Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attendants

[Quickstatus]

How Etihad Responded To A Ridiculous Passenger Complaint Is An Epic Win

 

[eric2011]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

I'm important, I had to pay for an upgrade and suddenly I turn into a DYKWIA

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

While I don't know the exact circumstances - and my comments would not apply if for instance the crew were required at short (minimum) notice to operate the return flight because for instance a crew member had fallen ill - I know a couple of regular F and J travellers who absolutely cannot stand sharing those highly priced cabins with off duty flight attendants.

From what they tell me the attendants can be noisy - so they claim - although whether that's a generalisation I'm not sure.

My friends aren't snobs - their point is they are paying a lot of money to travel (or using many points) and hence they don't want to have the cabin turn into a staff party zone.

Surely wherever possible - and I accept as per above it may not always so be - airlines who cared about their staff would put them in an hotel the night before a flight, not on an aircraft.

 

[Quickstatus]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

Yes, deadheading as they call it is not really rest. And a staff party suggests they really off duty

Are staff flights assessable for FBT?

 

[Denali]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

In this age, I would think if crew were partying in a J or F cabin, that someone would have captured it on their phone.

For staff flying J, if my boss requires me to be off site/at another facility, I'm not catching the bus to get there so I'm ok, as a paying pax, for staff to be in J.

 

[under the radar]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

Cabin and Flight crews,(any other employees) conditions of employment (contract/EBA, whatever you wanna call it), is between the business and the employee. Quite frankly, it's no one elses business. Well done Etihad with the response .

 

[Boris spatsky]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

Yes, deadheading as they call it is not really rest. And a staff party suggests they really off duty

Are staff flights assessable for FBT?

Duty travel (where you are 'on duty') is not an FBT item as you are not gaining a personal benefit.

Staff travel (on holidays on an ID ticket) is FBT assessable, yes.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

While I don't know the exact circumstances - and my comments would not apply if for instance the crew were required at short (minimum) notice to operate the return flight because for instance a crew member had fallen ill - I know a couple of regular F and J travellers who absolutely cannot stand sharing those highly priced cabins with off duty flight attendants.

From what they tell me the attendants can be noisy - so they claim - although whether that's a generalisation I'm not sure.

My friends aren't snobs - their point is they are paying a lot of money to travel (or using many points) and hence they don't want to have the cabin turn into a staff party zone.

Surely wherever possible - and I accept as per above it may not always so be - airlines who cared about their staff would put them in an hotel the night before a flight, not on an aircraft.

I don't know who your F and J friends are but my experience with staff traveling in premium cabins is the complete opposite.

Much more likely to have noisy, "party" travelers when a bunch of cashed up bogans get an upgrade.

 

[under the radar]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

Much more likely to have noisy, "party" travelers when a bunch of cashed up bogans get an upgrade.[/QUOTE]

or even 1 F/F DYKWIA can disrupt the whole cabin. 'Thinking' they are on a private jet

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

My informants were also complaining to me about continual 'shop talk' being audible. They both like airlines up to a point, and yes, they can easily put on the noise-cancelling headphones, but reading between the lines they were saying 'I've paid a lot of money to sit and sleep in this cabin and I don't want cabin crew - or freeloaders - in there.'

I don't get the full story, just 'bits and pieces.'

 

[JohnK]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

From what they tell me the attendants can be noisy - so they claim - although whether that's a generalisation I'm not sure.

My friends aren't snobs - their point is they are paying a lot of money to travel (or using many points) and hence they don't want to have the cabin turn into a staff party zone.

Maybe it's a generalisation but it does happen and it happens more than it should. I have mentioned it before a few times and people jump down my throat defending crew travelling in business.

I have witnessed where off duty/on duty crew have taken over the business class cabin on 767 and 737. They are scattered around and talk to one another over other passengers and working crew also come to talk to them. This should never happen. Not fair to paying business class customers. If on staff travel then shut up and behave.

I have also witnessed where a CSM has spent the majority of the time serving/talking to crew in business on both 767 and 737 in first few rows and rushed service for remaining guests. On a few occasions the conversation has been work related and this does not need to happen in front of paying customers.

And in saying that I have also seen where crew travelling in business have helped out the working crew. That's good to see.

In my opinion anyone travelling and representing the airline should stay quiet and out of the way. If that's not in their agreement then it needs to be. Seriously not a good look.

 

[JohnPhelan]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

I know a couple of regular F and J travellers who absolutely cannot stand sharing those highly priced cabins with off duty flight attendants.

My friends aren't snobs - their point is they are paying a lot of money to travel (or using many points) and hence they don't want to have the cabin turn into a staff party zone.

Well, in perhaps just this one instance, they are snobs!!

 

[JohnPhelan]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

In my opinion anyone travelling and representing the airline should stay quiet and out of the way. If that's not in their agreement then it needs to be. Seriously not a good look.

It is indeed a requirement of the Staff Travel Policy for off-duty travel that staff should not draw attention to themselves and should not broadcast (in any way) the fact that they are staff. There are also dress standards required, which (sadly) put many paying pax to shame.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

While I don't know the exact circumstances - and my comments would not apply if for instance the crew were required at short (minimum) notice to operate the return flight because for instance a crew member had fallen ill - I know a couple of regular F and J travellers who absolutely cannot stand sharing those highly priced cabins with off duty flight attendants.

From what they tell me the attendants can be noisy - so they claim - although whether that's a generalisation I'm not sure.

My friends aren't snobs - their point is they are paying a lot of money to travel (or using many points) and hence they don't want to have the cabin turn into a staff party zone.

Surely wherever possible - and I accept as per above it may not always so be - airlines who cared about their staff would put them in an hotel the night before a flight, not on an aircraft.

Your friends would frequently share highly priced cabins with staff without even knowing it. Especially if they fly EY.
Staff can use staff leisure travel to fly in J or F on EY. They wouldn't be in uniform and your friends would not know they were staff.
Even then they would be on their best behaviour as there are strict rules relating to staff travel.
When they are in uniform there is no way they would party or behave in a disruptive manner, especially on EY or any other Middle East carrier.
Staff on those airlines don't enjoy the same workplace rights as staff on Australian airlines.
Even taking a legitimate sick day means a black mark on your record which might stop you being promoted.
When they are in uniform and paxing or dead heading they are subject to drug and alcohol testing, which would also put a dampener on any partying.

 

[Denali]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

... Much more likely to have noisy, "party" travelers when a bunch of cashed up bogans get an upgrade.

As a cashed up bogan, Im offended... I stopped wearing crocs in J and F, what am I doing wrong now?

M......and I don't want cabin crew - or freeloaders - in there.'

"freeloader"? Thats why I joined AFFer, to get as much as I can from the industry for free or min effort.

 

[N860CR]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

I dare say a large number of people in the business cabin are traveling for "work". I really don't understand why it matters if they work for westpac, Coles or Qantas. How is an onduty airline staff member any different to a corporate employee traveling in the business cabin?

 

[Melburnian1]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

Because of the risk, N860CR, as highlighted by JohnK above, that working staff may serve their 'mates' or 'colleagues' far more intensively than (and first, before) paying passengers.

They could also engage in tedious, work-related lengthy chats. At least if staff from other corporates are on board, usually they won't have someone standing next to a seat chatting interminably: this isn't so with airline staff.

And no, my informants were not discussing EY: they were largely referring to QF, I gather. However, I wasn't there, and as always, receive snippets.

 

[N860CR]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

Because of the risk, N860CR, as highlighted by JohnK above, that working staff may serve their 'mates' or 'colleagues' far more intensively than (and first, before) paying passengers.

They could also engage in tedious, work-related lengthy chats. At least if staff from other corporates are on board, usually they won't have someone standing next to a seat chatting interminably: this isn't so with airline staff.

And no, my informants were not discussing EY: they were largely referring to QF, I gather. However, I wasn't there, and as always, receive snippets.

Except that doesn't happen.

Qantas is a very large company. The crew on board would rarely, if ever, be serving anybody they actually know.

In general, staff on QF flights are actually treated very poorly. QF has done a good job at causing internal fights between different staff groups.

 

[OzEire]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

In a relatively small sample of occasions (10 or so) that I have noted QF staff in J they have been model pax and FAs go out of their way to ensure there could be no possibility of being accused of favouritism, serving last, etc.

Not so on other airlines. VA for example told me (row 2) that my meal choice had run out, but behold the VA staffer eating that meal in R5 about 20 mins later (and 2 more duty staff tucking into the same in the galley). I'm not bothered by this in the slightest but found the comparison between carriers quite interesting.

 

[serfty]

Re: Passenger complains of having to share business cabin with off duty flight attend

I don't know who your F and J friends are but my experience with staff traveling in premium cabins is the complete opposite.

Much more likely to have noisy, "party" travelers when a bunch of cashed up bogans get an upgrade.

There a big difference between duty and off duty.

The reference to cashed up bogans is not relevant to this topic really.

Off duty, some staff can be in party mode and it can affect those staff on duty - we are all human.

If have seen it here and there on some of the many many flights I have taken.

The most graphic I experienced was late last year when on a VA flight from LAX, at T-59 minutes the remaining 17 unallocated seats (of 33) became allocated. It was still showing J7 - these were staff and their families on ID90's. (They could have been left behind if someone walked up with the cash for a seat.)

It was indeed party time, if only verbal, with a 5 minute or so meet and greet at each row/seat.

This really really slowed the cabin service for the first part of the flight as the on duty FA's were co-workers and friends with those who were in the main returning from holiday - full of beans they were (the family around me had been skiiing up in Canada). Also the ID90 PAX were generally euphoric at getting business seats.

Now such is basically unavoidable in those circumstances and with that I did not begrudge it, unprompted swapping seats within row 5 so a family could be seated contiguously. Also, it did settle down eventually.