Tell me your airline staff stories!

[Karin1984]

For the last number of years I self check in online and use the self service bag drop machines at the airport. As a Disney parks regular I am well able to queue and wait in line , but at an airport I don't want to waste time standing in a queue, when I could be shopping and eating. I think its important to have some airline staff floating, to help with those who may have difficulty with the machines, but I think the days of the 2 hour wait in line for check in and bag drop desks are long gone.

I think this is enough. The welcome is important as it is a security check, they check your boarding card, the meal service and trash collection is fine too. Its always the goodbye I find awkward. Especially after a 10 hour transatlantic I'm really not that bothered, I just want off the plane. The smiling thank you for flying with us is a bit unnecessary.

I prefer when it is served to me. I have never helped myself from the pantry when that has been available. The name badges, again I never take any notice of. Honestly, those personal things are irrelevant to me, I just want my food and drink so I can read my book on a short haul or watch a film on a long haul.

I choose to fly Aer Lingus over Rynair. Its a running joke in my family, especially when me and mom visit my sister. I live with my mom, we get a taxi to the airport, she will fly Ryanair, I will fly Aer Lingus, both flights around the same time. then we meet up at the airport in England and get the train to my sisters house.

I prefer the Aer Lingus experience over the Rynair experience. On a flight from Dublin to London for example, the flight time is the same, but the experience is much different. Aer Lingus I feel is just more calmer and they have a better choice of destination airports. Rynair only fly to London Stansted, whereas Aer Lingus fly to both Gatwick and Heathrow. On Rynair the constant sales during the 1 hour flight is off putting. They sell everything from airport parking to lottery tickets, to train tickets as well as snacks and drinks. And then they have that god awful hooter announcing, congratulations you have just landed on another on time flight.

When I used to travel for work between Amsterdam and Paris, at one moment even on a weekly basis, taking a plane was like taking a bus. Same day trips, departing Amsterdam at 8, and then departing Paris again at 5pm, with the travel time to/from the airport, those were 12 hour days and all I wanted was to get from A to B as quickly and smoothly as possible. So with as limited interaction as possible. Because interaction means indeed, waiting in line.

I'm not an extremely social person, I do not chat easily with strangers. I do appreciate people look me in the eye and smile when I board or hand me a sandwich. I am only very social at the gate, when i am flying on standby and my fate rests in the hand of the gate agent ;-)

What I do find amusing, is the difference between Business and Economy. "What would you like to drink, miss?" vs. "What would you like to drink?" Doesn't happen all the time, but I do have had some European Business Class experiences where the flight attendant was so extremely polite and courteous, that I wonder if he is like this when working in Economy.

The name badges are not a big thing to me, but I do like it. When I am at Disney and I have a good or bad interaction with a CM, and I will write to give feedback, I do not want to ask 'what's your name' (Or employee number in case of a complaint). It makes the conversation awkward and less spontaneous. When writing about a person, I want to address them by their name, and not as the 'middle aged man, white, grey hair, glasses.
When I used to work in uniform at the airport, I had (and still have) a name badge with my initial + last name. As I understand it, is it changed to just 'agent' to a. save money, and b. in this day and age with social media, there were some problems with people being looked up on social media.

 

[Karin1984]

edit..
Story about an airline

About 2 years ago, me and mom were flying to England for Christmas, her on Rynairair, me on Aer Lingus.

Our destination airport had very bad weather conditions. We were both boarded on our respective planes and my plane was heading out to taxi to the runway when the pilot announced that the destination airport had closed and we had to go back to the terminal. I texted my mom, but they had not been given this information by Rynair.

When my plane passengers got back to the terminal, we were given food and drink vouchers straight away. I rang my mom, she was still on the plane, waiting at the side of the runway, no information about why the delay.

Eventually while I was back in the terminal eating my free sandwich from my Aer Lingus voucher, my mums plane was told by Rynair that there would be a delay and they were now back in the terminal too, but had not been given a food voucher.

My flight ended up being delayed about 4 hours, Aer Lingus very good about updates, I was ringing my mom with information, as Rynair were not giving the same information. She eventually did get a food voucher but only after complaining.

Our destination airport remained closed for 24 hours. After 5 hours delay Aer Lingus put me on a flight to a different airport in England and then organised bus transport to our original airport. A convoluted journey yes, but Aer Lingus got me to my original destination on the original day I planned to travel, at no extra cost to me.

My mom was not so lucky. Ryanir eventually said the flight was cancelled and rebooked everyone for the following day. They only offered a free hotel to some people, they were not going to give a free hotel to my mom, but she argued her point.

My mum had a very stressful time and arrived a day later, while I had a less stressful time and arrived on the day I was supposed to.

That's my thing with budget airlines, I do not mind that they decide to make it basic and have you pay for everything. But the lack of information & service when things go wrong, is what throws me off. I do not mind delays or any other bad news, that's life, these things happen. But be open about it. When I have information, I can process it, and adapt to the new situation. You do get extra points if you tell me about the problem and immediately tell me how it's going to be solved. Like with your mother, 'We will go back to the gate, the flight is cancelled, you fly tomorrow, here's a voucher, there is the bus to your hotel, it's paid for, see you tomorrow!'

For my research I went through almost 5.000 remarks passengers have left in surveys the airline sends out after a flight, and I noticed that many of the negative comments are about not having information. I think nowadays we have many more people with an A-type personality, and we are used to having information anywhere, any time at our finger tips. When you fly for a lot of things you are dependent on the airline to give you information.

 

[BadPinkTink]

That's my thing with budget airlines, I do not mind that they decide to make it basic and have you pay for everything. But the lack of information & service when things go wrong, is what throws me off. I do not mind delays or any other bad news, that's life, these things happen. But be open about it. When I have information, I can process it, and adapt to the new situation. You do get extra points if you tell me about the problem and immediately tell me how it's going to be solved. Like with your mother, 'We will go back to the gate, the flight is cancelled, you fly tomorrow, here's a voucher, there is the bus to your hotel, it's paid for, see you tomorrow!'

For my research I went through almost 5.000 remarks passengers have left in surveys the airline sends out after a flight, and I noticed that many of the negative comments are about not having information. I think nowadays we have many more people with an A-type personality, and we are used to having information anywhere, any time at our finger tips. When you fly for a lot of things you are dependent on the airline to give you information.

exactly, and this situation really showed me the difference between the two airlines. Same destination, 2 different airlines, flights scheduled to depart with 30 minutes of each other and the difference in how they handled the destination airport closure was huge. We ( Aer Lingus passengers) were being told destination airport is closed for the day, we are working to make alternative arrangements, while Rynair passengers were just being told your flight is delayed. Aer Lingus passengers were handed food vouchers as we walked off the plane and back into the terminal, Rynair passengers had to complain and beg for food vouchers.

Yes Ryanir is cheap but that comes with a price. Even now with Covid, Ryanir has been very slow with refunds and vouchers, where as Aer Lingus have been very good with rescheduling flights, or refunds and vouchers.

I think after Covid, people will remember which airlines had good customer service and people wont be as quick to go for budget airlines which didn't look after people.

 

[Karin1984]

Another good one - Air India, same thing, flight attendants that wanted you to have a good flight, and excellent food.

I think that's one thing you cannot fake, or hardly fake, people being genuine and authentic. You immediately know if someone got up on the wrong side of the bed.

Just thought of another - I was flying from LA to San Francisco, on Braniff. Just as they were going bankrupt. When I checked in, I was assigned a first class seat. Lots of room, Recliner-type seats. Linen on the table for the snack/beverage service. So sad it was only a 1 1/2 hour flight.

It's one of the things I appreciate most when flying business within Europe is so small, but it is indeed linen and real glassware and cutlery intead of plastic and paper.

One of the lesser quality flights - when our airplane was changed just before departure, and everyone was seated randomly onboard by the computer, causing major delay putting parties back together. Once on the flight, the flight attendant managed to open and spill a Pepsi on me. The only comment I got - "here's a towel" as she handed me a barely damp paper towel. So I was crammed in an economy seat, sticky, with a video screen in the seat in front of me that didn't work for a 6 hour flight.

That's not a good flight... At those moments, some friendliness and a smile can make a whole lot of difference. When you spill a drink on someone, at least say you're sorry.

 

[Karin1984]

My husband and I flew to Scotland last year on British Air. From the minute we stepped on the plane they couldn't have been more helpful and attentive. My husband had 2 strokes a couple years ago and this was our first real trip since then. His vision is limited and he has some balance issues but he is stubborn and tries to deny needing help. He also tends to be a very people person and chatty so not only did they listen to him go on and on about me, they helped me with all of the carry-ons and my backpack/handbag. Then to top it off after they helped my husband get settled they brought us 2 glasses of champagne to celebrate our anniversary and him surviving to take the trip with me. That flight meant so much to me because I was not sure how he would handle the trip and it was a wonderful start. The flight home on American was a complete disaster. Raw, cold chicken for an entree and rude stewardesses because I dared to ask for it to be cooked a tad more, they just couldn't get i didn't want to get sick on the chicken. They just did not compare favorably to the experience heading to the UK on British Air.

That's such a nice story (about BA, AA is indeed a disaster ;-) ) Did they know it was your anniversary in advance or did your husband tell them?
Asking as what my research shows that one of the most memorable & personal things a flight attendant can do is make a special day even more special. Like for birthdays and anniversaries.
I wonder if airlines should have, like Disney, an option when booking to say if you are celebrating something.

 

[Karin1984]

At the Delta lost luggage counter while filing out the report the Delta employee told me the computer says the bag missed the connection. When I pointed out that there was no connection between Atlanta and Miami she responded with "Well we lost a lot of bags today."

*facepalm * Then just say: "Computer says no."

Best flight crews - Southwest always helpful and friendly In all my years I’ve never had a problem I wish they flew everywhere!!
I myself got to see a Canadian flight person discriminate against a person of color on a very messed up flight we were all on ! When this injustice was corrected by another flight attendant of color - a third flight attendant came by and tried to undo it - well by then I had had enough - the lady got to stay up in first class where she should have been placed with the rest of us for the trouble we experienced . I found this behavior disgusting ! I was very shocked - the lady impacted never said a word - I said plenty. The other crew members were nice but between an 8 hour delay a missed connection and that Horrible treatment of a very nice person I won’t use them again. Sorry it is West Jet
Alaska Airlines - Rude Rude Rude - if they could ever post a schedule and stick to it that would be a great start - for someone as I will never try them again.
I find American Airlines not very friendly - not rude just not friendly. Delta is hit or miss.

I've never flown Southwest, but a lot of people on the Dis seem to love them

And yeah, when you have an experience like that, it's best to walk away from their business and do not look back. You never know how many bad apples there are in the basket.

I have the same with Air France as you have with American.

 

[Karin1984]

I rarely visit a desk when flying by myself, but with my family, we always go to the desk. I have top level status with my preferred airline, so I have access to a desk where the line is always short and the people are very friendly. When we're checking 5+ bags, that really helps. And the last time we left from home, the line for the kiosks to check in was crazy long, then there was another line for bag drop-off.

And the thing I want most is efficiency. Check my bags, print boarding passes, and send me on my way at the check-in desk. Board the plane quickly and with a minimum of fuss at the gate. Give me the information I need on the plane without talking too much. I don't need you to be cute or funny. Let's all do what we need to do together so we can each go back to doing our own thing separately.

Same here, everything at the airport has to be as efficient as possible. And I totally get when travelling with a group, one agent can be more efficient.
Love your final sentence. Thank you for your input

 

[Karin1984]

Story #1

My wife and I had been married about 1 year. We were scheduled to fly from Seattle to London on British Air. Got a call at 10a from our travel agent (this was back in 1996 when you used a travel agent to book tickets). She said the London to Seattle inbound had been canceled for mechanical issues. They changed us to a LAX to Heathrow Flight and booked us on an Alaska Air flight from Seattle to LAX. We collected our bags in LAX at the Alaska Airline baggage claim. My wife soon turned white. I asked what was wrong? She realized her Passport had her maiden name on it. She thought our entire 2 week European trip was going to be ruined. Panicked we headed over to the British Air check in counter. The British Air agent was unflappable. Said no problem Just crossed out her married name and wrote aka (her maiden name). Whew. We thought at least we were able to board the flight. We were still worried about customs. Our final destination was CDG (Paris). We didn't have to go through any customs in Heathrow. When we got to Paris it was close to 10p. The place was deserted. The only customs was a moving walkway where the 99% of business travelers were flashing their passports to the half asleep customs agents. We did the same. No one said anything.

We started walking around looking for baggage claim. Saw a flight attend and asked. She pointed and just said to walk that way. All kinds of signs that said "no entry" "restricted area" We went through anyway since the flight attendant said so. Found our two bags on the carousel and walked out. I'm sure things have changed since 2001.

Definitely! Nowadays names not matching on your ticket and documents can really mess up the start of your vacation!

I have a friend with a Portuguese name, so it's a double last name. In her day to day life she only uses the last part. And within Europe, it's usually not a problem when travelling. But with international it can be. The first time we travelled together internationally, I kept freaking out because she didn't think it was an issue not to use her full last name.

 

[mikehn]

The only interaction I've had with airline staff is something I cant post here. But it was fun while it lasted.

 

[Karin1984]

The only interaction I've had with airline staff is something I cant post here. But it was fun while it lasted.

Did you join the Mile High club with him/her? That was not the kind of services I was talking about. But I guess it is a way to make someone a loyal frequent flyer

 

[nkereina]

Do we still need crew on the ground?

The only time interact with airline employees on the ground is when they take my checked luggage and when they scan my boarding pass prior to boarding the plane. I'm not sure how safely or effectively either of these could be replace by self-service functions. I think staff is still needed in these two roles, mainly from a security and order perspective.

In the air on most flights, you see a flight attendant at least 4, times, when you board there is someone to welcome you, during the flight food / drinks are served, trash collection after the service, and when you arrive crew wishes you a good day. Should crew come by more often? Or is this enough for you?

How about in the air? Some airlines only serve a meal and all other drinks & snacks you can get yourself in the pantry. Good thing, as it will probably reduce costs (less people go and get something) but it also less interaction. What about personal touches? Some airlines the staff only wear a badge with their rank/position, while others go for names (like CM badges). Any preference (or do you not care)?

I watch several Flight Attendant YouTube channels and one thing they all say is that FA's are not present to serve you food and drinks. Their primary purpose on the plane is to assist the Captain with maintaining the safety of passengers. Food/drink service is a customer service courtesy that they facilitate, which is secondary to ensuring safety. So, given that, I don't think FAs coming by more frequently would be warranted and I don't think decreasing FA staff on a flight would be warranted either, since safety would still be of the utmost importance and it would be a bold move to cost cut around passenger safety.

As far as personal touches, I think that's more of a customer service thing. While I think its nice and likely makes passengers feel more comfortable, I wouldn't say its necessary.

As a side note, I definitely recommend those Flight Attendant YouTube channels. They offer some unique perspectives and may be helpful for your paper. My favorites are Kat Nesbitt, Jetting Julia, and Kacey Cassady. They all work for American Airlines.

 

[Karin1984]

The only time interact with airline employees on the ground is when they take my checked luggage and when they scan my boarding pass prior to boarding the plane. I'm not sure how safely or effectively either of these could be replace by self-service functions. I think staff is still needed in these two roles, mainly from a security and order perspective.

My home airport is Amsterdam Airport and the only time I really HAVE to see a person when travelling within EU is at security when my hand luggage is scanned. There are many machines here where you weigh and scan your checked luggage, print your own label and send it off. There are of course staff members around to help if needed or when your bags are too heavy or odd size.
For boarding, I think most EU destinations you scan your boarding pass yourself. If there is an issue the gate doesn't open and a staff member has to check what's wrong.

There can be more staff at the gate to check visas etc. depending on the destination, like Russia.

I watch several Flight Attendant YouTube channels and one thing they all say is that FA's are not present to serve you food and drinks. Their primary purpose on the plane is to assist the Captain with maintaining the safety of passengers. Food/drink service is a customer service courtesy that they facilitate, which is secondary to ensuring safety. So, given that, I don't think FAs coming by more frequently would be warranted and I don't think decreasing FA staff on a flight would be warranted either, since safety would still be of the utmost importance and it would be a bold move to cost cut around passenger safety.

As a side note, I definitely recommend those Flight Attendant YouTube channels. They offer some unique perspectives and may be helpful for your paper. My favorites are Kat Nesbitt, Jetting Julia, and Kacey Cassady. They all work for American Airlines.

Thank you for your help and the suggestions for the youtube channels I am also doing interviews with the flight attendants of my airline. And you are definitely right, there is a gap between what the flight attendant's job is and what management thinks it is and what the passenger thinks.

As far as personal touches, I think that's more of a customer service thing. While I think its nice and likely makes passengers feel more comfortable, I wouldn't say its necessary.

True, definitely not necessary to get you from A to B. But to turn someone into a returning customer, I think service only one of the few areas where airlines can make a difference. The hardware of planes and getting to your destination is more or less the same on each airline.

 

[tazdev3225]

That's such a nice story (about BA, AA is indeed a disaster ;-) ) Did they know it was your anniversary in advance or did your husband tell them?
Asking as what my research shows that one of the most memorable & personal things a flight attendant can do is make a special day even more special. Like for birthdays and anniversaries.
I wonder if airlines should have, like Disney, an option when booking to say if you are celebrating something.

We had just celebrated our anniversary and my husband mentioned it to the stewardess. He was telling them how he had heard stories of women leaving their husband in similar situations after the strokes and was so happy I stayed with him and we celebrated our 38th anniversary a week earlier. The stewardess came back with the champagne and said a love like ours deserved a celebration. It was truly a memorable flight.

 

[nkereina]

There are many machines here where you weigh and scan your checked luggage, print your own label and send it off

I haven't flown international in years, but everywhere I have flown in the U.S., we have to turn our luggage over to the airline staff who then place it on a conveyor belt to go somewhere behind the scenes, possibly through additional screening, and eventually onto the plane. Airline staff always checks my license and boarding pass when doing this as well. I've not seen a conveyor belt that's out in the open/self-service, but most airlines do allow you to print and tag your own luggage tags so its less than a 5 minute interaction with the airline staff at the counter when dropping off your luggage.

For boarding, I think most EU destinations you scan your boarding pass yourself. If there is an issue the gate doesn't open and a staff member has to check what's wrong.

In the airports I've flown through here in the U.S., the gate is usually just an open door to the jet bridge that you walk down to board the plane. The gate agent announces when boarding can begin and then facilitates that process by scanning the passes (or making sure mobile boarding passes are scanned) and that everyone getting on is at the correct gate. It sounds like you have a physical gate that opens and shuts with each boarding pass scan? I would guess for most airports here, it would be cost prohibitive to install something like that. Plus, I could see it creating inefficiencies that makes the boarding process take longer if the gate has to open and shut for each person. Unless I'm misunderstanding it.

 

[fly girl]

Thank you for your help and the suggestions for the youtube channels I am also doing interviews with the flight attendants of my airline. And you are definitely right, there is a gap between what the flight attendant's job is and what management thinks it is and what the passenger thinks.

True, definitely not necessary to get you from A to B. But to turn someone into a returning customer, I think service only one of the few areas where airlines can make a difference. The hardware of planes and getting to your destination is more or less the same on each airline.

Definitely! A HUGE gap. Initial training does nothing to teach about customer service. NOTHING. You don't even pull out a beverage cart. Flight attendants absolute primary job is to keep passengers safe. All of your time in training is spent teaching evacuations/ditching, door and window operations (every plane is different), fighting fires, administering medical care, and sadly how to deal with terrorism and human trafficking. Nothing about serving drinks, snack, or meals. That is all learned on the job.

Management knows this, but they sometimes forget. Passengers rarely see us in that capacity so it is no surprise we are just known for passing out peanuts and saying "buh-bye."

But when the you know what hits the fan, passengers do see it. I have had a several of them hug me after emergency situations (emergency landings and medical emergencies.) And in the same regard, I have shelled out that compassion and hugged them when I discovered they were traveling because of a death; or even worse, their loved one is right beneath us in cargo. Those flights are very hard.

But don't get me wrong, customer service from F/A's is vitally important. Flight attendants can be the only human interaction you actually get from an airline. We are with passengers the longest, and how you perceive us is how you perceive the airline. As a purser for 20 years I learned a few tricks of the trade with dealing with the public. And it is not the same everywhere you go. It definitely is a love/hate relationship with the public at times.

 

[Poohlove]

Definitely points for South West for problem solving!


Nice! Not just for storing it, but also toaking the trouble to call you about what was going on.

That must be some good ice cream

 

[_19disnA]

I haven't flown international in years, but everywhere I have flown in the U.S., we have to turn our luggage over to the airline staff who then place it on a conveyor belt to go somewhere behind the scenes, possibly through additional screening, and eventually onto the plane. Airline staff always checks my license and boarding pass when doing this as well. I've not seen a conveyor belt that's out in the open/self-service, but most airlines do allow you to print and tag your own luggage tags so its less than a 5 minute interaction with the airline staff at the counter when dropping off your luggage.

That has been my experience as well. Current practice with all US airliners is you turn over your checked baggage to an airline employee when checking in for any flight. Even if you use a self-service kiosk to check-in, if you have luggage to check, you still need to show ID and turn the luggage over to an airline employee (including curbside luggage drop-off). All checked baggage goes through some kind of screening machine (I assume looking for bombs) once you turn it over to them.

Just to clarify the order of things in the US, after you check-in and drop off your luggage, you then go through TSA security screening. Only those with tickets can go through that area. Then you walk to whatever gate where you plane will depart. An airline employee unlocks the door to the walkway to the aircraft when it time to board and you scan your boarding pass before walking down the jetway.

The OP is from the Netherlands, so perhaps they need to be more specific on what they are looking for as part of their research. Airlines practices in other parts of the world might be different and not comparable, so an international travel forum site might provide input more specific to their research.

 

[Karin1984]

Definitely! A HUGE gap. Initial training does nothing to teach about customer service. NOTHING. You don't even pull out a beverage cart. Flight attendants absolute primary job is to keep passengers safe. All of your time in training is spent teaching evacuations/ditching, door and window operations (every plane is different), fighting fires, administering medical care, and sadly how to deal with terrorism and human trafficking. Nothing about serving drinks, snack, or meals. That is all learned on the job.

Management knows this, but they sometimes forget. Passengers rarely see us in that capacity so it is no surprise we are just known for passing out peanuts and saying "buh-bye."

But when the you know what hits the fan, passengers do see it. I have had a several of them hug me after emergency situations (emergency landings and medical emergencies.) And in the same regard, I have shelled out that compassion and hugged them when I discovered they were traveling because of a death; or even worse, their loved one is right beneath us in cargo. Those flights are very hard.

But don't get me wrong, customer service from F/A's is vitally important. Flight attendants can be the only human interaction you actually get from an airline. We are with passengers the longest, and how you perceive us is how you perceive the airline. As a purser for 20 years I learned a few tricks of the trade with dealing with the public. And it is not the same everywhere you go. It definitely is a love/hate relationship with the public at times.

Thank you so much for your thoughts! This is really insightful.
It's very hard to compare airline service and their procedures/strategies as most information is only available internal. But what I could do was compare how long training takes, as airlines announce this in their vacancies or website.
Easyjet staff has 3 weeks of training and then 3 weeks coaching on the job.
Most airlines are between 6 and 8 weeks.
Lufthansa has 12 weeks including 3 weeks coaching on the job.
But what part of their training (if any) is spend on the passenger... nobody knows unless you work there.

I won't be able to solve every problem in my thesis, but if I can reduce some gaps, I'll be happy

I haven't flown international in years, but everywhere I have flown in the U.S., we have to turn our luggage over to the airline staff who then place it on a conveyor belt to go somewhere behind the scenes, possibly through additional screening, and eventually onto the plane. Airline staff always checks my license and boarding pass when doing this as well. I've not seen a conveyor belt that's out in the open/self-service, but most airlines do allow you to print and tag your own luggage tags so its less than a 5 minute interaction with the airline staff at the counter when dropping off your luggage.

The self service luggage handling looks like this. I haven't used it myself, as I do more short trips with hand luggage only.

[quote']
In the airports I've flown through here in the U.S., the gate is usually just an open door to the jet bridge that you walk down to board the plane. The gate agent announces when boarding can begin and then facilitates that process by scanning the passes (or making sure mobile boarding passes are scanned) and that everyone getting on is at the correct gate. It sounds like you have a physical gate that opens and shuts with each boarding pass scan? I would guess for most airports here, it would be cost prohibitive to install something like that. Plus, I could see it creating inefficiencies that makes the boarding process take longer if the gate has to open and shut for each person. Unless I'm misunderstanding it.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, exactly, I am trying to find a video or picture, but can't find a good one. Below is not at the gate, but the principle is the same. You scan your boarding pass and the gate opens, from there you get onto the bridge and into the plane. So it's not the door to the bridge. Disneyland Paris uses the same at the entrance of Disney Studios park.

 

[BadPinkTink]

This is the bag drop at Dublin airport, the one I use every time I fly

 

[Skywalker]

I could take or leave the airport staff - I mean most of what they do, as you say, can be kind of automated. My interactions with them have always been kind of neutral.

The flight attendants are a different story. I have always had great interactions with them, they are a reassuring presence on the flight.

On my very first flight when I was about 6 years old, I was feeling sick and I remember the flight attendant coming over and offering me a warm blanket and some ginger ale. I just remember how sincere and kind she was.

On my son's first flight at about the same age, we were on a flight where most people spoke French and the flight attendant spoke to my son in French by default. He just stared at her like a deer in the headlights. She immediately said "Do you speak English?" When he nodded she smiled and said "Well then I speak English too", and crouched down and had a little conversation with him. I think he fell a bit in love that day lol.

Those were my favourite but others have been because they were funny, super attentive, whatever. Never a bad experience here.