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Northwest Airlines Complaint - Spend your hard earned money on an airline that actually deserves your business - 2 flight attendants on flight 302 from Tokyo to LAX
2 flight attendants on flight 302 from Tokyo to LAX - Complaint
I thought I got a great deal on my flight from LAX to ICN (South Korea) on Northwest, a part of Delta Airlines. Little did I know, the service quality was going to be so horrible. If you're in economy, forget about asking for anything beyond what they give you. More than half the flight attendants were rude and don't realize that the money we pay for our plane tickets helps pay their salaries. They should reconsider their profession in customer service.. they're doing a bad job representing Northwest/Delta. We were on flight 302 from Tokyo to LAX.. there was an older Japanese female flight attendant with bleached blond hair with more attitude than I've seen in all flight attendants put together.. although she was friendly towards and joking around with the males on the staff. The worst one of them all was a young Asian male with long spiky hair. The only pleasant flight attendant was a nice, elderly American gentleman who had trouble hearing.
We pressed the FA button to ask for some water b/c we were sitting next to an aisle sitter who had fallen asleep and we didn't want to disturb him by getting up and asking for water, the rude Japanese flight attendant came and gave us water with some attitude on the side. While my bf was waiting for the bathroom, he saw the water pitcher on the cart and poured some into his cup. The young Asian male FA immediately stopped him and told him that was only for business class passengers and that we needed to ask for water. Maybe if asking for something was met with a little less attitude, we would want to talk to the FA's. When did water become for business class passengers only? With all the recent and upcoming layoffs, I'm thinking Northwest/Delta needs to reconsider employing people who make their company look bad. I know we will never fly Northwest/Delta again, and we will make sure we tell others about our recent, horrible experiences.
We pressed the FA button to ask for some water b/c we were sitting next to an aisle sitter who had fallen asleep and we didn't want to disturb him by getting up and asking for water, the rude Japanese flight attendant came and gave us water with some attitude on the side. While my bf was waiting for the bathroom, he saw the water pitcher on the cart and poured some into his cup. The young Asian male FA immediately stopped him and told him that was only for business class passengers and that we needed to ask for water. Maybe if asking for something was met with a little less attitude, we would want to talk to the FA's. When did water become for business class passengers only? With all the recent and upcoming layoffs, I'm thinking Northwest/Delta needs to reconsider employing people who make their company look bad. I know we will never fly Northwest/Delta again, and we will make sure we tell others about our recent, horrible experiences.
Comments:
Posted by waterbury01 on 2010-01-20:
Yo40, welcome to the wonderful world of DELTA. I would write to the customer care desk at Delta with the names and actions of these people. They probably won't get fired but they may get reprimanded, which may change their attitudes on future flights.
Posted by The_Judge on 2010-01-20:
Sorry waterbury...NW f/a's have had attitude problems long before DL came around. NWA international flights are a high seniority cabin crew, normally. Other than an interpreter, most of the f/a's are just putting in their time waiting to retire. Now the NRT/ICN and really all interport flights within Asia are generally Asian based (usually the country you're flying to) f/a's and the service is top notch.
Sorry for your bad experience but use of names is not necessary, in fact, not allowed here. Hopefully it'll be snipped.
Sorry for your bad experience but use of names is not necessary, in fact, not allowed here. Hopefully it'll be snipped.
Posted by shameonyou on 2010-01-20:
The first part of your review just makes you sound like a demanding passenger with unreasonable expectations. The money that you pay Delta that pays the attendants' salary comes back to pay your salary when they frequent where you work, or pay taxes if you're a public servant. Saying something like that is going to ensure your letter is filed in the recycle bin after the reader finishes the first paragraph.
That being said, being given attitude over water is unacceptable. There are a lot of websites that give advice on how to write an effective complaint letter. I'd suggest you peruse those before sending anything in.
That being said, being given attitude over water is unacceptable. There are a lot of websites that give advice on how to write an effective complaint letter. I'd suggest you peruse those before sending anything in.
Posted by waterbury01 on 2010-01-20:
See that is what I was basising my experience with NW on. Flew from NRT to MNL using NW all the time and never had a problem.
Posted by PepperElf on 2010-01-20:
ignoring all of the comments about them being "rude" without clarification, it seems to boil down to the fact that the man you were traveling with helped himself to their cart
Personally you might not see any issue with this but I do.
Passengers should NOT be helping themselves to the cart - especially to the water pitcher
1) They don't know where his hands have been and there are sanitation rules for handing food
2) He could have also slipped in some poison
granted i'm sure he didn't slip in poison but in this day and age you really have to think about what you do on an airline because something as "innocent" as taking the water pitcher on the cart could end up being the next plot.
but yes like the rest of the coach passengers you don't have free reign over the cart
this is nothing new
Personally you might not see any issue with this but I do.
Passengers should NOT be helping themselves to the cart - especially to the water pitcher
1) They don't know where his hands have been and there are sanitation rules for handing food
2) He could have also slipped in some poison
granted i'm sure he didn't slip in poison but in this day and age you really have to think about what you do on an airline because something as "innocent" as taking the water pitcher on the cart could end up being the next plot.
but yes like the rest of the coach passengers you don't have free reign over the cart
this is nothing new
Posted by shameonyou on 2010-01-20:
Pepper, I must respectfully disagree. If it's a health or security risk, then the FA should have replied with something along those lines - not that the water was for business class passengers.
It's not like he was helping himself to the premium snacks or meals. I doubt business class has special water, especially if that water is in a pitcher and not a bottle.
It's not like he was helping himself to the premium snacks or meals. I doubt business class has special water, especially if that water is in a pitcher and not a bottle.
Posted by The_Judge on 2010-01-20:
All drinking water on flights comes from a bottle. The potable water (water fromt the tap) is used only for rinsing and washing hands. I wouldn't drink that if you paid me.
Posted by PepperElf on 2010-01-20:
he still shouldn't be helping himself to the cart. i have NEVER seen ANY passenger just help himself to the cart for anything.
perhaps that's something to keep in mind
and just because it's not something the flight attendant mentioned it's still something to consider
plus, they filled up the water in order to make rounds for business class - most likely they want to have enough that they don't need to take multiple trips.
but if the coach people just start helping themselves to anything they want, that won't happen
perhaps that's something to keep in mind
and just because it's not something the flight attendant mentioned it's still something to consider
plus, they filled up the water in order to make rounds for business class - most likely they want to have enough that they don't need to take multiple trips.
but if the coach people just start helping themselves to anything they want, that won't happen
Posted by shameonyou on 2010-01-20:
Judge - I didn't know that. I was wondering if it really came from the tap. That explains the attitude. Maybe he was helping himself to the Evian when he was destined for the Aquafina.
Pepper - I'm not saying he wasn't being rude or inconsiderate by just going up to the cart. I still think that the flight attendant did a piss-poor job if all he said is that the water was for business class. Whatever his concerns were, he could have respectfully communicated them without making a coach passenger feel less than. They didn't pay as much, but they did pay something, and now Delta has lost a customer because they were offended. I'm not trying to be argumentative though. Like I said, the overall tone of the post reads like a self-centered person with unreasonable demands.
Pepper - I'm not saying he wasn't being rude or inconsiderate by just going up to the cart. I still think that the flight attendant did a piss-poor job if all he said is that the water was for business class. Whatever his concerns were, he could have respectfully communicated them without making a coach passenger feel less than. They didn't pay as much, but they did pay something, and now Delta has lost a customer because they were offended. I'm not trying to be argumentative though. Like I said, the overall tone of the post reads like a self-centered person with unreasonable demands.
Posted by PepperElf on 2010-01-20:
what else are they suppose to tell the passenger "keep your hands off the cart"?
i somehow suspect that no matter what was said the passenger would have been offended
that passenger paid the same amount as every other passenger in coach
that price tag doesn't include the right to just grab whatever you want from the cart.
as i said before, all the other coach passengers don't have trouble with that. why is he suddenly special?
and yes the tap water is undrinkable on the plane. in the bathroom the signs do specify this
i somehow suspect that no matter what was said the passenger would have been offended
that passenger paid the same amount as every other passenger in coach
that price tag doesn't include the right to just grab whatever you want from the cart.
as i said before, all the other coach passengers don't have trouble with that. why is he suddenly special?
and yes the tap water is undrinkable on the plane. in the bathroom the signs do specify this
Posted by shameonyou on 2010-01-20:
Pepper = I have no desire to argue. I think we agree that the OP would have been offended no matter how the FA phrased himself. The fact is neither one of us know exactly what happened, and my assertion that the FA could have been more tactful is just like your belief he did his job properly: opinion. I guess I'm giving more credence to the recounting of the situation than you are, and again, given the very first paragraph, I understand your skepticism.
Posted by PepperElf on 2010-01-20:
very true. the statement of everyone being rude is very vague, so there's no way to tell what they were really like
Posted by VF-213 on 2010-01-20:
Lots of references to race... Unclear to me what race or appearance has to do with it but to correct your presumption on one point. "Ma" is a common Chinese surname not Japanese.
In the era of buy on board and cash purchased alcohol no flight attendant wants anyone touching their cart. The cart and contents are the f/a's responsibility.
A typical coach passenger contributes little to the bottom line on a NRT bound flight... about 80% comes from cargo in the belly and the passengers with the cool amenity kits. Thanks to low cost carriers, Y class air travel has been dragged down to a cheap commodity.
On water: individual bottled stuff up front, bulk in a party cup in the back.
In the era of buy on board and cash purchased alcohol no flight attendant wants anyone touching their cart. The cart and contents are the f/a's responsibility.
A typical coach passenger contributes little to the bottom line on a NRT bound flight... about 80% comes from cargo in the belly and the passengers with the cool amenity kits. Thanks to low cost carriers, Y class air travel has been dragged down to a cheap commodity.
On water: individual bottled stuff up front, bulk in a party cup in the back.
Posted by sherdy on 2010-01-20:
If I saw a passenger touch things on cart off of which I was to be served, I would have been angry. I think it was very presumptuous of him to do so and I'm glad the attendant said something about it. About "the money we pay for our plane tickets pays their salaries" type of comments: Unless the OP is signing the paycheck, the attendant doesn't personally work for him. Yes, ticket sales play into that, but that mentality reeks with the "you work for me so I can say and do what I want" crap, aka, sense of entitlement. What ever happened to, "May I please have some water?" and then waiting to be served? I just shake my head.
Posted by Yo40 on 2010-01-21:
I like this website b/c it allows you to see things from another person's perspective. Yes, I agree when you say that his hands may have been dirty; therefore, there are health code violations against guests helping themselves. I totally understand this and am very glad that it's in place; however, that wasn't the message that was conveyed to us. Had that been the case, we would have apologized and never done it again. There's a way to communicate things to guests/customers and people who know how should be in the customer service industry.
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