Around Thanksgiving a Delta Air Lines passenger flying economy from Paris to Boston placed their used meal tray on the ground in the aisle, so they could make tray table space to get work done. At least three people stepped in the partially-eaten trash on the way to the lavatory. It was selfish and outrageous.
Food tray left in aisle to continue work
byu/srbinafg indelta
Around the same time something similar happened on an American Airlines flight, but only after flight attendants refused a passenger’s request to take their trash.
Flying American Airlines from Miami to Chicago, cabin crew refused to take a box from food the passenger brought on board themselves, and according to the passenger, they responded “We don’t throw away your personal garbage.” So the passenger placed the box in the aisle and he says they still wouldn’t throw it away – they just kept kicking it out of the way each time they walked up or down the aisle.
[A]s a paying passenger i brought a pizza onboard from the terminal in MIA. I finished the pizza and tried to give the empty box to a very femine acting male flight attendant as he walked by before departure . He said “We dont throw away your personal garbage.” I was a bit shocked at this new policy he had enacted. So I set the box down in the aisle. (yes, I know, a bit childish). On the 2.3 hour flight from MIA to ORD not only did none of the flight attendants pick up the empty pizza box…..they continued to kick it out of the way as they walked by it.
This was reported in a pilot forum, but the poster emphasizes that they were paying on this trip and weren’t nonrevving although I can’t say it should matter. (Nonrevs generally avoid complaining, but are also usually treated better by crew.)
I can’t say that this is an American Airlines pilot, despite posting in the American Airlines forum at Airline Pilot Central. Identities aren’t validated there like in an authenticated American Airlines employee forum such as ‘The Line’ (or ‘The Bastard Line’). Even if this were just a passenger the story would be shocking (maybe even more so).
Occasionally passengers will decide they want their tray table space, and won’t want to wait for flight attendants to come by collecting meals. And so they just use the available space in the aisle for their refuse:
Man dumps his food into the isle after he ate what he wants [xpost from r/mildyinfuriating]
byu/MinecraftThugLife intrashy
This passenger ate what he wanted and decided he wanted to read without his meal tray in the way. I’ve certainly had flights where I’ve been frustrated with how long it can take flight attendants to return to pick up trays. There’s not enough room in many coach seats to work with the meal tray still there.
I think what impresses me most about this incident is that he dropped this on the ground but his cup of water is still full. It’s a miracle of modern physics.
In coach I’ll usually decline drinks, because a cup on the tray can easily be knocked over and takes up space. An open can is equally dangerous. I can keep my bottle of water in my bag for whenever I need it, and if I’m seated in back I can have snacks handy there too. The tray is for my laptop.
In first I can usually turn the meal tray so that it’s vertical and I can fit my laptop and the tray. If I’m not super hungry I’ll just skip the meal and keep working. The food isn’t going to be very good on domestic flights anyway.
… or you could just fly Air India through DEL where dozens of trays scattered across the aisles and trash just everywhere two hours into the flight are the norm.
Passengers and flight attendants both acting like spoiled children.
Flying on US domestic airlines is becoming such a chore.
Have yet to try Air India to sample its norm.
Similar drama about the long lost Golden Age of Cruise Line Travel: now that mass-marketing CLIA has borrowed marketing from ULCC Spirit and Southwest and inflicted cruise travelers with Walmart-of-the Seas and Dollar-Store-of-the-Seas, one recurring drama is dirty dishes left outside the stateroom door and impeding motorized wheelchair traffic.
Don’t judge me; jus’ sayin’.
Shame on the FAs for being horses’ asses. Shame on the passengers for not tearing the pizza box into smaller pieces to make handling the remains fit easily into the trash bags FAs collect the “service items” they”ve passed out during the flight.
The stubbornness of some people is hard to explain.
Probably the same people who put their hotel room service trays in the hall when finished eating.
The petulant and completely unnecessary insult about the flight attendant and the fact that the complainer can’t manage to find the correct forum to express supposed grievances tell me everything I need to know about this person writing the complaint: a tasteless idiot lacking in empathy and common sense.
No one is acting like an adult here . Sounds like AA possibly homophobic pilot trying to harass the F/A . Maybe they know each other ? Often times F/A s and pilots dont get along , but this is beyond childish behavior on both sides . It should never have happened.
Thank god I retired !
What do you know about pilot forums. Stick to what you know. Keep your nose out of things that don’t belong to you. Don’t worry, we’ll find the rat that’s giving you info.