• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Award Expert
Home » Humor » My Brother’s Observation from United First
HumorUnited Airlines

My Brother’s Observation from United First

Matthew May 12, 2010 2 Comments

My younger brother is not a frequent flyer, but I spoil him when he does fly and he usually ends up in First Class. We exchanged the following text messages today before his United flight:

HIM: Douchebag in 1A upon being offered water or oj: “I want a cup of decaf” FA faked a smile, rolled her eyes and said yes sir. Where do these people come from?

ME: Which ones?

HIM: These douchebags

ME: The FAs or the passenger?

HIM: Passenger

—

I’m not so sure I agree with my brother.

I think it’s sad, but not surprising that I was unable to discern who he was talking about in his initial text message. Sure, the passenger could have waited until after the plane got in the air to have a cup of coffee. Furthermore, if he is a frequent United flyer he should know that pre-departure beverages, when offered, are usually water or orange juice only. And the passenger didn’t ask in a nice way–especially so early in the morning.

Kudos to the FA for making him the coffee, but why the rolling of the eyes? Is it really too much for a First Class passenger to expect a cup of coffee at 6:45a? Shouldn’t a world-class airline, as United prides itself in labeling, already have the coffee brewed? The purser on my last early morning United flight took the initiative and brewed a cup of coffee for First Class passengers prior to takeoff before anyone even asked her–and it was appreciated. Why didn’t the purser on my brother’s flight do the same?

In the end, both the passenger and the FA deserve to be scolded. To demanding passengers: Be nice. Don’t demand. Treat the FAs with the respect they deserve, not as your personal assistants. To the FAs: It’s not nice to roll your eyes at passengers, even if you feel like gouging their eyes with an ice pick. Grin and bear it–take one for the team. Think of it as job security.

Previous Article Another Strike on the Horizon for British Airways
Next Article $200 Voucher for Lost Dog on Delta

About Author

Matthew

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 120 countries over the last decade. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, BBC, Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Al Jazeera, Toronto Star, and on NPR. Studying international relations, American government, and later obtaining a law degree, Matthew has a plethora of knowledge outside the travel industry that leads to a unique writing perspective. He has served in the United States Air Force, on Capitol Hill, and in the White House. His Live and Let's Fly blog shares the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs and promotions, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel. His writings on penandpassport.com offer more general musings on life from the eyes of a frequent traveler. He also founded awardexpert.com, a highly-personalized consulting service that aids clients in the effective use of their credit card points and frequent flyer miles. Clients range from retirees seeking to carefully use their nest egg of points to multinational corporations entrusting Matthew with the direction and coordination of company travel.

Related Posts

  • Leaked Seat Map for New United Airlines 787-10

    April 16, 2018
  • Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: April 15, 2018

    April 16, 2018
  • Photo credit: Tomás del Coro

    Upgrading on Spirit Fails to Deliver Separation from Common Class

    April 15, 2018

2 Comments

  1. Gray Reply
    May 13, 2010 at 4:40 am

    Your bro needs to learn to spell “douchebag.” 😉

  2. Matthew Reply
    May 13, 2010 at 11:21 pm

    @Gray: 🙂

    I corrected his spelling.

    That’s what happens when you go the University of Second Choice.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Thrown Off a United Airlines Flight for Taking Pictures! February 19, 2013
  • Turkish Airlines Safety
    Is it Safe to Fly Turkish Airlines? July 21, 2016
  • United Club
    5 Reasons to Purchase a United Club One-Time Pass May 16, 2013
  • How to Make the Most of an Airline Schedule Change August 25, 2015
  • Sunset view from our balcony
    Resort or City: Conrad Cartagena Makes You Choose April 22, 2018
  • Accessing Lufthansa or SWISS First Class Lounge With a Double Connection April 21, 2018
  • Southwest Flight 1380 Compensation
    Southwest Gives $5,000 to Each Passenger on Flight 1380 April 21, 2018
  • Airplane Noisy Video Games
    How Would You Handle a Brat Playing Loud Video Games on Airplane? April 21, 2018

Recent Posts

  • Sunset view from our balcony
    Resort or City: Conrad Cartagena Makes You Choose April 22, 2018
  • Accessing Lufthansa or SWISS First Class Lounge With a Double Connection April 21, 2018
  • Southwest Flight 1380 Compensation
    Southwest Gives $5,000 to Each Passenger on Flight 1380 April 21, 2018
  • Airplane Noisy Video Games
    How Would You Handle a Brat Playing Loud Video Games on Airplane? April 21, 2018

Categories

Instagram

No images found!
Try some other hashtag or username

Archives

May 2010
M T W T F S S
« Apr   Jun »
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
Facebook Twitter Instagram RSS