Reply #30: I hear you and could tell a million more stories like yours [View All]

about the "bean counters" and their money-saving ways.

And for all the others who are mad as hell about poor/rude service I can relate to that as well. You don't realize how many times we fly as passengers, either "deadheading" (riding in the back en route to another flight) or traveling standby. We've seen it all and been victims of it, too.

The rude service, the ridiculously tight cramped seats. I always joke about how they cram so many people closer and closer in a small aluminum tube in uncomfortable seating, with poor air circulation, feed them alcohol and serve them crappy food by disgruntled employees and then they wonder why they have "air rage".

In defense of the front-line customer service people I have to say that while I, too, have fallen victim to some horribly rude customer service people, I've also had the pleasure of working with and receiving service from a much larger number of extremely over-worked, under-paid, courteous, competent, hard-working professionals. While our customer service people are truly our front-line employees who customers see as the "airline" itself, they are also treated like indentured servants who have to be so-focused on the almighty "on-time" departure that they will do whatever it takes to get the aircraft door shut. We joke that they must make them walk on hot coals for every airplane that doesn't push back on time and that's not too far off. For every late push-back some manager is losing pay and they will make sure the shit flows downhill.

I'm not trying to excuse rude service, but that, too, is a subject that volumes could be written about.

Thanks to everyone for all the positive feedback and wonderful comments to my rant. It's much appreciated.