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F/A's Annoyed? 7 Ways to Annoy a Passenger? Part 1

Dear Sky Steward,

I read an article in "7 Ways to Annoy a Flight Attendant" and to tell you the truth I was a bit put off. Do flight attendants know that there are things they do that irritate the passengers? Let me just name a few:

1. Zombie: Standing there at the door not looking at anyone with arms crossed and coffee cup in hand is an odd first impression for customers, no?

2. Ax Murderer: Hacking away at the ice in the galley with the back turned to the passengers. They are hitting that ice so hard. Don't worry, the ice will get broken!

3. Bin Hog: Crew baggage taking up all the best overhead bins in the front of the plane. Isn't there a closet for that?

4. Iron Jaw: Gum chewing by a representative of a major airline? Who raised you?

5. Prison Guard: Make the announcement for tray tables to be put up, electronics turned off, etc. and then snap passenger heads off as he/she is putting the microphone back in the cradle. Give me just a little more time (remember the song?)

6. Iron Curtain Chef: Overcooking the meals to the point of inedibility! (Is that a word?) I know the main duties of flight crew involve safety, but please!

7. Houdini: The moment the last desert plate is picked up, the flight attendants disappear!

Well, as much as I've complained please understand that I do appreciate flight crew very much. I just wish many of them could understand how much of an impact they have on the overall flying experience.

Thanks,
F. FC Flyer
Dallas, TX


Dear FC Flyer,

The Sky Steward expresses his most sincere regrets that your travel experience has been impacted by these types of occurrences. He has asked that we disclose that in his early years, he was guilty of many of these infractions himself.

Hopefully, many crew members will read this post and use the information wisely; getting a view through the customer's eyes, rather than becoming defensive.

He apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused you. (He ends every paragraph with that line)

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Hunting Season Ends! Frontier Escapes Southwest Takeover


DEAR SKY STEWARD HAS MOVED....CLICK HERE TO CONNECT TO OUR NEW TERMINAL!

Thank goodness! Seeing Southwest Airlines take over Frontier Airlines would be like watching redneck relatives of Sarah Palin blowing away a beautiful herd of deer. Southwest has so many wonderful things about them, but if you gave me a choice of who to fly, Southwest or Frontier, I would definitely be flying with the animals!



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You see, although I prefer airlines with a premium cabin; puff, puff :) I do love airlines like Frontier that take things to a higher level and their animals do a great job of adding 'heart' to a business that has become more and more cutthroat. Others are Virgin America and Jetblue of course and it would be so nice if the majors got the lead out and raised their standards a bit. Even Air Tran has managed to introduce WiFi fleet wide.

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Finally...A Virgin in Fort Lauderdale!

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Everyone know that I absolutely adore Virgin America! They are coming to Fort Lauderdale on November 18th with 2 nonstops each way to both San Francisco and Los Angeles. Here are some photos from my last Virgin America flight.




Give them a try and I guarantee they will spoil you for other airlines. Let me know how much you love them.

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Another New York Celebrity Lands in Miami!

DEAR SKY STEWARD HAS MOVED....CLICK HERE TO CONNECT TO OUR NEW TERMINAL!

I was waiting on some friends to fly into Miami on Swiss International recently. Swiss and many other international airlines use the new J concourse at Miami International Airport. A Carybe mural that was located in the American Airlines terminal at JFK airport has landed at Miami Airport near the international arrivals area of concourse J.



The AA terminal at JFK that was home to the mural was demolished and thanks to a group of American Airlines employees that took action to save the mural, there are many people that will enjoy it for decades to come.

Here is a picture of the AA terminal the mural was located in at JFK. This terminal has since been demolished.


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Airline Loyalty Programs...Do they deserve your loyalty?

DEAR SKY STEWARD HAS MOVED....CLICK HERE TO CONNECT TO OUR NEW TERMINAL!

The Sky Steward sounds off about airline loyalty programs. Some friends gently broke the news to him that they were considering leaving the AAdvantage program and moving on to airlines that have provided them with better service.

Did you know that the Sky Steward is still an active Purser for American? Yes, it's true and although he loves the airline, he can't help but understand where his friends are coming from.

Note of warning from the Sky Steward: "Some AA upper management that have not left to Jet Blue or Virgin America may be offended by the content of this video...Please accept my apology for any inconvenience this may cause you" (Have become very used to saying this...it just flows off the tongue)

Watch the video:

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Let's fly back in time, shall we?

DEAR SKY STEWARD HAS MOVED....CLICK HERE TO CONNECT TO OUR NEW TERMINAL!


Many travelers, old enough to remember the days when people actually got dressed up to travel, sometimes long for a return to these time when flying was much more civilized. We must remind ourselves that back then, they did not have inflight WiFi and live TV at every seat; but they did have much more style!



I had a very enjoyable visit to the Flight Path Museum at Los Angeles International Airport. The museum is located along the runway just across from the passenger terminals. The building was actually used as a terminal years ago by MGM Grand Air, which operated luxury VIP flights from L.A. to New York.


My favorite part of the visit was being able to spend time with the elegant hostesses of the museum, all former airline personnel. Many of them were stewardesses trained at a time when hostess colleges were more like Miss Porter's Preparatory School than a generic corporate training complex.

If you have the time to visit the museum, it is worth the trip. There is no transportation from the terminals to Flight Path, but if you rent a car, it's about a five minute drive.

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This just in: U.S. airlines serve the worst food | The Stew - A taste of Chicago's food, wine and dining scene

DEAR SKY STEWARD HAS MOVED....CLICK HERE TO CONNECT TO OUR NEW TERMINAL!


See? We're not crazy!This just in: U.S. airlines serve the worst food The Stew - A taste of Chicago's food, wine and dining scene Click on link for full story. One bright spot is the new Managing Director of Inflight Products (this includes meals) at AA. Not only is he hot, he has a great team that is on task!

Shared via AddThis

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Sunwing Airlines customer shocked by inflight spark response

Months ago, I received a letter from a Sunwing Airlines customer who shared her frightening experience in which she witnessed a flight attendant creating sparks inflight by manipulating an emergency light in an effort to entertain her fellow crew members with a high-flying pyrotechnics display. The passenger wrote a letter to Sunwing describing this and the overall shocking behavior of this company representative.

Here is the response this customer received months after the incident:


Thank you for your letter regarding your recent experience with Sunwing Airlines. Our customers’ satisfaction is of our highest concern and we sincerely appreciate your taking the time to provide us with your feedback.

We are concerned to read of your disappointment and frustration with the treatment you received by our In Flight crew members. Our intention is to provide our passengers with the high level of service that we endeavor to introduce to the industry. We have sent a copy of your letter to our Director of In‐Flight Services to ensure that this type of behavior is addressed and to enforce that our valued passengers are to always be treated with the highest regards. We assure you this type of behavior is not the customer service standards that we aim for and normally provide. We appreciate all the feedback that we have received and will continue to implement many changes to ensure that we meet your expectations in the packages and services that we provide. We sincerely regret the situation described adversely affected your travel experience.


In closing, it is the dedicated aim of all of us at Sunwing Airlines to offer our clients the best possible service in every aspect of their travel. We sincerely regret any displeasure you may have experienced and we look forward to the opportunity of serving you again in the near future under more favourable circumstances.

Sincerely,
Customer Service Coordinator

Well, I am a bit disappointed with this response. This is not about a spilled cup of coffee, it is about safety being compromised. Considering the situation, wouldn't it have been smart to offer the customer some sort of compensation to not only as a gesture of goodwill, but to also bring the customer back to Sunwing? This situation could have turned much worse and the customer could have contacted Transport Canada rather than the airline itself; firing off an all-out investigation.

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