A note of apology to the helpful, dedicated flight attendants out there
Yesterday I posted about a disabled, wheelchair-bound woman whose husband was forced to carry her onto a Ryanair flight after the flight crew refused to help her when her Ambulift device failed to show up.
I began that post with this: "Everybody knows that flight crew members these days won't help you lift a bag into the overhead compartment, even if you are a 90-year-old woman."
While the overall post, rightly, is generating a lot of discussion and a degree of outrage and indignation, some readers, also rightly, feel my broad generalization of flight attendants in this sentence was off the mark. Reading it now, I agree.
I am not circling the wagon here -- I feel that many flight attendants won't help you these days to the degree they used to, say, 10 years ago. As one attendant, "Ann," puts it: "Bottom line, you pack it, you stow it. If you can't stow it, then check it."
But another reader, flight attendant "Alexis," has a point: "Not all flight attendants are uncaring and lazy."
I have seen flight attendants refuse to help with bags on maybe a half dozen different U.S. airlines in recent years, all citing either union or company policies. Usually they find a passenger nearby to help. My 90-year-old lady reference was based on an experience from a NY-Denver flight a few years back when I saw, maybe four rows up, a woman easily in her 80s, and maybe a good deal older, struggle to get her small roller into the overhead compartment. She asked a passing male flight attendant, who was rather large, for help and he said, "I'm sorry, but I am not allowed to." A man in the woman's row quickly jumped up to help.
As in any job, there are lazy, malingering flight attendants. But I know there are many dedicated and hard working ones as well.
But my using a rather limited brush of personal experience to paint an entire group was wrong and I apologize for the overstatement.
Filed under: Airlines
_thumbnail.jpg)
Bowermaster's Antarctica -- Grand Dider Channel, Antarctic Peninsula
Budget Travel: Butte, Montana
Galley Gossip: A question about being a flight attendant and having a young child at home 
A Self Indulgent Interview with Helen Zille, Mayor of Cape Town, South Africa
Budget Travel: San Francisco
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jul 10th 2008 @ 12:23PM
Heather Poole said...
Which brings me to FLIGHT ATTENDANT PET PEEVE #3... Seriously, people, the flight attendant is not there to lift your bag into the overhead bin, and you should not judge your flight attendant based on whether or not he or she lifted the bag into the overhead bin. We are there to assist. Key word is assist, as in I will find you a space and I will help YOU lift it, as in team effort. Flight attendants are onboard the aircraft in case of an emergency, and while we're there, we'll offer you a drink and something to eat and assist - ASSIST - in any way we can. Not lift. Assist. Remember that.
Heather Poole
Reply
Jul 10th 2008 @ 12:51PM
Secret Asian Man said...
Who's the hot fight attendant with Lamb Chop?
Reply
Jul 11th 2008 @ 2:46AM
ALM said...
She works for MY airline. You know, the one who flies domestically and allows F/As to wear shorts and tennis shoes, and occasionally sing or speak silly P/As... We really do try to take care of our passengers, and make people's flying experience as fun as possible. I've made "balloons" out of cabin clean-up gloves, "rattles" out of a kiddie cup with pretzels in it, "crowns" and/or "leis" out of peanut bags strung on heart shaped stir-sticks. And not to mention made "Birthday Cake" out of a roll of toilet paper we've decorated!
Complain all you want about our boarding procedure, but once you get on the plane, see if we (your flight crew) aren't at least a little more empathetic, if not a whole lot more FUN than what you may be used to over at other legacy carriers. We MAY have to get a little medieval over some FAR stuff ('Cause the FAA is getting BEYOND medieval on us - can you say "thumbscrews?!?!) but if you just do what the Powers That Be tell us that we have to ask you to do, everyone will stay safe and have a whole lot more fun!
Jul 10th 2008 @ 5:02PM
Bill said...
Heather -- come on down from your four foot hover; lighten up just a little bit.
Bill
Reply
Jul 10th 2008 @ 9:14PM
bil said...
I just had to comment on this. I work as a Flight Attendant and I am out on workman's comp. I had a passenger ask me to help her lift her bag. I said sure but we are going to do this together. I specifically said do not let go until the bag is in the bin. We lifted her bag over our heads and she let go. The bag slammed into my arm and since my hand was still in the handle, my arm was wrenched down as the bag fell to the floor. She says to me and I quote " Hee Hee I guess I let go." She never apologized. My rotator cuff was completely torn in two pieces. I had to have surgery and will need surgery again to remove the scar tissue that built up in my arm. I can't work because I can't lift my arm. Workman's comp pays 60% of what I earned and I've had more pain than I ever want to experience EVER. So now you know why so many flight attendants will not help lift a passenger's bag. It is the number cause of injury to flight attendants than turbulence.
Reply
Jul 10th 2008 @ 10:54PM
Karen said...
You may have made a generalized sweeping oversatement, but the nasty comments from pilots and flight attendants in the comments section is unbelievable just as miss heather's comments above are so out of line.
What a totally obnoxious, bitter group of people.
Yes, customers can be a PITA in EVERY profession, but this is the worst group of complainers I have ever seen and I hope every last one of them loses their jobs.
Reply
Jul 11th 2008 @ 12:59AM
Mark said...
Yeah, what happened to the "service" in "service related industry"....isn't that what you do? Service the passengers? What are you there for if it's not to help people who need it? I doubt very seriously that it's a request you get all the time, but occasionally, someone may need a little extra help. But then, flight attendants think they are so special...trust me, you're not. I know, I know, in case of emergency you're there to save our butts, but in reality, that's seldom going to happen in a real emergency, so get off the high horse and do the job you signed on to do without griping about the very people who are paying your salaries. If it wasn't for those passengers, you'd be doing the same job at TGI Friday's.
Reply
Jul 24th 2008 @ 9:19AM
Vlambert said...
What manner of idiot are you exactly that you think Flight Attendants are "service" people? The trained Flight Attendant is a member of the airlines' safety personnel. If a fire were to break out, would you know how to put it out and exactly where the extinguishers are? If a flood were to occur, would you know where all 3 of the emergency water shutoff valves are? That's right, you don't. The Flight Attendant is there to ensure that the flight gets to the desired destination safely. Their purpose is NOT, I repeat NOT to help you lift your luggage. If you cannot lift it yourself alone, do NOT expect for them to be able to. Check the bag and be a man. Stop complaining.
Jul 11th 2008 @ 2:29AM
Jack said...
I found this as a requirement to be a flight attendant on a major carrier. From what I have read, it's a requirement for ALL airlines..
The Flight Attendant position requires you to be physically fit. You will be standing, reaching overhead, walking, pushing, pulling and stooping for long periods of duration. You wil be given a physical agility test on your first day of training to ensure that you meet our general lifting and back strength requirements and have the ability to lift 45 lbs.
Reply
Jul 17th 2008 @ 1:43PM
Rachel said...
I don't generally feel the need to add my 2 cents in, but I just wanted to comment that following a recent shoulder surgery (my 5th), traveling was unfortunately necessary. I was in a sling and only packed a small rolling suitcase for my 2 day trip.
When the JetBlue Gate Attendant called for pre-boarding, I asked if I could pre-board and she said yes. I made my way down to the door of the plane where I was greeted by a very polite male Flight Attendant. As he noticed my sling and then the bag behind me, he immediately asked if he could take my bag for me. I was seated in the first row and he placed my bag in the overhead bin. When the captain announced our decent into the arriving city, the same Flight Attendant came to my seat and told me that if I wouldn't mind waiting to the other passengers had left the plane, he would be more than happy to remove my bag from the overhead bin. I graciously took him up on his offer. He even asked me if I needed assistance to the terminal, which I politely declined as I felt I had already taken enough of his time.
So to all the cynics out there... if you want polite flight attendants who are compassionate about their passengers fly JetBlue!! (And no I don't work for them, but I rarely travel with any other airline since this flight!)
Reply
Jul 17th 2008 @ 1:48PM
judy said...
As a flight attendant for 20yrs, I have had my share of helping many people. Believe me, I would have gotten off of the plane to help the little old lady if she needed help. What many of you don't realize is, the FAA mandates that we MUST stay on board the aircraft when passengers are boarding. If we do not, we could receive a fine of up to $10,000. Not only that, we do have to be pysically fit because we are required to reach into the overhead bins(to retrieve oxygen, halons,and AED's) and be able to lift an 80lb window exit, and throw open doors with slides attached. So believe it or not, as much as I love reading about people complaining about service, most of us are there serving drinks waiting for an emergency to happen.
Reply
Jul 17th 2008 @ 4:35PM
AL said...
Get real people. You pack it, you lift it!!! Ask for assistance but don't expect somone else to do it for you. You have some responsibility in this yourself.
Reply
Dec 2nd 2008 @ 7:18PM
mary ann said...
ahhh yes....gotta love them! had a passenger slam my hand while closing an overhead bin. Apparently annoyed that there was no room. ( I was trying to move things around to make room for him.) When he heard me yell 'ouch' his response was.."well it shouldn't have been there..." and kept walking. So glad I ordered an extra bag of ice....but hey! we're there to serve not "complain."
Reply