LL, I think you misunderstand me. I'm not talking about "all pax" ahead of staff. I do look after my fellow crew (flight and cabin) I was mainly referring to those times when the poor (nice) customer has had the same thing happen on multiple flights and there is no other option but to ask someone to switch. It's my last resort and not something I always do. If the passenger is being abusive or otherwise crossing the line I prefer not to ask a staff pax to switch (just rewards bad behaviour, imho)
I get that staff are mostly on their vacation time... I usually am too...
But on the few occasions where I've had a serious IFE breakdown, and asked a staff member if they would kindly switch, the attitude I've copped has been ridiculous. (And no the seats themselves were not broken, it was the tv- and I always try to ask someone who is clearly NOT watching their tv to change) I might add it has never been the staff member themselves, usually the cling on. This points to a lack of 'education' by the staff member to their travelling beneficiaries. I bet if some of you knew what they got up to you would be appalled....
BymonEK, I agree, all this "on time" stuff doesn't help when it comes to getting crew to do things like security checks. I often feel like the lone salmon swimming upstream when it comes to stuff like this. But I guess at the end of the day all I can do is make sure I do my bit properly and encourage the others to do the same... though it seems not much point if half of them are not... A better option would be to have security contractors to do the search like in certain outstations but we all know why that is not possible.
Agree- management need to put their foot down on this "wasta" stuff and perhaps the top few need to have a word with their influential friends as to why sacking people for doing their jobs as required is not a good idea.... you can't have both.... either wasta or On Time Departures. I think some of these latecomers would get a shock in certain parts of the world, in fact I have witnessed the tantrums when they have been offloaded and thought good, perhaps they will think about others for a change instead of expecting a planeload of people to wait on their leisure... if you are that important get a private jet... some of the wealthiest most 'important' people who fly on ME airlines manage to be on time, why not others??