An Atlanta-to-Houston flight earlier this week was enhanced by the wit of a Delta flight attendant. As I boarded, she was handing a coat hanger to one of the pilots.
“He needs to make a couple of repairs before we leave,” she deadpanned. A smile did not break across her face until I laughed.
Later, as she moved through the cabin, a man accidentally bumped into her while getting settled into his seat.
“No touching the dancers,” she said — wagging her finger at the slightly-embarrassed passenger. It brought more smiles.
Just a little lightheartedness can go a long way. Good humor enhances the routines of life.
Last night’s return flight, however, was different. Though a packed airplane, the flight attendants chatted in the back without providing any help in getting passengers on board and the carry-on luggage stored.
Briefcases, jackets, camera bags and blankets filled the overhead space needed for luggage. Even when asked, the flight attendants did nothing to manage the situation.
A flippant, “We made an announcement,” was the only response.
Then — when the obvious occurred — the flight attendants pulled many of our suitcases (that could have gone above) off the plane and checked them. Then blamed passengers for the delay.
Interestingly, as we prepared for landing, a young male flight attendant apologized that so many bags had to be checked. He added: “You can go to Delta.com if you have any suggestions about how to do this better.”
You could hear the laughter in response. The answer was so obvious: “Do your job — and manage the boarding process!”
I was relieved when my bag appeared (after another unnecessary delay) on the baggage claim carousel in Atlanta. It could have been worse, since the flight’s final destination was Dubai.
Yes, in the daily experiences of life, humor sure does help. And throw in a little competency and efficiency for good measure.
