US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently sat down with a United Airlines flight attendant to discuss airspace civility as part of his “Golden Age of Travel” campaign.
A United Airlines Flight Attendant And US Transportation Secretary Sit Down On An Airplane…
Duffy sat down with Lily, who he says has been a United Airlines flight attendant for 19 years. The two are seated on a regional jet (or maybe in front of a green screen), so it isn’t clear to me if Lily is actually a United employee or works for a subcontractor like SkyWest that handles United’s regional operations, but I suspect she works for United since she is wearing a red AFA pin.
The topic of the discussion was civility in airspace, a follow-up on Duffy’s recent “Golden Age” campaign, which argues that passengers acting more civil and dressing nicer are the key to unlocking the Golden Age of aviation.
Here’s a transcript of his 90-second conversation:
Duffy: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy here. We’re talking about civility in the airspace does start with you. I’m here with Lily; she’s been a United flight attendant for 19 years. So what can we do to make the flight experience a little more civil, a little better, a little happier?
Lily: We love when people board and say hello, please, and thank you during the service. You know, especially during boarding, to hear thank you, when it’s the hardest part of my day, coordinating all of the ground activities and welcoming people onboard really goes a long way.
Duffy: We have seen an uptick in disruptions on aircraft. And so, this is just an effort to say hey, let’s all remember you’re going to get there. And, if you can be nice to everyone around you and everyone is nice to you as well, we’re all going to have a better travel experience.
Lily: Definitely recommend that people pack your patience, give people grace. Lean on your flight attendants if there is an onboard disturbance. We are aviation’s first responders and we’re highly-trained to de-escalate, which we do every single day, and we’ll have a great holiday.
Duffy: I love it. Lily, thanks for being with me. I appreciate it. Good luck flying!
Lily: Thank you!
Yes, Be Nice To One Another
I’m not going to trash this video, which amounts to another public service announcement. It’s true: civility does start with you. Say hello, say please, say thank you. Be nice to flight attendants (and flight attendants, be nice to passengers!). Do give people grace and pack your patience.
Flight attendants do not always do a great job of de-escalating, but they are (at least in theory) trained to handle these situations and you should defer to them if you run into a real piece of work onboard.
CONCLUSION
I’m still highly skeptical that it is passengers alone who are to blame for the uptick in disruptions on board. Even so, I sign on to the admonition that we must treat one another better and that starts with each of us…and includes flight attendants.
As we move further beyond the mask mandate, we are seeing a huge drop in the number of disruptions onboard, something we can all celebrate.
> Read More: U.S. Transportation Secretary Says YOU Are The Reason Air Travel Has Become Uncivilized
> Read More: The Golden Era Of Airline Travel? We’re In It.
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