Bad flight attendant stories

[carnuntum]

Obviously you get the good the bad and the ugly in all careers, and 98% of flight attendants are brilliant and do a superb job. If you fly a lot, you're bound to come across the odd bad egg/experience, the same as if you go to lots of restaurants etc.

I've not (touch wood!) had any really bad flight attendants. Once when flying from London to South America in business (BA), I pressed the call attendant I think 3 times during a 13 hour flight. The flight attendant came and said "What can I get for you NOW? "

Another time was flying to the US in Premium Economy, and nothing in particular was wrong. However, the flight attendant was just so sharp. I asked if I could get a glass of water and she snapped that I had to go to the back to go and get it. I went to the back into regular economy and the flight attendant was so sweet!

What are your stories ?

Passengers are worse! I had a stint as crew for a couple of years and have had everything from breaking up a 2 man punch up, told to f*ck off by an A-list celeb and groped by a lot of men! There were specific routes where passengers always seemed particularly rude and everyone would dread doing these flights.
I don't know how people do it for years on end- no wonder they are grumpy

I've never pressed that button. I've done it by accident and felt bad for getting them up for no reason! Three times in 13 hours is a lot IMO. Surely for half of a 13 hour flight you would be sleeping.

A couple actually.

An emirates crew member who kept standing on my chair when I was sitting in it, trying to reach something in the over head cabin. She eventually explained loudly to another cabin member she was trying to get her lipstick and couldn't reach.

A Turkish airline crew who refused to serve me and another woman on her own a drink in business class, years ago, because, yup, we were women on our own. They offered all the men drinks and simply ignored us.

The other woman, who was sat behind me, explained it happened to her on every single flight. I had to use the call button repeatedly to get someone to come, I then requested a drink as they had neglected to serve me, and they brought it a couple of hours later, after several requests. Because you know, us women are a lower class. Especially when on our own in business class. And this was women on women too. I understand it has improved over the last decade or so and they no longer do this to solo female travellers.

On a flight from Heathrow to Tampa (BA) my three yr old was getting on my last nerve and I just really needed a drink. I waited for the air hostess to come round and nicely asked for a gin and tonic. She put me some ice and lemon in a glass and gave me some Fevertree tonic in a little can. I was so excited!
Then she was called away. I didn’t want to be a pain so I left it a while then went to the back to ask. Oh we’ve run out of gin now, sorry! Vodka? No none of that either.
Readers I cried. I even took a photo.

What on earth required three bell calls in one flight? I don't think I've pressed it that much in 30+ years of flying.

OP not coming back? What a surprise!

The cabin supervisor on my last flight was par excellence. Went round the cabin introducing himself by name (and using our names), and provided amazing service the whole flight (14hrs). Was a pleasure to write to his airline and specifically commend him.

Am flying with them again soon and hoping beyond hope he might be on the roster again!

I also don't believe anyone was "screamed and shouted" at a passenger either, given such a sound would clearly carry from one end of the plane to the other.

Firmly, even annoyedly, asking yes. But not screamed or shouted. That's ridiculous.

Can't believe the OP pressed the call bell three times. I don't think I have ever had to press it in all my time flying.

I have had the range of attendants from cherry to moody. The worst was when I was sitting at the back and the AI attendant came back to freshen up - Dub-JFK - and spritzed a shit load of perfume all over herself whilst standing next to me. Set me off coughing and the like.

I find that airline passengers though can give me air rage!!!

The only really bad flight long haul flight we’ve had was back from SA in premium economy (we have had several awful Ryanair and other now-defunct short haul).
Staff were really miserable, cabin was freezing, and we’d had a really short transfer from the safari plane, however, the BA plane kept being delayed by several minutes, so still no time to get food.
We were only a couple of rows from the front, but they only had this awful gristly beef left, no blankets/pillows. Oh and only 2 kids meals between 3 kids. Bread was so hard it would have bounced off the walls!
To top it off the staff were really bloody miserable.
We’ve gone from choosing BA for the majority of our flights, to actively avoiding them.

We’ve gone from choosing BA for the majority of our flights, to actively avoiding them.

Us too, out of all the carriers we've flown with they have been the worst by far.

BA refusing me any hot towels or anything to wipe down my toddler, myself and the seat when he threw up. There was no sick bags in the seats and we had to spend an 8 hour flight sitting a FPS covered in vomit.

Typo meant sitting in a seat and in clothes covered in vomit !

BA were dire re vomit on a bumpy flight from SF a few years ago. Loads vomiting, crew crap on flight.Sick bags said in big letters hand to cabin crew. Like a mug I didn’t leave our full bag on the seat but went to hand it to the flight attendant as we went past who refused to take it. No bins anywhere so had to clutch it all through arrivals.