To whom it may concern, I am a teacher in the state of California. I was on my way home from a trip to Costa Rica. I had with me 5 students, a VP and a parent. We had spent a week traveling and learning about Costa Rica’s Rain Forest/ ecosystem.
On our way home (3-29-13), we were on American Airlines flight number 177 out of JFK flying into SFO. What I experienced on that flight was very surprising to me. We were seated on the left side of the plane right next to the serving area for first class. Very early on in the flight we witnessed a tall black man that was working in the serves area (but not serving) have what I would categorize as a childish fit.
He was loud and putting down another airline employee for organizing the service area in a way he did not like. He was waving his hands above his head and talking loud in an angry manner. The two older employes that were waiting on first class had to go in and calm him down. They were explaining to him that people just do things differently and that it was ok. The black man spent the next twenty minutes banging and shoving thing around as he rearranging the service area.
Not only did my student get to hear him putting down another employee they got to witness this episode as well. The employee he was putting down was another black woman waiting on the section behind us. She was also rude to American Airlines passengers when talking to them.
About a half hour after this happened, a passenger behind me set a wrapper and a empty cup on the tray beside this service area. The black man let into him like he was a little kid. The man said he understood not to put his stuff on that tray anymore , but the tall black man kept yelling at him.
He kept saying “you do not ever do that again” “do you understand” in a angry loud voice over and over again. The man behind me told him he understood and could do without the lecture. I have never witnessed that kind of rudeness from an American Airlines service worker in all my fly experience.
I later got up to go to the bathroom. When I walked back to my seat, a bleach blond woman (American Airlines airline employee) with a double chin was standing behind the service cart at the service center for first class. The cart was right beside my seat so I could not get to it. So I was waiting for it to move. She turned around and in a rude and loud voice said ” What are you doing”. At this point, I could see why some people got irate on airplanes.
I was talking to my parent after the flight and he expressed a similar concern about these employees. He got up to throw away his trash. He walked to the back of the plane and held out his cup for the service worker to take. She was just standing in the back. She pointed to a plastic bag about three feet away on the floor.
The two older gray haired service workers in first class (man and woman)and the gentleman who worked the back section who wore am knit cap were always professional, kind, and worked hard. The black man and women and the bleach blonde should be transferred somewhere that does not have contact with the public. Their interpersonal communication skill match that of a seventh grader. The drama they brought to the flight left a bad impression of American Airlines.
I would expect to be treated and watch other people be treated much better than this on American Airlines flight.
