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Galley Gossip: Vegas Baby! (It's not the same)
Due to short layovers, long work hours, multiple cities flown in a day, and the number of passengers aboard the aircraft, flight attendants can become very forgetful, particularly when it comes to you and something as simple as your drink order, even the one you just ordered.
"I'm sorry did you say orange juice?" I asked the man who had probably said just that, as half the cabin had already ordered exactly that. Orange juice.
Curtly the passenger nodded. I filled a plastic glass with ice, and that's when I realized he may not even want ice, so I asked, "Ice or no ice?" even though I was fairly certain the answer would be no ice. Half the cabin had already requested no ice.
The passenger said something, his lips were moving, but I could not make out what it was he said, so I held up the gray plastic ice scoop and pretended to put ice into his clear plastic cup, and asked, "Ice? Ice?" just as I had done for several passengers before him.
Again the lips moved, yet I still could not figure out what he wanted, so I made a judgment call. I filled up the glass with orange juice. Just juice. No ice. Then I smiled and placed the glass on his tray table. He nodded, took a sip, and on to the next row I went.
Orange juice no ice. Tea. Tea with milk. Tea with milk and sugar. Strangely enough, these were the popular drink choices on my last flight. No, this was not a morning trip to Seattle. This was actually a flight, an evening flight, on a Saturday night of all nights, to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Flight attendants can usually guess what you're drinking based on where you're going. For example, Californians can't get enough bottled water, sparkling water, and club soda, while Texans drink us out of Dr. Pepper, and our Senior Citizens enjoy tomato juice, so imagine my surprise when I constantly found myself running out of hot tea and OJ while serving a rather subdued crowd to Vegas last night. Not normal. Not at all. This was Vegas remember!
"You're going to have so much fun!" said my hairdresser yesterday morning after I told her where I was flying later that evening.
"It's a fun crowd, but a tough one. They keep you busy," I laughed, and then I told her our layover was short, as in ten hours short, which is not enough time to have fun. The days of fun are long gone. I really miss those days. My how things have changed.
"I'm so jealous! I want to go with you!" said a woman with foils in her hair sitting beside me.
"Oh no you don't. Our layover is really short," I said again, and then I told her about the demanding Las Vegas crowd, the one that keeps you busy the entire flight.
Now I hadn't flown to Vegas in over six months, but the last time I found myself behind the drink cart I couldn't get out of the aisle. Nor could I keep the liquor drawer stocked. Yet strangely enough on my flight last night the beverage service not only went fairly smooth, it also went somewhat quick, which is a flight attendant dream. I think I may have sold one alcoholic beverage on the flight. That's it. Not that there's anything was wrong with that - just the opposite actually. But it was strange, very strange, running out of tea bags, not liquor, on a drama free flight.
Or is it strange, considering how weak the dollar is these days, I thought to myself, as I handed an 81 year-old Argentinian woman traveling with a group of eleven a stir stick.
Of course it was strange, at first, when all those well dressed passengers boarded the aircraft. "Hello. (Nice shoes.) How are you? (love the glasses.) Welcome aboard. (Beautiful blouse.)"
Can you say so long to the American traveling attire - tank tops, flip flops, and shorts, and hello ...I like the way you're dressed. Let me tell you, it is so nice when passengers actually wear clothes, nice clothes, on the airplane, especially when there aren't any blankets on board anymore.
After filling up yet another pot of hot tea and serving a row of Germans, Jaime, my coworker on the other side of the cart, asked, "Is this what it's like to fly international?
International passengers they were, an international service it was not. That's what I thought to myself as I asked the Iranian gentleman near the front of the aircraft traveling with seven others, whose around the world trip was taking them from New York to Vegas to Los Angeles to Hawaii, "Would you care to purchase a snack?"
"Not free?" he asked, inspecting the turkey and cheese croissant sandwich wrapped in plastic.
Nor did it feel like an international flight, though they, the passengers, were international travelers from all corners of the globe, when I had to explain to the British man seated near the rear of the aircraft that yes, we really had run out of sandwiches on a five hour flight. "All we have left is a very large, but very good, chocolate chip cookie."
"You mean to tell me this is the only food service you provide and you've already run out of food?" he asked.
I gulped. "Yes. I'm sorry," I said, and that's all I said, before moving on to the next row. I mean what else could I say?
Although sometimes it doesn't look like it at first glance, this is a domestic flight within the US. Not a long haul international flight where most of your wants and needs are still being met after purchasing a higher priced fair.
After we had finished our service, Kim, the first class flight attendant, made her way to our cabin and said, "You are not going to believe what he said." I don't know why I automatically assumed Kim spoke of the popular actor from the 80's wearing the SARS mask throughout the entire flight, but I was right to assume so. He rang his call light and wanted to discuss our security procedures on-board the airplane during flight. "He doesn't approve of what we do. He thinks we should have something more advanced in place, especially in this day and age."
"Like what?" I asked. Really, I wanted to know, what else could we do in this day and age of air travel?
There's a saying, it takes money to make money. Therefore it takes money to put in place all those security measures you feel that are inadequate, and the amenities you still expect on-board the domestic flights, along with that extra flight attendant that is often needed to provide you with the service you've come to expect. Believe it or not, one extra flight attendant can make a huge difference in the type of service you receive, particularly when there are 166 passengers and only 2 flight attendants working the aisle in coach on a 757. Things have changed in the world of travel, that much is true, and it continues to change, whether we like it or not, for passengers and crew alike.
Filed under: Food and Drink, Airlines, Budget Travel, Galley Gossip
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Raymond Sep 16th 2008 11:07AM
This was GREAT to hear...really enjoyed reading it and remembering back a few years ago. I never complained about having the "extras" in the back....I actually enjoyed serving beleave it or not. Its what I was hired to do....My, the job description has changed, hasn't it? BTW, I ment MANY years ago!
Frank Sep 17th 2008 12:26AM
Ok, I just got off a 14 HOUR, 2 day trip. Can trips get anymore exhausting? Does everyone think they've boarded STARBUCKS AIRWAYS. A slash of OJ, an Ice cube in my Coffee, no ice, no cup, you dont have milk?
You're OJ is in a can? eww. got a toothpick?
The ol' saying still applies: THIS IS A 737, NOT A 7-11.
Randy Sep 18th 2008 6:38AM
Is there any way you can convince the people at your carrier to READ your blog?
Quotes like:
"'You mean to tell me this is the only food service you provide and you've already run out of food?' he asked,"
and a recent one that went something like, "I'm sorry, but they only loaded TWO cookies for our entire aircraft,"
really should SCREAM to your airline that something isn't right with the way things are being done.
I understand times have 'changed'. I work for an airline myself, though am not in-flight crew. I understand it's tough to make profit these days.
But to offer food ONLY for purchase, and then not have enough when additional passengers are WILLING to pay for it... that's just a crummy experience for that passenger.
And the international passenger is perfectly right in being frustrated that he's got to connect to a six-hour domestic leg and then PAY for food.
Frank Sep 18th 2008 11:39AM
Randy said...
But to offer food ONLY for purchase, and then not have enough when additional passengers are WILLING to pay for it... that's just a crummy experience for that passenger.
================================
Randy, most of the food boarded, IF NOT PURCHASED, can not be sold on another flight. example: Turkey Sandwich or Chef Salad. It's a LOSS.
These items are thrown out. At the beginning of the "Buy On Board" program, they overboarded this items and many went un-purchased. Since then, they board what they believe will be "sold" on that particular flight. Of course, it's usually NOT enough. And, every flight is different.