Frustration Overwhelms!
As I reached the end of the jet way my coat slid out of my arms again as I lifted the carry on over the connection between the plane and the jet way. To my surprise a Flight Attendant caught it for me , asking if I would like some help with my bag. Her kindness after the debacle at the gate caught me so off guard that I started to tear up! She asked what happened and I let her have it! All my frustration with the stupidity at the gate came flying out. The other passengers were staring at me. I felt like an idiot but I couldn’t shut up.
I travel quite a lot. I certainly consider myself a seasoned traveler and usually I handle these things better than this but the whole experience had been one frustration after another. From wandering the airport first for non help at customer service to looking for a working Kiosk…The last straw was that all they had to do was take my coat out of the bag for it to fit. Of course if they did that they wouldn’t have had the chance to go through all of my belongings. I think I felt violated.
This Flight Attendant
I wish I had gotten this attendant’s name because she was wonderful. She let me vent, helped me to my seat, stowed my luggage and offered to get me something to drink! She checked on me throughout the flight making sure I had the snack they passed out, that I was comfortable and so on. She really went out of her way. It made up for quite a lot. She deserves a commendation!
Concerns
I do have one concern. Before we took off, one of the gate attendants came on the plane. He came right to my seat and asked my name. He wrote it down on a little pad. I asked him if I could now put my coat in the overhead. He just mumbled “of course”, took my jacket and stuffed it over my suitcase.
It wasn’t until later that I began to wonder about that little seat side visit. I wonder what kind of welcome I’ll get next time I fly American. Have I been blacklisted? I don’t mean to sound paranoid but why else would he come back to the plane before take off and just single me out?
Home at Last
Once I was home I told my story to my friend Joe. He was as outraged as I was . So he grabbed my cell phone, marched me to the porch and piled me high with the contents of my suitcase to show how ridiculous the gate attendants demands had been. Here’s what it looks like.
And to think this was what they did to a senior citizen using a cane. ( Sometimes I forget I’m a senior citizen but that just makes the whole incident worse in my mind!)
American Airlines leads the pack in complaints
It was another busy month for complaints. Readers filed 337 grievances, just a few cases shy of our record 342 complaints received last August.
American Airlines continued its winning streak in the complaints department, claiming almost 11 percent of our formal grievances.
I have flown American back in 1998 went I went to Vancouver, Canada, and didn’t have a problem. You and I have flown American when we have gone places together and they were very nice. Really sounds more like Delta. Remember that flight attendant on Delta that screams at an elderly person because they wanted to sit with their husband of many years. Passengers were willing to trade seats with the gentleman but she would not have it. Some people should not be working with the public. I could go on,,but will stop there.
The flight attendant that was so nice to me said with the merger there were a lot of changes and not all of them good. She said they (american employees) were just as frustrated as the traveling public…not that this should be an excuse