Once a Captain...

[kellwolf]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

Lucy Lawless is hot. AND she flies airplanes?

Hot. Pilot. Cylon. It's a trifecta!

[FlyChicaga]

Originally Posted by ZapBrannigan

Perhaps if you cared a little MORE about your customer, some of your other goals would fall into place.

Sincerely,
Your Customer.

No offense, but this is a statement from customers that bothers me the most. The thing is, I DO care. I care a lot about the customer, their experience with our airline, and their well being. Not just their safety, which is of course my first priority, but also that they are comfortable and have a good travel experience.

However, my influence is minute in the grand scheme of things. I have no control over the line at the ticket counter. I do not control the attitude of the ticket agent who takes your checked baggage. I definitely do not control the TSA checkpoint. I do not tell operations to make a gate change between two terminals. I do not tell the gate agent to have a bad attitude and hide in the breakroom until 30 minutes prior to departure. I get the customers after ALL these things... If they have a bad experience prior to this, it makes it just that more difficult for me to ensure they have a good experience with us as a crew. This is why I want to work for a company that offers outstanding customer service BEFORE the airplane is boarded.

You won't find me making "XENA" announcements, but you bet I use light humor to relax the customers. Even as a professional, you can use humor to make things better. I look at it this way: If you were about to go into surgery, would you want a doctor who was stiff and "all business," or someone who used light humor to relax you? I'd want the latter... When I encounter stress, I find humor helps relieve it. You can take it too far, but I think you can take "seriousness" and "business" too far as well.

[Qgar]

Originally Posted by FlyChicaga

No offense, but this is a statement from customers that bothers me the most. The thing is, I DO care. I care a lot about the customer, their experience with our airline, and their well being. Not just their safety, which is of course my first priority, but also that they are comfortable and have a good travel experience.

However, my influence is minute in the grand scheme of things. I have no control over the line at the ticket counter. I do not control the attitude of the ticket agent who takes your checked baggage. I definitely do not control the TSA checkpoint. I do not tell operations to make a gate change between two terminals. I do not tell the gate agent to have a bad attitude and hide in the breakroom until 30 minutes prior to departure. I get the customers after ALL these things... If they have a bad experience prior to this, it makes it just that more difficult for me to ensure they have a good experience with us as a crew. This is why I want to work for a company that offers outstanding customer service BEFORE the airplane is boarded.

You won't find me making "XENA" announcements, but you bet I use light humor to relax the customers. Even as a professional, you can use humor to make things better. I look at it this way: If you were about to go into surgery, would you want a doctor who was stiff and "all business," or someone who used light humor to relax you? I'd want the latter... When I encounter stress, I find humor helps relieve it. You can take it too far, but I think you can take "seriousness" and "business" too far as well.

Amen, brother!

Hey, Matt----do you have control of the weather?

[wick81]

I'm voting for McCain.

[Firebird2XC]

Originally Posted by Qgar

Amen, brother!

Hey, Matt----do you have control of the weather?

I love that one. I once encountered an irate passenger at the counter in Boston. He was harassing some poor gate agent because the flight to NYC was delayed for weather.

"The weather is nice here. My friend in NYC says it's fine there..."

I was forced to explain that airplanes don't teleport- we actually have to travel the space in between two places, and that was where the weather was. Since ATC made the decision anyhow, it wasn't up to any of us.

I don't think it satisfied him, but it shut him up.

[777forever]

Originally Posted by wick81

I'm voting for McCain.

If you're an airline pilot you're shooting yourself in the foot...

[Qgar]

Originally Posted by Firebird2XC

I love that one. I once encountered an irate passenger at the counter in Boston. He was harassing some poor gate agent because the flight to NYC was delayed for weather.

"The weather is nice here. My friend in NYC says it's fine there..."

I was forced to explain that airplanes don't teleport- we actually have to travel the space in between two places, and that was where the weather was. Since ATC made the decision anyhow, it wasn't up to any of us.

I don't think it satisfied him, but it shut him up.

You're lucky! We have the same thing happen to us but instead of shutting up, we get asked, "well, why don't they just fly around the storm?" At that point, I usually call my CA who will come on the PA and explain how it's not up to them to just take off and "go around the storm." It's a little more involved than that. Funny how most of the time the pax will shut up and just nod when hearing his voice, but when we try to tell them the same thing, we just get that funny look from the pax.

We had an incident last week and I was threatened with "you can't hold us hostage on this plane for much longer!" "I'm calling 911." I politely said they were free to do whatever they wanted, but that the PA police wouldn't be very amused if they came out to our plane and THAT was the emergency. Other pax bitched and moaned about wanting to go back to the gate to stretch their legs and get something to eat." Yeah, sure.....
Irony in the whole thing was that we DID end up going back to the gate when CO decided to cancel the flight right at the same time the CA got the word from ATC that we were cleared to start our engines again! Had to smile at that one---reminded me of the saying, be careful what you wish for---you just might get it! Talk about poetic justice!!

[PCL_128]

Originally Posted by FlyChicaga

If you were about to go into surgery, would you want a doctor who was stiff and "all business," or someone who used light humor to relax you? I'd want the latter...

To each his own. I prefer a doctor who's all business. I'm friendly with the pax, but I don't crack jokes. Some of the pax are already very uneasy about flying, and they get even more uneasy when they think some clown is flying their plane.

[Qgar]

Ouch, Todd--I love ya, but that's a bit harsh. I don't think Matt was talking about donning a multicolored outlandish wig, big red nose, clown shoes and a bicycle horn.
I've never met him, but would imagine he uses subtle humor just to put people in a bit of a better mood when everything is turning to crap.
As a FA, I appreciate it when we're having a horrific day and the pax are on the verge of "losing it" and the CA responds by talking to them and being totally honest and a bit humorous in calming them down for us a bit.

[PCL_128]

I wasn't talking about Matt. I'm talking more about the guys that take it a bit too far. Subtle humor is one thing, but some guys take it to extremes.

[Qgar]

Ah, gotcha! Kind of like how I feel about SouthWest's announcements. I have a great sense of humor, but find some of their announcements very unprofessional...and just a bit over-the-top. Don't even get me started on their ridiculous uniforms. Ugh.

[PCL_128]

Originally Posted by Qgar

Ah, gotcha! Kind of like how I feel about SouthWest's announcements. I have a great sense of humor, but find some of their announcements very unprofessional...and just a bit over-the-top. Don't even get me started on their ridiculous uniforms. Ugh.

Exactly!

I got a good laugh out of something one of our FAs said last year when rumors were swirling about us merging with SWA: "but.....I don't wanna dress like a camp counselor."

[Qgar]

"Camp Counselor"----that's rich!! I'm sorry, but that uniform is NOT flattering on anyone.

[Seggy]

Then sign me up for this camp...

[Qgar]

Ah, the good ol' days!

[ZapBrannigan]

Most pilots don't have the subtle sense of humor they think they do.

[wheelsup]

Ah the joys of PA's. To the passengers, thunderstorms are "rain showers", all maintenance being conducted is "routine", it's "good news" when we have a wheels up time (ie spin it...bad news is we're delayed but hey they don't need to think that!!), and when you have to swap into a different airplane because the one you are on broke you're now on the "best and fastest" in the fleet.

I did have an awkward situation the other day though. As we taxied out you could see the storm to the east of the field. Rain just started falling and the wind flipped to a quartering tailwind, still steady and within limits. I elected not to go, wanting to see what would transpose, while another RJ behind us told the tower they were ready and we moved. The PA was a bit awkward - how do you explain to people who just saw another [insert mainline brand] express carrier depart and I'm on the PA saying I realize someone just took off, however I wasn't comfortable departing? So I just said that - I wasn't comfortable departing with the proximity of the storm. They really didn't give us any instruction in upgrade class about that stuff.

[kellwolf]

I'm with Matt. I'd rather have someone that puts me at ease. 'Guess that's why we're both gunning for the SWA crowd while Todd views them as a "cult."

[mikecweb]

I'll throw this out there...
I rode the tranny this past week BOS-BWI-CLT and I have to say I was very impressed. 2nd tier airline but still looks and feels like it upholds the traditions of the industry. You guys are good peeps Todd.

Above all else I like when a company has a culture about it and it is nice to see the employees embrace it. Southwest definitely has a culture which is different but refreshing at times.

[surreal1221]

I would have to say that the Tranny guys/gals also have a culture going on.

I really can't explain it. . .except that they are not too full of themselves, where as the Delta guys I grew up around and still occasionally run into are just a little too big headed. Which is fine. . .don't get me wrong, ego's can be a good thing.

Provided some primary instruction to an Air Tran FA many months ago who was a joy to fly with, great attitude about learning how to fly, and about her full time job. She gave the impression that a majority of the employees over there are extremely happy with the company and how it is being ran.

[PCL_128]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

I'll throw this out there...
I rode the tranny this past week BOS-BWI-CLT and I have to say I was very impressed. 2nd tier airline but still looks and feels like it upholds the traditions of the industry. You guys are good peeps Todd.

Above all else I like when a company has a culture about it and it is nice to see the employees embrace it. Southwest definitely has a culture which is different but refreshing at times.

[Baronman]

I only trust 50ish looking guys, white, male, no accent other than a southern drawl to do the PAs.

[SmoothLanderJ]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

I'll throw this out there...
I rode the tranny this past week BOS-BWI-CLT and I have to say I was very impressed. 2nd tier airline but still looks and feels like it upholds the traditions of the industry. You guys are good peeps Todd.

Above all else I like when a company has a culture about it and it is nice to see the employees embrace it. Southwest definitely has a culture which is different but refreshing at times.

I 100% agree. I love riding on Air Tran. When commuting between MEM to MCO, if possible id rather fly with them on their once a day direct flight then NWA any day of the week.