"No Meal Service"...

[Vicman]

last week my parents "non-rev'd" SFO-NRT for the first time. they informed me that the gate agent was very hostile towards them to the in the sense that, and to the extent that she blantantly said, " no meal service on international flights, no meals okay!" The gate agent even scribed "no meals" on their boarding pass stubs.

This was their first non-rev trip, and naturally, they were unsure about the whole process. They kept quiet, took the abuse from the gate CUSTOMER SERVICE agent, and sat in the boarding area. They did not dare leave to buy airport food for the long trip because they were afraid that the CSR will give their seats away (the boarding process had just begun). My dad like many other passengers, takes certain meds that are to be consumed with food. (I could just imagine how it must suck to watch your seatmates eat x number of meals throughout the trip while my stomach is growling...and on the flip side...what kind of hot to-go meal can u buy at the airport that will not spoil and give u the runs on an int'l flight..--nice thoughts ey)

Also, they were not granted the first class seating that i listed them for (i remember calling reservations and hearing "wide open seating" the morning of the flight).

I understand that they are "chance passengers", they are not entitled meals, or first class seating....but i just wonder why the gate agent was so mean to them. There sure was a more civil/tact way of informing them about the meal situation e.g. "i'm really sorry, but due to regulations you folks are ineligible for meal service for this flight", etc etc.

I also thought that if were dressed appropriately, and if seating in first was available, they would be granted premium seating (with any additional upgrade cost deducted from my pay check).

anyway they stated that the steward was kind enough to give them any extra meals. The NRT CSRs (return flight) were nice and didn't deny them meals svc.


they were real happy to be able to their final destination and back w/o getting bumped, but they told me how demeaning the SFO gate csr was.."we felt like garbage" they told me.

Racism can be ruled out, since they were of the same race/ethnicity etc....i'm just venting and hoping to hear input from any main line/ express or CSRs that read this. my hunch was that the gate agent was p/o'd at UXpress folks like me and took it out on my parents...but i'll find out this week when i pay her a visit. thanks for listening/reading or replying

 

[JediNein]

.....

 

[JediNein]

Inexcusable behavior by the CSR... However, she probably just had 38 passengers roundly chew her out, was informed by dispatch that they were 13 meals short, the Captain told 'em they were weight restricted, the FAA was conducting a line inspection, and X number of bags needed to be given to another flight, as soon as this flight is done she is to go do a drug test, and so on.

Still no excuse for the CSRs behavior. This is an excellent training opportunity for the CSR to be conducted by her supervisor. Non-reving is the reason wages are quite low for the airlines; they offer the incredible benefit of reduced/no-fare travel.

If your parents are to survive the non-rev game, they need to be better prepared. In the carry-ons, they need food. There are many 'special diet ok' foods that will keep nicely in their carry-ons for the entire flight and always be available should they need it. They need their medications in the carry-on. They need to ensure their carry-ons fit under the seats in front of them. They need to have made reservations that give them options should they be delayed a flight or ten. They need to not ever have to be there. If they need to be there, buy a full fare ticket with the employee discount. They need a sense of humor to deal with the occasional CSR that needs a new job. If your non-revs are rude back, YOU can lose your non-rev privileges.

And, your parents need to remember, the gate agent is god. The gate agent controls the non-rev's very existence (in terms of making the flight) and has a long memory. I am still friends with a few non-revs that I was able to upgrade to first class over 8 years ago. Thought doubtful that the CSSR your parents encountered will ever make a friend, they continue doing whatever they can to be friendly to the next CSR.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein
former gate agent

 

[Birdstrike]

...i just wonder why the gate agent was so mean to them...

My response would be, because they can.

Nein had a good take on their situation but many handle all that and still manage to retain a modicum of civility. Others are SOBs for no good reason at all other than some people just become that way when given a little bit of authority.

 

[chperplt]

I would contact your pass department and file a complaint against the CSR. They can and will file complaints against us for the slightest thing. She was rude and that is not called for.

File a complaint and follow up on it. If she treated your parents like that, how do you think she is going to treat paying passengers?

 

[justApilot]

Just like anything else in life if you don't like the way you are being treated take a name, employee number and get the supervisor involved. Follow up with a letter to the company in great detail. There is no reason for rude behavior period! I see it at work on and off duty. In either case I have no problem getting involved. These people pay my salary, there is no reason to treat them like sh!t.

 

[Vicman]

.

Thanks for all your responses....great reasoning/advices.

 

[jetops]

just a guess was it united they were flying on ?

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Alot of airline workers, especially gate agents are a$$holes. I know because I used to be a gate agent at a major airline while I was building my hours. That gate agent was probably having a bad day and took out her frustrations on your parents because she felt they were an easy target due to their inexperience at nonreving. Even though nonrevers fly for free (or close to free), they are still entitled to the same treatment as a full fare paying passengers. I would definately report this bltch.
On the flip side, I used to get a little frustrated when I was working a busy flight and the nonrevs would constantly come up and bother me with asking for first class or asking "where they are on the list". Some nonrevers have no idea how to nonrev and they act like nonreving is a right and not a privelege. They should remember to act very humble while nonreving.

 

[atrdriver]

I will never forget walking to a gate to pick up my release..The gate agent never looked up, but snapped "i'm closed". I said OK, and continued to stand there because I knew my release was there, and figured I'd let him finish whatever it was he was doing. After about 2 minutes he almost yelled, still not looking up, "I SAID I'm closed". I continued to stand there, still not saying anything. About a minute later he looked up and said "oh, sorry, i didn't realize you were a pilot." That said to me, he didn't have any problem treating our paying passengers that way.

I always tell non-revers to smile and say "Hi, how are you" to every gate agent they encounter. It may just be the first time that gate agent has been smiled at all day. Then again, there are those G/A's out there who will be a$$holes no matter what, and they need to be reported, whether they were rude to a paying passenger OR a non rev.