Christine learned an interesting bit of in-flight trivia on her recent United flight: those little call buttons are for emergencies only. What’s more, the flight attendants can psychically sense when it’s an emergency and when you’re just foolin’ with them, and they’ll ignore you if they suspect you’re just going to ask for water. And no, needing to take sinus medicine to prevent clusters of needle-explosions going off in your skull during descent is not an emergency, so go back to your seat.
Christine doesn’t usually fly United, and only got booked with them when she had to reschedule a flight at the last minute:
I slept for the bulk of the flight and when I woke up, I realized I needed to take sinus decongestion pills to avoid sinus pain during the descent. Because I am a frequent air traveller, I knew that I only had 30 minutes left in the flight and if I didn’t take the pills, the pain would be unbearable. I would have gone to ask for a cup of water myself, except I was in a middle seat and I didn’t want to disturb the passenger seated next to me. So, I pushed the flight attendant call button above my head. This is something I have done on other planes many times in the past and I didn’t think it would be a problem.After 5 minutes, I looked around to see if the attendants were busy with other customers. The aisles were clear and the attendants were in the back of the plane. They seemed to be talking to each other and I assumed they were busy, but I eventually realized they weren’t preparing or doing anything other than chatting. One of the attendants looked up and saw me, so I waved–I assumed that maybe the button system wasn’t working and that they didn’t know. I thought that, if she saw me waving and if she saw the orange light on, she would come over. The attendant turned back to the other attendant and started talking again. I was at a loss for what to do.
Eventually, the passenger in the seat next to me woke up and asked me if I needed to get up. I said I had been trying to avoid bothering him by calling for the attendant, but after 10 minutes, it didn’t seem like they were coming. He graciously got up and I went to the back to the attendants, who were chatting.
I said to the attendants, “Sorry to bother you. I don’t know if you saw the call button or anything, but I just wanted a cup of water. I didn’t want to disturb the fellow next to me because I have an aisle seat.”
The attendant who was standing–I believe she was of Asian descent, but I didn’t get her name–said curtly, “That button is just for emergencies, not water.” The other attendant didn’t say anything.
I said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I have used that button before for water and, besides, the little figure on the button is carrying a cup. I assumed I could use that button to request water.”
She repeated that, again, the button was for emergencies only. She gave me the water, I took my sinus medicine, gave her the empty cup, and asked how I was to turn off the button. She said that it would turn off if I pressed it again.
I was really surprised because I have been flying my whole life and I have pressed those buttons before and I’ve never been told that they were for emergencies only. I’m not used to receiving such brusque service, either. After I sat down, I realized that if this had truly been an emergency, neither of the attendants would have come to help me. There was no way of discerning between an emergency and a request for water without having first come to me. I know I’m a bit slow, otherwise I would have brought this up with them when I was still standing and talking to them but then again, they didn’t seem to be in the mood for providing customer service. I decided to e-mail my feedback instead.
It is arguable whether or not needing water to take sinus pills prior to descent qualifies as an emergency, although I would like to point out that by the time I received the water, we were close to descending and the sinus pain would have been incredibly debilitating if I had to wait a few minutes longer for the pills to start working.
I think a more appropriate response would have been to come to my seat when the button was pushed. If it had not been an emergency, the attendant might have said to me, “Those buttons are for emergency only, not for water. If you want water, please come up and request it in the future.” I think this would have been appropriate and reasonable response.
Also, if these buttons are, in fact, for emergencies and not water requests, perhaps the buttons should be labeled, “For Emergencies Only.” Also, what constitutes an emergency for using the buttons?
For those who tend to suspect the worst in our OPs (you don’t have a real disease! you shouldn’t have lost your job stupid! only communists have sinus problems!), let’s review:
- she slept for most of the flight, so unless she is a horrible sleepwalker or has night terrors, she couldn’t have been that much of a high-maintenance passenger;
- she waited 10 minutes before getting up;
- she got the water herself;
- the little figure on the call button is holding a cup; and
- the button isn’t labeled “for emergencies only”.
Our first reaction was to think Christine should have insisted that the flight attendants do their job properly. The trouble with that is, airlines have us all by the balls right now and know that if we act even the least bit exasperated they can accuse us of endangering the flight. We’ve seen “Flight Plan,” and we know where that leads. So we’re not sure what she should have done. (But sending the above email to corporate is a good start.)
Clearly, Christine, that is an emergency cup on the button, which you should only request in the event your plane is crashing. An emergency cup may just save your life one day! We’re not sure how, though, so this looks like a good place to end this post.
(Photo: Zinnia.)
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@rolla: For serious? She probably included the flight number (or at least route, date and time) on the letter to corporate, and she probably would’ve mentioned if there was more than one Asian FA on that particular flight. Clearly she didn’t get her name, or else she would have provided it. I just don’t think the OP is acting in bad faith here. You’re free to disagree, but I don’t think that’s a reasonable interpretation here. Honestly.
@PotKettleBlack: Wow, the first time I went to Vietnam, I took the exact same airlines! Very cool. It really cemented in me a desire to cut out the U.S. carriers and only go with Asian ones from then on. The NW staff were very surly, and only the NW legs had delays (heck, Singapore held a plane for us because of NW’s delay…what’s that? Oh, yeah, service!). Even Vietnam Air, which is based in a developing country, has much better service. This should really be telling us something ^_^.
At 26, I’m not quite old enough to remember the days when airline travel was new; but I do remember flying solo when I was just a toddler, and seeing how much pride the attendants took in my care, as well as in the service they provided to others.
It seems that as the method of travel becomes more the norm than the luxury, people (employees and customers) take it for granted. It happened with the train, it happened with the car, it’s clearly happened with air travel, and it is even happened to some extent on the open seas, where cruises used to be a serious to-do complete with bon voyage’s and the flailing handkerchiefs of yore.
See, this is why I can’t wait until space tourism becomes a reality. It really is the last frontier of good service without having to own your own private rail car connected to the rear of what would otherwise be the proletariat train.
Please Richard, bring the call button back.
I had a Southwest flight attendant as part of the preflight briefing jokingly tell the plane that hitting the call button by mistake when trying to turn on the light was a fifty dollar fine.
@PotKettleBlack: The service on Vietnam Airlines is fantastic and one-way from Saigon to Hanoi is only $90.
[vacationmfm.blogspot.com]
Flying the “Friendly Skies”
@Pop Socket: Hehe, that’s the nguoi nuoc ngoai (foreigner) price. Vietnamese citizens pay even less! Talk about value and service!
Repeated service like that and attitude at the gates has made me only fly United in emergencies. There really is a difference in corporate culture on airlines, and for my money, the Delta people are the nicest, friendliest, and will go out of their way to be helpful.
@friendlynerd: Easy fix. Ask one if they consider themselves a waitress. I’d bet your black left eye they politely tell you “no”.
Ever tip one?
@CumaeanSibyl: Seconded.
Seriously, to all those who are sticking up for the OP on identifying the FA as Asian: please note that post was not to United, post was for Consumerist.com readers. This post is not a direct quote from OP’s letter to United. OP is not using this post to help United or us readers identify the evil FA. That is why we are startled at this unnecessary inclusion of ethicity.
United is in the middle of an ongoing labor dispute, and flight attendants have been passively resisting for some time now. The idea is to provide an absolute minimum of service until complaints/issues reach such a critical mass that management will renegotiate. You might also notice United’s pilots not wearing uniform caps, turning off channel 9 on the in-flight radio, etc. If corporate stopped paying themselves huge bonuses while asking the pilots’ union to accept wage reductions, service might get a little better.
@marblepops: Seriously, she explains herself extremely well here in the comments. But if you actually read her explanation you couldn’t make ignorant comments, and what fun would that be?
@rjhiggins:
I just signed up for an account last night and my comment didn’t show up til this afternoon even though it was written before then because they had to “approve” it.
You know, I have had problem with my ears when I fly too (I have ruptured both eardrums multiple times). The best solution I have found on a plane is nasal spray. No water needed!
That being said, anyone that has had a landing w/o your ears decompressing can attest that it is one of the most painful experiences you can have. Imagine someone stabbing your eardrums. Rupturing would be a relief…
@rjhiggins:
Seriously, OP’s post wasn’t up yet at the time I wrote my post. I seriously experienced delay in posting too. Too bad you don’t get to be all judgmental. Actually, you do get to be judgmental, you were simply incorrect.
@Javert: What’s wrong with “stewardess”?
But I guess I should ask about your other mental problems first, especially if you consider being a fan for Colorado’s NHL team to be a cause for existing problems.
Hello, I wanted to chime in once more with this information from a dear friend of mine who is actually a trainer of flight attendants with another airline, and correct info at United to get more help with this:
________
Being an Inflight Department Line Instructor, I have pleanty to say about this issue.
A flight attendant’s responsibilities are to attend to the needs of the passengers. The call button is there for passenger utilization, whether for comfort needs or for emergent needs there is no difference. Our policy manual states that any need is to be considered important and that the call button serves the purpose of cabin communication between passengers and cabin crew. To quote from the script for the pre departure passenger safety announcement, “If there is anything we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to let us know. You can do so by pressing the flight attendant call button at your seat.”
This point is reiterated at both United and Delta.
United’s flight attendant was clearly wrong, and just being bitchy. I know their policy says the same thing as our airline (omitted), and the FAA would agree. In fact, the whole call button issue is a requirement of the FAA, and they oversaw the writing of the policies, and had to approve them before they could be implemented. Now, that being said, there are far too many parents who let their children play with call lights, and that is my one pet peave.
The call light in the Lavatory is a different matter, it should only be used in an “emergent” situation, and that could simply include something like the kleenex box is empty.
The flight attendant should be reminded of that in her annual recurrent class, particularly during the section on customer service. This passenger needs to write to United Customer Care with full details. The e-mail address and link can be found on the website [] http://www.United.com
This just frosts me. After all I can do to make people’s flights comfortable and enjoyable, and to repair a damaged corporate image, even though it’s not my company, idiots do this. The crew members who take pride in what we do, would never act that way, and during the close to 15,000 flights across this country a day most flight attendants treat our passengers with dignity and friendliness. But see how one bad apple does indeed spoil the whole barrel.
That text was actually from a friend of mine – an instructor of flight attendants for an airline other than United…enjoy.
I have worked in the airline industry for 16yrs and 14 of those years I have been a flight attendant for an Australian carrier.Unfortunately I too have been on a United flight where this very same comment was made over the PA before we departed Sydney…I was shocked!
There are always 2 sides to a story but I can assure you 100% that the call buttons are to get the cabin-crews attention.I try to respond to these call buttons as prompt as possible but due to lower airfares,crew numbers have been reduced which impacts on service quality.
At the end of the day,all airlines have their good and bad staff whether they be on the ground or in the air.I too have worked with crew that are either racist or do not appreciate their job.
I do feel the airline should’ve been given a chance to resolve this issue before posting in a public forum in all fairness.I just ask that if you have an issue with any sort of service issue,then please speak to their superiors such as a supervisor or perhaps Purser.
I wrote a letter to United after my experience with that PA and received a prompt apology and assured me that this issue would be addressed with the entire crew as I could not indentify who had made the PA.
If you cannot get the staff members name then I advise you to hang-on to the flight details as this can be used to indentify every crew member.
On closing this comment…it is always a pleasure to serve a well-mannered passenger and a real strain to serve someone who is rude and arrogant.Please don’t judge an airline or business by 1 or 2 staff members who do not appreciate their job as their are many people who they work with that try so damn hard to ensure their customers will return!.
I’m white,I’m not racist,I speak to passengers and I answer call buttons.All passengers onboard deserve equal service.