A United Airlines flight attendant encouraged a passenger to report one of their fellow crewmembers to the airline – and put the request in writing. That’s because the flight attendant reportedly declared, “I’m not making any Spanish announcements because this is America.”
I was on a flight this morning on @united UA2431 from Houston [to Los Angeles] and this nasty woman was so unprofessional and clearly let her personal views on certain humans seep out of her pores, leading her to believe she can get away with this behavior.
Well, she cannot.
I ask her co-worker for her name.
He gave me this note.
I took his name out to protect his identity.
I will be reporting her to @united.
At United saying that sex is unchangeable can get you fired, and flight attendants are encouraged to share their pronouns. While the airline is now trying to curry favor with the Trump administration, it is the the most ‘woke’ of the U.S. carriers.
However, even in the Trump era, this flight attendant’s statement would be offensive to many – not what a company wants their employee to be saying. And it seems like a silly statement in any case,
- There are routes where multiple language announcements are often made.
- United is a global carrier.
- On domestic routes they bring connecting passengers to and from their long haul flights.
- And they use joint ventures and their alliance membership to attract foreign passengers for their U.S. travels.
Announcements are meant to be understood, so they’re frequently tailored to whomever the clientele may be. I listen to English announcements on foreign carriers all the time, and I appreciate the English, though I could use a translation app on my phone if I needed to. Here it’s a flight between two states that border Mexico.
Usually flight crew stick together. Here, a United flight attendant saw their colleague’s behavior as so far out of bounds that they encouraged a passenger to report it. United’s discipline of other flight crew suggests this might get some management attention. However, it might carry even more weight coming from another employee than from a customer – and the flight attendant who complains about having to work with her for the next two days commits to reporting her as well.
This was a domestic flight. No Spanish announcement is needed. If it were international coming from a Spanish speaking country, sure! But this is Houston to LA. What was this person expecting? Ridiculous
Worth noting that not making announcements in Spanish puts every passenger at risk. During the recent Delta crash it appeared that the successful evacuation saved the lives of many; had some passengers not understood the crew it’s very possible that a different outcome could have occurred. Politicizing air travel security is a very very bad idea.
If you’d like a thoughtful, elevated guest experience in the sky, please consider Delta.
Regardless of the safety of making or not making the announcement, saying you’re not going to do it because it’s America is creating a hostile work environment for your coworkers.
As for using your phone to translate announcements from a foreign language while flying – good luck with that. Your phone is almost certainly going to filter out what you’re trying to translate as background noise.
I have never heard a US airline make announcements in Spanish on a domestic flight (unless to Puerto Rico) in 40 years of extensive travel. Talking about outrage looking for a cause!
This assumes any of it is true.
If I were the FA, I would defend my comment by saying “company policy is not to make Spanish announcement for flights that originate and terminate within US, hence my ‘this is America’ statement was factually correct.
Delta ofrece una experiencia premium
Spanish seems to have become the secondary default language of the US, a situation entirely arising from the influx of illegal immigrants. What if there was a French speaker onboard, or someone who only understood Farsi? Would the note-writer have been so quick to be involved?
By adding “I am 100% Mexican” on the note to the passenger, the FA also let her personal views “seep out of her pores”. Admittedly the FA who made the announcement should have refrained, but the note writer is also out of line.
There’s always someone looking for an excuse to be outraged. There should be no expectation that Spanish be spoken on a domestic flight.
Dear Mental Midgets that contend this was a domestic flight so no need for other languages to be used: I know your head is empty but try and consider 1) people connect from international flights, 2) people from other countries come here for business and/or holiday, 3) if you ever left this 3rd world shithole country you would know airlines give announcements in multiple languages.
No to spanish announcements.
Yes to russian annoucements.
Is the Putin’s bitch making АМЕРИКА great again…
Spanish is the dominant language in Puerto Rico, and it is used in business, education, and daily life.
@Ray. So announcements on U.S. domestic flights should also be made in French, German, Portuguese, Chinese (2 or 3 dialects), and 27 other languages just in case someone who might speak one of those languages might be onboard??? English is a fairly common language throughout the world.
@Ricardo — Bitch is your boyfriend if you have one, if not than call your mother a bitch. You’re welcome!
Nothing can or will legally come of this for the purser- and rightfully so. This is clearly an alleged ‘he said , she said’ event. If anything, UA should be scrutinizing the FA who wrote the suggestive note which appears to have more nefarious intent. I’m curious to know what the chief complaint from the passenger was because if it was truly for the alleged comment about there being ‘no Soanish announcements because this is America’, the passenger wouldn’t have needed the suggestion as it would have been their purpose for complaining. This has all indications of a disgruntled and dissatisfied fFA attempting to undercut a more senior employee and it’s anyone’s guess what the motive or motives might be.To be quite honest, if anything, UA should be investigating the FA who wrote the note for potential wrongful accusations and jeopardizing the employment of a fellow crew member.
Morever, if I were to make any assumptions in this matter, using only the picture of the purser provided, I would guess that she does not speak, nor is she a fluent Spanish speaker – I could be wrong. But given the fact this is a flight between two border cities and that passenger safety cards are in both English and Spanish, the liklihood of the Purser making such a comment seems very unlikely. And I can’t quite make it out well enough but is that a crucifix on her necklace? What better time is there than the current day to launch dishonest allegations against a caucasian Christian woman?
If I were the purser, I’d take this and drop in right in the lap of an attorney that practices in civil rights in the workplace for defamation of character, potential racism & anti-caucasian actions and any other potential illegalities that might be applicable. I would sue for every last penny that might be awarded and further seek the termination of the FA who wrote the suggestive note.
Beyond this, any employer that terminates an employee for stating objective facts such as, ‘sex is unchangeable’ should be heavily reprimanded. I don’t know about others but speaking for myself, I would prefer that all flight crews be of sound mind, living in the real world – not some false reality that an individual might create for themselves. Because what greater truth is there than that biological sex is unchangeable? While on duty, a FA’s first and foremost priority is passenger safety, not focusing on being who or what they are not. That is what personal time and life are for.
In 53 years I have never once heard flight announcements in Spanish, and I’ve lived in California and Texas. Was what the purser said obnoxious? Sure. Did it put passengers at risk? Absolutely not. Flights out of DFW theoretically should include probably 15 different languages, if this were a necessity.
This was in fact a domestic flight from Houston to Los Angeles. ENGLISH is the official language of the USA and everyone intelligent KNOWS it always has been. There’s no requirement to make announcements in other languages for domestic flights.
When I travel in other countries, sometimes signs/announcements are in English and sometimes they’re not. I’m not going to complain about it. After all, I’m merely a tourist/guest just passing through. I’ll figure things out on my own like I always do.
I live in Los Angeles. California is a high immigrant state due to both legal and illegal immigration. The local DMV has written tests and study materials available in 20+ languages! The high cost to do this is totally absurd.
Some of you would be shocked by the number of people residing in CA for years that don’t speak English. If you’ve been residing in any country for 10, 20, 30+ years and STILL don’t speak the local language, SHAME ON YOUI.
Welp, late to the party on this one, but @OnePatriot77 is correct, according to the President’s executive order dated March 1, 2025, English is now the official language of the USA.
So, at the very least, all announcements on US domestic flights should be in English, as they were already anyway, and if an airline wants to offer additional languages, then I do not see why that is a problem, regardless of whether it is a domestic or international flight.
Since English is practically the international language of business these days–most airlines, worldwide, at least provide announcements in English. We are very fortunate to speak that language. I do admire those who are multi-lingual as it is a real talent.
But I do disagree with OnePatriot77 on costs–translation services cost next to nothing these days thanks to technology, so it’s not ‘absurd’ at all.
And of course, I disagree with OnePatriot77 that everyone in the US has must speak any particular language, but the government and businesses that serve the public must at least provide English–as for visitors or citizens alike, no, you cannot compel anyone to speak (thanks to our Constitution, 1st Amendment), even in the official language, so that would be actually absurd.
@Matt — Bah! Good one. I do like me some Delta.
@Ricardo — Ooo spicy! Do svidaniya, comrade!
@OnePatriot77 — Respectfully, sir, to be careful with your anger towards non-English speakers. Just because there’s an Executive Order, it does not mean you have the ‘right’ to berate anyone who isn’t speaking English. Based on your ‘attitude’ here, you do sound like someone who is going to yell at them anyway. And that is the ultimate problem with this ‘culture war’ nonsense–it isn’t designed to help–it’s meant to enflame tensions. Clearly, it’s already having that desired effect. *sigh*
I agree with the flight attendant I fly frequently to Miami and have never heard an announcement in Spanish. only problem comes when you leave the airport…..
@Miikey — What’s the “problem”? An ‘official language’ does not mean all people must to speak it–the E.O. means the government (and likely businesses that serve the public) are supposed to.
Does voting Republican require an empty brain pan? More and more it appears so.
I would expect English and Spanish announcements on a Houston to LA as the amount of native Spanish speakers should not surprise you. A stagging 38% of Houstonians speak Spanish and more than 35% of Los Angeles citizens speak Spanish as their first language.
Personally, I want everyone to be safe while on board a flight.
@Richard — Apparently, it requires the absence of empathy. It’s ironic that the party is comprised of theocrats…who apparently forgot about the ‘golden rule’ and nearly all the teachings of their savior, except for the one where so long as they ‘believe’ then they can ‘sin’ as much as they’d like. Hmm.
@1990 you are misunderstanding me or just being hypersensitive. I’m an veteran , patriot, multi-lingual and a chill easy going guy. I’m not angry and I’m definitely not a yeller!
You are completely wrong on the costs for translation services. The DMV isn’t going to use something like Google Translate to create foreign language driving manuals. The high costs are the legal fees, printing costs, and hiring extra staff that are multi-lingual.
As a practical matter, I simply believe people should speak the official language of the country they reside in. My opinion pre-dates the recent Executive Order. The truth is, some people are lazy and unmotivated to learn a new language. By not learning the local language they are doing a disservice to themselves and everyone around them. They are the reason why when I telephone an American corporation I must often “press 1 for English”….
Based on the context of the note, it seems that the “offended” flight attended ASKED the purser to make an announcement in Spanish. Otherwise there is absolutely no need for that statement.
@OnePatriot77 – fellow Californian here. Unless you’re referring to live translation services, the printed materials costs incurred by DMV are all sunk costs now. Pennies on the dollar now since the ramp-up phase is long past
Good on the purser for not making a spanish announcement – this was a domestic USA flight. The crewmember who put them up to it needs to be fired.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.” – Mark Twain
Guess you guys didn’t hear’ English is the official language of the United States of America.
And this flight was entirely domestic. The only language needed for the announcements is English. If you don’t understand English, the US Department of Labor has free classes online.for.you to begin learning.
OnePatriot77 says some people are too lazy and unmotivated to learn the local language. I’m sure that’s true, but many people who don’t learn the local language have very good reasons. Not everyone’s brain is wired for easy language acquisition. I’m planning to move to a country where English is not the primary language. I hope to learn enough of the local language to get along, but I’m sure I’ll always be more comfortable with English.
Another thing: when was the last time you listened to the announcements made by cabin crew?
Just to point out…
A) No, the official language of the US has not always been English. It hasn’t had one until March 1. And, in fact, you’ve had neighborhoods and areas historically that spoke mostly Spanish, German, Chinese, etc. The Amish locally still speak Pennsylvania Dutch although I imagine they all also speak English.
B) The local language? Well, I’ve been in areas of Louisiana where the local language is Creole, and areas of the country where it’s Spanish. And out in Amish land where it’s Pennsylvania Dutch (which, is effectively German with English loan words. It’s “Dutch” because whoever back in the day mistranslated “Deutsch”, which is German for German.) If you think there are too many people around you speaking Spanish, then (like it or not) in fact the local language is Spanish and if you can’t understand them it’s because YOU are the one who has not learned the local language.
C) This is after all an airplane flight. I flew from the US, through Spain, to Morocco. When my parents went to Morocco I think theirs also went through the Netherlands. Should I be expected to speak English, Spanish, Dutch, and Arabic? I realize this was a domestic flight, but just pointing out expecting everyone on any given flight to speak the local language is a bit much.
As for the actual issue.. well presumably the customer was offended since they brought it up first. I would think reporting this, honestly, that nothing should happen, I don’t care for the comment they made but also don’t see it as some big issue. But FAs have been fired even for twerking for a few seconds on an empty plane, and the comment the purser made was after all unprofessional and offended at least one passenger. So….
@OnePatriot77 — I don’t mind what your background or opinion is–recall, you can literally be a convicted felon and still become the President–so, say whatever you’d like here. I passionately support and encourage free speech. Personally, I am a fan of the ‘melting pot’ idea of America. And, you bet, it is reasonable to assimilate–after years of being here, most people would eventually need to learn enough English to get by–just as any of us would need to learn another language if we moved to many places abroad. However, it is undeniable that the rest of the world uses English far more than we use any other of the world’s languages in the USA.
@aaway — Nice. Much better Twain quote than the ones that notorious bigot Mike P does here.
@TW — No one ‘needs’ to be fired. If you applied your harsh logic against yourself, guaranteed we could find a way to get you out of a job, too. Manufactured outrage.
First off English is the official language of America. So let’s get that clear. This was a domestic flight. I don’t expect to go to another country and expect them to speak my language. Entitled babies.
The person who wrote this note is trying to start trouble and obviously just has it out for the purser for whatever reason. And clearly just wants to start problems in the air which is scary to begin with. Let’s minimize conflict and not add to it.
No harm was meant by the purser.
In the world we leave in flight attendants have enough issues with obnoxious entitled people flying and we need to give them some slack and support.
Person who wrote this note should be fired.
Airlines don’t make announcements in other than what is now the official language of the United States on domestic flights.
It makes one wonder what a “100% Mexican is doing working for United…or anybody else, for that matter.
Fake and/or victimization… or even will to harm the purser
RE: Pascal
Try that one again, in English this time.
@OnePatriot- actually, you press “1” for English in the US because customers who only speak English wonder what they were missing out on when the VRU said “presione dos para español”… I used to sell voice response systems and that’s why that prompt was added… I’m not sure why you get triggered by this.
@Goforride I’m sorry, are you saying that Mexican people shouldn’t have jobs?
What’s with the apostrophe in the headline?
I call BS. Airlines in America only staff speakers on routes going to other countries. This is a domestic route and there is no obligation to make any announcement in another language!
Hard to buy that an FA gave her a note. Smells like BS for attention.
@Josh – typo
If it was official policy of the airline to make announcements in both English and Spanish, then the purser is out of line and needs to be retrained. I don’t remember Spanish announcements on domestic flights but I will have to take notice in the future. On a lot of flights I am on an international carrier traveling to and from Asia. The first announcements are in the language of the country the airline is from and the second announcements are in English. It is possible that the flight attendant was trying to stir up trouble. Hopefully better information will come out about the situation. A purser that was hired 30 or more years ago may not have the language skills to do the announcements and it probably wasn’t a requirement then. To be inclusive, if the purser and flight attendants are required to be bilingual, they should be able to do the second announcements in whichever second language they have, not exclusively Spanish. In that case, if it was me, I would do them in Thai. The safety instructions at the beginning of a flight could be recorded in whatever language needed and just played back.
Language qualified flight attendants at United are not compensated with the language premium to make announcements in said language on domestic flights.
Spanish is an official language in California, its part of our heritage. That said, you’re unlikely to come across a Californian who is not fluent in English. English isn’t just some official language, its how we are able to communicate — in a state like ours you’ll not only find people from everywhere but also there’s a surprising variety of indigenous languages, They’re all culturally important but for day to day use and business we mostly use English.
Incidentally, when you’re elsewhere in the world you’ll usually find signs in airports and the like include English translations. Currently its the closest thing we have to a true global language.
OK, I’m confused. Why would announcements be made in Spanish on a flight from Houston and LA? America is not a bi-lingual country. If businesses wish to advertise in both languages, that’s their choice, their business is selling things. If you live in America, you need to speak English. American English is difficult to learn, no question. There should be a time limit on learning English, say 3 years or so.
I am educated reading many of these comments. It’s no wonder this country is such a mess. Many seem to think that everyone, all the time, must be inclusive of everyone, all the time. No wonder people feel entitled to do anything they want in public. Seems as any effort by a commenter to make some sense is met with “you’re an idiot” … so what kind of a discussion is this?
How sad that commercial flying ( & society at large ) has degenerated to this petty level….
I speak some Spanish and some Japanese. No way I would feel comfortable making safety announcements in either language.