- Share This Post
- submit
- 0
-
Sparkle (0)
This past week I took 5 flights in 5 days. I hate flying but it had to be done so I figured it would be a good chance to check out airlines and decide which I liked best. After all, I was flying three different airlines.
The first flight was uneventful. From Oakland to Ontario airport (LA) on Southwest. I had A28 to board, but it did me nothing because I was in conversation with someone at the bar while drinking a bloody mary and was not worried about what seat I would get. Anyway, very uneventful.
The next morning I flew Southwest again from Ontario back to Oakland. 7:45 a.m. flight that I wasn't looking forward to as I was tired and hungover from the wedding I attended the night before. That flight made my morning - and my day.
Living in the East Bay Area, I've attended many Raiders game and thought I had experienced Raider Nation but realized the moment I boarded this flight, I really hadn't. I didn't realize there were so many Raiders fans that lived in LA that flew up to Oakland every Sunday morning for home games! Everyone dressed in black and silver and opening beers at 8 in the morning should have made it enjoyable flight to begin with but it was really the flight attendants and pilots that did. They were so happy, cracking jokes, and really upbeat for so early in the morning. You could tell they liked their job. And even though it was only an hour flight they make sure to give you as many snacks and drinks as you would like. I think one of the flight attendants should have been a stand up comedian.
I landed in Oakland still laughing as hard as I had the past hour in the air. Happy and ready for my day to start, I walk over to the gate for my next flight, on Jet Blue. Talk about a contrast.
I used to be a big supporter of Jet Blue. The flight attendants always seemed so happy, and the airline always seemed like a better alternative than Southwest - just because they had everything Southwest had plus individual t.v.'s and sometimes cheaper rates. I walked up to the gate to check in only to stand there for about 5 minutes while the lady behind the counter just chatted it up with another employee. Finally the attendant decided to greet me - but definitely made me feel like I was being an inconvienence for checking in. I understand everything is electronic now and perhaps they don't get many people at the gate checking in these days but I wasn't about to walk out of the terminal to check in and go back through security!
anyway, I check in still bubbly from the happy flight before and get some breakfast. I board the plane to NYC that is going through Long Beach. The flight attendants give their speech and I'm of course tuning them out. After we take off they get back on the speaker, when all I'm trying to do is watch football on t.v. But I listen as they give their whole upsell speech on getting a Jet Blue American Express - thanks but no thanks. They then go on to tell us all the things they have to sell - blanket and pillow for $7, headsets for $1, etc... am I being forced to listen to an infomercial?!?
But then they go even one step further by walking up and down the aisles asking everyone if they want this stupid overpriced blanket/pillow set. Talk about interferring with the customer experience! The flight attendants then walk up and down, offering drinks and snacks, except unlike Southwest, when I ask for the chips AND biscotti, I get an evil glare by the flight attendant as if to say "how dare you ask for two things?" Southwest would give me the whole box if I wanted (a bit of exaggeration but you get the point). All the flight attendants on this flight were rude, unhappy and complete opposite of Southwest. If I was considering to apply at either Southwest or Jet Blue, Southwest would win because by this point all of the Jet Blue employees seem to seriously hate their job - from the lady at the gate to everyone on the
