Just Curious

[klfrodo]

Just returned from an AI vacation in Jamiaca.

 

The flight crew on AA did not RON. They just stayed on the aircraft, we boarded in Mo Bay and we flew back to DFW.

 

Here's the story and question.

Wife and I were in Group 1. As we approached the aircraft, the flight attendants were attempting to store a wheelchair. We stopped to give them space but the jetway attendant insisted that we continue to board. The flight attendant went ballistic. She started yelling and screaming. At first I thought she was talking to me and we were about to have a show down when I realized she was yelling at the jetway attendant.

That got me to thinking,,,, why didn't she just step off the plane and speak to the jetway attendant in a professional manner? Then I thought that the reason may be that if she steps off the plane onto the jetway, she is officially entering Jamiaca and has to do the customs and immigrations thing.

 

Not to excuse her unprofessional behavior, but is my assumption correct regarding the customs and immigrations thing correct?

[Globaliser]

Then I thought that the reason may be that if she steps off the plane onto the jetway, she is officially entering Jamiaca and has to do the customs and immigrations thing.

 

Not to excuse her unprofessional behavior, but is my assumption correct regarding the customs and immigrations thing correct?

I very much doubt it. The crew will all have been declared anyway for an international flight.

 

She was just being unprofessional. But, hey, this is a US airline, so no surprise there.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

FA's are not supposed to step off of the aircraft.

 

She should not have yelled but from what I have seen from AA employees and my personal experiences with them it doesnt surprise me.

 

Previous poster your general statement about US airlines and their employees is based on what? You have said before you rarely fly US based airlines.

[kenish]

I don't know all the operational details, but once passengers are boarding there has to be FA's on board to assist in an evacuation if necessary. I don't know how many are required but I would speculate there has to be at least one at the forward doors and another at the back of the cabin. (And yes it does happen sometimes, the other night on "Destroyed in Seconds" there was footage of a brand new 737 in Asia that caught fire on the ramp. Passengers had to use the slides.)

[pcur]

FA's are not supposed to step off of the aircraft.

 

She should not have yelled but from what I have seen from AA employees and my personal experiences with them it doesnt surprise me.

 

Previous poster your general statement about US airlines and their employees is based on what? You have said before you rarely fly US based airlines.

 

I agree. In 32 years of flying I have never seen an airline employee behave this way, so it must have been a REALLY bad day for her. I don't think this is indicative of US airline employees, either. The rudest I have encountered were on British Airways.

[FlyerTalker]

Once you have passengers aboard, even if only one, the aircraft must be staffed to the minimum requirements - which is one FA for every 50 SEATS or portion thereof. Not how many passengers are aboard, or how many doors there are.

 

This is the reason why, on flights that have minimum staffing, the FA's never go up the jetway if there is any issue. They have to remain onboard to keep within the mandated crew amount. Now, if there were more than the minimum, FA's can leave the aircraft as long as the number remaining onboard meets the requirement.

[klfrodo]

Thanks for the responses and the manpower requirement education.

[kenish]

Some airline programs such as United's Economy+ and AA's "Extra Legroom in Coach" were not done out of the goodness of their hearts. In many cases, it reduced the number of seats (hypothetical example 154 to 148) which allowed them to get rid of one F/A by the 50:1 ratio.