I stumbled upon a video on Instagram that has garnered tens of millions of views. Initially, I was perplexed about why it was even captivating, but I soon understood the context (although it’s still somewhat unclear to me if the passenger is aware of it?).
In this post:
Flight attendant poses a clever question to passengers
A few days ago, a social media user with a substantial following recorded a video while boarding an American Airlines flight. He was accompanied by his wife, who was heading onto the plane ahead of him.
I’m uncertain about the intent behind capturing the video, but two flight attendants are visible at the entrance (more on that later). One flight attendant can be seen silently saying “hi, how are you?” to the man.
The flight attendant then perceives the man filming in front of him, seemingly catching sight of the woman from behind. Consequently, the flight attendant inquires of the woman, “are you two traveling together?” Upon her confirmation, the flight attendant remarks, “I was going to mention, because it’s just, it’s either you’re traveling together, or you’re coincidentally dressed quite similarly.”
If you skim through the video, you might think it’s merely casual chatter, but it becomes evident that there’s more to it. The flight attendant realizes he’s filming the woman ahead, so her method of assessing the situation is to ask if they’re traveling together. Kudos to her for being perceptive.
I do have one concern regarding the crew in the video
The above isn’t the only element that stands out to me regarding the video, however. First, I must mention that passengers shouldn’t be recording videos in this manner, as American Airlines has a policy prohibiting the recording of employees without their permission, and this video clearly captures the two flight attendants in a way that’s not entirely passive.
That said, can I just highlight how stark the difference is between the greetings you receive on some US airlines versus most international carriers? There seem to be no consistent standards. On many foreign airlines, flight attendants typically stand at the entrance in a specific manner, with proper posture, welcoming each passenger with a smile.
In contrast, here you have one flight attendant standing there with her Starbucks cup in one hand and her other hand in her pocket. Meanwhile, the male flight attendant is practically slouched, wearing an unhappy expression, fiddling with his nails, and appears to be critically assessing the passengers as they board.
I’m not someone who anticipates service on US carriers to mirror what it’s like on Emirates or Singapore Airlines. However, first impressions are crucial, and honestly, does anything about this create a positive first impression for passengers? I can’t envision visiting any establishment and not finding this disconcerting.
To clarify, the emphasis of this video is on the flight attendant’s commendable effort to identify a potentially problematic passenger, but I find their overall galley setup and demeanor to be all too typical at American Airlines, reflecting the company’s deficiency in customer service culture. There are, of course, many amiable flight attendants at American who excel at welcoming passengers, but I believe the situation described above is more prevalent than it ought to be.
Conclusion
For whatever reason, an American Airlines passenger decided to record a video while boarding a flight, seemingly documenting the backside of the person in front of him. Luckily, it was his wife, but the flight attendant felt it necessary to confirm. Thus, she subtly inquired if they were traveling together based on their similar outfits, and I applaud her for how she handled that.
What I have less admiration for is their general approach to welcoming passengers, which is regrettably too common in the airline industry.
What are your thoughts on this American boarding interaction?