We have a picture. We have a contention. Did an American Airlines flight attendant really use a beverage cart to create a barrier between first class and economy class in order to keep coach passengers from using the forward lavatory?
Why Did American Airlines Flight Attendant Block First Class Access With Service Cart?
James Nunziati shared the following picture on X, lamenting:
@americanairlines can’t believe your flight attendant blocks the aisle. I get they don’t want people infirst class, but there must be a better andway. Feels like a safety hazard and makes this flight even more cramp. Thanks for the love. Thats what my EP status gets me. #1883 pic.twitter.com/ucE2sGbc9O
— James Nunziati (@JamesNunziati) January 1, 2024
(EP stands for Executive Platinum, the top-tier elite status in the American AAdvantage program)
When he was criticized for wanting to use the forward lavatory, he replied:
Did not use it nor did I intend too. I respect that element. Just didn’t appreciate being boxed in because they didn’t want to deal with the passengers. Good to know you don’t mind being cramped in a seat and having a large cart on your elbow for [five hours].
I think that’s a reasonable point. I do wonder whether the cart was really there for five hours (he flew Airlines flight 1883 from Los Angeles to Miami). My first thought was that perhaps the flight attendant was serving meals or drinks form a cart, as is done in coach, but that is unlikely. It’s also not like the cart was just temporarily pulled up to allow someone in coach to get out of their row, because it is on the other side of the curtain and there is no flight attendant standing beside it.
It looks a little uncomfortable for the passengers in the last row of first class as well…
Rather than condemn the flight attendants or call them lazy without more info, I will simply say that leaving a heavy cart in the middle of an aisle is not a smart thing to do. Furthermore, American Airlines does not even prohibit economy passengers from using first class lavatories. Thus, while it is nice when passengers use the lavatory in their ticketed cabin, it is not even a requirement on AA…
CONCLUSION
Without speculating too much about one picture, it really isn’t a good look if flight attendants on American Airlines are blocking the first class cabin with a galley truck (or blocking the rear galley with seat belts). While admirable to want to protect the first class lavatory for first class passengers, this is not the policy American Airlines has chosen.
> Read More: American Airlines Flight Attendants Find A New Way To Avoid Serving Passengers
(image: @JamesNunziati / X // Hat Tip: PYOK)
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I’d take the original poster’s post with a grain of salt. I find it very hard to believe that flight attendants would do this, especially on a narrow body. From what I can see, the cart is the one you’d use to collect the trays and rubbish after the meal service and before landing. If I was in the last row of First, I wouldn’t stand for this either.
Come on now, don’t believe anything people say. Do some research first. If you’re truly an experienced traveler, I would have assumed you would have made the same observation that I have.
Since I took the pic I wanted to clarify several things
1) I was not complaining about them blocking access to 1st class lavatories. I am loyal and fly American 150k per year. I understand the goal and did use the lavatories all the way in the back.
2) I didn’t complain when she first used the small cart to block access for about 30 min. It did not obstruct my access or access for the 1st class passengers while still somewhat restricting the access to 1st class.
3) when she placed the large cart right next to us in the front row of coach I had an issue. she was not using the large cart to clear plates or take out food. She parked it and left it there for over an hour.
4) when she originally placed it I had no ability to leave my seat and was surround by the cart on my left, the wall in front of me and a passenger to my right. The seats are small enough to begin with.
Clearly they in the past issues with too many people using 1st class lavatories from coach. I know this first hand. But I would expect either the FA or Captain to just make a comment before taking these actions.
I had never seen this maneuver.
FA’s need to go back and forth as well so I find it fairly dubious that the cart was parked there for multiple hours.
@Matthew – I have 3 AA SWU’s as LP Milestones that need to be used by the end of this month. You expressed interest in comments a couple of months ago so I emailed you but hadn’t heard anything back. You’re normally extremely quick to respond in comments so I wonder if maybe my emails aren’t going through.
I also find it hard to believe it was there for long. But maybe AA does need to make a rule about restroom usage in regards to sticking in your own section.
And it’s always the people who need to #2 that come up to FC to do their business and camp out in the restroom. Just nasty.
What better way to flip off the people in first than to go up to “their” lav and take a massive, odorous, dump and then leave the door open as you go back.
Your comment explains why some people want to pay more to sit in first class. Who would want to sit by someone who thinks what you suggested is funny?
The poster was attention seaker. The bloogers like you help him with that spreading his message.
There is no way, the cart would stay there during the quarter, half or the whole flight, because cabin crew members move too across the airplane and it is just discomfort. I alweays follow the cabin rule and do not go to other cabin lavatory, regardless of having the highest status with that airlin or alliance.
Now, there is a “tradition” in US airlines that FAs block the front galley entrance with cart when pilot/captain goes to lavatory. Once they asked me to sit down when I wanted to take something from my bag from overhead department. I ignored. The other only US #tradition”(plus AMS) is taking the shoes off at the security control. Sick society! Must be so hard to compete with mainland Chinese and Russians to be on the first place of the worst travellers in the World. According the frequency of the incidences in the air and at the airport, US succeeded! Congratulations! Keep going and never look back!
I find it hard to believe the crew would leave an unsecured cart in the aisle. The FAA mandates carts be secured and occupied within three feet. So there is more to this story like someone is trying to get miles or rewards. Flight attendants never leave an unsecured cart out as it is a safety hazard. Period.
The pic kinda looks like there is an FA in the aisle striding towards the cart as the picture is taken.
It’s a safety hazard leaving a cart in the aisle. At my airline we’re not supposed to be more than 3 rows away from the cart at all times. Sure the brake can be on, but if there’s some clear air turbulence, that cart can easily be thrown into the air and injure passengers (and crew).
Oh, the humanity!
It’s nice with the European airlines that the curtain is drawn between business and economy. If the US airlines did that, a lot of the forward use issues would be eliminated.
If I remember, curtains went away completely after 9/11 so FA’s and air marshals could have view of the entire aircraft. I think the mesh curtain is the “resolution” so there can be a curtain and a FA and/or air marshall can see the entire aircraft.
Nonsense, there are curtains and we make announcements to remain in your cabin when possible. People just don’t care and it’s especially annoying when you are trying to preform service in first and people just get in your way.
The rules apply to everyone except me. If I were to ask people to use the toilet in the back they give nfcs look as if I shot their dog. It’s not worth it.
Oh BTW Matthew the dog situation is getting totally out of control again!!!
I saw that in World War Z. Eventually, the economy passengers can get past it.
This is the correct answer.
Seems like a good move. I often noticed on local US flights economy travellers using the forward lavatory. European and Asian airlines do not allow it and close the curtain to not have a crowd getting through the business class section.
I saw a you tube video from a former FA saying that the crew will dim the lights to put passengers to sleep to stop them from using the call button so the FA can relax and do nothing. The barrier is an extra bonus.
If the cart was intruding on your space, then why did no one ask an attendant to please move it? No, it’s more fun to stir up trouble & be in the spotlight on social media isn’t it?
I agree with what you said, it’s just a little ironic coming from someone with a Proud Boys logo as their avatar.
The cart clearly was not there for a long time since the last row of first could not have gotten out of their seats. Maybe the FA was collecting trays and needed to take care of something else, or the pilot was using the lavatory.
The guy who posted this seems like a frustrated attention seeker. Be better than giving such a loser the attention he craves
It’s so classist in the first place, not allowing the filthy hoi polloi use the forward lav. I’ve always hated that. I’m tall, so I can’t really stand up straight in the first class lav, since it’s usually forward of where the plane starts to narrow. So if I’m in First I usually go back to the aft lav. Is that forbidden too? No, I’m a classy guy, from First Class, I won’t make a mess in the lav.
Hey… If it’s true, then I say to that guy, “don’t pay the cheap price and then be surprised that you don’t get the benefits of the higher priced ticket.”
I was on a flight from London to Phoenix. Premium economy. Just the wall separated me from first class. I went to use the bathroom and I looked towards the first class. As they were walking picking up trash. I was told to go the other way. Over 8 toes of seats.
I don’t believe it. I went to his Twitter page and it’s at least 90% complaining to businesses. And the post in question is gone.
I have premier status on United, and while I often travel in first class, I travel in economy just as frequently when it makes more monetary sense. I always use the lavatory in the cabin I am seated in, which often means lining up in the economy cabin.
I was on a recent flight to Central America from the United States where I had paid for the upgrade to the first class cabin, and could not get over how many economy passengers were gathering, and sometimes hovering, over my chair to use the front bathroom. The flight attendants didn’t say anything to them, and one of the passengers came up multiple times and would stay in the bathroom for awhile each time. She might have had a medical condition, so I’m not trying to sound heartless, but the truth is that when you pay to sit in that cabin, you don’t expect someone to hover over you. The guy hovering over my chair acted like it was no big deal at all for him to congregate in the first class cabin and wait for the bathroom. I imagine that if this picture is accurate, the cart was placed there because the flight attendants didn’t want to have to scold people for coming up to the front too much. That’s just my guess. It is uncomfortable to do that. On the aforementioned flight I was on, the first class passengers in the last row of that cabin kept closing the curtain as tightly as possible to try to keep people from filing through, but to no avail.