self loading freight???
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self loading freight???
I have always been just a little uncomfortable with the "self loading freight" designation that is used on here....maybe "pax",the commonly used name may not seem so patronising? After all, no pax, no commercial airlines. And I have to say, I have NEVER heard the "slf "abbreviation used except on PPrune! Any thoughts??? Or am I being just a little precious ??
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"The moment the airline Customer walks in the plane, he/she becomes a passenger - or freight". Actually quite a bit earlier, after he/she has purchased the ticket. However, a general phrase at a Northern European airline...
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qfcabin - I believe you are quite correct to be uneasy about the widespread and unnecessary use of this derogatory term for our customers and therefore our ultimate paymasters. I am a manager in an airline, as well as a PPL holder and a passenger like many others. I have only been employed in the aviation sector for a few years but in that time have been constantly amazed at the appallingly poor service and plain rudeness that many passengers have to endure. The habitual use of terms such as self loading freight is indicative of a general antipathy within the sector towards excellence in customer care and towards respect for people, both passengers and staff. Even the abbreviated 'pax' sounds more like a reference to a sexually transmitted disease rather than to fellow human beings who happen to be paying our wages. Those airlines that do not genuinely respect the needs of their employees and their customers will not stand the ultimate test of time in this highly competitive service industry.service Let's drop 'slf' and how about using 'passengers', 'customers' or even 'guests' - for while these people are at our check-ins, in our lounges, or on-board our aircraft that is precisely how they should be treated by everyone involved in the air travel industry.
Call me old-fashioned if you like but good quality service sells itself - always has and always will.
Call me old-fashioned if you like but good quality service sells itself - always has and always will.
I believe the term 'slf' was being used by Uncle Roger in 'Flight' magazine 20 or more years ago. It at least has the characteristic of being well used!
Personally, I don't mind at all being 'slf'. I do mind rudeness and poor service from the airlines, though. So I have a 'black list' of airlines that don't get my business. Additionally, all the stories about the inconvenience and yet continuing inadequacy (and in some cases, downright stupidity of those supposedly enforcing it) of airport security in the US puts me off the thought of flying there. From traffic figures, it would appear a lot of others think the same.
Personally, I don't mind at all being 'slf'. I do mind rudeness and poor service from the airlines, though. So I have a 'black list' of airlines that don't get my business. Additionally, all the stories about the inconvenience and yet continuing inadequacy (and in some cases, downright stupidity of those supposedly enforcing it) of airport security in the US puts me off the thought of flying there. From traffic figures, it would appear a lot of others think the same.
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fishbed
Please can we stop corrupting the language further? According to my dictionary a customer is a buyer, a guest is a person entertained at anothers house or table or staying at an hotel and a passenger is a traveller in a public conveyance by land, water or air.
Pax is a perfectly acceptable abbreviation of passenger(s) and SLF is mainly used as an affectionate nickname. I work for BA and am almost universally known in and out of the company as a Nigel. So what? It is the context in which it is used that is important. If that is all I have to worry about then I will be a happy man.
Political correctness in all its forms is an abhorrence in my humble opinion.
Edited for spilling.
[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: Acid_Regulator ]
Please can we stop corrupting the language further? According to my dictionary a customer is a buyer, a guest is a person entertained at anothers house or table or staying at an hotel and a passenger is a traveller in a public conveyance by land, water or air.
Pax is a perfectly acceptable abbreviation of passenger(s) and SLF is mainly used as an affectionate nickname. I work for BA and am almost universally known in and out of the company as a Nigel. So what? It is the context in which it is used that is important. If that is all I have to worry about then I will be a happy man.
Political correctness in all its forms is an abhorrence in my humble opinion.
Edited for spilling.
[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: Acid_Regulator ]
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The term 'Self loading freight' in my opinion is actually quite humorous when applied with good intention but there have been in the past a number of people who use it in it's most derogatory form, (should we as passengers refer to pilots as 'Taxi drivers in the air'). So I suppose it swings both ways and would encourage people to look at it's application in context. A friend of mine is a commercial pilot and uses this term with great humour, yet is respectful of the fact that many people are his 'bread and butter'so with this in mind,evaluate accordingly! 
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Sometimes I have thought SLF to be derogatory, but then I remember this is a Professional pilots website. Like many industries, staff have nicknames for customers, so it is no surprise to find it in the aviation industry, which is second only to the world of computing for the adoption of acronyms and non standard descriptions.
As has been rightly pointed out, it is only a problems when some airline staff take it (stupidly) literally. Fortunately most airline staff are wise to the fact that their job depends on 'SLF' or 'paying customers' in the real world.
The term Self loading freight is actually marginally humorous when you think about it.
As has been rightly pointed out, it is only a problems when some airline staff take it (stupidly) literally. Fortunately most airline staff are wise to the fact that their job depends on 'SLF' or 'paying customers' in the real world.
The term Self loading freight is actually marginally humorous when you think about it.
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I thought this was a humorous thread until it was hi-jacked by the pious!
I first heard the term SLF to describe Army Parachutists being carried on RAF C130s. RAF personnel were passengers, army personnel were SLF. That was nearly 30 years ago.
Too much political correctness around for my liking, but I too have a black list for lack of good service, Air Frog at the top, closely followed by BMI, and I wasn’t even called a piece of Self Loading Freight. But what do I know I think ANA, BA and VIR are great
I first heard the term SLF to describe Army Parachutists being carried on RAF C130s. RAF personnel were passengers, army personnel were SLF. That was nearly 30 years ago.
Too much political correctness around for my liking, but I too have a black list for lack of good service, Air Frog at the top, closely followed by BMI, and I wasn’t even called a piece of Self Loading Freight. But what do I know I think ANA, BA and VIR are great
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Someone is being very sensitive here. As pilots we are often referred to as 'glorified chauffeurs'. So the glorified chauffeurs get the self loading freight from A to B (where ever they are). Nothing wrong with that, except we are not glorified any more. 
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as my old grandad said to the rude checkout girl in Tesco - 'Let's focus dearie, me profit - you overhead'
would have thought slf was fairly affectionate term compared to some I've heard!
would have thought slf was fairly affectionate term compared to some I've heard!
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As pilots we are often referred to as 'glorified chauffeurs'.
As SLF I don't find the term derogatory in the slightest. As others said it is only becomes unacceptable if Airline staff interpret it literally and treat the customer as though they were a lump freight. I find the term quite amusing. When I first mentioned it to my wife, who also travels by air a lot, she burst out laughing!
Another gem on this board that have made us laugh was the "Cleared to pushback after Nigels' minibus" comment made by a bmi button pusher, sorry
, Pilot.Less political correctness please. Lets get rid of some PC'isms such Flight Attendants and get the old Steward/stewardess terms back in.
[ 06 November 2001: Message edited by: Gaza ]
Just a numbered other
Jees
All around us people are losing their jobs, companies going bust, bombs falling....
And you are worried about thw niceties of what we call the pax!!!
All around us people are losing their jobs, companies going bust, bombs falling....
And you are worried about thw niceties of what we call the pax!!!
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Look, as long as we are all derogatory to the same level and maybe there is a banner we could put up somewhere (as in "health warning - do not expect to find political correctness here"), we can all get on and talk about the stuff that matters.
PC wrecks every aspect of our lives and has, arguably even cost lives in some situations where it has stifled sensible (re)action.
I know we could be accused of creating our own little world with jargon and slang, but for goodness sake..... what a dull, boring world it will be when we can only use Webster's Politically Correct Dictionary Spell Checker.
So, let's even the field up a bit if it makes people feel better....
why not refer to:
pilots as "PAXi drivers"
Airline Execs "PAXidermists"
small charter a/c pilots "SixPAX"
1st Class "Value Added PAX"
I'm sure you agile and non-PC minds out there can come up with more. After all, none of us do any real work do we?
PC wrecks every aspect of our lives and has, arguably even cost lives in some situations where it has stifled sensible (re)action.
I know we could be accused of creating our own little world with jargon and slang, but for goodness sake..... what a dull, boring world it will be when we can only use Webster's Politically Correct Dictionary Spell Checker.
So, let's even the field up a bit if it makes people feel better....
why not refer to:
pilots as "PAXi drivers"
Airline Execs "PAXidermists"
small charter a/c pilots "SixPAX"
1st Class "Value Added PAX"
I'm sure you agile and non-PC minds out there can come up with more. After all, none of us do any real work do we?
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Sad to say many of the responses to my comments above about the condescending use of the term 'slf' are oh so predictable. It is a shame that respect for others and care over the words that we use to describe others is seen nowadays as political correctness - not so long ago it was seen as common decency. The words we use and the sentiments they convey to others about "customers" are vitally important in any service based industry, and that is what we are - a service provider to our passengers. If we in the airline industry are to help ourselves out of the current mess then passenger satisfaction, passenger loyalty and perception of the airline's attitude towards its passengers are going to be vital. When you think about it the term slf is about as amusing as the terms paddy, paki, or frog. Funny if you are the speaker and not the spoken to. The term is unhelpful, unprofessional and inaccurate - call me a prude and a killjoy if you will but consider for a moment what the majority of our passengers would really think about us if they actually knew we referred to them as self-loading freight? Thankfully most of them do not know and I hope they never find out.
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That's torn it!
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That's torn it!
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Hello fishbed AKA Oldfashioned / prude / killjoy - SLF is not really a derogatory term for pax - although on some flights it probably could be fully justified - Ibiza flights spring to mind - Hey chill out, and accept that all industries have nicknames for their "customers" and mostly the term is used "affectionately" in a humourous way.
Get a life! 
Get a life!