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United crew - it's time to serve drinks to the idiots in coach
There is not much I like about United Airlines, but their Channel 9 in-flight audio is one perk you won't find on any other carrier. Channel 9 is the audio channel that lets you listen in on the cockpit communications with Air Traffic Control. I've always found it a great way to pass the time, and get a better idea what is going on when the plane is delayed.A reader on The Consumerist apparently shares my love for Channel 9, but got a rude awakening when he noticed that the Channel 9 audio was relaying the flight attendant phone communications instead of the cockpit.
Unfortunately for the cabin crew, the things they were exchanging over the phone were really not intended for the passengers, especially when one of them told a colleague that they'd soon "start on drinks for the idiots in coach".
Ouch.
I've always known coach class passengers were sometimes referred to as "roach class", or "self loading freight", but to actually refer to your paying customers as "idiots" seems rather harsh.
One of the passengers who heard the remarks let a crew member know they were able to hear what they were saying, at which point they stopped using the phones. Of course, no apology was issued, nor did anyone at United Airlines respond to the story.
(Via: The Consumerist)
Stories of booze gone bad in the skies
Reader Comments (Page 18 of 18)
whitney Feb 27th 2009 12:47PM
Wow. Are you serious? No, it's not brain surgery, but let's see you deal with jerks like you on a daily basis and do it with a smile.
There's a LOT of more that goes into being a flight attendant than just "waitressing."
(Hell, there's a lot more that goes into waiting tables than just order taking. You should try it some time; you'll have a newfound respect for those in the service industry.)
Ben Feb 27th 2009 10:29AM
As a child, I remembered it was a "big deal" to fly and people actually dressed up for the occasion. Now, it is not unusual to see people dressed poorly and acting rude, even in first class. However, UAL had no business broadcasting anything from the cockpit, I can only imagine the amount of sh*# the crew has to put with in these times with rude and crude people. If you think UAL is bad on how they bad mouthed tbeir passengers, try flying first class with American, they treat all passengers poorly and say nasty things about everyone on the plane. I try my hardest to avoid both airlines because of their rudeness andlack of professionalism.
SPD Mar 3rd 2009 2:04AM
not only is this bogus(cant hear em on that fequency)but trust me. The 1st class passengers are hated the most. It doesn't matter wear you sit. 1st class always some pompous $%$ that think they're entitlied to the world, even when they didn't pay for the flight and whatever company they work for did. I fly 1st class all the time and see "customers" stomp their feet and say "I fly a million miles a year on this airline" and they don't pay for it. Lighten-up your all idiots.
Joyce Feb 27th 2009 12:09PM
I don't think this is an issue between waitress and airline attendendant. The comments were wrong and should not have been said with or without the intercom on. I say United is very lucky I was not one of the Idiots in coach during that flight. This comes down to " customer service" The pilot and the stewards were hired to provide a service to their passengers and they did it poorly. they should all be fired immediately. There are people looking for jobs who can interact with people better than this. Their behavior should not be tollerated. No chances. first strike your out. If the pilot can't work the buttons any better than this do you realy want him piloting the plane? Not me.
Joyce Feb 27th 2009 12:11PM
for all the stewards out there that think they are all that. News Flash, Your Not! so calm down. Some of you Stewards act as though you run the show. As far as knowing CPR.. Give me a break it is a 4 hour class that 45% of Americans have taken. It doesn't really matter what type of job you do or don't do. The main point of this story is that the staff refered to their customers as idiots. This is unappropriate in any profession. If you can't understand that then you definately have a problem and should never work with the public. In fact you should never open your mouth in public. Society expects to be treated better than this. I demand good customer service. I work hard for my money and if your company wants any part of it you better provide me with quality service and products or, I won't be back. When United starts crying for bailout money the government needs to take a poll on how many unsatisfied customers it has had in the past 6 months. Bailouts would be null and void. Or maybe the polled people wouldn't count cause they were all idiots.
Amy265 Feb 27th 2009 5:20PM
Were the flight attendants wrong to refer to the passengers as idiots? Of course. Should they have apologized over the PA to the passengers who had the misfortune of hearing the remark on Channel 9? Yes! But to fire them all immediately is ridiculous. They made what sounds like an ill-advised, off-handed remark to one another, without considering their comments might be overhead. Have you ever said or done anything at work that in retrospect was not too bright? If you are honest, the answer is yes.
Furthermore, aside from the inappropriate comment over the interphone (that was never intended to be heard by anyone except the two f/a's conversing), the article says nothing about the quality of the interaction with passengers on the flight. If the flight attendants had failed to provide adequate customer service throughout the flight, TRUST ME, the author would have recounted the gory details so we would all know how horrible the flight was. He didn't.
You seem to hold "stewards" as you call them in such contempt, it would be interesting to hear which words you choose when referring to them in your private conversations. I guarantee the comment broadcast over Channel 9 wasn't made with even an ounce of the disdain your comments reflect.
If you are looking to improve your customer service experience on your next flight, try treating the people you encounter with kindness. You might be surprised how people will treat you in return.
colleen Feb 27th 2009 9:52PM
We have been taking it in the can for many years with pay cuts and such. Time for the rest of you to take it in the can and see how you like the public. How do you like me now? Thank God I quit that job to deal with idiot patients now. All the same
Chrissy Feb 27th 2009 11:58PM
I think it's great,I've been working with.. the public for 30 years, and you have no idea the idiots out there. you can only take so much. Paying for something is not a free ticket to be rude or overly demanding.
flyguy Feb 27th 2009 8:54PM
As to Ryan's comment, you are incorrect. Cabin interphone communications can certainly be piped through the channel 9 entertainment system by simply moving the interphone volume switch up in the cockpit. We normally ensure all switches are in the down position except for ATC communications on VHF 1 channel to keep these other channels from being listened to. Some captains routinely keep channel 9 off to avoid scenarios just like this or others that on-board lawyers would love to get a hold of.
Ty Feb 27th 2009 9:22PM
All I see are messages insulting air crew, calling them "uneducated waitresses". Passengers say horrible things about flight attendants and crew (and they do hear you), do you think it's ok to insult them without them insulting you back? There are just doing thier jobs, you are the demanding, spoiled brats that complain about everything. Same thing goes for TSA, just people doing thier jobs and passengers say the most horrible things to them and about them. You don't know them, you don't know where they come from, how much education they have or what thier personality is like. If they are rude, maybe they are just having a bad day. Or maybe they are fed up with dealing with passengers who have no respect for them or thier jobs. Just because you pay a fee doesn't mean you can treat the people who are there to help and protect you like crap servants. Have some respect and they will show you respect in return. And don't judge until you've walked a mile in thier shoes.
colleen Feb 27th 2009 9:44PM
As an x flight attendant for 10 years "I could not have said it any better myself". I once had a lady demand I tell the gentleman next to her to stop farting. I told her I was not the fart police! Idiots!!!!!!
TOM Slick Feb 27th 2009 9:47PM
United is an airline you love to hate and see suffer with lay-offs, pension reductions..etc.
May they suffer and go bankrupt. May all the losers who work there go and work in 7-11 selling beer,gas and cigs.
Jay Frank Feb 27th 2009 10:27PM
Air Traffic Controllers don't like "the evil empire" either. I am a retired ATC and I found them unsafe, un-professional and unattentive. I won't fly on them at all!
Linda Feb 28th 2009 12:22AM
That's it!! Poor service on United I never complained about. Cold attitides from the attendants I ignored.
This is the last straw though. Hearing how we are thought of while we are paying a lot of money for our seats tells me to look for another airline. First class are not special people. They are people who can afford to pay higher prices. I know some wealthy people who fly coach and could not care less.
United you look like the idiots now.
Tom Feb 28th 2009 3:01AM
You get your share of bad employees and bad passengers on every airline. It just seems United seems to seek out the bad employees. I have only flown United once. That was enough for me.
Ragster-Ed Feb 28th 2009 3:48AM
So bleeping what if the flight crew happened to say "Time to serve drinks to the idiots in Coach"! Don't they (the airline personnel) have a right to their own personal opinion of the rif-raf off-the-street airline customers they have to deal with??? Airline customers can really be a pain in the rear a lot of the time! Flight attendants experience that, but the rest of the public doesn't recognize that so quickly!
joe Feb 28th 2009 9:19AM
TO UNITED AIRLINES---GLEN TILTON YOU GOTTA GO
KB Mar 3rd 2009 6:11PM
AS A FLIGHT ATTENDANT IM JUST GONNA SAY THERE ARE JUST AS MANY IDIOTS IN 1ST CLASS AS COACH. WHY COACH PEOPLE ARE TAKING THIS SO PERSONALLY IS BEYOND ME. THERE WERE PROBABLY 10 IDIOTS ONBOARD, AND LIKE IN ANY CUSTOMER SERVICE JOB, DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC THE IDIOTS STAND OUT A LOT MORE THAN THE 100 OTHER WELL BEHAVED PEOPLE. ITS A STRANGE THING BUT WHEN FULL GROWN ADULTS GET ON AN AIRPLANE SOME HOW THEY REVERT BACK TO CHILDREN, AS A FLIGHT ATTENDANT I FEEL LIKE A PARENT TELLING THERE KIDS HOW TO BEHAVE. ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE HERE, STOW YOUR BAG, SIT DOWN, PUT ON YOUR SEAT BELT AND WHEN THE SEAT BELT SIGN IS ON MAKE SURE YOU ARE SITTING IN YOUR SEAT. IF YOU HAVE TO GET UP WHEN THE SEAT BELT SIGN IS ON YOU HAVE TO EXPECT A FLIGHT ATTENDANT TO TELL YOU TO SIT DOWN. IF WE DONT EVERY SINGLE TIME WE CAN GET A PERSONAL FINE FROM THE FAA IF THEY ARE THERE. SO GET OVER YOUR ISSUES, IM SORRY IF YOU DONT LIKE TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO, BUT THATS PART OF OUR JOB. AND TO THE COACH PERSON USING THE 1ST CLASS RESTROOM, SORRY YOU WERE TREATED SO RUDELY BUT MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO AND IF THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT LET YOU USE THE RESTROOM 10 MORE PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO DO THE SAME, AND THOSE 1ST CLASS PASSENGERS CAN BE REAL A-HOLES ABOUT "THEIR" RESTROOM BEING USED BY HALF OF COACH. I UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION BUT NEXT TIME IF YOU ASK NICELY TO USE IT YOU WILL PROBABLY BE ALLOWED. FLIGHT ATTENDANTS DONT LIKE TO BE TOUCHED SO NO TAPPING ON THE SHOULDER, ITS A SMALL PLANE AND NOT NECESSARY! ENOUGH OF MY RANT, SOME FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ARE EXTREMELY RUDE TO PASSENGERS I KNOW I HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM, AND SOME PASSENGERS ARE IDIOTS.