Oh Fun: I’m Being Trolled By An (Alleged) American Airlines Pilot

@Dan I disagree with your opinion that Ben gets significantly better or special treatment because of his blog. I would say your conclusion is especially untrue of airlines that don't primarily serve an English speaking market. I am a nobody to the airlines and hold no status with any of them. I have flown dozens of premium cabin flights over the past 3 years, using points, and consistently find that I get a similar level of service - and sometimes even better- than what Ben gets on carriers like SQ, CX, BR, AF, JL, LX, etc. I have flown on AA both as a paid and as a reward redemption customer and consistently find them to be mediocre or subpar. I've come to the conclusion that most people fly AA because theyre cheap or they're convenient...those are certainly the only reasons I do.

Your observations regarding American Airlines’ international first class “service” and crew are entirely consistent with my experience.

It is unfortunate that AA employees want to debate rather than reflect on your critique. The reality is that as individuals, they have NO BASIS for comparison. Why? BECAUSE MOST NEVER FLY ANY AIRLINE OTHER THAN AA, EVER, especially overseas. Accordingly, They can not credibly argue with your assessment. As their arguments are ungrounded and plainly uninformed. Regardless, AA crew should know what acceptable first class standards are. It’s akin to knowing the difference between a fine dining experience and grabbing a hotdog from a hawker in the stands at a baseball game.

Nothing makes a flight — any flight — more memorable than excellent service. It’s the fine nuances that only exceptional, good-natured crew members can provide that makes it great. A personalized, sincere welcome AND attentive service throughout the flight form indelible memories that inure to the benefit of an airline’s brand. Conversely, surly crew and nonchalant attitudes create equally indelible bad memories — which may be caustic to the brand. Even worse than bad service is a complete lack of service.

I generally find foreign carriers’ first class products vastly superior to that of US airlines. Comparisons have been skewed in favor of the foreign carriers ever since PanAm lost its luster in the 1980s.

AA doesn’t come close to the likes of Singapore, All Nippon, Swiss, Lufthansa or British Airways when it comes to first class service. Crews working in the first class cabin of these airlines are specially trained and staffed accordingly.

Providing bespoke, exceptional service in first class should be relatively easy once an elaborate meal has been served so long as the crew isn’t lazy or overworked. Most first class passengers don’t want to be fussed over or pampered. Instead, most seek the space and solitude afforded them to work, relax or sleep. Avoiding airport crowds; being productive onboard; arriving well rested; and moving expeditiously through the destination airport are the principle reasons first class passengers pay the fares they do. For the few bad-eggs who do demand extraordinary attention, pity them.

Purchasing a first class seat for exorbitantly higher fares should come with certain privileges and entitlements:
✈︎ Call me by my name.
✈︎ Be personable and friendly; take the cue to back off when the passenger may want to eat, watch something or sleep.
✈︎ Use complete sentences.
✈︎ Be discrete when while chatting; one person’s conversation need not be heard by everyone else.
✈︎ Refill wine and water without being constantly asked, or until asked to stop.
✈︎ Bend down when serving; put whatever it is down rather than holding it out for the passenger to catch, whether a drink, a plate or a bread roll.
✈︎ Don’t toss out a small water bottle expecting that it contains the hydration required for the rest of the flight.
✈︎ Be attentive throughout the flight, making the rounds: if one person is awake while others are sleeping, quietly ask what they may need; this avoiding the incessant use of the call button or the constant shuffling around in the cabin which can be a disturbance in and of itself
✈︎ Be considerate when passengers are trying to sleep by avoiding unnecessary clattering, congregating or chatter in the galley nearest first class.
✈︎ Keep cabin lights off for as long as possible in first; no need to brighten for breakfast if most are still sleeping.
✈︎ Deplane quickly upon arrival; holding back business and economy is a minor inconvenience given the small number of first class passengers

For years, AA competed head-to-head with most the world’s top-tier airlines on just a few routes because the majority of its international flights were to Latin America. The local carriers are generally sub-standard compared to US carriers both for service and safety. Even I am apt to choose a US carrier when headed south.

Sometime after the late-1990s and a couple of mergers, AA crew lost pride in providing exceptional service. Now, at the beginning of every flight, US passengers are reminded that “FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ARE HERE PRIMARILY FOR YOUR SAFETY”. Sadly this Phrase, the raison d’être for many, somehow makes it acceptable for cabin crew to provide sub-par inflight service and no more.

The statement itself seems silly. Let’s be honest, Inflight service IS why they are there. Would safety related tasks take any more than 1% - 2% of the cabin crew’s combined inflight time? If not, then 98%-99% of their time is consumed with providing some type of service or information to passengers.

Lest there be any doubt about the original purpose of AA’s cabin crew, just look at any of the various videos on YouTube for American Airlines’ Stewardess College produced in the 1960s and 1970s when the emphasis was on SERVICE. (A topic for a future article: “The grounding of inflight service in America”.)

Social media has gotten way out of hand, it is time for the government to set boundaries on bloggers and so-called media sites. A blogger can say anything they want destroying reputations and hurting businesses. This is done sometimes with malice of intent. There needs to be penalties to include perhaps a lowered level in our libel laws and perhaps requiring people to put up a bond in order to post. This Bond would cover people who spread malicious or libelous posts. If an individual cannot show sufficient assets in the event of a suit than a bond would be required. When people have to put their money where their mouth is a lot of this behavior will stop. I can assure you a lot of bloggers and responders to bloggers will be a lot more polite. I have often said if people had to say this to your face they wouldn't. However, in this case it's not so bad but I have seen things that get downright rude, and I can assure you if said to my face it would have resulted in an altercation ,the rude individual would not have liked. If people can
not act with some kind of socially accepted decorum, then the government needs to act. Social media and the internet is a great thing but it is a double-edged sword and it needs to be regulated.

@Gene If I read one more thing where a person claims your first amendment right gives you the right to say whatever you want my head will explode.

The Constitution is a contract between the government and it's citizens. The first amendment protects you from the GOVERNMENT censoring your speech not from private entities censoring your speech.

For example it does not protect you from saying whatever you want in my house, or my business, or my website or any other private place.

You can not say whatever you want in these comments because it's owned by a private company not the government.

Your first amendment rights will not help you if you're in my business and tell you to take a hike because I didn't like what you posted online.

I lived with an American Airlines Captain for 18 months. This person would tell me enroute to PHX how crappy a day they were having and how good it made them feel to bounce a passenger for any reason. This employee was even grounded for eight months for psych exam in 2016. I kept a journal of comments like these and when we went our own way reported this person to the FAA and American. Neither cared. So yes, I am very familiar with the hateful attitudes of at least one pilot. There were even many FOs and FAs that refused to fly with this person on safety grounds.

Two wrongs don't make right. Document, don't respond, don't broadcast, and let this experience go. You as an individual may have only mentioned this a few times, but this story is growing a mob mentality and that is what is so wrong and dangerous with raising/exposing everyday encounters to millions with the power of the internet, and a blog like yours. Yes, American sucks, you have said it many times on your blog, stop supporting them, get involved with consumer advocacy, but don't get personal with anyone. Everyone has bad days, and American stinks. They have done worst to many of their customers.

I’m a retired road warrior with over 1M air miles (not reward miles). I don’t know whether this troll is a pilot or not. Regardless, I see no reason that this post or it’s predecessors should be taken down. If it is an AA, HR and Pilots Union issue, so be it — that isn’t a reason to take down this post.

If this troll is in fact an AA pilot, he’s now passed Antonio Brown to top my list of Professional-Suicide-by-Social-Media shitposters. I’d rather fly a 737 Max flight than fly any other plane with this moron on the flight deck.

Finally if (as is likely) this dweeb is not an AA pilot, AA deserves the right to disown him here.

Everyone likes to think they can create fake accounts and be anonymous. They're not anonymous and the more post one makes the more likely it is to figure out who they are, where they live and what device they used to create the posts....It actually is a lot easier than you might think. Sometimes the idiots themselves gives the goods away. I once exposed a guy for his super antisemetic, racist and homophobic posts. Replied to his post with his real name and address which he happily made public to everyone without knowing it. He clamed up immediately.

People's IP address can be obtained when necessary like when threats are made.

Hi Ben! I enjoy your blog in general about real life experiences. However this guy is a troll from virtual space. I do not believe he is telling the truth about what he really does in life. Just check his followers and who he follows. Now he earned free publicity by you writing this post. Its a bit of a time waster for everyone, including me reading and commenting here. So now I am curious if he got you in a way that made you reply out of emotions? Or...? Why did you care?

"My issue is when you get particularly sanctimonious about issues that most people couldn’t give a shit about. " Speak for yourself. When people are making decisions about premium travel they want to know what differentiates the different products and the soft product is certainly a part of that. Simply saying the service was brusque would not adequately explain the issues. Lucky merely stated why he felt the way he did and individual readers can make their own assessment if such lack of service will alter their travel choices.

If he is an actual pilot for American, he's clearly not professional. I'm sure AA would love to hear about pilots threatening passengers and the potential abuse of his power/duties in his role as pilot. While pilots obviously do have authority to remove passengers from flights, doing so without good cause would likely be terms for suspension, if not termination. To be honest, his behavior also seems like he's on a substance that would not have him currently ready to fly, so I'd take it with a grain of salt. Still a stupid move on his part, though..