What do you find most annoying about our job???

[studyolic]

I'm dumbfounded to hear that some people still try to smoke on board. Sometimes I think potential pax should have to take an intelligence test before being considered safe to carry.
Another thing that bothers me is fellow pax fiddling with their blasted mobile phones during flight. While I have to agree that they are useful, some people seem to be attached to their phones by umbilical cord.

I haven't seen any mention of pax responding to cabin crew when leaving the plane. I always try to say thank you on the way out, but I notice quite a few passengers who seem to ignore the crew's "Goodbye" as they exit. Is that annoying for you? Or are you just glad to see the back of that lot of SLF!!!

I have a feeling I may be showing my age.

[JamesHook]

See how we shine.... you wish!

Actually, the job is not that bad at all. The problem is the way the mangement in certain new airlines treats you. Worse than anywhere else in the world. They don't get that handling with people who: don't use the toilets, but do their "things" besides the toilet, people who think they are in the last day of their lives flying to and from CAI and keep ringing the bell every 1/2 second, and that they are RUDE, very RUDE. Not giving you meal allowances when you are not gaining enough and have to eat in Switzerland or Great Britain, not to mention Germany.... that is what we hate from our job! Not the job. The people who don't have a clue of the airline business even though they have been in it for ages and say: Oh, we are not make the same mistake every one else has, we are better and seat "passengers" as guests in "zones", hoping and threatening the crew to treat them as such, when they only give you **** at home. And they still don't understand or haven't even wondered why they have an average of 15 crew resigning a week. Welcome to "The National Ailine of the United Thai-Phillipines" and see how they shine!

[Pandora's Box]

A classic of mine

ME, Can i see you boarding card
PAX, im in 19f
ME, thats nice for you but i still need to see it

Why do pax think your a mind reader?? Make a pa to the lovely's telling them what food and drinks we have and also in the magazine!

ME, Can i get you anything
PAX, i will have a sandwich and a drink
ME, Which sandwich and which drink
PAX, cheese and coffee
ME, Well why did'nt you just say that

I like to have a little chuckle to myself as im on my own at the front, so when the pax get off, i say to them what they say to me, so if they say bye love, i reply bye love but some times the pax cotton on and say ta ra then so i reply ta ra then!! oh it makes it more fun

[airbusthreetwenty]

Originally Posted by marrymefly4free

- Pax who in a weird creepy way use your name every time they speak to you

This happens to me all the time. It really freaks me out, especially if they call you by your first name more than once.

[marrymefly4free]

You always get the one who does it all flight and acts like they actually know you!! Calling your name from half way down the cabin, and just generally acting completely inapropriately - uuuuuuggggggggghhhhhhhhh it really freaks me out bet i'll get one of those tomorro, always do on an SSH coz you're trapped on there so long!

[sukigirl]

Once on a flight we had finished the meal service, drinks and duty free, the crew were having a quick meal break and eating their crew food. One ccm was eating bangers and mash when a pax approached her and peered into her dinner saying "whats that ur eating?" her reply "its my dinner, bangers and mash" "oh" he says "that looks good, can i buy one of those sausages from you?" whilst pointing his finger practically in her food! I swear this man was being serious and even looked slightly disgruntled at being told "no"!

[Flying Frypan]

I know we get some pretty stupid pax, but we also have some pretty stupid crew.
CC to Capt: "I think we may be too heavy to land Captain."
Capt: "Why is that?"
CC: "Well we have collected 3 big bags of rubbish." ???What the?
Have any of you got good dumb CC stories?

[T4Turtle]

Dumb Crew

Yea, as I was looking out of the rear door window a member of the cabin crew said to me; "It's a nice day out there."
I replied; "It always is above the clouds."
A good one for departing pax a game called 'cherios'. As passengers leave the aircraft when a minger passes you by say "Cherio!" and most will respond; "Cherio!" Reserve the cherio only for mingers!

[Getoutofmygalley]

A good one for departing pax a game called 'cherios'. As passengers leave the aircraft when a minger passes you by say "Cherio!" and most will respond; "Cherio!" Reserve the cherio only for mingers!

Except we normally play that game differently. We do "Cheerio" for the BOBS and "bub-bye" for everyone else. It's great fun when the person standing next to you does the same reply

[Hand Solo]

Just don't get caught saying Cheerio to the UM

[cheeryguy]

pax leaving plane
''this flight has been awful, i will never fly this airline again''
hoastie replies
''darling, you've been such a **** all flight, why be nice now??''

[cheeryguy]

business travellers who go out of their way to ignore the safety demo.....reading their papers studiously.....the same ones they weren't looking at before the demo started
then once airborne can't figure out to open a toilet door.... (see ashtray and large sign saying push) .....what chance would they have in an emergency??

[Groundlover]

Hi all, I don't know why I did but I found this thread and decided to read it from start to finish. I must say as SLF and not CC, I do feel that some of the comments posted by CC make me feel liek I am not really welcome as a pax on your flight. I totally appreciate the fact that repitious comments and generally stupid or rude people are gonna get under anyones skin, but I think some of the comments made, although made in jest are in essence genuine gripes you have with your pax.

Personally I would hate to think that just because I have asked a genuinely valid question in my mind that you may have heard many times before, I could potentially be met with a clandestine roll of the eyes.

Some of your gripes come across as unreasonable and personally think that whatever work environment one partakes in, should always make an effort to be positive and enthusiastic, easier said than done I know.

I would say 80% of the time I have great flights but from reading some of the posts I feels like there is some common thread or negativity running thought the CC vocation which seems a great shame.

I know the pay 'can be' pretty low in relation to what you have to both mentally and physically endure but this is a choice you made and it does have some great benefits.

To fulfil the requests of 'reasonable' passengers professionally, with theirs and your safety being paramount seems completely reasonabel to me.

I know this sounds like I am taking this far too seriously but I do believe that moaning (however valid), even under the guise of humour can be infectious and in turn damaging to those you work alongside. I am totally respectful whoeever is serving me (and I mean serving as a service rather than a waiter) but there have been numerous times when I have been met with unprovoked sour overtones that really make or break it with me, on whether the flight was any good.

It can be a big deal for people like me who choose to fly with a particular airline (the world's favourite) every week. Like yourselves no one should be on the receiving end of rude or over demanding people but from some of the comments like opening a toilet doot by the ashtray, would seem to be like a design fault if it happens repeatedly, rather than simply a stupid pax.

I think in these times, people are less tolerant of each other. It's not like flying many moons ago where the vast majority behaved themselves impeccably. People are more demanding and less tolerant and rude. I am not makiing excuses for it but it is a fact and therefore I feel it is important to differentiate between the ideal situation you would like to be in and your actual real life situation your career poses.

I love a friendly and entusiatic crew but like with pax, do witness some constrasting behaviour when onboard.

Have fun in your career.

[dustybin]

We do have fun other wise we wouldn't do it, however this thread was made so would could have a giggle and moan about it with people who know what it's like. I'am sure you must have a moan about your job and have things you hate about it, lighten up. if not stick to the SLF section.

[Getoutofmygalley]

Groundlover

Don't take offense to what people have posted. If we really hated the job, we wouldn't do it.

With regards to the toilet door issue, well the ashtray is slap bang in the centre of the door - the door handle, well that is in the usual door handle place (either left or right hand side, at typical door handle height) so when someone tries to operate the door with the ashtray (which clearly is labelled as an ashtray) it does make you giggle.

As for what I find most annoying, well it is when you are doing the service. Working for a lo-cost airline, we don't carry vast amounts of baguettes. So passenger in seat (for example) 2a asks for a baguette - we say "none left" passenger in 2b asks for baguette - we think wasn't you paying attention just now when the person 5 inches from you face was told "none left".

And the ultimate annoying thing is when you get asked "what ya got?" when there is a lovely little glossy brochure in the seat pocket and a PA has been announced saying that full details can be found in the brochure. From now on I will just say "Champagne"

[Turroncin]

Posh women who ask for daft things like Ukranian vodka with cranberry juice and find it "astonishing" we don't have it on board... or people who moan that there's only 1 type of beer on board, or people who find Chardonnay "simply ghastly" and can't drink it "to save my life" only to guzzle as many bottles as their table can fit once they realise it's free..... especially considering they've paid about £50 return for the flight.

[Turroncin]

Originally Posted by Groundlover

Hi all, I don't know why I did but I found this thread and decided to read it from start to finish. I must say as SLF and not CC, I do feel that some of the comments posted by CC make me feel liek I am not really welcome as a pax on your flight.

did you think all that power smiling and what would sir like to drink and would you like ice and lemon etc etc etc etc was SINCERE?!!

[babyblu]

Nope - no probs with loo door design. It says 'toilet' on the outside and PUSH. Pax still try and get into the wardrobe or storage cupboards to go to the loo. My fav pet peeeev is when your hands are chocker and someone still tries to hand you something (usually gash or a nappy) and one has to smile sweetly and say 'one moment, I'll be right back'.

[Groundlover]

Originally Posted by Turroncin

did you think all that power smiling and what would sir like to drink and would you like ice and lemon etc etc etc etc was SINCERE?!!

Yes of course a tongue and cheek response, but still you are in the service industry and therefore a high level of service should be adopted no? Don't get me wrong, of course any repetitious task can get under the skin but surely that is to be expected no. You have a plane full of passengers who, which for me as a business traveller (not suited and booted - I look like Jesus on a good day and Liz Taylor on a er.. bad one) is the only time I can switch off so sometimes I'm not gonna hear what you said to the pax in front. I do feel sometimes that the Western CC mentality, like other service industries in the Western world tend to feel less obligated to make the customer as happy as they could be. Not all the times, the monitory in fact but it is evident more than say SQ, CX and alike, which I feel has a more consistent level of service. Maybe a little robotic at times yes and maybe lacking the irony and great brit wit but it does make me feel that I am valid for being on board rather than being told, like I was the other day 'why are drinking so much' when I am only a second V&T. Not the way to make me feel very comfortable. Or when I am on LH watching a movie in the upper deck with my headphones on and a steward barking TEA at me because I didn't hear the first time. I don't adopt my travel characteristics to what CC want me to do (apart from safety demo and alike). I expect CC to be sympathetic to me. If I have just paid £4K+ for a full J fare (and price should be irrelevant anyway) I don't expect to hit the munchies galley middle of night and be barked at
'what do you want?'
'well I'd like an apple please'
'they are for club passengers only' in a dismissive manner
'and?' in a questioning manner i.e. and your point is
'where are you sitting' barking at me again
'in 4E' F Cabin
she looks away and lets me get on with my apple nicking (what do they call that again, when you go round to nick apples - can’t remember)

My point is there have been numerous times where CC frustrations from either problematic pax, tiring schedules, hangovers from the crew hotel last night out etc spill over to the pax that isn't going to give you a hard time, is just sitting down peacefully, not ringing the call bell, paying attention to the safety drill. God forbid I don't put my tea cup on your tray next time and am deplaned with a 'Minger' farewell. We're not all bad you know.

And one other thing (and yes I am waffling on now, boring myself even). I know you guys and gals aren't just there to serve bloody tea and coffee. You are there when there is an emergency on board and are trained to respond accordingly. I respect that completely. I am well aware of emergencies seeing that I was in such situation when I landed in Narita in 1994 with an engine falling off the wing and scraping the runway ablaze. The CC were remarkable.

Please don't ruin my impression of you lot. I love being on board and being greeted with a smile, no matter how propped up). I love being made to feel welcome and dare I say it 'special'. I love great service and a banter and what I think has unnerved me a little is that there are so many of you on this thread that seem pi$$ed off by such petty things. Irritating yes, but still a bit petty. Now if someone is rude then I reckon wack em with a hairbrush but please don't label us all the same otherwise I am just gonna be on tender hooks everytime a CC member asks me something for fear that I might not respond correctly.

Best / Groundlover

Originally Posted by Turroncin

We do have fun other wise we wouldn't do it, however this thread was made so would could have a giggle and moan about it with people who know what it's like. I'm sure you must have a moan about your job and have things you hate about it, lighten up. [IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/245/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image002.gif[/IMG]If not stick to the SLF section.

In response to your rather curt remark Turroncin, I like any other participant on Pprune have every right, like yourself to air my point of view. I may well have been in the air a lot longer than you and as I mentioned above have also been in an emergency situation. I think it is equally important to listen to other peoples points of view as long as they are constructively written. Your 'them and us' overtone only compounds how I feel about 'some' CC. Being told to 'lighten up' when your retort was somewhat defensive in response is a little like calling the kettle black and implying that I should only be participating in the SLF if I don't like what I read is just bloody rude. It is yours and my prerogative to say something on these boards if we feel compelled to do so. It is NOT however your prerogative to tell other posters what and where they should browse or comment.

[Turroncin]

Hmm typical passenger! Only joking. Before jumping down my neck, you'll see the last bit you quoted was in fact said by 321 dustybin

Before I got into this weird and wonderful job, an Iberia airhostess told me something that (at that time) I thought "bloody typical Iberia airhostess thing to say" but now I can see her point: never get on the wrong side of a flight attendant.

Of course being scum of the earth service sector worker, I'm not expecting an apology