Airlines are looking for a fight! Passengers are ready to give it to them!

[widgeon13]

American Airlines suspends employee after clash over pram - BBC News

It appears that the "flight attendant" aka "guy" who took the pram from the lady was in fact a guy. Guess he was having a bad day on his cycle. I can't comprehend behavior that would necessitate this kind of response from a flight attendant.

A passenger who uploaded video of the aftermath of the incident said a mother had been struck with the pram as it was forcibly removed by the employee.
The video shows the employee saying, "Hit me! Come on, bring it on", when challenged by another male passenger.
American Airlines said it was "deeply sorry for the pain we have caused" the woman passenger and her family.
The incident follows another high-profile clash on a United Airlines plane two weeks ago, when a passenger was violently removed from an overbooked flight.
United Airlines' public relations disaster
The American Airlines incident took place at San Francisco International Airport as flight 591 prepared to take off for Dallas/Fort Worth.
Passenger Surain Adyanthaya, who posted the video to Facebook, said that preceding the footage the employee had "violently" taken the pram from the mother, hitting her and narrowly missing her baby.
The footage shows the mother clearly distraught as other employees and passengers try to intervene.
One male passenger demands the name of the employee involved and when a man dressed in American Airlines uniform enters the plane, the passenger tells him: "Hey, bud, you do that to me and I'll knock you flat."
The employee confronts the passenger, telling him to "stay out of this", then saying: "Hit me! Come on, bring it on."
He adds: "You don't even know what the story is."

[GH85Carrera]

What the heck is a pram?

[widgeon13]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

What the heck is a pram?

British name for stroller, article was in BBC.

You know, woman with two babies gets slammed with a pram.

[BE911SC]

Now that the United story, for better or for worse depending on your own viewpoint, has put airline service, or lack thereof, back into the national media hype cycle, I will take the position that some passengers might now feel emboldened to act even more poorly than before.

OTOH, crews have been hammered-down by cost control and the rise of the company shareholder to the highest level of importance over all else. Cut, cut, cut so that the suits may expand shareholder value. Cut your pay, cut your benefits, eliminate service and cut back on quality. Employees cost too much and so does quality. You might feel a little less empathy too if you had to deal with the public on the modern cattle-cars with wings while constantly being told you cost too much.

But for every tough customer there are a thousand who are just great and know the pressures coming at crews from all sides.

I say it all the time. "This is what 'low cost' looks like."

If you want kiss-ass treatment then you should get rich and fly on a private jet, or at least pay up and get into the Business or First Class. Capitalism baby. It costs money to treat people well.

If you don't like it then write a letter to Harvard Business School and tell their tenured MBA profs to start teaching--go back to teaching--some level of morality in the pursuit of profits.

Putting shareholder value over all else results in us rats fighting with each other down in the bilge of the boat.

"That's just my opinion and I could be wrong." -Dennis Miller

[Jim Richards]

I hope for better, but I won't hold my breath.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

It costs money to treat people well.

Yes, but it shouldn't cost the customer more. The airlines get away with it because there is so little competition, and the competition is, so far, only over price.
Mrs WD and I went to Lowes first and then Home Depot this morning. Lowes was crowded and the carts were broken or scattered in the parking lot. I had to retrieve a cart from the lot myself. The place was jammed and checkout lines were long.
We skipped Lowes and went to HD. They have a customer-centric checkout where if there is a line they have an attendant scan the purchases of everyone in line and it is imprinted on a card. When you get to the cash register the operator scans the card and rings up your purchase. No more waiting in line while the cash register the operator scans your stuff. We won't be stopping at Lowes first anymore, even if it is closer.

[GWN7]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Go Greyhound, they give better service

Not up here. You can get your head cut off by flying the friendly sky's with Greyhound.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Tim_McLean

[widgeon13]

There is no cost to civil behavior. Hitting a customer with a stroller by some little San Francisco twit is just uncalled for, he deserves his ass kicked, not just fired.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

on the modern cattle-cars with wings

Love it.

I vividly remember when I no longer had enough segments and miles and I lost my "Beryllium" level assumed upgrades, special numbers, lounge privileges, etc.

It was like they took away my birthday.

[KNS]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Love it.

I vividly remember when I no longer had enough segments and miles and I lost my "Beryllium" level assumed upgrades, special numbers, lounge privileges, etc.

It was like they took away my birthday.

Ha! You were simply relegated down to "Pot Metal" class with the rest of the schlubs.

I find it funny, whether it's travel status or the latest and greatest credit card, all trying to out do the previous precious metal.

[scottmandue]

Frankly with all the long lines and poking and prodding you have to endure to get through security everyone is on edge by the time you get on the plane.
I'm surprised there isn't more violence on board flights.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by KNS

Ha! You were simply relegated down to "Pot Metal" class with the rest of the schlubs.

Made me laugh because it is true. Steerage isn't for the faint of heart.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

What the heck is a pram?

Originally Posted by widgeon13

British name for stroller, article was in BBC.

You know, woman with two babies gets slammed with a pram.

You would think that, but in this case, it's also the name for one of these.



Which is why this was the response.

[masraum]

[speeder]

Pathetic.

I must say, though, I've never actually experienced such rude behavior by airline employees as I read about here and elsewhere. Not doubting any of it, maybe I've just been lucky.

[KFC911]

That flight attendant is gonna challenge the wrong person and push the wrong button someday imo. Hope it's caught on video .

[masraum]

Originally Posted by speeder

Pathetic.

I must say, though, I've never actually experienced such rude behavior by airline employees as I read about here and elsewhere. Not doubting any of it, maybe I've just been lucky.

Same here. Based on my various experiences over the years in various customer service capacities, and just being a customer in a line when other customers are acting-a-fool, my first thought is usually that the customer was being a total douche-nozzle. I know that's not always the case, but I suspect it is 80% of the time or better when someone is loudly complaining about being mistreated after the fact.

I also know that some folks aren't cut out for customer service, and even folks that are, can be pushed too far or can snap.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by KC911

That flight attendant is gonna challenge the wrong person and push the wrong button someday imo. Hope it's caught on video .

Yeah, but at the same time, getting mouthy and telling someone to hit me, if that's answered is just going to mean a payday for the douche, or at least, a whole bunch of trouble for the person that doesn't keep his head and remember "sticks and stones..."

[pavulon]

attendant is a dink but would bet he's seen his share of entitled and unreasonable passengers and went all "Falling Down".

[speeder]

My money would be on the passenger in that fight. He's a big fella.