Turkey Day Joy at the Airport.

Doug Taylor · November 24th, 2005, 17:19

This morning starts out with a flight to Boise because our flight the previous evening was cancelled because of freezing fog.

Checking in this morning, the passengers were a little frenzied and there was a lot of talk about flying into Twin Falls, ID if we couldn't get into Boise and there were no rental cars or transportation in order to get them to Boise.

Strange. No word from dispatch about flying to TWF instead of BOI!

So I checked the flight plan and the agent, misinterpreted "alternate" for "we're going to go to TWF if we can't go to BOI" (??!).

Thanks. If you're not trained on how to read a dispatch release, put it down, talk to a pilot! Better wait until a pilot shows up rather than start a riot in the gate area!

We get the situation communicated and cleared up with the passengers who breathe a collective sigh of relief.

We get into BOI alright and back.

Upon deplaning, there's a passenger aggressively screaming about a stroller that hasn't been brought up yet and how he's got ten minutes to get to his next gate. I ask him to describe the stroller and go downstairs to dig around the baggage bin.

I bring up a stroller that matches the description and he loudly exclaims, 'That is NOT my stroller!' So I go back downstairs and bring up another couple that match the description, he snatches it out of my hands and storms out of the jetway.

I'm walking with my captain towards our next gate and he says that while I was downstairs the passenger was standing in the middle of the jetway blocking other deplaning passengers and he asked if he was waiting for something.

"A stroller!"

"Is someone bringing it up?" the captain asks,

"I *$#%*'ing HOPE so."

And that's about when I walked up with the correct stroller. I figured he's got 10 minutes to catch his next flight, it's the holiday season and he's probably stressed out.

I go downstairs to pick up the latest Jepp revision, check my rotation in the computer, go back upstairs and head towards Starbucks to grab a cup of java about 15 minutes later.

Who do I see in line?

Mr. 'I've got a connection in TEN MINUTES' is at the front of the line ordering a specialty coffee.

Grr.

scoobs · November 24th, 2005, 18:44

And people wonder why TSA is so rude. They don't care anymore.

mrivc211 · November 24th, 2005, 19:20

I"m beginning to care a little less about things. The other day I walked upto a sheriff to ask if he knew anything new about a friends death. He rudely shook his head no and didn't even open his mouth. Both him and his buddy gave me a mean stare while I got in my car and left. I was like what gives?

Last night while going to my plane, the next plane over is boarding and a pax walks through and under a rope that is directing her to the correct airplane, and she asks me which plane is going to SBA. I wanted to slap myself in the head, because the plane which I was about to board had its door closed, shades pulled, and looked like it had no life in it, while the one she was supposed to board had pax heading towards it, a ramper taking bags, an APU running, and people in line to get on................what do you think?

I know I know, I didn't say anything mean. I just pointed to the airplane and left. I know most don't fly often, but seriously people. I had to have 3 cups of latte at Starbucks yesterday to make it through the day. I guess my friends death has had a bigger impact than I thought. It sucks.

IT_Pilot · November 24th, 2005, 20:18

Doug,
Thanks for the reminder of what it is to be a professional. I've had a few challenges at work of late and sometimes its hard to choose the professional response. Things as silly as the person holding up the whole airplane for his stoller. Its great to see your example of dealing with user/customer abuse.

(Of course we don't know what prompted this person to do what they did, but that doesn't excuse their behavior in any way.)

Kingairer · November 24th, 2005, 20:57

DOug if you got him a stroller, that means he has breeded. And when mine and your sons are pilots they will be dealing with this guys son! This is how the world turns.

Doug Taylor · November 24th, 2005, 21:24

mrivc211 - call me if you need to talk, bro! I'm around all weekend.

IT_Pilot - Oh, I have to constantly tell myself, "Doug, it's too early to go to the 'dark side'" when stuff like that happens. Because once I go to the dark side, all bets are off.

Kingairer - One thing I noticed from standing in the door saying goodbye to passengers, is that when you tell a passenger "Thank you, thanks for coming", if they say, "thanks, great flight", generally their kids will say "T'ank you!" But the passengers that look back and silently sneer at you usually have kids that won't acknowledge your existence at all.

cime_sp · November 24th, 2005, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrivc211

I"m beginning to care a little less about things. The other day I walked upto a sheriff to ask if he knew anything new about a friends death. He rudely shook his head no and didn't even open his mouth. Both him and his buddy gave me a mean stare while I got in my car and left. I was like what gives?

Last night while going to my plane, the next plane over is boarding and a pax walks through and under a rope that is directing her to the correct airplane, and she asks me which plane is going to SBA. I wanted to slap myself in the head, because the plane which I was about to board had its door closed, shades pulled, and looked like it had no life in it, while the one she was supposed to board had pax heading towards it, a ramper taking bags, an APU running, and people in line to get on................what do you think?

I know I know, I didn't say anything mean. I just pointed to the airplane and left. I know most don't fly often, but seriously people. I had to have 3 cups of latte at Starbucks yesterday to make it through the day. I guess my friends death has had a bigger impact than I thought. It sucks.

Even better than that is flying in KDHN..Dothan Alabama. I believe that we are the only carrier to go in there...and have been for a NUMBER of years. There is NEVER more than 1 airplane on the ramp (the ramp can really only fit 1 airplane), but every flight one idiot walks out and asks...."is this the flight to Atlanta??" You almost want to reply..."no sir....Wonderwoman left her invisible jet right next to ours over there...you'll be riding in that one!"

BCTAv8r · November 25th, 2005, 00:20

Every job has its share of idiotic customers. I work part time in a retail store and I'm now really getting to see what kind of people are out there. Why can't parents control their freaking kids? The let them run around the whole store messing everything up and their parents thinks its "cute".

aloft · November 25th, 2005, 01:21

Just to restore everyone's faith in humanity....SkyWest provided turkey sandwiches in their SLC crew room today!

Tim · November 25th, 2005, 07:11

Doug you know thats just another day at the good ole airport. A while back a pilot, I think DL F/O or maybe ASA, came down the jetway and confronted me because he said I needed to handle his stroller better. We always take them out of bin 1 and lay them on the ground for the ALA to take up stairs. Evidently he was in the jetway and saw where I layed on it on the ground and slide it over to the other side of the airplane. He got right in my face and said I needed to handle is stroller with better care and never do that again. I asked him is the stroller was for him or his child. He started ranting and raving and I told him to take his a$$ back up stairs so I can do my job. He stood there and screamed something to my back and then I asked him how would he like it if I came to the cockpit and told him how to fly the airplane that he is trained on. I told him then if he can do my job better then he needs to get a ramp uniform and come on down. He was just standing there dumbfounded and I turned and walked away smiling.

Sprint100 · November 25th, 2005, 10:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrivc211

I"m beginning to care a little less about things. The other day I walked upto a sheriff to ask if he knew anything new about a friends death. He rudely shook his head no and didn't even open his mouth. Both him and his buddy gave me a mean stare while I got in my car and left. I was like what gives?

Last night while going to my plane, the next plane over is boarding and a pax walks through and under a rope that is directing her to the correct airplane, and she asks me which plane is going to SBA. I wanted to slap myself in the head, because the plane which I was about to board had its door closed, shades pulled, and looked like it had no life in it, while the one she was supposed to board had pax heading towards it, a ramper taking bags, an APU running, and people in line to get on................what do you think?

I know I know, I didn't say anything mean. I just pointed to the airplane and left. I know most don't fly often, but seriously people. I had to have 3 cups of latte at Starbucks yesterday to make it through the day. I guess my friends death has had a bigger impact than I thought. It sucks.

That would have made for one of those great sarcastic/stupid moments!!!

OldTownPilot · November 25th, 2005, 12:46

We had a pretty easy turkey day at BGR, There were only 3 of us on the ramp, but with the reduced schedule things went fairly easy with a good bit of down time. On the good side the crew that I worked with was great. Our station manager brought in a bunch of platters with potatoes, turkey and everything else, which was great. Our most empty flight had 7 people in a 50 seater (got that flight out 16 minutes early), we also boarded 10 people on a 70 seater, nothing too busy except for the UMaine womens hockey team flying out with all of their equipment, of course I was the sucker in the bin for that one.

It always seems that the flight crews are in two totally different moods on the holidays:
1) Totally grumpy that they are working, and wont say a word to you.
2) quite happy go lucky, and quite talkative.

Whats the deal?

mrivc211 · November 25th, 2005, 15:30

it's weird. The last two rampers that I've offered to help load with because they were short handed declined the offer. Either they are so shocked that no pilots ever offered to help, or I don't know! Hehehe

BobDDuck · November 25th, 2005, 16:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by aloft

Just to restore everyone's faith in humanity....SkyWest provided turkey sandwiches in their SLC crew room today!

Apparently PSA provided Turkeyday crew meals for all the crews that had an overnight, or made sure they got vouchers for resturaunts that were going to be open that had thanksgiving meal service. Not sure how it turned out, but that thought was nice.

MQAAord · November 25th, 2005, 16:20

The chief pilot at Eagle used to bring in turkey dinner at noontime for the working crews on Thanksgiving. Not sure if they still do or not, this was 10 years ago. It was a nice gesture though.

pilot602 · November 25th, 2005, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by aloft

Just to restore everyone's faith in humanity....SkyWest provided turkey sandwiches in their SLC crew room today!

Our flight crews get turkey (or ham) sandwiches, cookies, fruit, chips, etc. everyday. Sometimes a buffet or warm sit-down breakfast too!

TaterSalad · November 25th, 2005, 22:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

I go downstairs to pick up the latest Jepp revision, check my rotation in the computer, go back upstairs and head towards Starbucks to grab a cup of java about 15 minutes later.

Who do I see in line?

Mr. 'I've got a connection in TEN MINUTES' is at the front of the line ordering a specialty coffee.

Grr.

I believe I may have caught him after he got his coffee, and asked him if he'd missed his connecting flight, under the guise of being sympathetic. Of course, my only purpose in doing this would be to make sure the guy knew I'd busted him on his lie, and maybe stir up something resembling a conscience in the guy. Course, maybe I'm just thinking like a person who'd actually feel guilty about that............

jdflight · November 26th, 2005, 17:03

I didn't get jack on Thursday. Except a 4:45am show time and a nice lonely evening in my hotel room. Captain ate on the layover in LA and wasn't hungry, and the FA's boyfriend drove down with dinner for her. I ate cold jambalaya from my food bag.

Maximillian_Jenius · November 26th, 2005, 18:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Upon deplaning, there's a passenger aggressively screaming about a stroller that hasn't been brought up yet and how he's got ten minutes to get to his next gate.

I go downstairs to pick up the latest Jepp revision, check my rotation in the computer, go back upstairs and head towards Starbucks to grab a cup of java about 15 minutes later.

Who do I see in line?

Mr. 'I've got a connection in TEN MINUTES' is at the front of the line ordering a specialty coffee.

Grr.

My only question is...when did BOI become a hub and spoke airport with connecting flights?

-Matthew

Lee D · November 26th, 2005, 22:37

Yeah the turkey "samiches" in the SLC crew lounge were a nice touch. I believe the ladies that brought them were off and did not have to be there, or do that. Very nice.

So I ate my Thanksgiving dinner in the cockpit, while waiting for the fuel truck, on a 45 min turn.

pavelump · November 27th, 2005, 18:32

Apparently they had a bunch of pies, but I was on a RAP so no pie for me.

But then again, I wasn't sitting ready reserve, so I guess I'll live.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MQAAord

The chief pilot at Eagle used to bring in turkey dinner at noontime for the working crews on Thanksgiving. Not sure if they still do or not, this was 10 years ago. It was a nice gesture though.

Ophir · November 28th, 2005, 11:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee D

Yeah the turkey "samiches" in the SLC crew lounge were a nice touch. I believe the ladies that brought them were off and did not have to be there, or do that. Very nice.

So I ate my Thanksgiving dinner in the cockpit, while waiting for the fuel truck, on a 45 min turn.

45 Minute turn! That is an eternity.

aceflyley · November 28th, 2005, 12:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by aloft

Just to restore everyone's faith in humanity....SkyWest provided turkey sandwiches in their SLC crew room today!

Hmm, very interesting. SkyWest didn't have anything for the crews in Denver on thanksgiving. In fact, we were charging them $5 a plate to eat off the CS/Ramp spread we had. We were doing this in order to raise money for our Christmas party (even with the money we've raised employees are gonna have to shell out $10 to get into the "company" christmas party). I've heard (and correct me if I'm wrong) that SkyWest has a very nice (and very free) holiday party every year for their SLC employees. Funny how SLC gets treated so well and DEN gets the shaft every time.

Even AWAC had a nice spread for the small number of flight crews that come through here now.

n77j · November 28th, 2005, 12:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maximillian_Jenius

My only question is...when did BOI become a hub and spoke airport with connecting flights?

-Matthew

I believe Doug is talking about on the return trip to KSLC from KBOI.

TheFlyingTurkey · November 28th, 2005, 20:24

My first holiday as an airline pilot wasnt so bad. I overnighted in HTS Wednesday night, had an 0830 show Thursday morning for a deadhead to CLT. When I got to CLT Piedmont had a turkey dinner catered in the crew room, complete with mashed taters, stuffing, veggies, rolls and pie! (They also arrainged turkey dinners for crews overnighting that day.) After my early dinner I flew a round trip to GSP then a deadhead back to base (EWN). Made it back by 1630 just in time for my 2nd turkey dinner of the day with the family and I was off Friday and Saturday. Back on reserve but no calls since last Wednesday! Easiest job I ever had!

November 24th, 2005, 17:19	#1
Doug Taylor Agent Smith Join Date: Dec 1969 Location: KSDL Posts: 41,217 Blog Entries: 1	Turkey Day Joy at the Airport. This morning starts out with a flight to Boise because our flight the previous evening was cancelled because of freezing fog. Checking in this morning, the passengers were a little frenzied and there was a lot of talk about flying into Twin Falls, ID if we couldn't get into Boise and there were no rental cars or transportation in order to get them to Boise. Strange. No word from dispatch about flying to TWF instead of BOI! So I checked the flight plan and the agent, misinterpreted "alternate" for "we're going to go to TWF if we can't go to BOI" (??!). Thanks. If you're not trained on how to read a dispatch release, put it down, talk to a pilot! Better wait until a pilot shows up rather than start a riot in the gate area! We get the situation communicated and cleared up with the passengers who breathe a collective sigh of relief. We get into BOI alright and back. Upon deplaning, there's a passenger aggressively screaming about a stroller that hasn't been brought up yet and how he's got ten minutes to get to his next gate. I ask him to describe the stroller and go downstairs to dig around the baggage bin. I bring up a stroller that matches the description and he loudly exclaims, 'That is NOT my stroller!' So I go back downstairs and bring up another couple that match the description, he snatches it out of my hands and storms out of the jetway. I'm walking with my captain towards our next gate and he says that while I was downstairs the passenger was standing in the middle of the jetway blocking other deplaning passengers and he asked if he was waiting for something. "A stroller!" "Is someone bringing it up?" the captain asks, "I $#%'ing HOPE so." And that's about when I walked up with the correct stroller. I figured he's got 10 minutes to catch his next flight, it's the holiday season and he's probably stressed out. I go downstairs to pick up the latest Jepp revision, check my rotation in the computer, go back upstairs and head towards Starbucks to grab a cup of java about 15 minutes later. Who do I see in line? Mr. 'I've got a connection in TEN MINUTES' is at the front of the line ordering a specialty coffee. Grr. __________________ Doug Taylor http://76school.flyblog.com (old!) http://30west.flyblog.com (updated 11/28)

November 24th, 2005, 20:18	#4
IT_Pilot Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 131	Thanks for the reminder Doug, Thanks for the reminder of what it is to be a professional. I've had a few challenges at work of late and sometimes its hard to choose the professional response. Things as silly as the person holding up the whole airplane for his stoller. Its great to see your example of dealing with user/customer abuse. (Of course we don't know what prompted this person to do what they did, but that doesn't excuse their behavior in any way.) __________________ "I reject your reality and substitute my own!" "Quack damn you!" --- Mythbusters

November 24th, 2005, 20:57	#5
Kingairer Old Skool Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Nomadic...World Wide Boobie Bungalow Bouncer Posts: 3,190	DOug if you got him a stroller, that means he has breeded. And when mine and your sons are pilots they will be dealing with this guys son! This is how the world turns. __________________ "I do not proofread"

November 24th, 2005, 21:24	#6
Doug Taylor Agent Smith Join Date: Dec 1969 Location: KSDL Posts: 41,217 Blog Entries: 1	mrivc211 - call me if you need to talk, bro! I'm around all weekend. IT_Pilot - Oh, I have to constantly tell myself, "Doug, it's too early to go to the 'dark side'" when stuff like that happens. Because once I go to the dark side, all bets are off. Kingairer - One thing I noticed from standing in the door saying goodbye to passengers, is that when you tell a passenger "Thank you, thanks for coming", if they say, "thanks, great flight", generally their kids will say "T'ank you!" But the passengers that look back and silently sneer at you usually have kids that won't acknowledge your existence at all. __________________ Doug Taylor http://76school.flyblog.com (old!) http://30west.flyblog.com (updated 11/28)

November 25th, 2005, 01:21	#9
aloft Old Skool Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Inside your OODA loop Posts: 7,011	Just to restore everyone's faith in humanity....SkyWest provided turkey sandwiches in their SLC crew room today! __________________ Commercial Pilot, ASEL/AMEL/IA 900+ TT/25 ME Mountain-qualified Search & Rescue/Disaster Relief Mission Pilot, Civil Air Patrol B.S., Psychology, Univ of Utah

November 24th, 2005, 18:44	#2
scoobs Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Diego Posts: 678	And people wonder why TSA is so rude. They don't care anymore.

November 24th, 2005, 19:20	#3
mrivc211 Old Skool Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,052	I"m beginning to care a little less about things. The other day I walked upto a sheriff to ask if he knew anything new about a friends death. He rudely shook his head no and didn't even open his mouth. Both him and his buddy gave me a mean stare while I got in my car and left. I was like what gives? Last night while going to my plane, the next plane over is boarding and a pax walks through and under a rope that is directing her to the correct airplane, and she asks me which plane is going to SBA. I wanted to slap myself in the head, because the plane which I was about to board had its door closed, shades pulled, and looked like it had no life in it, while the one she was supposed to board had pax heading towards it, a ramper taking bags, an APU running, and people in line to get on................what do you think? I know I know, I didn't say anything mean. I just pointed to the airplane and left. I know most don't fly often, but seriously people. I had to have 3 cups of latte at Starbucks yesterday to make it through the day. I guess my friends death has had a bigger impact than I thought. It sucks.

November 25th, 2005, 00:20	#8
BCTAv8r Old Skool Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Boca Raton Posts: 6,140	Every job has its share of idiotic customers. I work part time in a retail store and I'm now really getting to see what kind of people are out there. Why can't parents control their freaking kids? The let them run around the whole store messing everything up and their parents thinks its "cute".

November 25th, 2005, 07:11	#10
Tim Old Skool Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Atlanta Posts: 2,205	Doug you know thats just another day at the good ole airport. A while back a pilot, I think DL F/O or maybe ASA, came down the jetway and confronted me because he said I needed to handle his stroller better. We always take them out of bin 1 and lay them on the ground for the ALA to take up stairs. Evidently he was in the jetway and saw where I layed on it on the ground and slide it over to the other side of the airplane. He got right in my face and said I needed to handle is stroller with better care and never do that again. I asked him is the stroller was for him or his child. He started ranting and raving and I told him to take his a$$ back up stairs so I can do my job. He stood there and screamed something to my back and then I asked him how would he like it if I came to the cockpit and told him how to fly the airplane that he is trained on. I told him then if he can do my job better then he needs to get a ramp uniform and come on down. He was just standing there dumbfounded and I turned and walked away smiling. __________________ Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turn skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.----- Leonardo Da Vinci

November 25th, 2005, 12:46	#12
OldTownPilot Old Skool Join Date: May 2005 Location: BGR (Bangor, ME) Posts: 3,035 Blog Entries: 6	We had a pretty easy turkey day at BGR, There were only 3 of us on the ramp, but with the reduced schedule things went fairly easy with a good bit of down time. On the good side the crew that I worked with was great. Our station manager brought in a bunch of platters with potatoes, turkey and everything else, which was great. Our most empty flight had 7 people in a 50 seater (got that flight out 16 minutes early), we also boarded 10 people on a 70 seater, nothing too busy except for the UMaine womens hockey team flying out with all of their equipment, of course I was the sucker in the bin for that one. It always seems that the flight crews are in two totally different moods on the holidays: 1) Totally grumpy that they are working, and wont say a word to you. 2) quite happy go lucky, and quite talkative. Whats the deal?

November 25th, 2005, 15:30	#13
mrivc211 Old Skool Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 2,052	it's weird. The last two rampers that I've offered to help load with because they were short handed declined the offer. Either they are so shocked that no pilots ever offered to help, or I don't know! Hehehe

November 25th, 2005, 16:20	#15
MQAAord Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: The Looney Bin Posts: 9,409	The chief pilot at Eagle used to bring in turkey dinner at noontime for the working crews on Thanksgiving. Not sure if they still do or not, this was 10 years ago. It was a nice gesture though. __________________ PPL SEL 100-ish hours TT Former American Airlines F/A (12 months) Former Simmons/Eagle F/A (6 years) Former Eagle ground school instructor (1 year) Former Eagle IOE instructor (3 years)

November 26th, 2005, 17:03	#18
jdflight Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Boulder, CO (anywhere but Fresno) Posts: 1,488	I didn't get jack on Thursday. Except a 4:45am show time and a nice lonely evening in my hotel room. Captain ate on the layover in LA and wasn't hungry, and the FA's boyfriend drove down with dinner for her. I ate cold jambalaya from my food bag. __________________ "Don't lick the fridge." - Amber (MQAAord)

November 26th, 2005, 22:37	#20
Lee D Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Salt Lake City Posts: 630	Yeah the turkey "samiches" in the SLC crew lounge were a nice touch. I believe the ladies that brought them were off and did not have to be there, or do that. Very nice. So I ate my Thanksgiving dinner in the cockpit, while waiting for the fuel truck, on a 45 min turn.

November 28th, 2005, 20:24	#25
TheFlyingTurkey Old Skool Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 2,935	My first holiday as an airline pilot wasnt so bad. I overnighted in HTS Wednesday night, had an 0830 show Thursday morning for a deadhead to CLT. When I got to CLT Piedmont had a turkey dinner catered in the crew room, complete with mashed taters, stuffing, veggies, rolls and pie! (They also arrainged turkey dinners for crews overnighting that day.) After my early dinner I flew a round trip to GSP then a deadhead back to base (EWN). Made it back by 1630 just in time for my 2nd turkey dinner of the day with the family and I was off Friday and Saturday. Back on reserve but no calls since last Wednesday! Easiest job I ever had! __________________ Twin boys!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode