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A Delta cabin crew decided they had enough of us loathsome coach passengers during my family’s flight from Detroit (DTW) to Los Angeles (LAX) the other night.
I found the whole thing rather bewildering and wanted to share it with you — and see if you have any thoughts about the matter.
Everything Started Out Fine…
My wife, daughter, and I sat in Comfort+ on this 4.5-hour trip. (In my experience, DTW-LAX flights are tough for upgrades.)
Before pushing back from the gate at Detroit, the lead flight attendant made several PA announcements reminding passengers to wear our face coverings. No big deal there. Them’s the rules. Has been for a while, will be for a looong time (I think).
Our A321 took off on time from Detroit. Cabin service started about 45-60 minutes into the flight. (I ordered the Tip-Top Old Fashioned and some water.) A while later, the flight attendants collected trash.
Everything was routine.
But then something rather odd happened.
The lead flight attendant made an announcement — with an edge in her voice. She said something like, “This marks the end of our cabin service on tonight’s flight.”
So they decided to discontinue beverage and snack service — about 90 minutes into our four-and-half hour flight?
But she wasn’t done.
“Remember to keep your face coverings over your mouth and nose unless you’re actively eating or drinking,” she said. “Keyword: actively,” she hissed.
Passengers exchanged puzzled glances. Others said, “What the heck?” (or variations thereof). A woman behind me muttered, “More like, ‘keyword: bitchy.’”
Look, I possess a dark sense of humor. I love and appreciate the art of good snark. But there was not a hint of good-natured ribbing in this flight attendant’s tone when she dropped the “Keyword: actively” line. There was spite and anger behind it in her voice.
Then she went about serving the first class passengers: making sure they were comfortable and their drinks refilled.
Maybe they cut short their service because of turbulence? you might say.
Nope. Our ride was very smooth. There was one stretch when the seatbelt sign came on and everyone was asked to remain seated because of possible turbulence. A glance at my weather app revealed there was some inclement weather slightly to our north. Luckily, that was some ado about nothing.
My wife and I thought the whole thing was odd. We’re veterans of the LAX-MSP (and vice versa) line. That’s shorter than DTW-LAX. And during those LAX-MSP flights, there’s always two cabin services (unless bumpy air gets in the way). And there’s usually coffee and water served at least once in between.
Soon after it was announced service would end, three flight attendants approached a man seated in the window seat a couple of rows ahead of me. The lead flight attendant waved a placard (like the safety card or something) several times to get his attention. Then she told him to put his mask on. He seemed to grumble about it. Then another flight attendant said, “It’s not us. It’s not Delta. It’s the law.”
So were the flight attendants upset about passengers not obeying the mask rule? And this was their way of getting back at passengers?
Honestly, I didn’t notice anything rowdy or loud during the trip. I’ve been on flights (usually on weekends and to Vegas) when the plane becomes a flying party. And flight attendants handle it well.
But this was downright bizarre.
Then It Backfired
Flight attendant call buttons then chimed every couple of minutes. Other passengers walked back to the galley and came back with snacks or beverages.
After a bunch of individual requests, the flight attendants suddenly decided to provide another cabin service.
Maybe we were good boys and girls?
Final Approach
I’m not entirely sure why our Delta flight attendants decided to abruptly end cabin service. Was it because some people weren’t wearing masks? Are they mad at Delta and, for some reason, hope passengers complain?
I went to Catholic school for 13 years (K-12). I’m no stranger to group punishment or guilt-inducing exercises. But I don’t see how cutting service for the dozens of well-behaved passengers makes everything OK.
Have you had a similar experience? Flight attendants who read the blog: can you offer any insight? Please share your thoughts in the below Comments section!
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I am with you. I am not a fan of punishing the entire group over a few individuals. It is the rules now and when you purchase a ticket, you say you will abide by those rules, so if a few don’t abide by them, then they should be be reminded to follow them. Withholding service for everyone is a bit drastic. I’m sure everyone will live, but why even do it. Is the next thing they do to withhold the passengers from using the restroom because someone got too cozy with their significant other inside the restroom?
The Flight Crew possibly had covid themselves, and didn’t want to spread it around.
@Horace – If the crew had COVID they should NOT have been on the jet (nor anyone else for that matter who knowingly has COVID)!
I’m pretty sure this is just another case of someone KNOWING they are right and HATING all who think differently. I personally do not care where anybody lands on the mask thing, but I love Delta and obey flying rules. People on both sides IMO are WAY too jacked up about it. Anger and vitriol are rampant poison. Society and media unfortunately encourage this on ALL sides. It’s why if you’re reading this you’re likely thinking “well if they just… or “ “ that’s because they don’t..”. I know it’s not reality but I wish in this pronoun obsessed culture we could all drop the “they” and replace it with “we”. Love is never the wrong answer. Possess your own opinion, but love everyone.
Your answer was beautifully stated!!!
Different individuals will respond to things differently I guess. I was on a Delta flight SEA-PHX in August. And was doing the normal mask off routine while drinking water. My mask fell off of the tray part way through and I completely forgot about it at that moment. I was totally maskless when the FA picked up the trash with no apparent response from the FA. I realized what I was doing about ten minutes later and felt bad about it but it was completely unintended.
I think this is yet another case of someone with a little power (FA) proving they are in power. Yes it smells like Catholic school punishment. Being a FA would appear to be a miserable job at times but I think some (a few) of them have decided they can flex their muscle to prove they are in charge. It is a shame. It is unacceptable. It needs to be reported to Delta. I recently encountered a similar “muscle flex” by a gate agent in Atlanta.
Why does it have to be a bad ” controlling ” incident or act It could had been several people without mask on even during the snack/ dinner was over? Im sure that you all couldn’t see what was going on in all the areas of the plane. Instead of thinking she was trying to be a “powerful” FA. That executive decision that was made may have saved you and your loved ones life! ( might had been to much exposed faces out ) I’m sure it was several people without a mask on even after services. Who knows… Get over it . This mask thing is going to be going on for a long time thanks to people who don’t want to wear a Mask. !! BTW to mention Catholic group punishment is so crazy. What on earth does that have to do with this pandemic? Some people just need to follow the federal law or get a big fine and you will be placed on a No FLY LIST! What do prefer a meal or possibly getting exposed to covid? it had to be a bigger picture happening for them to do that. Think people. Please.
The masks aren’t going to be here for a long time but if they were, it’s because of lack of vaccination and because of unnecessary fear generated by politicians and the media.
Delta’s policy is to wear your mask BETWEEN sips and bites. My guess is a passenger completely removed their mask because they felt “actively” eating or drinking meant just having food/drink at their seat and that isn’t the case per the policy verbiage.
Right! DD!
My experience is much like Bandmeetings. I travel Delta quite a bit (out of DTW mostly). I’ve been on flights where FA’s have commented to me about pulling my mask up within 30 seconds of stopping my drink or snack. No problem and I just smile, nod and pull it back. I’ve also just plain forgotten and seen others forget a few times and FA’s didn’t notice for quite some time. The vast majority of FA’s have been polite about oversights, in my experience.
The discontinuing the drink service on a 4 plus hour flight is nonsensical, however.
I’ve flown during the entire pandemic and just recently have I noticed this uptick in “mask awareness”. Maybe something has come down from Delta corporate or it’s a union thing. On my last flight from PDX to ATL, my FA asked me a question and when I looked up to answer my mask slipped off of my nose just slightly. She immediately told me to put my mask back up while also acknowledging that it was her question that caused the faux pas in the first place. And repeatedly they went around admonishing people to slip it back up in between bites and sips. I haven’t experienced a group punishment yet.
Delta FAs are not unionized.
Which is why they are usually better than this.
DD thank goodness they are not unionized
I flew JFK-SFO(RUC’s did not work) in C-. There was lots of problems with the entertainment system, and had to be rebooted. Mine continued to not work jumping from movie to movie etc. As the FA passed by I mentioned this she said”I fixed it” and was not happy with me… They all seemed to have an ???attitude. We got one beverage service initially with biscotti/cookies almonds only on a 5 +++hour flight. I asked another FA passing by 4++ hours into the flight whether we were going to get another beverage-water service. She said did you need something..?? yes ice water…got water No ice…. then others asked so they came down the aisle again!!!!!A trend here.but no mask issues that I could see.
Did any member of the flight crew announce where they are based? In my experience, sometime the older flight crews based in Minneapolis can be a bit surly, and I chalk this up to bad labor relations at Northwest. Things have gotten a let better since the merger with Delta, but there are still traces of the old Northwest culture.
Yes — they were LAX-based.
“It’s not us. It’s not Delta. It’s the law.”
100% correct! You don’t like the rules…drive! Years ago when I was still a smoker…I was on a flight Newark – LA. I was dying to have a cigarette but you know what? I didn’t…because it’s a law and I signed up for that when I bought my ticket.
Enough with this nonsense already…
Congrats on no longer smoking! Im a former too and it feels great not smoking.
Ditto from me, as a child of former smokers that kicked the habit after decades.
WB it’s not a LAW it’s a government ( Biden ) mandate. Not the same
It’s the same & required by the TSA which was in place long before the Biden Administration, & Covid. This is simply a matter of the challenge to Human Nature which does not want to be told it has to or cannot do something. Like any other safety policy or procedure on board, wearing it properly throughout a flight is required by law & is an FAA regulation, even if temporary. It must be followed or there are consequences. It is absurd to believe that, after enduring over 2 years of regular adversarial opposition (& physical threats at times) while having to continually be on the frontline of Covid exposure because they don’t work from home, flight attendants enjoy repeatedly having to tell some defiant travellers to wear their masks for a fraction of their day. Consider how long they have to wear their masks themselves while they work? Compassion is lacking here & they’re just doing their jobs. Can’t you relate with the frustration you certainly have from time to time in your own jobs from tasks your are required to do? And if you were to say, “Well, they’re flight attendants & are always supposed to keep their frustrations in check,” then you’re basically saying it’s ok for you to be frustrated, but not for them. No one should be rude. That is a attitude of someone who can’t even empathize. And as far as “cutting off service,” & then “getting their carts out again because they were giving in to the demand,” that second service is planned for roughly 90 minutes before landing. They weren’t giving in, they were doing exactly what they were supposed to do. The completed service announcement after the first service was in place as a reminder to keep masks on after drinks & food were finished because a coke & a cookie don’t last 3 hours. They caught that sidestep right from the start.
I hope you are wrong about masks being with us for a long time. The case rates show that vaccination is the most effective weapon against COVID, especially in an airplane where the air is filtered so well. I realize that the requirement is now a Federal law, not an airline rule like it was initially. At least if you are going to require masks and vaccination, end the testing.
Personally, I hope masks stay. Western cultures could’ve learned something about consideration and not spreading one’s germs to others from Eastern cultures by wearing masks in the first place – it’s a common courtesy in cultures that place value on the community before self. Airplanes are dirty places and the masks not only play a part in limiting COVID transmission but also common cold, flue and other ailments. I hope, but do not trust, that people even learned their lesson about basic hygiene like washing their hands.
G-d forbid that masks should stay. Airplanes are not dirty places. The circulation and cleansing of air on an airplane is better than in most places on the ground. Your chances of catching a disease are small. Life needs to return to normal and wearing masks is not normal. If they do help, the inconvenience and annoyance far outweigh the benefits. If people who feel vulnerable want to wear N95 or equivalent, let them do so. For the rest of us, our immune systems are just fine, as they have been since creation.
It IS actually normal…just not for the selfish American public. Have you never entered a hospital or medical facility prior to the pandemic? There is nothing wrong with having consideration for others in a shared space by wearing a mask to limit their exposure to your germs and limit your exposure to theirs. And noone said N95…the lighter more comfortable surgical masks are fine.
I was just on a flight sea-ord. I was inbetween bites sips and the old hag fa told me to pull my mask back up. Un NO! There should be MINIMAL hand to mask contact. Constantly touching the mask will contaminate it. I will wear the stupid thing if I’m not eating or drinking but i will NOT keep pulling it up and down. Ive had cancer and have an autoimmune issue so from life experience i know a little more than trolly Dolly working the cabin.
That Flight Attendant was conveying Delta’s policy which you AGREED TO when you purchased your ticket and checked in to your flight. Right, wrong or indifferent…THAT is the policy that YOU agreed to. If you believe you know better, feel free to contact Delta’s management but behaving like a petulant child on board for the FA to deal with is not acceptable. And if you don’t like the policy, then feel free to walk or drive yourself. The FAs shouldn’t have to deal with ignorant behavior like yours.
For your information, here is Delta’s policy. https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-planning-center/know-before-you-go/face-masks
“Masks must be worn at all times except while eating, drinking, or taking oral medications for brief periods. Prolonged periods of mask removal are not permitted for eating or drinking – masks must be worn between bites and sips. “
Its for everyone’s safety! Gheez… Think people , think! No Delta doesn’t have a union the decisions are based off of the caring responsibility that is personally taken to keep all passengers safe !
It’s not for everyone’s safety. Vaccinations are for everyone’s safety.
ACTUALLY..vaccines do not prevent transmission. Vaccines are to protect the individual who has been vaccinated from becoming severely ill when they are exposed. Masks are to aid in transmission prevention. Both are part of a multi prong approach to EVERYONE being safe.
The CDC doesn’t agree that they don’t prevent transmission https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/fully-vaccinated-people.html
The CDC says it helps to “reduce transmission”…that is not the same thing as prevents transmission. A person who has been vaccinated can transmit the virus. The vaccine minimizes the period of transmission and the severity of illness for those who are both symptomatic and asymptomatic.
It does use the word “prevent”and it is indeed preventing transmission to and from those that don’t catch or transmit it as a result of vaccination.
My main objection is saying “everyone’s”.
Safety or not, scientific data or not, personal opinions/experiences/preferences or not – it’s the policy we all agree to when buying our ticket and checking in for our flight. If we don’t want to comply, we can find alternate means of getting there.
The American public are not selfish. I visited plenty of people in hospital before COVID-19 and it was never normal for visitors to wear a mask. Having a different opinion does not make someone selfish.
Really? So you’ve never seen a doctor or nurse wear a mask in a medical setting? Just because visitors weren’t previously required doesn’t mean it’s not ‘normal’. All the shenanigans and chest pounding we’ve seen around the mask mandates shows exactly why mask wearing was never required/normalized in the US. Not because it isn’t an effective part of minimizing transmission of all illnesses, not just COVID. Immunocompromised patients were recommended to mask up well before the pandemic, medical workers masked up prior to the pandemic, and it has been a long standing cultural norm in Asian cultures to wear a mask…as just a few examples. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-shocked/202005/why-was-mask-wearing-popular-in-asia-even-covid-19) Americans are hiding behind their ‘opinions’ because they are selfish and cannot put the good of the community and its health before their own ‘opinions’ and selfishness.
One culture doing something doesn’t make it right for us, or even right for them. What’s right for medical staff is not right for general visitors. Americans are not selfish because for disagreeing with you. If this administration doesn’t stop the TSA from imposing these measures on us soon, then the next one will. Perhaps you are just playing devil’s advocate since the idea of a permanent mask requirement is just so silly.
Actually there could be justification for requiring them in certain medical facilities after COVID-19, but nowhere else.
I’m glad I don’t work at Delta. Some passengers come on a plane and expect EVERYTHING. For some unknown reason they believe flight attendants are their personal attendants at their beck and call. The main reason flight attendants are there is for your safety. Making passengers comfortable is a courtesy. Let me ask those of you in customer service jobs how you would respond if someone walked into your place of employment immediately asking for water, to use the restroom, dispose of trash, etc. when you knew that person was sitting nearby a water source, market, restroom and trash can. The public can be whiny, have unrealistic expectations, and just generally needy. To punish a flight crew because you didn’t get what you want is juvenile, and reinforces exactly what I previously stated. Nowhere else does the public expect, and in some cases demand to be catered. Did you ever think about those flight attendants? Maybe they have are working a twelve hour duty day, maybe someone wasn’t feeling well, maybe they are temporarily suspending service and plan to begin a second service later in the flight. Of course, some passengers interpret that to mean service is over for the entire flight. By reading some of the comments its truly, Its all about you. Where masks are concerned it was the law. Some passengers incessantly complain about others not wearing masks and demaand to be reseated, while other refuse to comply with mask wearing mandates. Flight attendants are in a no win situation. Everyone commenting should walk a mile in another’s shoes before sounding off. I just ran across this and couldn’t help comment. I think I’ll begin a blog on ” what not to do as a passenger.” Most people are on a flight taking a few hours of the day. Flight crews contend with hundreds of passengers per day. This is my forst and lastt rant on this site. Happy flying!