The customer is not always right, but in a customer-facing role, even in 2024, it is still necessary to be respectful and at the very least, don’t cuss out the customer. But that’s exactly what “Patty” did at the Air Canda Maple Leaf Lounge in Los Angeles: cursing is not the way to deal with a customer. Ever.
LaLa Land: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge Agent Drops F-Bomb In Argument With Passenger Over Access
You may want to start with the NSFW video below, in which “Patty” drops F-bombs in a disagreement with a guest over access.
He claimed to have access, she said no.
A discussion became heated, and ended with this:
Conflicting Lanugage With AMEX
I find the language concerning lounge access with the American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card to be confusing. It suggests lounge access is only available when traveling on an international itinerary:
A Basic Cardmember and eligible Supplementary Cardmember(s) are each entitled to complimentary access to any Air Canada Café and any Maple Leaf Lounge located in Canada and the United States, including Maple Leaf Lounges in international terminals in Canada and the United States when traveling on an international itinerary.
But also says:
Access to Maple Leaf Lounges or Air Canada Cafés is available in conjunction with a same-day ticket when departing on a flight marketed or operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, under the Air Canada Express brand, or any Star Alliance member airline.
You could make the argument that the two provisions are not in conflict, but I can make the case that the “international itinerary” requirements specifically applying to access to lounges in international terminals (the preceding phrase) because the Air Canada Café, for example, is in the domestic terminal.
But there is some ambiguity. Maybe the lounge guest was traveling a domestic flight on United? Maybe the system said “no access” when the card was scanned?
Whether or not the passenger was a jerk may be important in determining whether Air Canada should ban him from its lounge network, but there is no question in my mind that Patty does not belong in a customer-facing role.
LAX Maple Leaf Lounge Refurbishment
As an aside, the LAX Maple Leaf Lounge is currently closed for light refurbishment. Don’t expect barista coffee or a staffed bar when it opens, but it will be a little brighter and airy when complete. Per an Air Canada spokesperson:
There are indeed a number of improvements taking place at Maple Leaf Lounge at LAX. We’re modernizing the lounge’s furniture and expanding the space by 250 square feet, as well as adding 17 new seats to better accommodate our valued passengers. Additionally, we are upgrading the lounge’s infrastructure with improved power availability and a refreshed food and beverage station.
Hopefully, when it opens Patricia will not be there.
> Read More: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge LAX Review
image: @john.doe3198/Instagram // hat tip: View from the Wing
The quote “the customer is always right” is cut from “the customer is always right in matters of taste.”
We won’t know the full context behind it, but I’m a bit sympathetic towards the customer because I’ve had a couple of lounge dragons be rude or not know the rules and have a “be hostile first, apologize later” kind of attitude, especially at AC Maple Leaf Lounges and at DL SkyClubs. It’s only after you pull out the rules they try to make an excuse about how that rule doesn’t apply to this specific lounge, an excuse about how they thought there was a rule change, or getting their supervisor to correct their mistake without ever apologizing for their rudeness.
So do domestic travelers get access or not? I presume not, but their language is certainly ambiguous.
No access to anyone , ever .
Just post the audio, not the video. Without both sides of the story why put someone’s face on trial by kneejerk public opinion.
We live in a time that people can be overly familiar in communication. If you’re using the same words with the general public that may be inoffensive to old friends, is a poor choice. While I can’t say who is right here , the communication is wrong.
The issue with the policy about the same day ticket does not indicate North America or international
and the international stipulates only Air Canada flights.
the question challenge I have is if I’m leaving on an international flight and my ticket is for today I should be able to access the lounge.
Canada loves to use the word “transborder” for flights to/from the US. Not International. Not Domestic. Its in this lovely little word that Air Canada, Westjet, and now Porter use. Might be helpful in the terms & conditions and make it *MORE* clear about lounge access when flying US OR Canada Domestic, Transborder, AND International….
Canada is post-nation country.
The LAX terminal AC flies out of is a dump. Any time I’ve been through I’ve bussed over to the International terminal for dinner or shopping.
It is becoming a common practice to instigate someone with condescending behaviour and then record them on camera without their consent. Responsible media should be selective on publishing such videos before getting the full context
No doubt you’re right to an extent, but I doubt anything justifes her words.
She is clearly annoyed and has explained the exact same thing politely several times before, when the NOT-a-customer decides to film her.
Your opinion about her language is yours. If I were an actual customer with lounge access and even notice such a situation, I would certainly hold back in expletives at first, but I’m not a lowly service employee. And I’d also waste 90 seconds of my airport lounge time to find someone with authority like airport police to explain what the lowly service lady said in a polite manner once again. Once. And somewhat hope he still wouldn’t listen. And certainly not film lowly service employees (like the cops) doing their job. Instead, I’d politely thank the cops, give my ticket to the lowly service lady Patty, and I’d pretend I have any sympathy for her lowly job. Which most likely will result in an airport lounge experience as if LAX actually were in a polite and civilized country like Japan. Lowly employees talk. And humans tend to be reciprocal.
That said, I’m not from a polite country either. But we don’t even try to pretend much. So, for the international traveller: do not try behaving like the filming customer towards a waitress working at Octoberfest in Munich. You wouldn’t know how fast security would throw you out. Literally. You were told to leave once. You didn’t listen. Out you are. Thrown, because you obviously need to learn to listen, and not annoy lowly waitresses or security personnel. Sure, you could complain to police, who’ll then thouroughy investigate your complaint. And ask if you want to file charges for being manhandled, but also the security people if they want to file any charges. Which will get you arrested for harrassment and trespassing; your needed the security people to have a valid defense for manhandling you.
A few boring hours at the police station later, you’ve been fingerprinted. And asked for your mailing address, which you are not required to give. Which will result in police telling you that that’s a bad idea and politely tell you to leave; as with the lowly waitress, you’re just a nuisance. Do yourself the favour and leave when you’re told to. It’s already gotten expensive enough.
But, you may ask, what if the customer was right? What would I do if I were denied access to an airline lounge even though my credit card operator promised me access, and lowly service person denied me rightful access?
Well, I’d ask for a piece of paper and a pen, write down her name, time and date, and find the most expensive restaurant at the airport and pretend that it was the airline lounge. Pay the bill, board my flight, take a photo of my note, the restaurant bill and my credit card and spend the in-flight wifi on writing an email to my legal insurance company. Then wait what the lawyers decide. If I were wrong, I had a nice expensive dinner. If I were right, I had a nice expensive and free dinner and will probably get a year of free airline lounge access on top of that.
Pre-COVID, there was a time I was flying in and out of LAX a lot, and would sometimes do lounge tours walking airside. I recall being told some times it was only for AC when I went by, and I have the UC card and was *A Gold. I seem to recall there was even a sign out front saying so. I just assumed it was a pretty small lounge. So I’m not sure this is new, except for the rudeness part.
That’s not very Canadian of her
She looks more Brooklyn to me…
Air Canada Maple Leaf lounge and Signature Lounge attendants think they are princesses. Power princesses. And they treat the customer as such. Their knowledge is limited. For example in Toronto in the Signature Lounge we were traveling on a flex Aeroplan reward internationally. We were denied entry when in fact we spent the extra points to have entry and I showed exactly what Fair class it was and she basically said if you’re an aeroplan ticket you don’t get in. Which is not true rude rude rude and lacking knowledge. So typical of all the new hires who think they are princesses.
I’ll be the devil’s advocate here but… the video is suspiciously edited to only her cursing. My guess… she was repeating what he just said to her.
It also looks to me like this guy is out to get people fired.
Congratulations… you’re a real star.
Well I’ll eat my hat if that is true, but that is now I perceive the video.
She does need to be fired.
OH………… CANADA!!!!!
Whether or not she is repeating his words is irrelevant. She is serving the public and when it gets to a point that you feel the need to use that language, it’s gone way too far. She is calm in her demeanor and chose her words, twice. She is not even out in the general public, but in a lounge! It’s not a crazy place! If he baited her, she fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Sad.
So… this is how NOT to treat the best customers. While most interactions with employees of airlines are fine, the number of times that staff are on the unhelpful to frankly rude and misinformed spectrum is troubling.
Staff hiring, supervision and training are not working.
To everyone here making the point that “Patricia will not be there,” as Matthew says.
Imagine that you’re a person trying to do your job, and someone is arguing with you for 5, 15, or 30 minutes. You’re following the company manual (something that travel bloggers are forever trying to quote when deciding if they received the proper status acknowledgement or pre-departure drinks from an FA,) and you lose your cool to a jerk.
Then imagine the jerk posted a 10 second video to social media and now those same travel bloggers are hoping you lose your job. Would you think that’s fair? Would you think that the travel bloggers care about people working in the industry that funds their livelihoods?
Some of the best people I know and some of the worst people I know work in the airline industry. But everyone in a customer-facing role is expected to have self-control, which was not on display here. It’s not a consequential as a pilot, but bad days just cannot happen.
I had this happen to me as a sears parts n service rep yrs ago. Customer comes in to return a mower starter coil that was broken. We were told not to accept returns if defective. Cust. Went batshit on me and accused me of calling them a liar repeatedly and in front of my Supe who came out to see what the commotion was about. I did not call them a liar and said so loudly. My supe sent me off to coffee break and processed the refund. Now sears is gone, the lawnmower is in the dump somewhere and my supe’s pension along with it. Too bad so sad…