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Galley Gossip: Lost in first class
I answered the phone, "This is Heather."
An exasperated voice asked, "Is he back there?"
"Yeah, he's here, hold on." I shrugged my shoulders and handed the phone to the one in charge, a tall, tough-looking guy with a goatee. Don't let the looks fool you. He's really sweet and mushy inside.
"What!" he exclaimed, holding the phone to his ear. He rolled his eyes. "There's a child lost in first class," he said, and that's all he said, hanging up the phone and making his way up the aisle to sort the matter out.
Of course the first thing that went through my mind was a visual of a very young child running through the first class cabin causing a ruckus. I figured the parents were asleep in coach and totally oblivious to the child's whereabouts. I mean what else could it be?
Once while deadheading on a flight years ago, I felt something strange moving between my ankles. When I looked down, I gasped. Oh my. There on the floor crawled an infant - right out from underneath my seat! I picked up the baby, cradled her in my arms, and turned around. Behind me slept a young lady. I spotted what looked like a diaper bag lying on the seat beside her.
"Excuse me," I said, tapping her on the bony shoulder. I held out the infant. "Is this yours?"
She nodded, took the baby into her own arms, leaned her head against the side wall, and closed her eyes.
Leesa, a Gadling reader (and soon to be flight attendant), wrote and told me about her experience with not just a lost child, but a child traveling with a parent who might as well have been lost, considering he knew no boundaries, another common occurrence on flights these days...
Once last year while on a Qantas flight back to the US from SYD, we were lucky enough to have one of the exit rows on a 747 where you have like 6 feet of wonderful leg room. Ahhhh, so nice. Anyhow, this man had his 2 year old screaming child for 2 hours dancing and singing right in front of us - in OUR leg room. Of course the crew was busy working so we were given an up close and rather unwanted performance RIGHT in our very coveted leg space!!! Hey, we booked early for those seats!!! The nerve!
I know this might be hard for some of you to believe, but no one wants to play with your child. So please do not assume that just because your little bundle of joy is adorable and smart that we all want to share our space with him or her. Nor does anyone want to watch your child making laps around the airplane. Now I'm not talking about walking up and down the aisle doing the bouncy bounce to make baby stop crying, or the quick lap around to get the blood flowing (just make sure the seat belt sign is not on), I'm talking about the trek from coach, through business class, all the way up to first class, and around again. People pay big money for those premium class seats and they do not want to be disturbed by you or your adorable little monster, which is why when the flight attendant in charge got the call, I assumed - we all assumed - there was just another child making the rounds.
Hey, it happens. But it's our job to keep it from happening.
Unfortunately, in this case, there was nothing to stop from happening, because the child turned out to be a teenager, a very well mannered one, and the teenager happened to be looking for her father who was supposed to be sitting in first class while the rest of the family sat in coach. His empty seat had apparently been unoccupied the entire flight. No one had noticed. Immediately the purser grabbed the paperwork and sure enough, we really were missing a passenger in first class, and we were three hours into the flight.
Turns out the father had decided to run and get something to read at the bookstore prior to departure while the rest of the family boarded the aircraft and took their seats in main cabin. Because they were in coach and he was (supposed to be) in first class, they had no idea he never made it back in time. Can you imagine his face when he got to the gate and found the plane, along with his family, had departed to New York without him?
Which brings me to the lesson of the day. Passengers, do be on time! The airplane will not wait for you, even when you're seated in first class. Flight attendants, do not assume anything, especially when it comes to passengers. Just when you think you've seen it all, something new happens.
Photos courtesy of (little girl) artolog (first class seat) Richard Moross
Filed under: Galley Gossip
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
william Mar 14th 2009 1:44AM
wow! in the 1950's my mom had to be a beautiful nurse to get her job! yes i already see you tryiing to correct me know it alls...but its true.
now they are trying to trick the public injto thinking that the new airbus A380, is gonna be the "new 747"
what a joke, just like the 747, the "walk around space " will last less than a year- then its sardine can forever, who is actually stupid enough to believe otherwise?
seriously!
Scott Mar 16th 2009 10:36PM
I really enjoy reaing this column no matter what the subject. I notice though that the subject somehow gets turned into a conversation about how flight attendants are overpaid servers and how Heather should stop her bitching and be thankful etc... You know a flight today is just transportation. It is not the glamour job it once was so therefore the crew IS there for our safety #1 and #2 they also do serve us. It is imperative that we have those attendants on our flights. Could you image the chaos without them? I also want to let Kim know that she has a lot of hurt and anger inside of her. People that care about other people do not say such things to others. In Heathers defense I also want to say that it is difficult to tell when someone is joking around with you when you are just reading her words, so think about what she is saying and lighten up a little. Aloha
william Mar 14th 2009 2:12AM
ALOHA AS IN HAWAIIN AIRLINES? LOL you are so obviously another stewardess on hawaiin air.
we completely disregard your protectionism of fellow attendants. by the way, thats a gravy flight, so just stop protecting the wanna be cops -there are reports that flight attendants are the first ones to jump off the plane, human nature being what it is, so lets just call it like it is friend.
scott tadsen Mar 14th 2009 2:20AM
Hi William, I live here in Hawaii. I don't work for any airline or any part of the travel business. I take it that you think I am a flight attendant and am sticking up for other flight attendants? I have to fly more than the average American (I would guess) being from Hawaii and so I just have a strong opinion about airline safety and all that. I sign my emails Aloha. Aloha
Fran Mar 16th 2009 9:24PM
Yes, I am a flight attendant-just to be up front. I cannot, for the life of me get the animosity towards us as a work group. Granted, there are disgruntled, nasty flight attendants as there are nasty, disgruntled employees in any workgroup, however, most of those I encounter are pleasant, professional, and genuinely care about their passengers. And yes (I don't remember the name of the person who posted about this) it is true that out of hundreds of people that attend an open house for hiring only a couple of people are actually invited for the first interview. Not all make it after that, a point that was divulged at training (I wish I could remember the stats on how many actually end up on the line, but that was years ago. I just remember feeling proud to have made it for whatever reason).This person who posted never mentioned his/her looks. They merely stated the fact that few were chosen. I certainly don't know why I was chosen but hope it was more for my personality and apptitude rather than my looks (the mirror kind of confirms this to me!) I am sorry for those of you who end up with an unpleasant flight attendant. Maybe if you try and focus on the positive and keep in mind that your flight attendant is just as stressed and tired as you are, show a little respect, you will find that you will be treated in the same manner. I personally enjoy enteracting with most of you and try to take it in stride with those who are less engaging. Heather, I would love to meet you and compare notes! You seem to enjoy your job as much as I do.
Debjo Mar 18th 2009 8:23AM
I think it is funny that the dad missed the flight! And I don't think it is that odd to find a family split between first and coach. Then again, I am 26 and I perfer to travel first class, while my parents, who can also afford to fly first class, choose to fly coach... even when we are traveling together!
John Nun Mar 19th 2009 3:47PM
Kim: your incendiary comments are rude and out of place. You are being douchey...
jojogoes Apr 6th 2009 9:56AM
My husband is a retired airline pilot so we are some of the lucky ones who get to travel quite often. We have seen families who have had "class separation" before. Generally they are not Westerners - they are from the Middle East, India, etc. where the customs are entirely different from ours. When we flew from Amman to Dubai recently we were in coach on Emirates. We were seated in a row with a pre-teen boy who spoke no English and his father was in First Class. It was very difficult for the flight attendants to communicate with him - even to ask his preference for drinks or meals.
We traveled extensively with our children when they were young (pre-airline days) and we always had multitudes of new small toys, games, activities for the children so they were occupied during the entire flight. At the end of the flight we were almost always stopped by a fellow passenger or flight attendant so they could compliment us on the good behavior of our children. These days it seems that parents expect small children to entertain themselves. It's not possible, folks! Be considerate of your fellow travelers and invest a few dollars in non-educational, fun passtimes for your children.