Grade-A b**tch FA's at AA

[CA1900]

just give it a rest already folks... i have many corporate pilot friends who all "get it" and don't bitch about free rides... and there is always that 1% who think their schit doesn't stink and feel they are entitled to something when their free ride is not up to their expectations.

Do you treat all your business travelers on their "free rides" with such disdain, or only the ones who are pilots?

 

[FLYLOW22]

AA is horrible. I can't wait for jetBlue to go fo forward with STL hub plans.

 

[Flopgut]

Do you treat all your business travelers on their "free rides" with such disdain, or only the ones who are pilots?

No! Absolutely not. We treat our frequent flyers with the utmost respect. Thing is, with these corporate pilot types, they aren't going to ride on anybody they don't have to. It's whoever or whatever they have to do to get where the boss says "go". There's no loyalty, they could care less. And all they do is gripe, pick out the slightest thing and exaggerate it, so they can make the "royal barge" they fly around seem more essential. If Satpaks ride was that bad (bad enough for him to complain here), somebody needs a correction. If the FAs were bad, then let's jerk a knot in their tail and get it fixed. If there was some mitigating factor happening in the back then let's get Satpak up to speed.

There is a lot at stake here. Legacy pilots want scope clauses made stronger and our we want our regional flying back. Additionally, we also want our premium customers back. If we fix our lingering customer service issues and can get the wealthy traveler to take another look, I think we can get a lot of them back.....

Let me say something about corporate pilots: 20% are excellent operations and no airline will ever replace them. However, 80% of them are, well, let's just say they are average and I want the business back.....

 

[FLYLOW22]

No! Absolutely not. We treat our frequent flyers with the utmost respect. Thing is, with these corporate pilot types, they aren't going to ride on anybody they don't have to. It's whoever or whatever they have to do to get where the boss says "go". There's no loyalty, they could care less. And all they do is gripe, pick out the slightest thing and exaggerate it, so they can make the "royal barge" they fly around seem more essential. If Satpaks ride was that bad (bad enough for him to complain here), somebody needs a correction. If the FAs were bad, then let's jerk a knot in their tail and get it fixed. If there was some mitigating factor happening in the back then let's get Satpak up to speed.

There is a lot at stake here. Legacy pilots want scope clauses made stronger and our we want our regional flying back. Additionally, we also want our premium customers back. If we fix our lingering customer service issues and can get the wealthy traveler to take another look, I think we can get a lot of them back.....

Let me say something about corporate pilots: 20% are excellent operations and no airline will ever replace them. However, 80% of them are, well, let's just say they are average and I want the business back.....

Hey Flop... many of us ARE elite status on several carriers.

What makes us different than other business flyers is that flying IS our business. The lame excuses and attitude just don't "fly" with us. Bad service is bad service and our full Y fare ticket is just as valuable out of your hub as a guy working for 3M.

As far as your 20%/80% point.... I think 100% of our customers disagree. Sorry... driving up to YOUR jet in YOUR car to fly with YOUR pilots with no TSA poking around or loud PAs being made sounds better to me. Or maybe those smiles on the faces of happy private jet owners I've seen for a decade now is botox? I dunno...

Let's be real... those than can... do fly on us. The rest want to. 121 needs to focus on the people who have no choice but to fly on airlines... like me.

P.S. I hope you get ALL the regional flying back It never should have left the legacy carriers and it would greatly simplify the whipsaw leverage management has.

 

[Flopgut]

Hey Flop... many of us ARE elite status on several carriers.

What makes us different than other business flyers is that flying IS our business. The lame excuses and attitude just don't "fly" with us. Bad service is bad service and our full Y fare ticket is just as valuable out of your hub as a guy working for 3M.

As far as your 20%/80% point.... I think 100% of our customers disagree. Sorry... driving up to YOUR jet in YOUR car to fly with YOUR pilots with no TSA poking around or loud PAs being made sounds better to me. Or maybe those smiles on the faces of happy private jet owners I've seen for a decade now is botox? I dunno...

Let's be real... those than can... do fly on us. The rest want to. 121 needs to focus on the people who have no choice but to fly on airlines... like me.

P.S. I hope you get ALL the regional flying back It never should have left the legacy carriers and it would greatly simplify the whipsaw leverage management has.

I appreciate the agreement on the regional flying. And I understand there is a lot on the line here for both sides. Here's the deal as I see it as someone who's done it from both sides: The small jet is extremely expensive. And when the help who's job is to fly the small jet starts acting like they are too important to ride on the airline it's really going to grate on the owner writing the checks. Seriously, we still fly a lot of customers with a lot of money. And frankly, somehow they are more durable and tolerant than their employees. I think when they get the bill, they realize it's a decent trade off.

 

[ozpilot]

It's not like the customers in the back of those things are going to stop traveling. I'd like to re-acquaint them with the airline.

Its because they are acquainted with the airlines that they choose to fly with the fractionals.

 

[CA1900]

... when the help who's job is to fly the small jet starts acting like they are too important to ride on the airline...

I think you're misunderstanding us. We're talking about the erosion of basic service and common courtesy that used to be provided to all airline passengers -- even the ones in coach.

I'm talking about the bitch on my AA flight out of Dallas a few weeks ago who said to me, after I sprinted across three concourses to make my connection because Eagle was late, "Oh, you're what's holding us up?" as she rolled her eyes.

I'm talking about US Airways canceling my flight earlier this year, and instead of helping me rebook, the ticket agent hands me a card with a call center phone number on it. "I can't help you" is all he said as he walked away.

I'm talking about standing in front of a baggage carousel for forty-five minutes before the first bag came off from my United flight two weeks ago -- over an hour from block-in. (Alaska, on the other hand, has a guarantee that you'll have your bag in hand within 20 minutes of block-in. My time has value to me, and I send my business to the carrier that respects that.)


I don't think any of us are asking for private-jet-level service, but simply common courtesy and a good customer service attitude. If you haven't seen that disappearing at the airlines over the past decade, you haven't been paying attention.

A lot of us were in the airline business for a number of years, so we've seen both "sides" of the industry. We're understanding with things that are normal and reasonable (mechanical issues, crew rest, etc.), but not very tolerant when we know we're being BS'ed. I see both on the road.

Thing is, with these corporate pilot types, they aren't going to ride on anybody they don't have to. It's whoever or whatever they have to do to get where the boss says "go". There's no loyalty, they could care less.

Not really accurate. A friend of mine flies for a large corporation, and gets a budget for a hotel, an airline flight, or whatever. As long as he's within his budget, he can choose the provider as he sees fit.

As a fractional guy, my company offers the same things when it comes to my airline flights home. They find a ticket and book it, but I'm free to cancel it and rebook it on somebody else. And I assure you, if my ticket is on United, US Airways, or Continental and another airline serves the route, that's exactly what I do. Alaska, Delta, and Southwest do a far, far better job from a customer service standpoint, and I take my business to them whenever I can, both for work and for my personal trips.

 

[satpak77]

I am AA Platinum for what it is worth. Company pays the ticket (as if that matters, me versus the company, the FA's don't know) and I keep the points.

Yes, the FA's were grade-A full-on b**tches. AA's attitude towards PAX blows.

Yes, you are right, "us" corporate guys are more attuned to taking care of PAX versus the cattle car (Greyhound bus) approach of 150 PAX.

Thanks for pointing that out....again (have I said this before?) the airlines have gone downhill and its just a bus service at this point.

(hey, just one of your 150 pax making an observation)

 

[aa73]

Do you treat all your business travelers on their "free rides" with such disdain, or only the ones who are pilots?

Only the self-righteous jerks who think they are entitled to everything. And that goes for pax, pilots, jumpseaters, and yes, even working F/As who display the same attitude.

 

[Flopgut]

I get what you guys are saying. I think you are missing my point. Think of the airplane with two cabin classes as two different airplanes. Back of the airplane is what it is. In more cases than you are giving us credit, it's a necessity. There are things that grate on travelers back there but that's just because people are crazy.

Front of the plane is more like what you guys are doing. More people are buying those seats, not just upgrading. I think the people cutting the checks on your bizjet understand it, but guys like you don't. They know because they understand sometimes it's more about what you get than what you pay. Customer buys a Gulfstream they know it's going to be demonstratively superior to a Piper Lance. You guys aren't actually writing these checks. There's a disconnect. You want to see better service? Upgrade. Pay more. If you don't understand it maybe your boss could go over it with you?