Kapitanleutnant

Having flown overseas for 9 years in the middle of my career, I can and will attest to the Overseas Captain being more respected than US captains.

At my previous legacy... with some "granny-type" flight atts, they truly thought they ruled the cabin and I personally heard one say to the captain after a quick brief, "You take care of the cockpit sonny, I'll take care of the cabin". It was meant as a bit of a chest pounding by the F/A, senior mama that she was. If I'm lyin' I'm dyin'.

That was one of several times that I saw it.

Overseas, one example.... it was protocol as we got off the bus into the hotel lobby, that the captain was always first to sign in and get his key. Flight attends would all just line up and wait for the captain inside the lobby along the desk.

Just one example of many I saw and felt overseas.

Kap

badflaps

I always tried to get along, I would ask them how high they were going to fly their buffet sos' I could keep the airplane up with it.

Speedbird2263

I see and experience the difference even as a "lowly" First Officer whenever I operate to most international destinations. Truly is refreshing.

symbian simian

Same, FAs had to ask me if they could board (would stand outside in the rain waiting for me), use their phone, smoke on board (yes!!). If I asked for a coffee service would stop until I had my coffee. Funniest (to me) was Switzerland where the Captain would get a better hotel room. I would always have the FO wear my jacket....
Was it better? not always, but some of it was nice.

maxjet

Are you kidding me? We actually have intelligent men who think for one second, that the above examples were out of respect for the Captain??? I can guarantee you that if you left the FA’s in the rain that respect is the last thing on their minds. Give me the above self sufficient FA who I know will handle things well in an emergency over the group of subservient workers who have to wait for permission before undertaking any task. Respect is earned not granted by company manual.

Skyone

It is a respect for the position. Having flown stateside for 25 years then 11 years overseas.....the ability of the international F/As is every bit as good as their US counterparts. EK crashed a 777 in Dubai and the cabin crew did an incredible job evacuating the plane. Yet on a layover, as Kap stated, they would respect the position to check in. Stateside, I had a few occasions where I was TOLD they didn't have to either listen or ignored instructions/briefings/etc. Never overseas and have seen almost "wrestling matches" to get to the check-in desk first to get their "deserved" rooms. In fact, I have seen where the desk clerks would allow familiar F/As hand out the keys and sign everybody in. Just the nature of the beast.

Skyone

I'll add one more thing. Disrespect and lack of respect are two different animals.

JUNEBUG82

It seems us pilots have quite a need to feel respected.

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 11:2

got2fly

This is true. I spend most of my life in the US airlines and have been overseas now for 10 years. The Cabin Crew (as we call them) in my current overseas airline are FAR superior to what I see in the USA legacy carriers in every category. MUCH higher level of professionalism and discipline. Much harder working. MUCH higher standards all the way around. It almost is pure pain for me to fly on a USA airline now, they just seem so sloppy all the way around. It is no wonder that the USA airlines never make it even close to the top 10 worldwide in SkyTraxx airline awards (which are based on millions of passengers voting).

Our pilots check in first at the hotel. I don't like it. I'd rather go last as I always did in the States. But it is the company culture here and that is the way they want it. You can't change it. The cabin crews will absolutely refuse to accept a key before the cockpit crew. No use making them feel uncomfortable and making a big deal out of something you can't change anyway. I am ALWAYS addressed by my title as "Captain -----" in all communications with ALL staff at every level in the airline. I usually am given a suite or at least an upgraded room at the hotel, along with access to the executive lounge for free breakfast / happy hour. This is negotiated into our hotel contracts by the company.

I worked in one overseas airline where the cabin crew wouldn't set foot on the bus or walk up the stairs to the airplane until the captain gave them permission. Seemed crazy to me and I was never comfortable with it, but once again when you work overseas you're not there to change their company culture. You're there to fit into their system, not tell them why ours is better. In the USA, we are a low power-distance culture. Some of these other countries are high power-distance cultures. It is what it is. And from a safety standpoint, I see definite advantages to the overseas system.

The downside is that you lose the familiarity and family feeling when everything is so formal. The USA airline scene (at least in my experience) is a "fun" place to work, and the companies in the USA even emphasize the need to have fun on the job. They want to promote a family atmosphere. Not overseas. We're not there for fun. We're there to work, and to perform to the highest standards and to do so precisely by the book (which is constantly changing because they are constantly refining the system to get better and better based on feedback). Our goal is to simply be the best there is, and fun has nothing to do with it. And so there isn't a lot of going out and socializing on layovers. That is a real downside of the formal system.

NEDude

I have worked in the States, Asia, and now in Europe for several years. My strong preference is Europe. Respect for the flight deck crew as in Asia, but not so formal that you cannot go out and socialize with the cabin crew. I agree that most non-U.S. airline cabin crew are far superior to their U.S. counterparts in terms of professionalism and discipline. It is a bit painful to fly on U.S. carriers now.