On Sunday, an American Airlines gate agent working a severely delayed flight from Birmingham, Alabama to Charlotte approached the passengers before the inbound aircraft arrives – giving them a talk on how they’re going to need to be nice to the flight attendants. They’re coming off of a delayed flight and turning right back around! So recognize their hard day and “don’t get smart” with the cabin crew, she admonishes.
When you get on my aircraft, let me tell y’all something, don’t get smart by flight attendants. Be nice to them. They have a hard day just like we do. Believe it or not, the assigned people that’s on that aircraft is the same people that’s been waiting as long as you wait or maybe longer. So please y’all, I’m asking, doing it for me, be nice to ’em.
Then she turns to a baby in the gate area: “Hey, you on this floor, now uh uh where you goin’? Look, don’t be on that actin’ up! We know you’re gonna get all the attention.”
Flight 5270, operated by American’s wholly-owned regional carrier PSA, was delayed about seven and a half hours. So everyone was frustrated.
Flight attendants are people, and they’re having a bad day during delays too. It’s reasonable for passengers to be thinking about themselves (and for the airline to do more thinking of them!). But this gate agent went out of her way to think of her colleagues – and maybe some folks on the next flight took a moment or two to do the same as a result. So while this wasn’t the most formal and professional company-sanctioned announcement… it worked.
A thoughtful gesture for her colleagues and a good reminder. It’s certainly not the cabin crews’ fault for the delay and they are going through it too. Some sympathy and putting yourself in others shoes goes a long way in this world.
The AA crew at BHM is a real gem. Flew that exact route a few dozen times over three years when living in Alabama. They were always so kind and helpful to me.
Also, that’s Alabama! While company standards should be held, a little local flair isn’t a bad thing.
Next time, drive.
Give her a raise. That’s quality staffing.
I don’t blame the crews, flight attendants, etc.–That’s not helpful, and they’re human beings, often trying their best under less-than-ideal circumstances. Well said, @L737.
However, I do blame management, especially when it’s an operations or maintenance issue that better leadership and accountability could have addressed. For those cases, I wish that our elected representatives in Congress had the courage to actually legislate passenger rights protections, so that we, the affected passengers, could receive compensation for these significant delays and other inconveniences. It would create the right incentives for airlines to operate more reliably, otherwise, pay up. No, us purchasing travel insurance isn’t enough, especially when the terms often state delays of +72 hours or 50% of your trip to be affected (which rarely happens). And no, the airlines would not go bankrupt over such rules (they can get insurance for their potential liabilities); the EU, UK, and Canada already have such legislation, and those airlines are just fine (and ticket prices are not much different, relatively). The only difference is that you get paid when they mess up over there; but, not here (in the USA), sadly.
Then there are things outside of everyone’s control. Like, severe weather, etc. Yet, I’ve noticed, those types of ‘incidents’ are far too often cited and relied upon as a pretext, when perhaps the underlying issue was mismanagement (see above).
I know the cabin crew wakes up in the morning, and during the briefing they all huddle up front to say “Hi nice to meet you, you know what? We’re going to be at work for free for an extra 7-8 hours, and delay this flight and screw up the whole day’s operation for countless people…”
Sadly, that’s what goes on in people’s minds so they take it out on the agent or the flight attendant, or if they’re feeling brave, the pilots.
The problem here is most of us on this here thought leading blog know this and act accordingly, but there’s countless others who don’t and that’s who this good soul is talking to.
A nice reminder that it wasn’t the crew’s fault and that they have been waiting around a long time, too. I hope that at least some of the passengers were able to get on the later morning flight but I doubt that all could have been accommodated. The airplane itself was delayed going to Birmingham so my guess it was a mechanical issue.
I’m surprised the Flight Attendants didn’t time out, so they were illegal to fly! So much for union.
It’s all in the tone and style. Reading it cold it seems like it could easily have been delivered in an obnoxious and threatening manner but watching it makes it clear it was heartfelt and genuine. Adding the aside to the baby helped tremendously. Well done by the GA.
There are gems throughout the system. She is one and reminds me of one in MSY.
Sadly this is what the public has become, overgrown toddlers. And a toddler allowed to just crawl around on a dirty carpet says it all. Why take delay frustrations out on the crew? Are people that stupid that they think flight attendants control delays? Well I think I answered that question in my first sentence.
Kudos to that gate agent because I’ve seen total clusters at the gate.
We think it’s acceptable to behave certain ways because it’s glamorized and even promoted on reality TV, social media, our cultural and political leaders.
Why be respectful and mannered and get nothing when you can throw a tantrum, because it really is all about you.
May the agent be praised! So true how Passengrs forget basic thinking skills. I guess they think the crew gets to sneak off to some comfortable lounge somewhere on the plane and just chill,while they all suffer in their seats.. that the crew aren’t as delayed as they are.. ( no kids at home waiting, the layover rest shortened, missing that appointment), and even more,if the plane isn’t moving, they are NOT GETTING PAID.
@Per Clausen, flight attendants time out after 16 hours on duty, more if operational neccesity is involved.
AAL has pushed for legislation to change it to 20 hours to accommodate the newer extra long haul flights.
7.5 hours. Unacceptable but typical of American.
It is 6 hours by car.
What a great way to diffuse the situation in advance. Then bringing the baby in for everyone to smile. She did an amazing job.
Nice PA
People don’t realize that FAs don’t get paid for delays only Flight Time, so that time they are sitting off in the corner waiting Zero pay. So out of a duty day of 10 hours they may only get paid for a 2 hour flight. So if that FA makes 40.00 hour flight time but we’re on duty 10 hours, that’s $ 8.00 a hour. Makes you wonder why anyone would want to do that job.
It’s never good to be rude to the attendants, but this plea rings hollow to me. If someone else who better represents your airline were here, I’d be bad at them. But since they aren’t, you are the representative of who I’m mad at. You’re part of their team, you make a living with them, so yeah, it is a little bit on you.
What is it anymore your vendor DEMANDS polite treatment scolding you after they perform terribly! Wow happened to showing what the AA gate agent DEMANDS of customers who.probably missed meetings and business deals or work because they were delayed? If I treated MY customers not long I would have NONE LEFT.
Several years ago my husband and I flew into Newark. At one point we rented a car for and drove to Bucks County, PA, my hometown. While we were there, our flight wasn’t until the next day, I received a message saying our flight was cancelled. I stayed on hold for at least 45 minutes to talk to an agent and finally was able to get a flight out of Philly to Atlanta back to Indy. It was actually better because Philly was a whole lot closer than having to drive back to Newark. But we hit delays. When we finally got to Atlanta another delay. We were waiting for another flight to come in because the FA’s were flying back. It was close to midnight before we took off and the FA came through and asked if we wanted anything. I said a cup of coffee would be perfect. She came back a minute later and asked if we would like some Bailey’s in it. I told her she was a lifesaver. I knew she had had a long day also. So easy to be compassionate and understanding.
If only people took a more reasonable attitude towards flying. Traveling by airline is a shared experience in which so many do take a “this is all about me” attitude towards. But it isn’t about any one person. It’s about as many as a few as 25 people up to around 600 depending on the aircraft and route. Every passenger on a scheduled flight will both depart and arrive at the very same time. No one is going to beat another as long as we’re all on the same flight.
Two facts of life regarding airline travel: far too many people expect perfection and airlines have no interest in creating anyone inconvenience when creating inconvenience for some means inevitably creating inconvenience for others. It is neither practical or feasible to have a backup aircraft on standby for every single scheduled flight ‘just in case____’. There isn’t space, nor money to do so. Airlines pilots, flight attendants, gate agents and corporate offices do not control the weather. There are reams of people working around the clock monitoring weather conditions worldwide. One major winterstorm I the upper Midwest oer Chicago affects flights worldwide from every major hub, and many closer regional airports. Airlines can only do their best to mitigate any potential weather incidents which sometimes means canceling a flight, or many flights. There is always Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise as an alternative if a canceled flight is so much of a problem that it’s going to cause one to lose their sczhit towards any on person who literally has no control over the situation. The one and only thing that we all have control over is ourselves and how we treat others. It is absolutely senseless to tear apart some agent who can only work with what they have to work with. Screaming and cussing at anyone in my opinion should be an automatic cause for the cancelation of one’s advance purchase tickets. Go pay full fare on another airline, if you can find space available. Venting towards those who do not make calls on flights or have control over anything beyond providing good customer service is just being a jack^azz. They aren’t psychotherapists and they aren’t credentialed, nor compensated to help you sort out your personal problems and lack of self-control. If would be helpful if more, if not all, people would realize that many others are just as inconvenienced as you are. No one is being targeted for inconvenience and delay any more than another person is. When people come out of themselves and become less inward-turned and more understanding and empathetic of other people, circumstances would be much better and improved. Perhaps a better mindset than ‘me, me, me’would be the realization that were all in it together, were all dealing with inconvenience, and one way or another, we’ll all get where we’re going at the same time. Try putting yourself in another person’s shoes. How well would you fare with 25-600 people all staring at you as though you control a flight, it’s maintenance, crew scheduling, the weather, and every critical aspect that must sync to result in a safe and enjoyable flight for everyone?
If only more people would think less of themselves and more about everyone as a whole, at least in airtravel, it would be extremely helpful. Because it isn’t all about you, regardless of how hard you insist on trying to make it so.
**I would like to highlight the humor of seeing those who do insist so selfishly on making a flight “all about them” as also being primarily those who support and vote for colectivist politicians and policies. Talk about a blind spot!
It would be nice to be good to them but AA is one of the worst to offer you a voucher for the inconvenience they caused
That’s not a friendly gate agent. She needs some social behavior lessons, English lessons and grammar lessons.
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That’s unprofessional. She clearly is a racist but it’s ok to be black and hate white people it just doesn’t work the other way around then you’re a racist.
Seriously? There’s a right way to do this. There’s a way to remind your customers that the staff are people too and that you appreciate their patience because everyone has had a long day. Why does she want to make people feel bad? This does not help anyone. She was on a power trip plain and simple. This video serves her ego and nothing else.
People don’t care. They’ll still treat them like garbage. I work in a job that I come to your home. I was 3 minutes late getting to a client. Had called left a message about delay by maybe 5 minutes followed by a text. Called my company to cover. Apologized when I walked I (was 3 minutes late) I walked in he was ranting about how unacceptable it was to keep him waiting and if I was his employee i would be fired. He called my employer while I stood there.I turned around walked out with him yelling at me and into the phone. He lost our services.
For a lot of us, flying is commuting for work. Failure to deliver isn’t just an inconvenience to us.
Let’s see how polite anyone is if they’re sitting in traffic for 7.5 unpaid hours.
Good for her. One time it took me over 18 hrs to get from Fl to NY, until very late at night I actually met the pilot who assured me I would he on his flight after I told him I had to get there, my sister was going in for mastectomy she had cancer. He was an Angel, I finally made it to be there for her.
Nuh-uh!!! Oh no she di’int…
@Rob Bee- your comments are racist and are uncalled for. She did a great job. Go back into your lilly-white hole.
AA provides the absolute worst experience of any major airline. It’s in their blood to be late and rude.