AMERICAN AIRLINES APOLOGIZES TO PASSENGERS FOR 3 HOUR DELAY WITH FREE DRINKS

A pilot attempted to save the day when his flight faced a three-hour delay. Captain Rod Campbell from American Airlines had hoped to operate the two-hour flight between Phoenix Sky-Harbour International Airport (PHX) and Puerto Vallarta Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) when the aircraft had encountered delays on a previous rotation.

Rod Campbell entered the cabin and advised the passengers in person what was happening, and then promised to provide everyone a free drink as a way to apologize.

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Captain Rod Campbell to the rescue

A Twitter post by Sami Muhonen turned viral when he recorded the brave captain entering the cabin and explaining to the passengers what was happening. With the flight bound to be full of excited vacationers, a three-hour delay would've upset many. However, with a free round of drinks, this is a prime example of excellent customer service. The captain noted they were doing as much as possible to get the flight off the ground and would 'pedal as fast as they could' to arrive in Puerto Vallarta as soon as possible.

With Sami's video on Twitter already having over 14,000 views, American Airlines was quick to chime in, noting that they 'loved' the pilot's actions and planned to recognize him for his actions. Even Captain Campbell's wife replied to the post, noting that her fantastic husband usually helps out where possible, whether it be as a passenger in a wheelchair or assisting flight attendants. The Phoenix-based captain always seems to go the extra mile for his airline and passengers.

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Pilots are freestyling their announcements.

Some pilots enjoy making announcements, while others do not. Pilots who enjoy making announcements typically enjoy hearing announcements themselves. As passengers, they want to know about the flight, such as how long it will take and what the en-route weather will be like. Those who would instead not make announcements usually want to enhance their passengers' experience by not interrupting shows or music with a PA or repeating information many passengers have heard countless times before. Regardless of individual sentiment towards PAs, every airline outlines what pilots are supposed to say and when they are required to make announcements.

The airline determines the degree to which pilots and flight attendants can add extra information to their announcements. Some companies prefer their employees add personal touches, humor, and sincerity to their announcements to make them more relatable. Announcements are unique because every pilot and passenger has their own opinion about them: what should be said, how much should be said, or if anything should be said.

  • American Airlines
    IATA/ICAO Code: AA/AAL
    Airline Type: Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s): Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Miami International Airport, New York JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
    Year Founded: 1926
    Alliance: oneworld
    CEO: Robert Isom
    Country: United States
  • Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code: PHX/KPHX
    Country: United States
    CEO: Chad Makovsky
    Passenger Count : 21,928,708 (2020)
    Runways : 8/26 - 3,502m (11,489ft) | 7L/25R - 3,139m (10,300ft) | 7R/25L - 2,377m (7,800ft)
    Terminals: Terminal 3 | Terminal 4

2023-05-29T00:11:26Z dg43tfdfdgfd