The CEO of Qatar Airways made misogynistic remarks about US airline flight attendants. He suggested that at ‘crap US airlines’ customers would always be served by ‘grandmothers’.
Akbar al-Baker is his own worst enemy, calling out Delta for flying ‘crap airplanes’ and describing his business strategy as starting routes to ‘rub salt in the wounds’ of his competitors.
When your competitors are making themselves look stupid, get out of the way. In the 1994 Virginia Republican Senate primary, former Reagan Budget Director called a press conference after it was revealed that his opponent Oliver North for seeing a psychiatrist. But the followup question from reporters was obvious — have you ever seen a psychiatrist? — and he responded that he ‘has his good days and his bad days’ and indeed had seen one on several occasions himself.
- Lesson: Let surrogates make your attacks for you. Especially if you’re prone to doing and saying stupid things.
Qatar’s CEO already hurt himself enough claiming that women at US airlines were too old to provide good service to customers. Now flight attendants are hurting themselves in response.
When an American flight attendant was suspended after getting into an altercation with a mother with small child on a flight in April his union came out with a shameful defense arguing for the need for better treatment for flight attendants, not customers and describing the incident as something that simply ‘happened’ as though the flight attendant in the viral video had nothing whatsoever to do with it.
The Association of Flight Attendants is out with a statement that “[i]f you prop up Qatar Airways you are supporting sexism, racism, and ageism. Period.”
But by that logic if you ‘prop up’ United Airlines you are supporting forcing children with their own tickets to sit in parents laps instead of seats, having law enforcement remove passengers flying to their wedding, kicking a passenger in the head, and pushing a 71 year old man to the ground… or breaking guitars and breaking a passenger’s face. “Period.”
Opposing protectionist trade policies raises prices and hurts the poorest US consumers. There’s no moral obligation to do that simply because you don’t like the comments of an airline CEO. Otherwise you’d have to boycott Delta for offensive comments its CEO made about 9/11.
The flight attendants union claims,
“When there’s an emergency onboard, a Flight Attendant’s gender, age, weight, height, race, or sexuality simply do not matter. What matters is effective safety and security training, along with experience on the job.
Nowhere in the statement do “the union’s 50,000 Flight Attendant members at 20 airlines” suggest any part of their role is providing service to customers. And that’s the crux of the problem.
But even their claim that a flight attendant’s age and weight simply do not matter when providing safety at a certain margin. The ability to do the job is what matters, not exuberance, but saying that all that matters is training and experience is silly.
They call out an “experienced United Airlines crew of women and men [who] delivered a baby over the Atlantic earlier this year.” But crew of Turkish, Saudia, Jetstar Asia, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, and countless others have done the same.
Akbar al-Baker’s comments were deplorable, but US airlines do provide worse service, their seniority system runs at the heart of that and US airline flight attendants don’t even suggest that they try to provide world class service — many hate their customers — their duty is primarily to “restrain aggressors” (although this often requires the assistance of passengers).
Sadly in calling out al-Baker they help to distract from his words and make his case. Sad!
In short: the (Union) FA themselves confirming that eventough its not pleasant, Al Baker comment is right on the spot!
Instead of evaluating themselves, they go straight counter attack. As if the safety and service are a football game (or soccer for some of you with bad english).
@ Gary – I agree that the union’s logic is wanting, but I am not comfortable with yours, either. As you point out, correlation does not equal causation:
— “The Association of Flight Attendants is out with a statement that “[i]f you prop up Qatar Airways you are supporting sexism, racism, and ageism. Period.”
— But by that logic if you ‘prop up’ United Airlines you are supporting forcing children with their own tickets to sit in parents laps instead of seats, having law enforcement remove passengers flying to their wedding, kicking a passenger in the head, and pushing a 71 year old man to the ground… or breaking guitars and breaking a passenger’s face. “Period.”
YET – then you make a generalization for which you provide no evidence:
“US airlines do provide worse service, their seniority system runs at the heart of that.”
Again, the seniority system for flight attendants operates in many countries, and on many airlines. Qantas, BA, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM – the list is immense. Do these carriers provide BETTER service than US airlines? Or WORSE service? And what does seniority have to do with it?
I know facts aren’t worth much in America right now, but you can’t make such generalizations without losing your argument. Show me some evidence to back up your point.
Women are hypocrites. They play up the sex part to get what they want and then play the victim card when the times are good and their is a lot of support for their issues. They never play fair.
Flirt to get what you want and then a few years later when they want to retire sue for sexual harassment.
Err… one of the linked article with a lot of comments from FA sure interesting to read. Seems that hate their job and hate the customer/passenger as well….
Wow!
@Joe I had a long discussion of this in the linked-to post from last night, about how the seniority system is dehumanizing and sucks the strong job performance out of many otherwise-good employees, though not all employees. [It’s not strictly seniority, but an inability to benefit from strong performance and no need to provide strong performance to succeed — that is demoralizing to employees who do perform well while watching colleagues shirk and be rewarded or not in exactly the same manner.]
The claim about superior service from non-US airlines was a claim about overall and in general service levels not a claim that in every case service is better.
But not the comment from @James about the commentary from American Airlines flight attendants I linked to.
Here you go:
http://viewfromthewing.com/2015/12/15/american-airlines-is-reminding-flight-attendants-why-predeparture-beverages-matter/
@ Gary – Thank you – I had actually read your article last night, and don’t necessarily disagree with your premise. And I certainly don’t intend to invalidate what you say – I just know that generalizations about seniority (or unions) being a major part of the problem, when there is plenty of evidence that job security and seniority leads to better overall performance (if not service), is a standard micro-economic argument that has been shown to be, at best, shaky.
The reality is that “good service” is subjective; for some, it’s a flight attendant being nice to a kid, for others it’s about a pre-departure beverage, and for me, it’s being helped off an aircraft quickly, safely and without panic should I need to be evacuated (and on those Asian airlines with “good service”, that scenario is often not the case – and there’s evidence for that).
That’s why I want data if it exists. If it can’t be proven, it’s speculation. Certainly fine to write up and use as a discussion point, but problematic when it becomes offered as fact.
While I don’t think the flight attendant’s union will be hiring you (or me) to do their PR, I don’t think your instincts are right on this one. Their comment gives the media a reason to write another story about al-Baker’s stupid remarks, which increases the number of people aware of this kerfuffle. This seems to be in the flight attendant’s interests. Besides, I’m sure the response makes their own union members happy, which is a core constituency for their message.
It’s time for scheduling based on seniority bidding to end. Why should the oldest employees get to choose what they want to do? It doesn’t work that way in other Industries.
A Japan Airlines flight attendant recently told me that they have no say in their schedules whatsoever. Why should American carriers have this strange system in place?
Hopefully the Airlines in ONEWORLD will kick Qatar Out of the Alliance and invite rivals Emirates or Etihad to join just to Spite them. American already prefers Etihad over Qatar regardless of being in OW…. They know it and probably drives The CEO of Qatar crazier
Valid points, Gary. Sad, though.
@iahphx – “I’m sure the response makes their own union members happy, which is a core constituency for their message.”
Correct. It’s easy to forget that the purpose of someone in union leadership is to get re-elected, just like a business executive or a politician wants to keep their job. So they’ll say stupid things that may even hurt their own cause if it helps them retain their position.
It’s time for a revolution! Out with the old system and in with a fairer and more customer oriented system.
He’s correct, just didn’t say it right, or used the right words. So often I get off a United international flight staffed by a senior cabin crew, providing indifferent service, sometimes without even a single smile, then transfer to a domestic flight staffed by a junior crew providing better, more enthusiastic service. As others have pointed out, it’s really an issue with the system of seniority that lets the complacent, entitled senior crew staff the international (desirable) routes. It just so happens that one gains seniority with age.
Mr Leff,
You can’t write an article without making at gratuitous kick in the face of United. You cite several incidents on United ( the guitar ) which occurred years ago and fail to provide any context whatsoever for some of the media manufactured incidents ( the honeymooners who tried to upgrade themselves ) and of course you fail to mention it was David Dao’s disruptive behavior ( he screamed at the Republic Airlines ticket agent and flight attendant then kicked the seat in front of him ) that caused him to be taken off the Republic Airlines flight. In any case it’s obvious you have an axe to grind and your credibility is in question.
@Dave there is videotape of Dao’s interaction with police before he’s dragged off the plane, he isn’t screaming but actually calm, I think you need to go re-check your facts.
Mr Leff, did it ever occur to you that something real can happen without it being videotaped ? Do you realize the police were called because Dao started swearing and screaming at the ticket agent and flight attendant ? The crew considered it to be at a threat level which required them to call law enforcement and have him taken off.it would have been irresponsible not to have done so. And when the police came he told them ” I’m not leaving unless you drag me off ” . He said it at least twice. And yes, there IS a video of that but apparently you didn’t avail yourself of the opportunity to view it. You are sloppy and unprofessional.
@Dave the police responded with inappropriate force, and United has altered its procedures because their crew shouldn’t have been put in that position in the first place. Airlines shouldn’t be turning customer service problems into law enforcement problems. Unfortunately it doesn’t take much of a ‘threat level’ in the current environment for crew to call the police, I hear threats to do so all the time even over questions about overhead bin space.
Your wrong on so many levels Mr Leff. If the Chicago Aviation Police are to blame, then blame them for what happened on this Republic Airlines flight,. if Republic Airlines displaced David Dao then blame Republic and mentioned it happened while operating as United Express. Furthermore, unless you’re omnipotent and omnipresent, which I doubt, you don’t know what happened and are not in a position to comment on exactly why the Republic Airlines crew called for the police. As an amateur airline blogger you are out of your league on this.
@Dave sorry but the 3 officers were quickly suspended, the video shows the inappropriate use of force. I’ve mentioned many times that it happened on a United Express flight, though he bought the ticket from United and United’s denied boarding compensation was at issue.
Well of course they were suspended. Police departments want as little controversy as possible. At the end of the day Mr Dao put himself in this position by having an emotional meltdown and then taunting the police to drag him off. He had every right to be ticked off at United but no right to kick and scream at the crew ( which you ignore ) . And if had cooperated with the police he could have walked off and preserved his dignity.
Oh boo bloody hoo, the snowflakes from the Unions of the US airlines are upset because some one called them a name. Hands up those of us who are sick to bloody death of the stewardesses on the US airlines? What a bunch of Cry babies. Sooks.
Hands up those who agree Mr Al-Baker is right. Seems like most of us from what I am reading!
You’re not there for my safety, you’re there for yourselves. Me Me Me!
If you don’t like it ladies and ladies, get another job or stop you damn whingeing and waddle ( or prance ) down that aisle to the galley and and get me another drink. And do it now.