Travel news you can use from America's travel expert
Sign up for our FREE daily or weekly newsletter

Passenger’s Request for OJ Sends Flight Attendant Over the Top

Airlines & Airports, Luxury Travel — on December 11, 2009 2:36 pm

Orange juiceWhat is it about “juice” that lends itself to scandal?

The word brings to mind a low-speed chase in a white Ford Bronco, record-breaking baseball players with bulging biceps, and now, a high-stakes conniption fit in an American Airlines first-class cabin.

Keep reading to find out how a flight attendant’s reaction to a passenger’s request for orange juice escalated into a tense stand-off that is now the subject of an airline investigation.

The incident occurred December 6 on American Airlines flight 614 from Sacramento to Dallas. David Koss, a nearby passenger and witness, wrote the Consumerist to give his account.

According to Koss, a flight attendant named Helen was in a visibly foul mood while she was serving breakfast in the first class cabin, allegedly plunking the meals down carelessly on tray tables and rolling her eyes at passengers.

Avoid this fate: The Worst Flights From Hell Can Now Be Seen Online

When she arrived at the passenger in question, she became frustrated while he struggled to lower his tray table. When he asked if he could have some orange juice, Helen allegedly responded, “This must be your first time in first class.”

American airlinesThe passenger, who was Executive Platinum for 10 consecutive years, told Helen that she was being condescending.

This was the last straw. According to Koss, Helen “blew up” and began yelling at the passenger.

Helen’s unhinged behavior apparently left the cabin on edge. Throughout the next hour, Koss says Helen went back and forth from the front of the plane to the cabin, returning to badger other passengers about talking behind her back.

Revolt on a Plane? How to Complain & Dangerous Air Travel Scenarios.

At one point, she asked the passenger in question to join her in the front for a private conversation, but he refused because he did not want to talk to her without witnesses present.

Plane in blueShe then disappeared and came back with a written note she claimed was from the captain saying that he was violating federal law for threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a crewmember (section 91.11).

When they landed, an airline representative was waiting for them to get their accounts of the incident on record. American Airlines officials say they are still investigating the matter.

Gadling contributor Heather Poole, a flight attendant for a major US carrier, writes an interesting response to Koss’s story. In her letter, Heather says that she has also noticed a decline in customer service on most airlines, but notes the struggling carriers often require flight attendants to work long days without breaks or meals to keep their fares competitive.

What has been your experience with flight attendants? Have you experienced any horror stories? Was there a time when you were pleasantly surprised by a friendly crew? Leave us some comments below.

By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related Links: Consumerist, Gadling

PeterGreenberg.com Links:

  • http://www.gadling.com/galley-gossip Heather Poole

    Peter,

    Thought I’d let you know that the passenger who actually requested the orange juice, not the passenger who wrote the letter about the incident, posted a comment under my post detailing what happened during the flight and after the flight. The airline not only apologized to him, but to those seated around him, which is good to hear.

    As for my response to what happened, I never defended Helen, yet so many readers are reacting as if I did. At the end of David’s letter to the Consumerist, he transfers his frustrations out on Helen to all flight attendants in general for the last 20 years. As a flight attendant who takes pride in my work, I hate to see one bad egg affect so many.

    Heather Poole

  • John Lyons

    As a TWA flight attendant for 32 years and laid off once again by American Airlines- because of the stapling of the APFA flight attendant union at AA – I voice my disqust toward the current AA flight attendants. During the time that I was recalled and worked with the current AA flight attendants – I was totally dismayed at their complete lack of professionalism and service-orientation. A vast majority of these AA flight attendants barely had a GED education – a far cry from when the TWA flight attendants were hired. When I was hired in 1977 as a flight attendant with TWA over 90% of us were college educated, and airlines could be more selective. Maybe, airlines of today should take note to restore their service and AA to bring back the furloughed TWA flight attendants with over 32 years of service. Thank you. .

  • Anonymous

    I was a flight attendant for American Airlines for 24 years. I left last January. They treat the flight attendants like dirt, make them work like dogs, and pay them nothing. The Executive Platinum was treated by Helen as she was treated by AA management. It certainly doesn’t excuse her behavior, but I personally have reached a point where I enjoy stories of passenger torture after watching them go after the cheapest fairs or most freebies for so many years. By the way, Helen was probably putting things in the food and drink! Enjoy your next AA airline meal!

  • 2hester

    For the record, I really, really, hate American Airlines.

  • Jill

    We all have frustrations in our jobs, but that does not excuse bad behavior. I am hardly swayed by your argument that you worked for the airlines for 24 years- we all work in jobs that include some level of customer service and many of us also find our own management to be unsympathetic towards our needs- but management was not involved in this incident- it was one woman’s behavior. You seem annoyed that people want good service in return for the amount of money they spend on plane tickets and this puzzles me. After spending $350 on plane tickets, paying extra money to bring a suitcase with me and being subjected to endless delays, you are darn right I expect good service. Do you expect good customer service in return for your payment for goods and services?

  • Anonymous

    Unfortunately this illustrates a problem that runs much deeper in our society.

    At its core, this is not an issue of simply being over-worked, under-paid, how much the ticket cost, paying extra fees or any other reason that pins the responsibility for behavior on someone else.

    Too many people have simply lost their manners and their respect for one another. I’ve seen others (including other F/As and EPs) who have none of the things on the “checklist of excuses for bad behavior” who treat others poorly. Our society tells us it’s OK to behave poorly, as long as we have a good reason and can blame someone else for our actions.

    While there is certainly something to be said for the role proper parenting has in all of this, I’ve found the best way to make a difference is to be in good humor and be friendly and polite to everyone, no matter what. This has a magical way of being contagious. In fact, on many occasions I’ve later received apologies from those who were initially jerks.

    Is this idealistic? Maybe. Is it tried and true? Absolutely!

  • Dorothy

    Being Asian, I still find that I’m constantly being stereotyped when I fly to and within U.S. Most of the time I don’t blame them, having come across demanding and bossy non-English speaking passengers but I start to boil when I’ve established my ability to converse and still, basic courtesy is not extended. I also realize that it’s always from middle-aged women and that’s just giving all of us a bad name.

  • Queen

    It is one thing to be rude to a customer. It is another thing to use the flight safety laws as a tool to intimidate, bully, or persecute customers. The later should be considered criminal abuse of power.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t remember any problems with cabin staff (except one on an empty Air Nauru flight who didn’t want me sitting by the emergency exit); but I could write a book on some of the hassles I’ve had with immigration, airport (or train) or border officials. Some are OK some are officious a**holes.

  • Howard C

    I had a similar experience when flying with my daughter. I am a Medallion member and when I asked for a water NICELY, the lady started yelling that she did not like my attitude. The passengers saw and heard the whole episode and told me they would also file a complaint. Several times walking up and down the aisle she intentionally bumped me, trying to elicit a response. I stared straight forward for fear that I would be arrested when the plane landed. I filed a complaint, sent letters to the President of Delta but never heard what, if anything was done. Very scarey experience as this woman was definately not all there and I was literally scared I was going to be met at the gate by the FBI !

  • Linda Wright

    In my opinion, Southwest was under no obligation to apologize to the mother of the screaming 2 yr old, and would have owed an apology to the plane full of passengers if the child and mom had been allowed to stay on the flight. If necessary, the mom should even sedate the child before boarding; but under no circumstance should she expect a plane full of paying passengers to tolerate a full-blown temper tantrum from a 2 yr old for an entire flight. Once again, Southwest did the right thing; and their refund and voucher (plus diapers, no less!!) were above and beyond the call of duty! As an added note, adult passengers can also act like toddlers, as we learned on a Northwest flight from Detroit to Amsterdam in April of 2009. The couple directly in front of my husband and me kept their seat backs in our laps the entire flight, even during meals and landing. The flight attendant(s) never said anything to them, even though they walked by checking seat backs more than once. It made things very crowded for us, esp. as it was a 400-passenger plane. Oh well, next time I will be more vocal.

  • Anonymous

    Good luck to getting recalled while the Eagle is growing and AA is downsizing.

  • D Tolbert

    I also abhor AA. Flight from ELP to DFW came in late and we were at the back of the plane, so we’re one of the last off the plane.

    We rush through DFW but my 5 year old daughter HAD to use the restroom. So rather than have our little girl pee herself we stop for a quick bathroom break before we continue rushing on through DFW.

    My husband is hefting our carry on bags and herding our two young children as fast as they can go once we get of the shuttle whereas as soon as the shuttle doors opened I sprinted all the way out of the shuttle and to the desk to let them know that even though we’re a tad bit late we’re moving as fast as we can.

    One of the AA guys at the counter was very rude, inconsiderate, and highly unprofessional suggesting my husband and two little girls “hurry it up” even though they were moving as fast as they could. He gave me all sorts of insulting and snide comments suggesting that this flight was being delayed solely because it was entirely our fault… no consideration to the fact that the connecting flight that brought us to DFW was late! Just as I looked at him and was about to ask him his name he took off down the ramp towards the plane. I never did get his name.

    Perhaps it would have been better for AA if my daughter had wet herself and then had to sit in a pee soaked seat the whole flight. We didn’t even get out ticketed seats and with the mess of the situation they rushed us to the seats we ended up sitting in so quickly that if my daughter had wet herself we wouldn’t have been able to change her until after the plane was in the air.

    It was embarrassing and shameful where they priorities were and the way we were treated. To make the matter all the worse we weren’t traveling for pleasure we were traveling due to a death in the immediate family! Now that’s service!

  • angelofsol

    My father worked for TWA and when I was a child we flew TWA frequently. I could not agree with you more. AA is a far cry from TWA and I tend to indulge in the fantasy that any of the good empolyees that I experienced on my AA flight were once former TWA empolyees who understand good service.

  • http://www.easyrecovery.ie data recovery

    yes, this news was all over in the media and news papers.

  • Anti-Airtran

    Yes, I also have noticed a deterioration in flight crew service and a new chip on the shoulder type attitude. I booked a AIR TRAN flight from RSW to MDW with change of planes in ATL.
    I knew that the arrival and departure times in and out of ATL were tight so I up graded to
    business class in order to allow more time to navigate between terminals.  My airport ride was late so I did not board early. I on every flight that I had been on the Business class
    overheads were closed to keep them available to the business class people. However
    this crew left them open.  Of course a bunch of lazy inconsiderate people fill them up on their way to the back of the plane. The person in the other seat had checked all of her baggage and did not use the overhead, there was no room for my bag.  I told the attendant
    that only reason I upgraded was to get to my connecting flight, but she you will just
    have to find room where ever you can. Which was3/4 of the way down the plane.
    When it was time for final landing prep, I asked that if she would grab my bag for me
    while pulling up to the gate before the seat belt light was turned off because there was no
    way that I could get my bag till the plane emptied.  She said that I would have to get my bag  when I could. I again reminded her of the flight schedule and why I upgraded.
    But she did not care. The attendants stood up in the front galley and chatted amongst themselves.  It would have been no trouble for one them to retrieve my bag at all.
    I never flew Air Tran again until after Southwest took them over!