Coach Left Thirsty: Passenger Blasts American Airlines For Only Serving Drinks In First Class During Turbulence
An American Airlines passenger took to TikTok to complain that, due to turbulence, there was no drink service on her flight in coach – while first class received service throughout the flight.
@iamshanno Explain yourself @American Airlines #supersus #suspicious #americanairlines #airplane #wtf #dontbesuspicious #sus #explainthis #corporate #greedy #screwedup #fypシ #viral #fyp #fixthis ♬ Don’t be suspicious – io non so
Coach drinks are generally served from a galley cart. It is heavy and unwieldly and not something cabin crew will be able to manage in severe turbulence. First class drinks will be delivered individually since it’s a smaller cabin, depending on the aircraft on American it’s just 2-5 rows.
And while the video’s creator claimed “there wasn’t any turbulence at all” that is very much not the point. If the captain says to expect turbulence, based on reports received from other aircraft or based on radar of upcoming storms, they’re going to take precautions. Also, flight attendants will have an easier time returning to a jump seat in first class, and won’t need to stow the galley cart.
I’m torn between whether this is a good look or a bad look.
- Want a drink during turbulence? Buy first class.
- On the other hand, doesn’t it look like the safety of cabin crew serving coach is less important?
- And there’s an odd human desire for solidarity, that we all suffer when some people suffer and that those who don’t are resented (when it always seemed to me like we should be happy that not everyone does). We’re way too French in this regard.
Of course we can easily take things too far, like one United flight where the airline actually announced that a delay was due to the need to provision blankets and pillots for first class. That did not go over well.
But neither does not serving drinks at all, even in first class, “due to the short duration of the flight” with no expected turbulence at all and when the flight is scheduled to offer drink service. I’ve had that too many times.
