Tuesday, February 17, 2009
First, and Last Time (1)
"A man's manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Spouse and I flew to India with British Airways. For both of us it was the first experience with that airline and I add without a shred of reservation that it will also be the last.
Having suffered an intolerably rude crew on a momentous flight, we were ready to land in Calcutta and part with the staff.
It was most unfortunate, but numerous bouts of spiteful lip curling and eye-rolling at the passengers were routinely followed by rude asides to colleagues, comments of the most juvenile and unnecessary nature.
A stewardess strode by balancing a tray of drinks, whereupon I and the lady next to me made our requests. Spouse asked for some water but alas, the tray was empty.
"One tray, one me," she stunned Spouse with a snarl, behaving as though she had been interrupted in the midst of some serious business, and not withstanding the fact that she had come along of her own accord, that Spouse had merely been answering the question of what he might wish to drink, and that nothing in Spouse's tone had indicated she had to make haste in fetching his beverage.
"This is my worst nightmare," I overheard one stewardess mutter to another when numerous passengers suddenly began clamouring for various drinks and snacks.
Nor was it the journey of our dreams.
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5 comments:
When Unions Control the Airways, by The Elementary
In this era of air travel passengers are punished if they trip surley flight attendants. I remember when airlines actually served food on long flights. While speed is still the reason to suffer these indignities, I travel by land or sea whenever possible. The British don't hold the corner on rude attendants. All the flights I've been forced to take in the last few years have had folks of the same ilk. Long live labor unions. Pappy
Texican, I know- I've met rude staff before. But somehow they were the most obvious about it, at least in my experience. I've never seen eye-rolling from a steward before, nor heard such blatant comments. I've hardly ever met nice ones but nothing on that scale.
If I could, I'd take road transport over flying. They've made it so hard. And I haven't even mentioned Heathrow Airport :(
i've had similar flights with BA--they totally suck and usually they're really pedagogical...tsk tsking and being really patronizing to pax as if they're small, dull children. maybe heathrow does it to them, it must be the place on earth that's sucking all of the happiness out of the universe (that that's not being sucked out by charles de galle airport, that is).
Julie, I know just what you mean about Heathrow. If I never see the place again I'll be a happy traveller. We're going to find a different route next time. It's one chaotic mess, and full of the rudest people in the world. They can keep it. I'll go elsewhere :)
I am so sorry you had a bad experience. When I flew to Ethiopia with my daughter to pick up our granddaughter, we flew KLM and had a most pleasant experience.
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