Air Rage? Taking Out Frustrations on Airline Staff

Okay, so let me use today's post to finish my thoughts about my nightmare trip to Boston. now that I'm a little removed form it, perhaps I can be a little more brief than I otherwise would have been.

So, when Northwest handed me the hotel and dinner vouchers, I specifically asked the lady at the counter whether I had to call for a shuttle from the airport or whether they would come automatically. She assured me that the shuttles run on a regular schedule and that I did not need to call (WRONG - what did people do in the age before cell phones?). I also asked her if I needed to use the dinner voucher at the airport or whether I could use it at the hotel's restaurant. She promised me that I could use it at the hotel's restaurant (Well, I guess maybe you could, if the hotel even had a restaurant. The good news is that they're getting one next year!).

Another interesting experience was watching some really irate passengers interact with the gate agents. One old man and his wife seemed in a state of panic and the man was very curt and rude to the agent. The wife kept jumping in with her comments. At one point she said, "But we're diabetics and we're out of medicine." The gate agent started to respond, but the man turned to his wife and said, in a loudd voice, "Honey, they don't care about that. They don't really give a damn about us." I could see the gate agent flush red. He then started to ask how he could help get ... when he was cut off by the man who said "Just help us by doing your job and getting us out of here." Later, after he had gone out of his way to ask them where they could get their prescription refilled and how he could help, he said "Sir, I think you're wrong. We really do care. I was simply trying to get more information from you to help you."

I guess I've done enough traveling to know that there is just no benefit to losing your temper with the airline staff. When bad weather disrupts so many flights, they're as frazzled and frustrated as the passengers are. They are as anxious to get you out of their airport as you are to leave. They're being blamed for something that had nothing to do with their performance. I guess it does make the yellers feel a little better to get it out of their system. But, I think yelling at them doesn't give them any incentive to go out of their way to help you.

Fascinating situation for people-watching, though.