I think you will find out those facts are not very accurate and more went on here than is being reported on this site.

 

Wow...your last two statements have been extremely critical of the flight attendants and of UAL itself. This make me wonder...............were you the captain on that flight.......

 

That wouldn't make them facts then...

Carl

 

I have no comments on this most bizarre story in particular, but I do have one comment about the above.

1) Teamwork is definitely not a waste of time. Most of us do everything we can to promote it. A few % of of pilots, and a few % of F/A's try to make sure they ruin any chance of an effective professional relationship between our groups, and George Carlin has some choice expressions about what these people need to have done to them.

2) The people that think they are "Kings" belong with the people listed in item 1, above.

3) The people who tell others that they are "a dime a dozen" are just as clueless as those with majestic ambitions. They belong with the people in item 1, above.

4) The people that fail to realize who is in charge of the aircraft, and enjoy the illusion that noone is "above" anyone else are suffering from dangerous delusions themselves. The author of the statement confuses respect with authority. An aircraft is not a democracy and pilots are, indeed, "above" other crewmembers in terms of hierarchy. That doesn't mean they're better people, but it certainly puts them in charge. Anyone who disagrees needs to check the other box on their application, and thereby cross the line that places them, legally, "above" other crewmembers. Or, they can fit right in with the people in item 1, above.

The author could have made an equally powerful statement about this particular pilot's alleged stupidity without insulting any other pilots that were nowhere near this incident.

Thank you.

 

You got me there Carl. lol

 

And again, all I said was IF this account is true, then I am shocked. Not picking sides or whose truth is true, only making an observation....

 

I'm mostly flying the Asia trips for UAL and my experience with the FA's has over all been positive. Average wait time for a bathroom break? 60 seconds. Usually, they're ready before I am. Meals are served piping hot, timely and usually with some leftover 1st class goodie.

Are they a little cranky? Yeah, can be, although most people in the industry deserve to be.

I'll be the first to admit that physical attractiveness and fitness isn't the highest criteria in the FA hiring profile. But have you looked at your seat mates lately? In the past month, I've flown with pilots with bad joints, organ transplants, morbidly obese and hearing aids.

Are the girls at TAM, Virgin, Singapore, etc nicer to look at? Yeah. But here is the reality: In the United States, our laws and our principles around civil rights value these people even though they may not meet our cosmetic standards. So, just like the 55 year old pilot I fly with who has various ailments, these people are our colleagues, they are trained professionals and as we saw with USAirway in the Hudson, I'd trust them with my life, no questions asked. As such, they deserve our respect.

Sorry to hear you that you "cringe" in sympathy when other people show how shallow it is that they are.

BTW, In case someone is wondering, I'm not married to or dating a FA.

 

Outstanding post! 85% load factors, compressed turn times, and FAA minimum staffing all contribute to a far different job than just a few years ago. Throw in terminated or frozen pensions, paycuts, hostile management and insufficient tools to do the customer service part of the job, it's no wonder some are cranky.

 

Wow I didn't know we'd flown together! Don't forget the tri focal glasses and the "pump".

 

Would that be the breast pump or the colon pump?