Tell me your airline staff stories!

[Buzz Rules]

Congratulations on your degree Karin1984.

 

[fly girl]

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

Yes, every airline does it differently. Most United States legacy carriers (United, American, Delta) have 8 weeks of training. You will typically have 3 training flights during those eight weeks in which you will shadow (sitting in a passenger seat) and watch/learn what the flight attendants do on the job. You cannot touch the doors or sit in the jump seat (FAA rules), but you can help in the galleys/serve, and do the safety demo -- which back in my initial training days was not a video. LOL (showing my age here!) The whole goal of training was to have you prepared mentally for an emergency. I will say, it worked and worked well. When I had my first real inflight emergency (engine blew mid air, huge BOOM with smoke) after 30 seconds of grasping what happened, I went into full blown flight attendant mode. I wasn't scared, I wasn't freaking out, I was doing my job. My airline trained the whole crew well. We were a well oiled emergency-mode machine.

At my airline you were on probation the first 6 months and could be let go without reason. Every month on probation you would have a new hire meeting to discuss any issues or questions you had about the job. Back then, our questions were typically on duty period legalities. Scheduling liked to push the envelope with how long our duty periods could extend, and how little our rest could be.

 

[spiders]

Everybody likes to hate on airlines and I get it. Delays, missing baggage, fees for everything but at the end of the day, I still love it. I used to remember when I was kid that the best part of any trip was the trip there and usually the second best part was the trip back (unless it was a Disney trip). I loved walking around the airport and watching everything. One of my fondest memories was when we were taking a trip to Hawaii. We were in business class on TWA and TWA business class on a 747 was upstairs. I remember going up the spiral staircase and thinking it was one of the coolest things ever.

I always thought I would work in aviation during college but things happened and I ended up doing something different that I absolutely hated. I finally quit and went back to school to get a second degree for ATC. While I was doing that, I threw bags (I mean, gently placed as if they were my own). The wife and I took a non-rev trip to Costa Rica. My shift used to start at 3AM. It was late in the day when we were going and I looked up at the screen and I told my wife, "There is a very good chance one of us is getting first class. There is a 0% chance we're both getting it." She said, "You've been up, go ahead and take it." I had steak and my wife took one for the team in like 38B. Her goodwill was over by the time we got there. I was waiting for her at the end of the gate when she finally got off and jokingly said, "What took you so long? I've been off this plane for 15 minutes already!" She didn't even crack a smile.

I have my days like everyone else when sometimes you just have a bad day. But for the most part, I still love the airlines and I love being an ATC. One of the best parts of the job is that there is no briefcase to take home. So, when the shift is over...the shift is over. No baggage (pun intended) to load in the car ride home. It's music on, windows down, and work stays at work.

 

[Micca]

This isn't exactly what you asked for, but here's something that's nice & might work for others. When we fly to WDW with the granddaughters, they make little treat packet for the flight attendants. The crew are always so grateful, it's sweet and it makes the kids feel good. DGDs have been invited to the cockpit several times for a photo op with the pilot, sometimes there's an announcement over the p.a. When the attendants hand out the snacks the girls usually get a little extra attention. It's sweet! Doesn't hurt that they are super cute

 

[Skywalker]

Flew from Atlanta to Miami on Delta.

Arrived in Miami but our bags did not.

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."

Ended up not getting our bags until 10pm on night 4 of a 7 night cruise.

The comedian on our cruise said "DELTA" stands for Don't Expect Luggage To Arrive

 

[JM23457]

I've flown all of the major domestic airlines and have had mixed experiences. Worst customer service experiences via Southwest. On SWA, flight attendants barking at the passengers to speed up boarding and ignoring loud conflicts between passengers. SWA ground crew member at LAX was rude to me, pointedly & loudly calling me out for being in the priority line for elites & Business Select, repeatedly saying I shouldn't be there, until I approached her desk & she saw I was in fact Business Select. I just didn't fit her mental profile of Business Select, in how I looked (minority single woman with a child). Awful. I won't fly with them anymore.

 

[Karin1984]

This isn't exactly what you asked for, but here's something that's nice & might work for others. When we fly to WDW with the granddaughters, they make little treat packet for the flight attendants. The crew are always so grateful, it's sweet and it makes the kids feel good. DGDs have been invited to the cockpit several times for a photo op with the pilot, sometimes there's an announcement over the p.a. When the attendants hand out the snacks the girls usually get a little extra attention. It's sweet! Doesn't hurt that they are super cute

It does make a very cute story, and it shows that it service is a two-way street.

 

[Karin1984]

Everybody likes to hate on airlines and I get it. Delays, missing baggage, fees for everything but at the end of the day, I still love it. I used to remember when I was kid that the best part of any trip was the trip there and usually the second best part was the trip back (unless it was a Disney trip). I loved walking around the airport and watching everything. One of my fondest memories was when we were taking a trip to Hawaii. We were in business class on TWA and TWA business class on a 747 was upstairs. I remember going up the spiral staircase and thinking it was one of the coolest things ever.

I always thought I would work in aviation during college but things happened and I ended up doing something different that I absolutely hated. I finally quit and went back to school to get a second degree for ATC. While I was doing that, I threw bags (I mean, gently placed as if they were my own). The wife and I took a non-rev trip to Costa Rica. My shift used to start at 3AM. It was late in the day when we were going and I looked up at the screen and I told my wife, "There is a very good chance one of us is getting first class. There is a 0% chance we're both getting it." She said, "You've been up, go ahead and take it." I had steak and my wife took one for the team in like 38B. Her goodwill was over by the time we got there. I was waiting for her at the end of the gate when she finally got off and jokingly said, "What took you so long? I've been off this plane for 15 minutes already!" She didn't even crack a smile.

I have my days like everyone else when sometimes you just have a bad day. But for the most part, I still love the airlines and I love being an ATC. One of the best parts of the job is that there is no briefcase to take home. So, when the shift is over...the shift is over. No baggage (pun intended) to load in the car ride home. It's music on, windows down, and work stays at work.

I hear you, almost all people have an awful airline story they tell at birthday parties. However, when for my research I went through the comments in the survey, there are so many good stories as well. People who had wonderful experiences, usually created by staff members. Somehow people share those less, I guess.

When I was still working at the callcenter, one of my favourite stories is the man who called and told me that he was going to propose. His girlfriend worked abroad at an airport in the Middle East and he knew from her colleagues when exactly she would be working in the arrivals hall. He needed me to book his ticket. The guy was so incredibly happy and excited on the phone, that I was a tiny part in their story and could help him propose, made me happy too.

 

[nkereina]

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

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

Interesting! We have nothing like that in the U.S., at least not that I've seen. I imagine both the risk and cost are too great for an airline here to be an early adopter of this.

 

[Karin1984]

Interesting! We have nothing like that in the U.S., at least not that I've seen. I imagine both the risk and cost are too great for an airline here to be an early adopter of this.

Could be, the first time I flew to the US I was amazed at how open the conveyer belts were and how easily accessible

 

[BadPinkTink]

Interesting! We have nothing like that in the U.S., at least not that I've seen. I imagine both the risk and cost are too great for an airline here to be an early adopter of this.

I don't see the risk with the self service bag drop. In Dublin airport the self service bag drop conveyor belt is the same conveyor belt that is at the check in desk a few feet away. The bags are still weighed, the tags are still electronically scanned and tracked and the bags go through the same behind the scenes security check as the bags given at the desk. If anything it reduces costs, as there are less airline staff needed, and it increase passenger spend, as people have more time before their flight in the airside shops and restaurants. Also you don't need to check in at home, as they also have self check in kiosks for people who don't have access to the internet.

Could be, the first time I flew to the US I was amazed at how open the conveyer belts were and how easily accessible

that amazed me too. In Europe our bag reclaim carousels are in the passenger / airport staff airside area, while in America they are in the general public area. Anyone can walk in off the street to the bag reclaim area in America, which for a country so concerned with security, is very strange.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

Before the pandemic, of course, we flew on Southwest constantly. Over the years the flight attendants have generally seemed to become less fun-loving and more "professional", but almost every single time we've had a perfectly good experience, and sometimes a great one.

I miss the jokes they used to tell. A couple of examples - Boarding at crowded Christmastime, said in a Southern drawl: "Let's everyone just find a seat as quickly as possible; you're not picking out your living room furniture." Coming in hot for a hard landing, a flight attendant pipes up: "Whoaaa, Big Fella!"
One of my favorite flights was once coming home from Disneyland. During a stop, a captain called my face-painted grandchildren up to visit him in the cockpit. They were in awe, and we've got some great pictures.

The worst was on the old Northwest Airlines, which has since (mercifully) gone out of business. I passed the gate agent as I was boarding the plane, and heard her making arrangements to bring a substitute pilot in from home. Yep. Our flight. We sat in our seats for a couple of hours waiting for the pilot to show up. The flight attendants barked at everyone who wanted to use the restroom or make a quick cellphone call to family members just to tell them not to leave for the airport for pick-up. Didn't just bark at them, threatened them with being thrown off the plane for being disruptive. We all sat there like a bunch of prisoners.

 

[nkereina]

I don't see the risk with the self service bag drop. In Dublin airport the self service bag drop conveyor belt is the same conveyor belt that is at the check in desk a few feet away. The bags are still weighed, the tags are still electronically scanned and tracked and the bags go through the same behind the scenes security check as the bags given at the desk. If anything it reduces costs, as there are less airline staff needed, and it increase passenger spend, as people have more time before their flight in the airside shops and restaurants. Also you don't need to check in at home, as they also have self check in kiosks for people who don't have access to the internet.

We don't have to check in at home in the U.S. either. You can, but there is also curbside check-in and self-service kiosks to check-in within the terminal at each airline's counter. That's pretty standard.

If the bags are still weighed, what happens when someone's bag is over weight or over sized? I presume a staff member has to come out to collect payment or reject the bag. And is any airline staff checking a person's ID and boarding pass when putting the bag on the belt? I don't see how it would reduce cost in staff because there would still need to be staff present to address these issues. If anything, it would create inefficiency because now the customer has to wait for someone to come by to help and so does everyone in line behind them.

 

[BadPinkTink]

If the bags are still weighed, what happens when someone's bag is over weight or over sized? I presume a staff member has to come out to collect payment or reject the bag.

Nope. When using the self service bag drop, the bag goes on a scales and is weighed. You then have to scan your boarding pass. The machine checks the weight and will only print the bag label / tag when the bag is at the correct weight. One time I forgot to add a bag when I booked my flight. I put the bag on the machine and scanned my boarding pass. The machine said I did not have a bag added and asked would I like to add a bag. I pressed yes and then had to insert my card into the machine, like at an ATM. Once I had paid for the bag, the machine printed a receipt and then printed the bag tag. Its the same sticky bag tag that the desk agent prints. You put the label on the bag yourself and then take it over to the conveyor belt. There is a scanner on the conveyor belt which reads the bar code on the bag tag. The conveyor belt only activates when the tag is scanned.

And is any airline staff checking a person's ID and boarding pass when putting the bag on the belt? I don't see how it would reduce cost in staff because there would still need to be staff present to address these issues. If anything, it would create inefficiency because now the customer has to wait for someone to come by to help and so does everyone in line behind them.

Nope, again , watch the video I posted . Its all automated and there is not waiting in line. Its extremely smooth process, you are over thinking the process. There are airline staff floating around to help with the machines, but overall its way faster. You walk up, put the bag on the scales, scan you boarding card, the machine checks your the details on your booking, then the bag tag is printed. You take your bag off the scale, attach the sticky bag tag, walk over to the conveyor belt, but the bag on with the tag facing the scanner, the scanner reads the barcode, the conveyor belt activates and off your bag goes.

 

[Karin1984]

We don't have to check in at home in the U.S. either. You can, but there is also curbside check-in and self-service kiosks to check-in within the terminal at each airline's counter. That's pretty standard.

If the bags are still weighed, what happens when someone's bag is over weight or over sized? I presume a staff member has to come out to collect payment or reject the bag. And is any airline staff checking a person's ID and boarding pass when putting the bag on the belt? I don't see how it would reduce cost in staff because there would still need to be staff present to address these issues. If anything, it would create inefficiency because now the customer has to wait for someone to come by to help and so does everyone in line behind them.

At my home airport, at the entrance of the drop off area is a staff member to check your boarding pass and ID. I checked and the system is introduced in 2009.

The scale checks weight and dimensions. The majority of the passengers does keep an eye on weight and the size of their suitcases. People who have odd size baggage like skis or bikes and such know they can't drop it off here, or else are referred to the regular desks by the staff member at check in.

And let's say I have 10 machines and 10 people with bags, they can all go to one machine. They all start and finish at the same time, maybe only one or two need some help for which there is a staff member around to assist. They are roaming through the area to keep an eye on who needs help.

If you have a regular desk set up with that same one staff member, she can only process one person at a time.

Another video from KLM :

 

[nkereina]

The machine checks the weight and will only print the bag label / tag when the bag is at the correct weight.

What happens when someone wants to keep their bag as overweight and pay the fee? Can they pay for it the same way they would the checked baggage charge or do they need to go to the airline's counter for that?

Nope, again , watch the video I posted . Its all automated and there is not waiting in line. Its extremely smooth process, you are over thinking the process. There are airline staff floating around to help with the machines, but overall its way faster. You walk up, put the bag on the scales, scan you boarding card, the machine checks your the details on your booking, then the bag tag is printed. You take your bag off the scale, attach the sticky bag tag, walk over to the conveyor belt, but the bag on with the tag facing the scanner, the scanner reads the barcode, the conveyor belt activates and off your bag goes.

All of what you explained makes sense, but knowing how U.S. airports are today, it would take some serious re-work logistically for that to be implemented here. Especially with the current Covid circumstances, I can't see them expending that kind of cost both in resources and budget to make it happen. I don't imagine its a high priority, but maybe some day!

 

[Karin1984]

All of what you explained makes sense, but knowing how U.S. airports are today, it would take some serious re-work logistically for that to be implemented here. Especially with the current Covid circumstances, I can't see them expending that kind of cost both in resources and budget to make it happen. I don't imagine its a high priority, but maybe some day!

Yes, investments like this need a lot of budget, but in the long run it can pay back, both in needing less staff but also higher customer satisfaction.
For my thesis I've read an interview with an airline executive about innovations at the airport. The interview was done in February, pre-covid. His prediction back then was within 5 to 10 years almost all manned desks at check-in will be gone. There will be one or two, but the rest will all be handled by machines, with some staff to assist.
I had send him a question (So happy I knew his secretary ;-) ) and he predicts that due to covid crisis, this will be sooner than 5 to 10 years.

In the airline industry the last five years there were some major developments, like wifi and usb portals were a novelty a few years ago, now passengers are used to them and think of them as basics. And get annoyed when these basics are not there. Even within Covid-times, airlines need to put aside money for continuous improvement, to prevent the little passengers an airline has , go to the competition for having better planes or amenities.
Of course, airlines have to be even more careful and put a lot of thought in what they will invest in now. My guess for the US, if it will happen it will start at the hubs for the major airlines, like Atlanta for Delta, as airlines have a different relationship with their hub airport than regular airport.

 

[BadPinkTink]

What happens when someone wants to keep their bag as overweight and pay the fee? Can they pay for it the same way they would the checked baggage charge or do they need to go to the airline's counter for that?

The machine wont print the bag tag sticky until the bag is the correct weight. European people are very much play by the rules with bag weight and are very price sensitive. People will do anything to keep within the bag weight limits instead of paying extra. The cost of paying extra for an overweight bag could often be more than the cost of the flight, so people wont pay.

 

[nkereina]

The machine wont print the bag tag sticky until the bag is the correct weight. European people are very much play by the rules with bag weight and are very price sensitive. People will do anything to keep within the bag weight limits instead of paying extra. The cost of paying extra for an overweight bag could often be more than the cost of the flight, so people wont pay.

Are you saying overweight luggage in Europe simply not an option because the machine rejects it and there's no manual intervention available? I do understand most people would rather not pay an overweight fee, but if it is a viable option from the airline, I'm just curious what happens in that case. I'm assuming they can just go to the airline desk to pay and check it?

 

[sdoll]

My story doesn't start off with me being proud of myself. We were traveling to Orlando from Detroit on Southwest. When we checked into our flight at the kiosk only my ticket came up when I inserted my credit card. We got in a long line and waited over an hour to be helped. When we got our tickets we were adivsed that our seat assignments would be given at the gate. Once we got to our gate (finally) we were told we were bumped because "we were one of the last ones to check in" That didn't settle well for me since we had arrived with plenty of time to spare. I was rude to the agent and not so calmly explained that I wasn't the last to arrive etc. A few minutes later I went up and apologized becasue I have worked customer service most of my life and know it was not the poor ladies fault. I asked her if we would get compensated for getting bumped and she assured me we would be taken care of. We sure were. I can't remember what the exact amount but it was maybe 3 x's the cost of our ticket. Time's the 3 tickets we were bumped for. They actually cut us a check on the spot. They gave us a voucher for food too. We were nervous because there was a snow storm coming in. We made it out that day but it was stressful. The agent at the gate was so nice to us even though I didn't start out with my best behavior. My kids were young at this point probably about 2 and 4 and she went out of her way to talk and have fun with them. Best part is I had paid for my tickets with points. When I got home I found that my points had been refunded too. So we made a lot of money getting bumped! I love Southwest Airlines I have truly never had a bad experience.