A Delta passenger shared an interesting experience on Reddit, which got me thinking…
Continue reading: Delta Flight Attendant Scolds Teen For Ordering Milk With Warm Cookie
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
As a grown man, let me just say that it should be illegal to serve warm chocolate chip cookies on an aircraft WITHOUT milk.
FFS, someone needs to report this "bad apple."
Ok but UA something something AA something something most profitable airline something something dominates NYC airports something something unmatched fleet renewal something something.
I drink milk on its own, what's the problem?
And I've had milk onboard before. While not on the menu, the cabin crew happily obliged. It was on CX btw.
So once again, what's the problem?
In the hierarchy of things that didn't actually happen, this is #2 right behind Jussie Smollett's "incident."
One would expect an airline with a base in SLC to offer as many Mormon-friendly drinks as possible
In the words of the legend Patrick Swayze in Road House: "Be nice." So simple and so profound.
Are you really taking unverified stories from Reddit and turning them into posts now?
That's what Gary does, and many of us expect better from you.
I was just thinking to myself, why do people believe many of the stories on reddit? A good number of the stories are people's fantasies and imaginations
"He made a slightly weird request, sure, but not so weird that it merited that response. Thoughts?"
There is nothing weird about wanting milk with any cookie, least of all a warm one.
Based on the headline alone I assumed it was a JFK, while nothing that harsh, it seems very believable based on my own experiences. While it is mostly very good, there are a few very bad apples among DLs more tenured FAs.
As is true w/ any anecdotal story whether here or on Gary's site, in an industry that serves about 1 billion customers per year just to/from the US and is staffed by hundreds of thousands of employees, there are bad (and wrong) interactions regardless of the company.
If the customer complained or the other FA informed the purser, the chances are high that the FA will receive some mgmt feedback on the incident - which is the way good companies deal w/ stuff like this.
"Just so you know," sky waitress, your job is to push the cart and hand out the Coke cans.
Maybe leave your sexist judgment back at your studio apartment, alongside your dreams of being a Broadway superstar by 30.
It's all about rights. The flight attendant has a right to make rude comments to customers. The company has a right to discipline and punish that flight attendant, or fire them if need be. Della had a right to give a negative reference for that flight attendant seeking future employment.
this reminds me of an incident my wife and I had about 20 years ago when traveling between Sydney and Los Angeles on a United flight with our daughter who was 18 months old at the time. When the meal service came around my wife asked the flight attendant if the milk was regular milk, meaning was it whole milk, skim etc, because she wanted it for the baby. The flight attendant's answer was, "no, it's goat's milk." It wasn't said jokingly, it was said angrily. there were other issues we experienced on that flight that I won't go into, but this story brought back that unpleasant memory. Stick to apple juice, I guess.
You’re asking the wrong question. The question should be “Did this actually happen?” Because relying on social media to provide content for this page is questionable in itself.
If only airlines would serve teens beer and cocktails we wouldn't be having this discussion.
I got chewed out by a United FA from LAX to LHR (in business) for requesting water. Allegedly they were low on it, and it was apparently insensitive of me to ask for > 1 bottle. Sometimes, FAs have bad days, but it sure puts a sourness on the experience that lasts for a long time - at least 14 years in this case.
Fun fact: it was one of my last UA flights.
A premium airline should not only offer regular milk with cookies, but alternative choices : oat milk, almond milk and perhaps scotch and milk. POTUS should write an executive order immediately.
Been seeing stories of a lot of poor customer service and unprofessionalism from Delta FA's lately. Unacceptable behavior.
United flight attendants (especially the males) are among the worst I've experienced- even in business class. It usually feels like they see us as a burden and nuisance.
I should also not that I've had milk as a beverage on several international flights while traveling with international carriers. I typically have it with dessert when I do, as it breaks the sweetness a bit.
Lucky, I remember when you first started flying AA circa 2011 you remarked how on AA the F/As were surprised you asked for milk with the (then) baked onboard cookie and how on UA it was commonplace to see grown adult pax in UA F dunk the UA cookies in milk.
Funny a similar thing happened years later to another pax on DL
https://onemileatatime.com/my-second-revenue-journey-on-american/
Amazing how annoyed some people in this country get by other people making choices that don't affect them. Chill the F out. People like what they like.
Best believe i'm asking for milk on every US bound trans-atlantic flight i'm on from here on out
I remember clear as day sitting with a United FA who was travelling in the seat next to me. She pulled out a small container of cereal and during beverage service asked for milk to put in it. I thought it was genius.
I've often stolen some milk from the cereal section at a buffet just to have a small glass in the am, love it.
Whoever this was did nothing to deserve any ridicule from the FA or other passengers. I hope they did leave a complaint.
What's with a comment like this? The story was interesting enough to garner almost 1,000 upvotes on reddit, and 26 comments here on OMAAT which, to put that in perspective, compares to the 5 comments on an comprehensive guide to the Amex Platinum which was posted earlier.
If it doesn't suit your interest that's fine, you don't have to come here and broadcast that. Unless you're so arrogant as to believe the imposition of your opinions is worthy of everyone else hearing them despite you adding nothing of substance to the Delta/milk/cookies conversation.
Cookies baked on-board? Knowing this, from now on I will miss them on every flight!
OMG, the meals in that old review look so good! At least compared to what you get today on AA.
Once, on a BA flight flying biz, I asked for a glass of milk. The flight attendant looked at me a bit terrified. Then she grabbed a whole bag with those little milk pods to be used with tea, and started pouring them onto a glass. I smiled and then just asked for the standard orange juice. But extra points for trying 🙂
American and Asian airlines usually don't have milk, but Europeans do most of the times.
That's petty and inappropriate of you. The milk is obviously for coffee and tea, meaning it's not provisioned to the quantity needed to support people requesting standalone milk. It's probably also not provisioned logistically in a way that facilitates flight attendants serving it - this is evidenced by the fact that milk wasn't on the first attendant's drink cart. Although the rude FA was rude and had zero justification for that attitude, the message is pretty obvious that milk isn't meant to be served standalone. Knowing that, if you still order milk especially for no reason but to be petty, you are a gluteus maximus of the highest order. (ass.)
I find the story a bit sus. That being said mentally unbalanced people find themselves in the air and sometimes as crew. If true it's time for one flight attendant to take a medical leave.
Sorry, you should have asked for warm milk to. The fact you didn’t means you let the kid down and shouldn’t have written this article, but reflected on your own reaction
Milk has been available in shelf-stable packaging for quite a while now. I'm sure the cost is lower than that of alcohol, but perhaps higher than soda. As a parent who has faced paying over $8 for a tiny carton of milk at some airports, and since it can't be taken through security for older children, I would love to see more airlines offer it onboard, even for sale.
This is so true. As an employee I've found at times, when I get to fly business, the experience is less than premium. At first I thought it was just because I was an employee using my flight benefits, but then I saw how the flight attendants treated passengers I knew were revenue and just felt bad. It's like they rush through their service, then dim the lights and hide in the galley. If you ask for something it's brought to you with an attitude that they had to actually do their job. It's funny that they demand 'better contracts' but provide horrid service. I've flown several International carriers and could see a difference where even a non-revenue passenger gets the same treatment as a revenue.
I often think these crew are in the wrong job. Oh and the misandry just adds to how inappropriate the comment was.
The first time I flew in a premium cabin internationally was on Delta. I slept through the cookie service, so after I awoke I went up to the galley to request a cookie. The flight attendant told me to return to my seat and she would bring one to me momentarily. A few minutes later she arrived at my seat with my cookie, and another one, and a glass of milk. She smiled and said, "it ain't right to have a cookie without a glass of milk." It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes. Thirteen years later I still remember that exchange, and it helped foster an overall positive impression of Delta. I wonder what this kid's impression of Delta will be in 13 years...
I remember on AA transcon (not even premium transcon) flights when it was standard for the arrival service (yes, there was an arrival service) to include the baked-on-board cookie (plated, not in a bag) to be served with a glass of cold milk.
Can't they just store some of those milks that they have at Chipotle that somehow don't expire for like a year on board for requests like this? Feels silly to get mad at someone wanting milk and cookies.
Kinda fun story amongst the craziness in the world. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world where we worry about milk with our cookies. A flight attendant should be glad someone simply wants an innocent glass of milk to enjoy with their cookie.
Someone should alert the American Dairy Association, pronto.
(Gus Fring voice) This is unacceptable.
Because I'm a cow I would have gladly offered the passenger some of my milk—had I been allowed to fly with the humans instead of being stuck below with the golf bags and that smelly monkey in his cage.
Anyway, the Delta waitress was probably getting stressed out just at the ••thought•• of having to walk back to the galley to get another bottle of milk. But trips back to the galley can be rewarding for her. She gets to straighten up the mini-skirt, pull up the go-go boots...not to mention tell another galley slave something about her recent trip to Istanbul or how she got to fly up in first class on last night's red-eye from SEA to MCO.
Tell me this "article" was written with AI without telling me it was written with AI
I don't understand how asking for milk with a cookie could be considered weird in any way?
Oreos slogan is "Milk's favorite cookie"
I am 74 years old and I love a glass of Mike with my cookies. The FA should have just stayed home because apparently he/she was having a bad day and took it out on the teenager. I was a flight attendant for many many years and had a lot of requests for milk when we had fresh baked cookies to serve. Sounds like this Flight Attendant should look for a different kind of employment so he doesn’t have to work with the public. That young man helps to pay for part of his/she salary. Passengers should be treated with respect.
Probably a joke and he took offence. Not worth an entire article. Slow news day
I work as a FA for DL. This is totally a thing my many rude fellow crew members spout out almost daily. It’s very common with ATL & NYC based FAs. I’m appalled by it but I hear this very now and then when I work. I’m a purser so I have to pull aside these “grown men and grown women” FAs and tell them I won’t tolerate disrespect in my cabin. They always roll their eyes and storm off. We have terrible, terrible crew at DL.
I'm old enough to remember that the offer of "Coffee, tea or milk?" by what were then stewardesses was so standard, it was cliché.
I really hate this one, nobody wins. Of course, how could a passenger know let alone take into consideration that even on a lengthy flight Delta will board 2-4 small (4 ounce) containers of milk for the entire plane. If we have to give all 4 out for ‘glass of milk’ requests there’s none left for anyone else. A flight to Salt Lake City where virtually every passenger requests milk as their beverage is horrible because Flight Attendants do NOT want to say no to passengers, yet here we are. This International Flight attendant should not have been curt with his response and dealt with the situation such as it was.
On an AA Tcon last month they had milk poured into glasses on the tray when they came around with the warm cookies. This is 100 percent on Delta.
Hey now! Ben may be formal and introverted. And he may have more climate sensitivities than Deep Blue. And he may occasionally hum and beep for no reason. And yes, more than one traveler has mistaken his suitcase for a robot wheelchair.
But one thing he's not...is a robot!
What ever happened to the concept of healthy food on board? My husband loves to drink milk with sweet carbs like cookies - or as a post workout pick me up. It reminds me of once on a JAL flight I asked for milk with my black tea instead of the vegetable oil fake creamer and was told it was only for children. This was in business class.
Had a similar incident when my wife and I were traveling with our baby a few years ago (in Polaris as a 1K - not that it makes a difference). The FA initially refused rudely to provide milk and then when we requested her to warm it, she threw a fit. This was not the first instance of rude FAs on UA. Decided to move my business on the spot. Virgin has been good to us.
The standard question asked by a stewardess (there were no flight attendants back then) was so well-known in 1969 -- "coffee, tea or milk?" that it inspired the 1969 mile-high gossip best-seller, "Coffee, Tea or Me?" How things have changed. Obviously, unless the drink is bad for you -- "caffeine, sugar or alcohol?" -- it's not something airlines want to provide.
Weird to assume the person reporting the incident didn't understand what had occurred right before their eyes. Every time I've seen a well meaning customer service person make a joke that didn't quite obviously land, they'd make it clear they were joking.
You have not produced any evidence that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that this incident did not occur. Try producing some, or just admit that you're claiming it didn't happen because of some other factor not related to the data/facts
Outrageous behavior by the flight attendant. and bad behavior by Delta. Milk is a fine drink at almost any time.
My husband always orders milk with dry one on every flight. I thought they always had it for the kids. Maybe they’ve never said anything to him because he’s a 250 lb weightlifter???
Someone needs to go back to school on the basics of customer hospitality.
If there was a shortage of milk onboard then courtesly explain that. Otherwise, give the customer what they want. Good grief.
Note: if something is a safety issue then again, courtesly explain.
Milk does not travel well in a pressurized environment. I can tell you that my airline provisioned very little... coffee, tea. Few passengers actually asked for it, including children.
Again, it does not travel well. I am so sorry this pax was spoken to in that manner. Unacceptable.
This happened to me once, albeit on land, in a bar/cafe in Denmark. I was visiting when I was 19 with some friends who lived there. The bar was closing and giving away some cookies that they otherwise would have had to throw away. I was on my third beer and I didn't really like beer at the time, and I really wanted a glass of milk with my cookies. I asked for a glass of milk and everyone in the bar laughed at me like that was the most ridiculous thing that had ever happened. But I was really sick of drinking beer and I persisted. Eventually the barkeep gave me a glass of milk and said, "here's your milk, milky boy."
It's an unusual request in many countries. See my experience elsewhere in this comment section. That said, it's a completely normal request for Americans and surprising that a delta flight attendant would respond that way.
The F/A should have offered to substitute Baileys Irish Cream for the milk. It would have been the best cookie he ever had.
Adrian, I think you're absolutely right about the customer service basics - if there's a supply shortage, explain it politely rather than being rude. But I'm curious what safety issue you think milk specifically could pose?
They're on board for your safety, not to demean themselves by providing actual customer service to the passengers who pay for the tickets. Really, I thought this would have been pretty bloody obvious by now!
I get that humans drinking cow milk has become super-normalized by historical precedent, but if it were introduced as a new concept today, people would more likely view the consumption of another species' baby food as both disgusting and immoral. Just because something has always been done, does not make it right !
“Safety reasons” are sometimes the vague reasons FAs give when they just can’t be arsed to help
I share your incredulity at the notion of a U.S. flight attendant using regional colloquial English in a casual conversation with a passenger
It would become hilarious to start a movement on Delta flights of everyone asking for Milk as their beverage of choice.
These flight attendants and their power trips. Report him/her! Get them reprimanded. Even if milk is being rationed or whatever the cause is, there's no excuse for talking to a customer that way. This is why I will always prefer to fly an Asian airline where they treat the customers like royalty. These western flight attendants simply don't give a flying...
I Would’ve said okay fine give me coffee with milk I’m 2 cups. Then returned the coffee.
It’s ridiculous that the flight attendant is basically saying that passengers who want coffee with milk are prioritized over passengers who just want milk. I’ve seen the same said about alcohol drink mixers. They’ll say they have no more orange juice cause it’s for the mimosas or no more tomato juice cause it’s for the bloody Marys.
Milk is a legit beverage, cookies or not. Flight attendant should be reported.
- I am very sorry, however, we have very little milk on board, and we may offer it for tea or coffee top-up at this time. Would you like some other beverage?
Well, I guess it's too hard for a premium airline FA to come up with...
I’m a 40 year old man and I’ve asked for the same on a plane. I received a more polite answer, but milk is absolutely a fine and not-at-all strange drink to go with a cookie.
I believe most carriers are the same - Milk is usually provided for the addition into tea/coffee and not in amounts being offered as any other beverage - there’s lots of reasons for that,but the message should have been delivered in a more appropriate manner - I guess everyone has a bad day.
Yeah Ben you know better than to specify the company's name. This happens all the time "regardless of company". There's "billions" of customers and "hundreds of thousands" of employees, this is so insignificant you should be embarrassed and ashamed to even write about it, "regardless of company". And if the pax complained, it would be handled impressively and admirably "the way good companies deal with stuff", which is what you should focus on, but still don't mention the name of the company if it's DELTA.
Because TD
Reminds me of when I was a teen and the Hawaiian Airlines FA was making direct eye contact after arriving with the drink cart, so I asked for a Sprite. She snapped, "you speak when spoken to!" and glanced to my mom seated next to me and said "right, mom?"
Have avoided HA ever since, though did need to take it in 2020 to escape the start of the pandemic in Asia. Hoping to see this brand ultimately disappear in a few years with the AS merger.
> Okay, so the Delta flight attendant here seems bizarrely combative and rude. That certainly doesn’t sound like “the Delta difference” that the airline likes to tout.
Delta is excrement. There's nothing "bizarre" or "combative" or "rude." It's just Delta FAs being Delta FAs.
I'm running our of air carriers not to fly. Alll US 121 carriers are just crap. Shitty smelly in your face no customer service fire them all and torch their union halls crap.
What I make of the Delta flight attendant being snotty to the young man who ordered milk with his cookie is OMG, the flight attendant was a petty little beach. How rude and disrespectful to a paying customer! Someone could use some for customer service training.
Warranted had teen asked for a line of crack for his cookie … perhaps the FA needs a cookie and milk for themselves first before service 🙂
Just entirely incorrect. Milk is provided, especially in Premium Economy and above, with breakfast, to anyone having breakfast cereal.
I'm assuming that was the milk offered to the young gentleman, and that the first flight attendant just saw no reason to be pleasant to a passanger.
Well, if you want to talk about history, we eat the cow's flesh without difficulty, so drinking their baby's food isn't so disgusting. For that matter we eat the baby too (veal) so do you really think people would care about the morality of drinking milk?
On the contrary, everyone *could* have won here. It sounds like the passenger wasn't insisting on milk. He merely asked and then was perfectly ready to move on and ask for something else.
This was entirely gratuitous rudeness that turned a routine customer interaction into something worthy of debating on a blog. Without the rudeness, the FA could have kept their milk for other passengers and the passenger would probably have been perfectly happy with his second choice beverage.
How is it a joke to insult someone you don't know? You might tease friends, but strangers? Not unless your default personality is to be a dick.
Serving milk is weird, but serving a legal, mood-altering, addictive drug (alcohol) is normal.
Flight attendants are out of control with the power they have to do most anything and invoke the word “safety” or “security” to justify it. And almost always the rest of the flight crew and the pilots will back them up.
I agree. Some of these flight attendants are out of control with their new found authority and protection of the federal governments mandate that you can’t even criticize them or it is a breach of security. Same is true of TSA. This is why I never fly unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Unknown if he was sitting in economy or not. Generally speaking for US airlines there is no milk served with coffee but rather some sort of creamer or half and half.
I question and distrust Anyone who consults/reports using the Reddit community complaints.
Exceptions include the BH90210 sub.
Unable to edit previous post, I mean to say I distrust the complaintif who runs to Reddit, not the reporter above, lol
Yet the manchildren on that channel can't take their eyes off of the silicon assisted breasts of every bleach blonde MAGA doll that bloviates on Fox News.
I'm loathe to make any special request of a Delta flight attendant, even in first class. Rarely do they even know what they are putting in front of you. "Service", and with it kindness, are dead. You buy a ticket, keep your head down, and hope they get you to the destination in some semblance of the advertised timeframe. I am not surprised they would be mean to a kid. I have seen many such interactions.
There is nothing 'strange' about this guy's request for milk. None whatsoever. End of story.
The Delta FA should be ashamed of themselves and the guy should receive some sort of token for the crappy attitude of someone who was worried about running out of milk that they don't seem to have on the menu. Good lord.
DL haven’t served cereal in 10 years….sooo no. It’s not on the menu so it’s not available. Pretty simple.
This is the reason I fly non-us carriers overseas. Us carriers do not understand what constitutes real service.
My 50-year-old daughter loves milk with dessert. I haven't drunk milk since I was a child. Some people like to drink milk. I think hostess was rude and condescending.
I'm 78 and still enjoy milk and cookies together. A cold glass of milk always made cookies better during my childhood days on an Illinois farm. To that rude Delta flight attendant, I would impart these words of wisdom that my father occasionally shared,: "Kiss my ass!" -JR
Makes me NOT want to fly Delta! So rude, for no reason at all...the kid bought a ticket, treat him with respect, or find another line of work...perhaps Walmart would hire that flight attendant? Perhaps NOT!
Why don’t you just buy some milk at the airport and bring it on board with you?
Too much empowerment, poor hiring choices and zero consequences.
This behavior is all too common, unacceptable and rarely addressed.
What if the kid was 12 yrs old or what if grown up man with ulcer asked for a glass of milk with thier kookies. This flt. attendant is rude, and unprofessional. A passenger is always Wright must prevail again.
I'm in my sixties.I enjoy milk and cookies. I personally think it's weird that The Flight Attendant would have that response. I mean what was his problem?
WOW!!!!. An article involving Delta with over 125 comments without a single Dunnder storm. Refreshing.
A prominent British wine writer wrote an article on what wine to drink with chocolate.
Her conclusion "Nothing as good as milk".
I agree (and practice daily)
Does KLM stock more milk on flights than other airlines?
In offices in the Netherlands I have often seen >20% of people (it does seem to be more male than female) drinking a half litre of milk with their lunchtime sandwich.
So, no problem serving alcohol until someone is drunk, but don't request a glass of milk to go with your cookie!
My wife ALWAYS brings a small glass of milk with her freshly baked chocolate chip cookies !
I'm a Delta flight attendant. When you're sitting in D1 internationally we are catered numerous milk cartons and 2 cartons of heavy cream.
As a retired F/A for American this response was inappropriate. Somebody needs an attitude adjustment.
I'm a middle-aqged man, not a teenager. I've ordered milk before, no cookie involved. Growing up, we drank raw milk by the mugfull. I don't see it as weird. Though I do get odd reactions at times.
They'd be really pissed at me, I only drink three things, Milk, Juice and Water, there has never been an issue getting either one on the multiple airlines I have flown...the Stew needs an attitude adjustment...
United international stew, no breakfast cereal here either...... but lots of milk.... for coffee, tea, or just chilled and delicious as a stand alone beverage.
When you fly overseas its common to have milk with hot tea on the flight. Its even asked if you want milk. Americans concoction of half and half is not used.
Flight attendant having an off day which supplanted her company's excellence!!!
I was Delta flight attendant for 42 years. Ordering milk with your cookie or whatever you are eating is FINE!!
We don't have lots of milk put on by catering but if we have it, it's yours.
That flight attendant was rude!
I'm not a medical professional but on the surface it sounds like the flight attendant could be suffering from burnout and could use some time off work.
Someone in their 20s is not a kid.
If Delta doesn't list milk as a drink, then maybe the nasty FA was correct.
If you pay for a seat on the airline, and are served a warm cookie, it is, in my perspective, reasonable to request a cup of milk as it is a custom in the United States. Delta is a company based out of the USA, isn't it? International employees might want to brush up on the customs of the countries they fly to--so many times we Americans are scoffed at for not doing so when traveling. What's good for the goose is also good for the gander. So in short, that flight attendant can suck an egg.
How many positive experiences are we leaving out here? Do we always need to focus on the negative one-off?
I think the reason for the FA saying this is quite obvious tbh, they obviously have milk on board but it's purpose is for adding to tea and coffee. The obviously have a limited stock and if everyone starts ordering milk on its own, they won't have enough milk for the intended purpose.
Of course the FAs attitude still stinks ...