who are the most miserable pax????

[airbabe]

Which destination has the most miserable pax??
At the mo, I would say that Malta flights are the worst!!
What do you think??

[latin sky]

Short-haul:Fnc-Ory
Long-haul:Lis-Car
Every airline has it's own "miserable" pax,this is my opinion here at TP...

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"Cabin Crew does it better"

[Goldie]

The ones containing deadheading or paxing crews!!!

[Next Generation PSR]

Yes - Malta, they can be really odd.

Also Birmingham passengers, my god they could whinge in the olympics for Great Britain - they are so whinny! The slightest reason to moan and they're off.

Funchal - no happy medium with them, either on a good day the most delightful old dears you could ever wish to meet. On a bad day it's like having 189 Victor Meldrew clones on board.

Personally I find people who spend half of their lives clocking up airmiles on business expenses hard work - as they are are usually quite snotty and would never have flown charter if they had known! No sense of fun guys - and do put that Daily Telegraph down while we do the safety demo - nobodys impressed by your nonchalance/ignorance.

[Slaaag]

Worst pax have to be the AGP followed closely by ALC

[Flygor]

Slaaag, I'm with you regarding AGP. Next Generation PSR i'm with you on the BHX pax - and I'm based there. Still pax can be nice too - I always enjoy the ZTH.

[Next Generation PSR]

Oh yes I forgot about AGPs, I used to operate those out of Stansted, it was just like the whole casts from Only fools and horses and Birds of a feather on one flight somedays, all drippin' in gold - and off to launder their money I think.

AGP = A Gangsters Paradise.

TFS = Totally Full of Sharons.

[The Skylord]

Strange nobody has mentioned Tel Aviv !

[TightSlot]

That's because TLV pax are identical to AGP pax - they'd be quite cheerful going to either destination

[Next Generation PSR]

Oh no, don't even get me started on Tel Aviv flights!

I always start out with good intentions on TLV flights as I respect people's cultures and religions, however our efforts seldom get reciprocated on these flights.

They won't comply with the simplest of safety requests such as fastening seat belts, they are generally rude, ignorant and thoroughly unpleasant. They won't leave the crew alone for a minute, and just try and get 50p for a soft drink or £3 for a headset out of them.

Meal trays literally thrown on the galley floors, no patience for anything and a mentality of "he's getting something - so I want it too"

One of the only occassions I've actually made a PA to say that I would get the Captain to return the aircraft to stand if they didn't remain seated until after take off.

Does anyone else dread seeing TLV on the roster? can anyone enlighten me as to the best way to provide cabin service on these flights?, because being nice doesn't really work.

[This message has been edited by Next Generation PSR (edited 12 January 2001).]

[flapsforty]

NG PSR, TLV can be vexing if you try so hard to be nice while pax reciprocate by treating you and your crew like something trying to crawl out of the gutter.

Not sure if my "method" would work for you, but it's seen me through these flights very well for many years now; I even like going to TLV! :)

I take no **** from any of these pax, irrespective of the class they travel in. Starts as soon as they board and refuse to take the seat mentioned on their boarding card. You don't want to sit there? That's fine, you're not coming with us. Still refuse? No problem, I'll just ask the captain to call the police and they can escort off the a/c.
Point is, do it all with a large dose of humour. I turn the whole thing into a joke, but all the pax understand perfectly that their is no gain in f*cking with us.

If you look at life on the streets in Israel, at they way these people talk to eachother, you see that it's fairly rough and tumble, very straight to the point and always laced with humour.

Northern European politeness does not cut it with these pax. If they are rude, tell them it's unacceptable. They throw down a tray, make them pick it up etc etc etc. Never lose your cool, laugh at their antics and you'll soon find yourself laughing with them instead of gnashing your teeth.

They respect authority if you enforce it vigorously and with a huge smile.

Giving a small talk during the pre-flight briefing about how you will jointly tackle the pax tends to help as well. If the FA's know they have your blessing and that they can for once tell the pax exactly what they think of them, as long as it's done in a sunny way, the whole thing becomes a challenge and loads of fun.

Once again, not sure if it would work for you, as it requires a total turn-around of your normal way of doing stuff, but it works for me, TLV flights are still knackering but lots of laughs, and pax always very chuffed with the service!



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Singularly Simple Person........

[Next Generation PSR]

Thanks for the advice Flapsforty, I'll definately use your tips, see how it works out your way.

I have to admit I didn't get a peep out of them until well after take off when I told them we would return to stand and they would be going NOWHERE! (if they didn't stay seated)

[SectorBabe]

Not so much miserable, but 'snotty' - our wonderful NCE pax. So up themselves, they"re inside-out!! But hey, they pay my salary - who am I to complain about getting very little respect from them?!* Sorry all - getting fed up of seeing Chanel Handbags and some bad fur coats!!

[TightSlot]

Hi Y'all
Sorry to drag this redundant post back to the top of the pile again, but...
Just wanted to thank flapsforty for the advice. I've been Ovda King for the past month, doing back to backs and I wanted to thank him/her for the advice posted above. Amazingly, it works...
I've now got the hang of VDA pax and am starting to enjoy life on these a bit more. Today I noticed that it was the other crew getting strung out but not me. I commend the advice given to you all.
(Written after a long Ovda and a short G & T)

[BTB]

Hi Sectorbabe, it`s me again. Went to Nice yesterday, when we landed the purser told me that an old French couple wanted to say hello to the flt deck (oops!) It ended up me getting a bobbinsing for flying over their house! (they were on the bloomin aeroplane for god`s sake!)

Lardy cakes and midget gems.

[SectorBabe]

BTB - Aren't they fantastic?! I really love doing the NCE flights purely for the "passenger observing". They are such funny people! Suppose the couple in question could not hear any other airline going over the top of their villa! Or maybe it was the bright orange glow from the aircraft disturbed their afternoon tea on their balcony... Its a hard life..!!!

Pasta pots away!!!!!!

[BTB]

...And don`t you just love waiting at NCE with everyone else on board for 10 minutes for the middle aged, middle class couple, she very embarrassed, he with head held high below his Panama.. how can you babes and blokes do this job? (medals all round!)
My vote, by the way, LGW-AGP pax, or to be very un-PC, and very truthful, UK-Tel Aviv. We all know it, just not allowed to say it.

[flapsforty]

Tightslot, can't tell you how chuffed I am with your report on the Ovda! I'm sitting here behind my keyboard with a huge grin! :) For me, stuff like this is some of the best of what pprune can be all about.Thanks for taking the time to post it mate!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">to be very un-PC, and very truthful, UK-Tel Aviv. We all know it, just not allowed to say it.</font>BTB, we can and we do say it. No thought police here; just have a look at page 1 of this very thread. ;)


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Singularly Simple Person........

[Xenia]

Flaps...hehehe....let's forget for a minute about miserable pax regarding "destination" and let's open a little note on the more specific ... "I am a vegetable type" :) :)


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*************************Happy Landings! :)
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[Birds2perches]

In my vast experience, I would say Tel Aviv most definately, closely followed by British business class pax travelling on EK to LHR. There is just no pleasing them.

[kbf1]

From the annals of the "I wish I hadn't said that..." thread on Mil pilots.

Story goes that despite a brief from a Hercules Loadmaster that the a/c should be left tidy by departing troops, the cabin was left in crap order. With the engines running on the ground the Loadie got the 3 worst culprits to clean the entire cabin while the rest of the pax were made to run round the a/c with full kit on. The Adjutant of the regiment which had been flown out in the Herc then approached the Loadie, who was supervising the cleaning and running, and asked if he wouldn't mind falling the Colonel out.

Thought you might find that amusing...could picture you doing something similar actually Flaps. BTW, did you ever get you little problem with the over-libidious Capt sorted out?

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The path of my life is strewn with cowpats from the Devil's own Satanic HERD!

[flapsforty]

Aaaaaaah kbf1, that would be a dream come true for many of us!!
(and Yes, I would if I could :) :) :) )

Haven't flown with the Cpt in question since, so still pending. It was a rotten situation, but I got a lot of very good advice right here, and will use that first time we fly together.
Comp grape-vine has it that he is being taken in hand by the chief pilot, so who knows, the whole might be solving itself?


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Singularly Simple Person........

[comeflywithme]

How come no one has mentioned the Cairos and the Bombays. This is why I started the post of call bells, emergency or service?

[Birds2perches]

Thats because I wouldn't class bombay pax as miserable. They are extrememly demanding and love the use of the call bell, pepsi, running jonnie, panadol, beer and chx biriayni. As long as they get all this and lots of it, at once, they're pretty happy. Ciaro pax are similar but a little harder to please, but hey, it was worth being R1 for the commission. http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

[comeflywithme]

Bird2perches
when did you leave Ek and who are you flying for now?

[Old King Coal]

An ex of mine, from many moons ago, who used to be a #1 with DanAir (and who also used to dread the TLV's) had a nice little method of getting her own back, particularly so with the orthodox blokes (who, in her humble opinion, were the pits w.r.t. how they treated women).

On serving them their kosher dinner, and just as she'd handed it to them she would then do a little wince, touch her abdomen, and follow it up with a nicely muttered "Oh, the painters really are in today !"

[gulf-crew]

try doing a middle east to DAC flight full of workers - nobody speaks english except the crew, pax dont know how to use the toilet and that their even is one as for smoking well just light up anywhere, and go to the toilet in the galley or down by the side of your door or even worse in their seat.

Asking pax if they would love to have the chix or lamb and all you get is dhaka. still we have a laugh cause they still pay our wages

[SPICEBOY]

Birds2

501's,503's,etc.

"Please be giving me compliment."

"You're not as ugly as the one next to you."


Comefly

DAC's

30 upgraded-to-club Bengali workers with eyeshades over their mouths,trying to shave at the same time.During Ramadan asked if they were fasting all thirty seemed to say yes.Amazing.Fastest full Club service in EK history.

Don't have too many probs with pax at current co. but some do like to drink more than others . . . the pax too!

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Once more onto the beach dear friends!

[mutt]

Gulf_crew,

Out of interest, just how good is your BANGLA?

It is this sort of attitude from FA's on Asian flights that really annoys the hell out of me. Your passengers have probably never traveled outside their tiny villages, let alone seen an aircraft, and yet you expect them to understand your language plus have a working knowledge of all the facilities on the aircraft!

In the USA they used ships to transport the slaves, in the Middle East they are using airplanes.

Mutt http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif

[Dea Certe]

I recall the most miserable flights I worked were the refugee flights from SEA to SNA (about 2+30 flight time) during the early '80's. The pax were all Laotian or Cambodian, spoke no english at all and were scared and tired. The mothers with infants were particularly a challenge. When the infant would relive its bladder, the mother would hold it out in the aisle--bare-bottomed--to let nature take its course. Nothing we could do but come running with paper towels! The mothers didn't understand what the to-do was about! I'm told the a/c had to be hangared for a good cleaning afterward.

Inflight service was relatively easy, though. The Refugee Coordinator only allowed orange juice as their systems were not accustomed to American food or drink.

[Masafi]

Mutt,

Such is the way of the world, I'm afraid. http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif
I think you may find the following poem quite close to home, as will everyone else working in the Gulf..

We are laborers from Ceylon
Boarding the airplane at 4:25 AM
To change pillowcases, empty ashtrays and pick up blankets
Colombo by night
We don't wear panties to dance on bar tables
We hold brooms
We hold vacuum cleaners
We have thin chests, short legs, and hair held in buns
Song of Ceylon
O Robert Flaherty
We don't have gold nose rings
First woman: I have a child at home
Who's sleeping with his father
His father works during the day
Second woman: I have two children at home
Who are sleeping with their paternal
grandmother
Their father is a laborer overseas
Third woman: I have three children at home
Who are sleeping with each other
I don't know where their father is
Whether in the Army or with a lover
We don't greet the nodding passengers
Traveling from Singapore to Dubai
They are going from the Philippines to Oman to build
From Thailand to Abu Dhabi to clean and sweep
From Indonesia to Kuwait to babysit and raise chickens
(I take care of other people's children
But when I go home on leave
I'll buy for my own child a computer
game as a present)
(And I'm saving money to get married)
(And I'm working to pay off debts)
On the United Arab Emirates airliner they are nodding off to
sleep
Sleep well all you long distance laboring heroes
We also don't greet the air stewardess
From England Finland Denmark and Egypt (with dyed blond
hair)
We do not greet them
We are the laborers from Ceylon
Boarding the airplane before dawn
We walk on the runway carrying trash bags.


Anyway, I agree with Bird2Perches, those nice Bri-ish Biz class passenegers to LHR are just a delight.

Edited since it is 4am and not quite thinking clearly. My first post on Pprune though, after a year of observing!


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Still or Sparkling?


[This message has been edited by Masafi (edited 09 March 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Masafi (edited 09 March 2001).]

[Basil]

Worked for Gulf for a bit and whilst I don't consider myself a bleeding heart type I did feel sorry for the latter-day slaves we were shipping into Arabia to face who knows what.

Interesting comments from FlapsForty ref handling TLV pax. I prob won't have a chance to try her techniques since I'm usually protected by you good people. (They did what? Disgusting! Any chance of another coffee?) ;)

[SLF]

Who are the most miserable PAX? Those being served by the most miserable crew...

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29A please!

[Dea Certe]

SLF,

Good answer! And a lot of truth in it.

Although I might say the most miserable pax is the one in the center seat between the screaming lap child and the pax who needs the seat belt extension. As a non-rev, I've been there. Not fun at all.

[mutt]

Thanks Masafi,

Very poignant.

Mutt :)

[kfly]

Don't forget the retired airline staff who constantly remind you that they have been there, seen it, and done it, and certainly didn't do it the way things are done nowadays as they did it better!!

[flapsforty]

SLF, it sounds clever and is almost true. But believe me, some people are impossible to please. And then I'm not only talking about the 1 in 5 pax suffering from fear of flying!

Masafi, welcome on pprune!
Your post is poignant and so very recognizable. Thank you.

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Singularly Simple Person........

[Vfrpilotpb]

Hi cheery Cabin Staff types&lt;
reading what you chap's? and Chappess's have put it seems that your not far away from the Whinging Olympics yourselves, just remember all you little trolly dollys are there cos you want to be, some of your pax are there for mere transit to the good times! remember that old phrase , They pay your wages&gt;
Have a nice flight!

[Vfrpilotpb]

It really is a pity that you trolly dolly boys ?and Girls ? dont see that you are there in the tube because you want to be , most of your charter types and air milers are they because they have to be, at the end of every flight tis your pax be they sad or gay ( sorry, happy) who have paid you wage, imagine King Richard the Virginal type he would'nt pay your wages out of his back pocket, so stop whinging and mix another G&T + ice and pull a tinny out,nut as well please, and remember without us miserable passengers you people would be working in a cafe some were, dawn the olde Kent Road!
Have a nice flight! :P

[Vfrpilotpb]

It really is a pity that you trolly dolly boys ?and Girls ? dont see that you are there in the tube because you want to be , most of your charter types and air milers are they because they have to be, at the end of every flight tis your pax be they sad or gay ( sorry, happy) who have paid your wage, imagine King Richard the Virginal type he would'nt pay your wages out of his back pocket, so stop whinging and mix another G&T + ice and pull a tinny out,nuts as well please, and remember without us miserable passengers you people would be working in a cafe some were, dawn the olde Kent Road!
Have a nice flight, beware of turbulance! :P

[FJJP]

Ladies, as a mil plt I have often flown airline to pre-position, etc. I have nothing but praise for the way you do your job - have had nothing but good service and a cheerful smile every time I have flown.

I wouldn't do your job if it was the last job on Earth - the cr*p you often have to put up with is nothing short of shameful. The previous post induced me to write this - he's a moron, and I disassociate myself and all other professional people from his kind of comment.

Keep up the good work, and thanks for the service.

[kfly]

Well Vfrpiltpb you have certainly put all the 'trolly dolly's' in their places! Maybe you should spend time in finding out what cabin crew did in the 'real world' before flying. Most of the cabin crew I know have had good careers in their 'previous life' or are studying towards one, and would be over qualified to work in a cafe in the Old Kent Road..........unless of course it was exclusive to 'Nigels'.

[Sick Squid]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">As these are anonymous forums the origins of the contributions may be opposite to what may be apparent. In fact the press may use it, or the unscrupulous, to elicit certain reactions.,
</font>

QED

[WelshCityFlyer]

This topic is getting BORING. Aren't you all sick of it yet, or are you going to waffle it to death??

[paddle]

OOh.....um......can we just waffle to death?? **just jokes**!

[five percent]

SLF

Think you got in there first and to the point!

The most miserable passengers are the ones served by the most miserable crew who think that they are better - despite the fact these people pay their salaries.

Some of the best flights can be those with the CAI-DAC-CMB-BOM etc anything passengers as long as they are approached as individuals - sorry those who are bored with the subject = why not just move on - don't waste your time telling us how bored you are when you can go out and do other exciting things in life!!!



[This message has been edited by five percent (edited 24 March 2001).]

[j2000]

five percent....
I could'nt agree with you more....I've done quite a few CAI,DEL,BOM flights over the years, and I've always found the pax o.k....theese flight are as nice as the crew make them...of course they can be very demanding but so can business travellers. I've seen F/A's treat workers/haji's etc with contempt....they would'nt dare talk to a C or F class pax like that because they'd be writing in about they're lousy attitiudes.
Give me a 747 load of imigrant workers any day instead of a load of moaning businessmen trying to get another amenity kit out of you cos you!!

Happy flying all........