Passenger letters of appreciation.

[Passenger]

I'm not a pilot....just a plain 'ol paying passenger. Just a quick question for you. Do you ever know of letters written by passengers to management in appreciation of a flight they took? Do you get rewarded in some way? Do they help at all or am I just wasting my time? I frequent a "fear of flying" message board and I suggested that they should write a letter of appreciation for the flight due to just surviving it...lol, and especially if the pilot was polite and helpful (we're encouraged to speak with the pilot to ease our fears before flight). Some said they should, but they don't. Most say it's a waste of time. What do you think?

 

[FlyDeltasJets]

I cannot speak for any others, but I certainly enjoy getting them (not that there have been many!)

We are rewarded with a higher priority nonrev pass.

 

[Eagleflip]

I have gotten just a couple, but they actually mean a lot to me.

Our management sees them (and adds their own "attaboy" message, but we otherwise do not receive anything extra for the letters.

Actually, though, that's ok...just getting one once in a while is nice. Continue writing them--please. You'll make somebody's day.

 

[JBcrjca]

I see FAs get complimentary letters frequently, but I'd guess it's rare for a pilot to get one. I think I'll be the subject of a nasty letter soon though....last week while deplaning at SNA, I had a pax get right in my face and scream at me for not cooling the cabin down enough during the flight. "I'm a pilot and a million-miler, so I know how these things work!!" I actually thought he might punch me. Passengers that know my job better than I do really amuse me....and the fact that the temp control was full cold meant nothing to this guy, he just wanted to yell at someone. I covered my butt, sent an irregularity report to my chief pilot. Bring on the nasty letter. But I would always greatly appreciate a nice letter too, however!

 

[metrodriver]

I've had one and appreciated it, our plane was not ready out of mx at 7.00am and couln't get fixed till 2 pm. Us 2 pilots took the pax to lunch at a fast food place (company didn't like that for insurance reasons) 2 miles down the road, and later got a nice letter.
I heard from a FA for a major airline who once knocked a very beligerent and violent pax cold into the lavatories that he got a lot of appreciative letters from other pax on that flight. Guy feared for his job at first, but didn't need to worry anymore later when the letters started to pour in.

 

[tarp]

Passenger:

All letters of appreciation light up management at the airlines. We do not get anything but an "attaboy" and a copy of the letter in our file, but it sure greases the wheels when things go wrong.

My ex-marine boss told me one day that the ratio was 10 attaboys for one "aw-shucks" (edited for general population), so keep 'em coming.

And now a WARNING - WARNING - WARNING.....

Passenger, if you really are a "fear of flying" passenger visiting these boards, I would recommend that you not surf too much in this website. Pilots are just the opposite of you. We do not fear flying. We are going to seem like crazy, drinking, swearing, womanizing, devil-may-care idiots if you read too deeply into this board. This is where we let our hair down and take our epaulets off. This board is the equivalent of the "pilot's bar" where we chase a couple down while we talk about exploits in the same way that fishermen get together and talk about the one that got away or golfers talk about the "you shoulda seen my shot on 15".

Just so you know, when the uniform goes on, my behavior changes to just what you see out there everytime you get on an airliner. You get a professional concerned about the safety of flight and doing my job to the best of my ability. When the uniform comes off, well it's my own personal time and I'll enjoy how I want.

Please be careful!

 

[Passenger]

Thanks for the warning, Tarp. I appreciate it and understand what you're saying. I didn't mean to intrude, but it comforts me to read these boards especially if it's a weather related thread (my fear is take-off and landing in bad weather). I usually just skim over everything else. I would never tell my fellow flyers about this board because I know they would sign up and bombard you with questions.

I just thought I would ask this question because of a recent chat I participated in and I felt strongly that EVERYONE should write a letter of appreciation. When most said it was a waste of time, it offended me especially since times are really tough for pilots these days (learned from reading these boards), and that if you're that fearful then you should be thankful that you got from point A to point B safely.

Do you speak with fearful flyers before a flight? Is it annoying or does it amuse you? Most of the time I don't get a chance to speak with a pilot and don't a get a chance to get the pilot's names for the letter I know I'm going to write. That's why I asked if you know they're written when all the info I have to identify you is from the ticket.

 

[FlyDeltasJets]

Passenger,

Think of your favorite thing in the world to do (well, maybe second favorite!). Do you like talking about it?

My (and most here) favorite thing is flying airplanes. I love everything about it, and when I'm not doing it, I'm usually reading about it or talking about it (when I can). In other words, I never have any problems talking about flying if people ask. In fact, I rather enjoy it.

I have had a number of passengers who expressed fear before the flight, and I always take the time to talk with them and make sure the flight attendant checks on them periodically. I am happy to help, and have never considered it a bother, nor have I ever heard another pilot complain about it.


P.S.
The above does not apply if it involves waking me up when I'm trying to sleep while deadheading or commuting!

PPS
Most people fear that which they don't understand. Have you considered taking flying lessons? Don't laugh. I used to teach, and had a couple of students who were fearful of flying, so they decided to learn more about it. The more they learned, the better they felt, for they realized how much training is involved, how many precautions are taken, how little is left to chance, and how very safe it really is.

Good luck

 

[Fast8945]

Regarding letters:

I once had a FA a while back help me out so much! She was awesome. It was my first time changing planes and I got the jitters about the new city PHX. She even took me to my gate at PHX. I wrote a letter and unfortnaly, I didn't get her name right, but i still remember what she looks like and what she did for me that day.

Thanks SWA!

 

[Passenger]

FlysDeltasJets,

I have absolutely no desire to learn to fly. I'd rather pick the brain of one that does fly. I believe that I could probably overcome my fear by learning, but it's just too overwhelming.

You seem to be very caring and patient. You and other like pilots should visit some fear of flying message boards to help answer some of our wacky questions and calm our fears. In return, you could gain trust and a support system should you need it someday (maybe having a busload of passengers in support of your next strike could shake up management, huh?). Think about it

 

[metrodriver]

Passenger, here are a few words to think about regarding bad weather: If the flight gets delayed or cancelled you can believe the fact that it was bad enough for the pilots not to go there. The guys up front want to go home too at the end of their shift.
I've seen too many people upset that during a thunderstorm when planes don't take off, land and either sit on the taxiway or hold in the air or divert. Most of the time the pax have no idea what is going on, and a lot of times planes are held on the ground in anticipation of bad weather at the destination. Believe me, it is in the interest of 1 thing: safety of the pax, crew and aircraft.
During a thunderstorm the ramp workers are pulled inside, nobody that has a $8.-/hr job needs to be killed by lightning on a soaking wet ramp for the sake of some bags (I have seen enough people being furious about having to wait for 2 hrs for their bags). That's why you sometimes have to wait for a gate to open up and you're sitting on the ramp or taxiway for a while.
Once their was a guy who was so p1ssed that he was 2 hrs late coming from Atlanta to DFW because there were some t-storms somewhere. He threw his bags around called people names, said the airline didn't know what the h@ll they were doing... He changed quite a lot after I told him that 20 people had been killed in western Georgia by a bunch of tornado's, right under his flight 's route.

what are the websites for those bulletin boards for scared passengers?