Insider Series: Carrie's Galley Gossip — Part Two
In this second installment of her new column, "Carrie's Galley Gossip," TPG Insider Carrie A. Trey — a flight attendant for a major airline — shares some of her favorite stories about life at 35,000 feet.
First of all, if you haven't read the first installment of my column, you can check that out here. Then, dig in to part two.
Breast is Best
I was getting the aft galley in economy ready for our midnight departure from Lagos, Nigeria (LOS) back to Dubai (DXB) when a 20-something-year-old Englishman came flying into the galley, breathing heavily, pointing frantically and generally giving me the impression that someone was having a heart attack.
"Sir, what is wrong?" I asked him with great concern.
He could barely reply, "Thir…. Thir… Thirty-se-seven D."
Trying to stay calm but also peering up the aisle with my brow furrowed, I asked, "What about 37D, sir — is everything ok?"
Visibly shaken, the young Englishman continued to point and stutter, "37D. Just go. 37D."
Not wanting to waste more time, I began to head up the aisle. I didn't see any of the commotion that usually accompanies heart attacks, exploding diapers or other scenarios that might make even the usually stoic English lose their composure (and that also often happen on the airplane.) As I approached from behind, I saw that 37D was a woman in full African dress, complete with a fabulous two-foot-high headwrap.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for a Lagos flight. My first reaction was, "Racist jerk who doesn't want to sit next to a black woman. I'll upgrade her and put him by the lavatory." As I got about a row away, I was able to see that the woman was breastfeeding. "Immature chav," I thought, trying to figure out how to move the young man to an even worse seat, if only to make things more comfortable for the young lady.
And then I saw it. The baby. It was very hairy. And had spots.
"Holy Christ, that's a puppy!," I said ... quite possibly out loud.
Suddenly I found myself trying to regain enough self-composure so as not to run up to the cockpit sputtering out of control — just like the young man already in the back galley.
Just when you think you've seen everything, you come across a woman breastfeeding a puppy. In the end, we offloaded the woman for not having paid the pet-in-cabin fee.
This Isn't Starbucks
Recently, a little piece of paper went viral in the airline community. Please take a look for yourself:
Now, I'm happy to provide customer service at a level that would make even a Singapore Girl sweat, but this was just a bit much. A top-tier elite flyer on a major US airline has apparently been handing the crew of her flights this little instruction card on how to make her perfect cup of coffee — replete with a request to return the missive to her so she can harass her next crew with it. And as if this weren't bad enough already, she outright insults the intelligence of the crew by insinuating that they don't already know which colors Splenda and Sweet-and-Low are...
Really?!?
Please remember that when you're on an airplane, you're at 35,000 feet — not in a Starbucks. Have a gin and tonic instead, and when you land, you can return to harassing the baristas at coffee chains to your heart's content.
Party Favors
Often as passengers are deplaning, they like to hand us trash. It's not pleasant, but it's also not a big deal. You take it, you throw it away and you wash your hands later. Easy peasy.
We were deplaning in Bangalore (BLR) and a passenger handed something to my colleague standing across from the door. She reached out to take it too quickly, and by the time she realized that she had taken a spew-laden air-sickness bag from the gentleman, it was too late. She stood there holding the bag as far away from her body as possible, still stunned that someone would be so uncouth as to hand her a bag full of sick.
Before either of us had a chance to react, though, another gentleman came walking through the galley, and he gingerly took the bag from her, saying, "Thank you very much!," with a bobble of his head and a smile on his face.
Oh, dear ... I know the bag says the airline's name on the outside and looks rather innocuous, but I promise — it is NOT a party favor! Oh, well.
I can only imagine his surprise when he opened his bag of treats later: "If this is what they're giving to business passengers, I can only imagine what they're passing out to the folks in economy!"
[card card-name='Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card' card-id='22125056' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.