.com. We are sorry for the delay in responding to your message.
>
> There is a link to historical flight on-time performance on the Flight Schedule page. Below the flight schedule box, is a link for 'Historical Reliability Information'. This opens a government website with generic statistics for Delta and other airlines.
>
> We have forwarded your comments about making this information easier to find on delta.com. Thank you for your suggestion to improve delta.com
>
> Information about a specific flight can be obtained by contacting reservations. The agents have access to information about each flight in our booking system. Delta Connection carriers and new flights are not included. Please contact Northwest to obtain on-time performance
information for their flights.
Re: Where is Delta posting on-time performance? (KMM27049790I120L0KM)
Dear Mr. Marcus,
Thank you for contacting us through delta.com. We are sorry for the
delay in responding to your message.
There is a link to historical flight on-time performance on the Flight
Schedule page. Below the flight schedule box, is a link for 'Historical
Reliability Information'. This opens a government website with generic
statistics for Delta and other airlines.
We have forwarded your comments about making this information easier to
find on delta.com. Thank you for your suggestion to improve delta.com
Information about a specific flight can be obtained by contacting
reservations. The agents have access to information about each flight in
our booking system. Delta Connection carriers and new flights are not
included. Please contact Northwest to obtain on-time performance
information for their flights.
Delta Domestic: 800-221-1212
Delta International: 800-241-4141
Your selection of Delta is appreciated, and we will always do our best
to merit your confidence and support.
Sincerely,
Jessica Ryan
Medallion Desk
www.delta.com
Original Message Follows:
------------------------
Dear Delta Customer Care,
I went to check historical flight on-time performance information for an
upcoming flight by looking at your Flight Schedules page--and did not
see this information. Please let me know where Delta is posting
historical performance information by flight; this can be an important
part of the decision as to what flight to take when timely arrival is
important to a business traveler.
I am sure that I am just not seeing that information! As you know
Delta officially adopted your Delta Airlines Customer Commitement as
part of your Contract of Carriage and one of those commitments is to
"posting historical flight on-time performance information at Flight
Schedules".
Please <reply all>.
Thanks!
Dave Marcus
Skymiles 2002089965
26 July 2009
A friend's lousy experiences with Delta...
A close friend writes:
"Following up on a much earlier conversation, how do I reach someone at Delta who might take the trouble to care about a HEAP of things that have gone wrong re: my flights to Kenya and Hawaii. Not getting credited for frequent flyer miles for the Amsterdam to Nairobi and back segments is pretty much the last straw in a range of problems including having no vegetarian food available (despite the presence of documentation otherwise) on several VERY long flights and being moved unceremoniously by a flight attendant from my assigned seat which, since the new seat had no power plug for my computer, no functioning sound system for movies, and no vegetarian food, made for a VERY long flight."
I've sent her the Customer Care email and executive office phone numbers and will post the responses she gets (if she shares them and is comfortable with me posting them).
"Following up on a much earlier conversation, how do I reach someone at Delta who might take the trouble to care about a HEAP of things that have gone wrong re: my flights to Kenya and Hawaii. Not getting credited for frequent flyer miles for the Amsterdam to Nairobi and back segments is pretty much the last straw in a range of problems including having no vegetarian food available (despite the presence of documentation otherwise) on several VERY long flights and being moved unceremoniously by a flight attendant from my assigned seat which, since the new seat had no power plug for my computer, no functioning sound system for movies, and no vegetarian food, made for a VERY long flight."
I've sent her the Customer Care email and executive office phone numbers and will post the responses she gets (if she shares them and is comfortable with me posting them).
25 July 2009
Where is Delta posting on-time performance?
Dear Delta Customer Care,
I went to check historical flight on-time performance information for an upcoming flight by looking at your Flight Schedules page--and did not see this information. Please let me know where Delta is posting historical performance information by flight; this can be an important part of the decision as to what flight to take when timely arrival is important to a business traveler.
I am sure that I am just not seeing that information! As you know Delta officially adopted your Delta Airlines Customer Commitement as part of your Contract of Carriage and one of those commitments is to "posting historical flight on-time performance information at Flight Schedules".
Please <reply all>.
Thanks!
Dave Marcus
Skymiles 2002089965
I went to check historical flight on-time performance information for an upcoming flight by looking at your Flight Schedules page--and did not see this information. Please let me know where Delta is posting historical performance information by flight; this can be an important part of the decision as to what flight to take when timely arrival is important to a business traveler.
I am sure that I am just not seeing that information! As you know Delta officially adopted your Delta Airlines Customer Commitement as part of your Contract of Carriage and one of those commitments is to "posting historical flight on-time performance information at Flight Schedules".
Please <reply all>.
Thanks!
Dave Marcus
Skymiles 2002089965
Flight canceled mid-air, heads back to Charlotte - The Post and Courier
From the Charlotte Post and Courier: "A strange thing happened to a plane en route from Charlotte to Charleston on Wednesday night. Already beginning his final descent into the Lowcountry, the pilot on U.S. Airways Flight 3203 announced that he was turning around and heading back to Charlotte. Charleston International Airport, he told passengers as the clock ticked past midnight, had closed."
Flight 3203's inconvenient evening began with inclement weather in Charlotte, according to Carlo Bertolini, spokesman for Republic Airways, the carrier that operated the flight for U.S. Airways. Bertolini said lightning struck near Charlotte Douglas International Airport and delayed takeoff after the plane left the gate at around 10:30 p.m. The flight, which was scheduled to arrive in Charleston at 11:25 p.m., departed Charlotte at 11:43 p.m., he said.
"We thought we were going to be able to make it in time," Bertolini said. "In addition, we thought the tower might remain open a little later." Instead, only 50 miles outside of Charleston the pilot learned he would have to take the 66 passengers and four crew members back to Charlotte."
23 July 2009
New Delta fee: pay at the airport and get charged $5 more
Delta Air Lines announced it is adding a $5 surcharge for paying for checked baggage fees at the airport instead of online. It goes into effect Aug. 4, and follows moves made by others like US Airways and United Airlines.
22 July 2009
Relief in sight for on-board waits over 3 hours?
A Senate committee passed legislation today that would require U.S. airlines to let passengers get off planes that are stranded on the tarmac after three hours. For details see here. Delta is reported by Bloomberg as opposing the rule. Delta passengers might want to complain to Delta about that.
Perhaps Delta wants to hold the world record for longest involuntary confinement of passengers. Their current record as far as I can find is for Delta flight 1201 from Atlanta to Orlando which sat on the tarmac for 10 hours on January 16, 2008. (According to media reports, passengers were denied food, water or temperature controls and reported receiving misleading messages about prospective takeoff times. That last one I don't believe - misleading information about prospective takeoff times. Nah.)
Delta would need to extend their own record by a mere 31 minutes to break the world record, which now belongs to Jet Blue (I believe) for their 10 1/2 hours delay in January 2007 after snow at JFK.
Here's an interesting stat for Delta flyers. According to analysis done by www.flyersrights.org of the USDOT data on diverted commercial airline flights, Delta allowed you to deplane in this situation only about half the time. “If you believe DOT’s statistics, you might avoid American, American Eagle, United and Delta because according to the DOT’s numbers, those four airlines have alone been responsible for 1150 of 1181 instances where passengers were not allowed to deplane at a diverted airport”, said Kate Hanni, FlyersRights.org founder and executive director. Ms. Hanni’s was just one of dozens of flights that were diverted on December 29th, 2006. She and her family were stranded on an American Airlines flight on the airport tarmac in Austin, Texas for over nine hours without food, potable water and usable restrooms. According to the statistics, American Airlines did not allow passengers to deplane 61% of the time. The next closest airline was Delta with 47%. I have no idea why that is.
Perhaps Delta wants to hold the world record for longest involuntary confinement of passengers. Their current record as far as I can find is for Delta flight 1201 from Atlanta to Orlando which sat on the tarmac for 10 hours on January 16, 2008. (According to media reports, passengers were denied food, water or temperature controls and reported receiving misleading messages about prospective takeoff times. That last one I don't believe - misleading information about prospective takeoff times. Nah.)
Delta would need to extend their own record by a mere 31 minutes to break the world record, which now belongs to Jet Blue (I believe) for their 10 1/2 hours delay in January 2007 after snow at JFK.
Here's an interesting stat for Delta flyers. According to analysis done by www.flyersrights.org of the USDOT data on diverted commercial airline flights, Delta allowed you to deplane in this situation only about half the time. “If you believe DOT’s statistics, you might avoid American, American Eagle, United and Delta because according to the DOT’s numbers, those four airlines have alone been responsible for 1150 of 1181 instances where passengers were not allowed to deplane at a diverted airport”, said Kate Hanni, FlyersRights.org founder and executive director. Ms. Hanni’s was just one of dozens of flights that were diverted on December 29th, 2006. She and her family were stranded on an American Airlines flight on the airport tarmac in Austin, Texas for over nine hours without food, potable water and usable restrooms. According to the statistics, American Airlines did not allow passengers to deplane 61% of the time. The next closest airline was Delta with 47%. I have no idea why that is.
Mobile gadgets threaten in-flight entertainment
From Reuters: "Airlines around the world now spend millions of dollars annually upgrading their inflight entertainment systems, but iPods and other mobile entertainment gadgets could render all that useless.... with USB ports and a power socket increasingly common even for economy class passengers on carriers such as Singapore Airlines Ltd and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd, the concept of in-flight entertainment could change..." Full article here.
(Virgin gave me as USB port on the back of the seat in front of me and noise-cancelling headphones. I could listen to my iPod (if I had one) through the noise-cancelling headphones or watch iPod video on the screen. Very cool.)
(Virgin gave me as USB port on the back of the seat in front of me and noise-cancelling headphones. I could listen to my iPod (if I had one) through the noise-cancelling headphones or watch iPod video on the screen. Very cool.)
21 July 2009
7kg limit and my poor little scissors
Things to ponder as my flight to LAX boards.
- 9 times out of 10 I leave my bag of liquids and gels in my carry-on as I go through security. TSA never notices. Voluntary self-declaration of potentially dangerous items without the technology to detect these items when people don't self-declare seems useless.
- Security in Turkey last week detected the very small pair of nail scissors that I've carried for years but said I could take them on. US security has never noticed them. AU security confiscated them.
- Shoes off the feet, in a bin in the UK. On the feet if they are sneakers in Turkey and AU. Out of the bin, on the belt if US (depending on airport, see UK for some airports). Who is providing the best security?
- and finally, Virgin Australia doesn't allow carry-ons of more than 15.4 pounds. They enforce on domestic--sometimes. No charge for checking the bag so what on earth is their rationale?
PS: Thanks to the woman who dumped my glass of apple juice all over me, pillow, and seat as she labored past with her huge floppy purse. I'm off to change my shirt.
- 9 times out of 10 I leave my bag of liquids and gels in my carry-on as I go through security. TSA never notices. Voluntary self-declaration of potentially dangerous items without the technology to detect these items when people don't self-declare seems useless.
- Security in Turkey last week detected the very small pair of nail scissors that I've carried for years but said I could take them on. US security has never noticed them. AU security confiscated them.
- Shoes off the feet, in a bin in the UK. On the feet if they are sneakers in Turkey and AU. Out of the bin, on the belt if US (depending on airport, see UK for some airports). Who is providing the best security?
- and finally, Virgin Australia doesn't allow carry-ons of more than 15.4 pounds. They enforce on domestic--sometimes. No charge for checking the bag so what on earth is their rationale?
PS: Thanks to the woman who dumped my glass of apple juice all over me, pillow, and seat as she labored past with her huge floppy purse. I'm off to change my shirt.
20 July 2009
Virgin Australia "Premier Economy"
Overall comfort: not there yet. It wasn't waterboarding but it wasn't a hot tub, either. HOWEVER - their promotional price matches Delta's coach fate so GO FOR IT (and screw the miles).
This class of service isn't economy by a long shot but isn't business either. From LAX -> Sydney, bottom line, it was 14 hours of moderate torture, not bad torture. Seat width - great; recline - good; video screen - great; noise canceling headphones - very nice (although mine had a broken plastic piece that kept scratching me); snack bar - totally over-rated, flight attendants - really great.
Sydney airport was awful - line to get out of customs was a good kilometer long. I had a two-hour connection and made it with 15 minutes to spare. Wasn't helped by waiting for Virgin's inter-terminal transfer bus for 35 minutes.
This class of service isn't economy by a long shot but isn't business either. From LAX -> Sydney, bottom line, it was 14 hours of moderate torture, not bad torture. Seat width - great; recline - good; video screen - great; noise canceling headphones - very nice (although mine had a broken plastic piece that kept scratching me); snack bar - totally over-rated, flight attendants - really great.
Sydney airport was awful - line to get out of customs was a good kilometer long. I had a two-hour connection and made it with 15 minutes to spare. Wasn't helped by waiting for Virgin's inter-terminal transfer bus for 35 minutes.
19 July 2009
Fun on 777 #7106
Just had the pleasure of flying ATL->LAX on Delta's third-newest 777, #7106. Got to spend 10 minutes sitting in the cockpit talking to the captain and first officer. This is really an amazing plane - one engine (for I think $27 million) has the same amount of power on all the engines of a 747. It has a 25:1 glide ratio--if it lost all power at 35,000' it could glide about 175 miles if I am doing the math right. The captain was about #20 in seniority on Delta and had a quiet authority that made me feel I was in great hands.
I was upgraded to a 1st-class lie-flat seat. Very comfortable - except sitting up and lying down! No support for head and top of shoulder in the full upright position, and I think that sleeping on that thing folded all the way down would have been worse than not sleeping in an economy seat. It was hard, not all that flat, and not enough room to curl up at all. But hey -- it was a great seat compared to 44C and the seat controls were really clear, with good adjustable lumbar support and great lighting.
That plane continued on Sydney but I am now waiting for my Virgin Australia flight. For the same price as Delta economy, I got an economy plus seat on VA.
I was upgraded to a 1st-class lie-flat seat. Very comfortable - except sitting up and lying down! No support for head and top of shoulder in the full upright position, and I think that sleeping on that thing folded all the way down would have been worse than not sleeping in an economy seat. It was hard, not all that flat, and not enough room to curl up at all. But hey -- it was a great seat compared to 44C and the seat controls were really clear, with good adjustable lumbar support and great lighting.
That plane continued on Sydney but I am now waiting for my Virgin Australia flight. For the same price as Delta economy, I got an economy plus seat on VA.
Delta's international strategy struggling
A good article on international ridership decline and route cuts at Delta.
There's nothing like a global recession to make the best-laid plans go awry. A little over a year ago, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines was on an international growth streak started in 2005, rapidly expanding with more flights to Africa, Europe and elsewhere around the world. . . .
There's nothing like a global recession to make the best-laid plans go awry. A little over a year ago, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines was on an international growth streak started in 2005, rapidly expanding with more flights to Africa, Europe and elsewhere around the world. . . .
18 July 2009
Upgrades to Sydney
Last week tried to get an upgrade going LAX -> Sydney. Could get one for outbound travel on this Monday only (ok, not too unreasonable, only tried a couple of dates). Could not get a return upgrade [for miles or for certificate] until late August. Zero, zilch, nada. I wonder how long it took before they all disappeared?
Ended up flying Virgin ... we'll see how their Premier Economy feels. Delta will be partnering up with Virgin and in the future (at some point) we can get miles for these flights. They fly into Brisbane (and I don't know where else) in addition to Sydney.
Ended up flying Virgin ... we'll see how their Premier Economy feels. Delta will be partnering up with Virgin and in the future (at some point) we can get miles for these flights. They fly into Brisbane (and I don't know where else) in addition to Sydney.
A great response to July 7 problems
Every company has problems. In my opinion, how they respond is an important measure of the company and, when problems are isolated, the response defines how the consumer views the company as much as the problem itself defines the customers' attitude.
About a week ago I emailed Delta and let them know that I'd been delayed on an Atlanta to Detroit leg which caused me to miss my Detroit to Madison flight, that the several hours later flight I was put on had itself been delayed, and as I result I rolled into my hotel room at 2am instead 8pm -- and never got miles credited for the flight. This is Delta's response: she acknowledged the problem, apologized several times, and compensated me. Great response. This was a response far in excess of what I expected. Btw, bold emphasis is mine.
Dear Mr. ______,
RE: Case Number ______
Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the service provided while traveling with us on July 7. On behalf of everyone at Delta Air Lines, I sincerely apologize for the numerous service failures you experienced.
I understand the frustration you experienced when your plans were disrupted due to the delay of our flight 1532 from Atlanta for mechanical reasons. I am truly sorry your travel was adversely affected.
I am also very sorry your flight from Detroit was delayed due to the late arrival of the aircraft. Many factors including unexpected maintenance or weather conditions occasionally force us to alter our timetable.
I am truly sorry for the mileage discrepancy you described and the resulting inconvenience you have been caused. ...
It is abundantly clear that your experience on July 7 was far from a shining moment in airline travel and far from the level of service you had every right to expect. We want to respond to any service problems with improvements---not excuses. Please know a formal complaint has been recorded on your behalf and your letter has been shared with the responsible leadership team.
As a gesture of goodwill for the numerous delays you experienced, I have issued an Electronic Transportation Credit (eTCV) in the amount of ...
About a week ago I emailed Delta and let them know that I'd been delayed on an Atlanta to Detroit leg which caused me to miss my Detroit to Madison flight, that the several hours later flight I was put on had itself been delayed, and as I result I rolled into my hotel room at 2am instead 8pm -- and never got miles credited for the flight. This is Delta's response: she acknowledged the problem, apologized several times, and compensated me. Great response. This was a response far in excess of what I expected. Btw, bold emphasis is mine.
Dear Mr. ______,
RE: Case Number ______
Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the service provided while traveling with us on July 7. On behalf of everyone at Delta Air Lines, I sincerely apologize for the numerous service failures you experienced.
I understand the frustration you experienced when your plans were disrupted due to the delay of our flight 1532 from Atlanta for mechanical reasons. I am truly sorry your travel was adversely affected.
I am also very sorry your flight from Detroit was delayed due to the late arrival of the aircraft. Many factors including unexpected maintenance or weather conditions occasionally force us to alter our timetable.
I am truly sorry for the mileage discrepancy you described and the resulting inconvenience you have been caused. ...
It is abundantly clear that your experience on July 7 was far from a shining moment in airline travel and far from the level of service you had every right to expect. We want to respond to any service problems with improvements---not excuses. Please know a formal complaint has been recorded on your behalf and your letter has been shared with the responsible leadership team.
As a gesture of goodwill for the numerous delays you experienced, I have issued an Electronic Transportation Credit (eTCV) in the amount of ...
Delays and a Snotty Flight Attendant
The flight wasn't that bad - delayed only by an hour or a bit more - but the flight attendant was infuriating. As we had been sitting near the gate for awhile, I asked her what our status was.
Flight attendant: What do you mean, status?
Me: How delayed are we? What's the reason?
FA: Haven't you ever flown out of JFK before?
Me: Yup.
FA, pointing nose in the air: Well then you know it takes awhile to get to the runway.
Me: So, what's our status? Maybe you could tell us instead of leaving us all just wondering what time we're getting home tonight?
That's all she had to say. Condenscension is not the best attitude for a flight attendant. Such a difference in the quality of personnel on domestic flights versus international!
It turned out that we were number 24 in line and that planes were leaving only every 5 minutes or something like that according to the captain, a jovial fellow who pointed out unusual cloud formations once we got going and also made sure we knew we could use cell phones while we were sitting. He was what the FA should have been. Happily things speeded up and we left only about an hour late.
PS - It was a cheap pleasure when, at the point the FA told me that they did NOT have my special meal, to be able to tell her "But I've flown out of JFK before. The other flight attendants had my meal. What's the difference?"
I later heard that she told the captain that there was a very upset passenger and he ought to check me out.
Flight attendant: What do you mean, status?
Me: How delayed are we? What's the reason?
FA: Haven't you ever flown out of JFK before?
Me: Yup.
FA, pointing nose in the air: Well then you know it takes awhile to get to the runway.
Me: So, what's our status? Maybe you could tell us instead of leaving us all just wondering what time we're getting home tonight?
That's all she had to say. Condenscension is not the best attitude for a flight attendant. Such a difference in the quality of personnel on domestic flights versus international!
It turned out that we were number 24 in line and that planes were leaving only every 5 minutes or something like that according to the captain, a jovial fellow who pointed out unusual cloud formations once we got going and also made sure we knew we could use cell phones while we were sitting. He was what the FA should have been. Happily things speeded up and we left only about an hour late.
PS - It was a cheap pleasure when, at the point the FA told me that they did NOT have my special meal, to be able to tell her "But I've flown out of JFK before. The other flight attendants had my meal. What's the difference?"
I later heard that she told the captain that there was a very upset passenger and he ought to check me out.
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