Opt out of CSM greeting??

[kezsco]

I understand that many people enjoy the personal greeting from the CSM of the flight. However, I personally don't enjoy this benefit at all. Call me an introvert if you want, but I like privacy and anonymity. Many of the privileges of a platinum does give me this- quiet business lounge, blocked seats next to me in lightly loaded flights, not having to line with the crush at economy counters for overseas flights etc...

However, I dread the in flight greeting. I get twitchy when one of the crew looks at the computer printout and starts going seat to seat shaking people's hands and making chitchat. I start looking up pre-empting the greeting and feel bad when I am not in my suit but have dressed down in jeans and a T-shirt when I am greeted. And I know that I shouldn't be feeling like that, but that's just me. And it doesn't happen every flight, but it happens often enough to be unpleasant.

It happened again three days ago with my wife on our trip just down to MEL (from SYD) on such a short flight. We were in our little world when the greeting and the questions came regarding my weekend. I am firmly in the "it's none of your business, please stop talking to us" camp.

I have looked at my profile online and there isn't an opt-out button for the personal in flight greeting. Is this something that bothers anyone else, or do you all enjoy the greeting and inquisitive stares from fellow flyers? If it bothers enough people, surely Qantas can have an opt-out of personal greeting button? (Red Roo.. ?) or they can be far more discreet and ask if WPs "need anything else" when they are serving the meals or something like that?

What do others think?

 

[UP4014]

Lift up the newspaper you are reading in front of your face.

 

[kezsco]

Does that work? I'd be afraid to have the CSM call out in an even louder voice "Excuse, Mr Kezsco?" I'd be even more unhappy if that happened.

 

[Leumas]

I know what you know, but I'm not to a stage to want to avoid it. I suspect most people don't care that you're greeted anyway.

Plus, you can always pretend to be asleep and they won't bother you... I don't do it deliberately to avoid the greeting, but there have been many times that I've dozed off and only wake up to find a menu, a landing card, an express card tugged in the seat pocket in front.

 

[gbetox]

I enjoy the personal greeting, particularly if I can score an amenity kit or a glass of better wine from the front... It doesn’t hurt to ask, and I’m yet to receive a negative response…

 

[wingspan]

Lift up the newspaper you are reading in front of your face.

This in conjunction with putting your headphones on/in should do the trick.

 

[amaroo]

I like the greeting - particularly when I'm seated in whY and the CSM comes down the back to say hi.

Had a brilliant one SYD-SIN he came down did the greet & said that he'll make sure the drinks were plentiful......good man delivered the whole flight:mrgreen:

 

[samh004]

I understand what you’re saying, being very much introverted myself. Though I’ve yet to have the greeting anyway. I’m sure I seem very much antisocial on flights anyway, shying away from conversations, staring out the window and keeping to myself and my thoughts :/

 

[nonpop]

May be there should be an option for the CSM to walk past and just give the secret sign and the raised eye. Bit like a secret society special door knock.

I notice I get it even when I fly LAN to AKL. The CSM comes down and tries hard to pronounce my name. I just smile during the cookie-cut speech and say "thank you" and give them a little wave to say "move along, nothing to see here" and that always does the trick. I too don't want all the questions about why I am going from X to Y. (on a recent flight, I said to SHMBO that I was going to answer with "I'm taking SHMBO away for the weekend so I can have a dirty weekend and really mess the hotel room up good and proper this time". But somehow she managed to talk me out of it and instead I said "to attend to family matters".

 

[2impulsiv]

Seems I'm missing out. All I get is a quick welcome as I board the aircraft. I can see where your coming from though, sometimes you just want to be left alone and not feel drawn out of the crowd. However, I would still be happy to receive this. I believe a “Opt-Out” button in your profile would be extremely hard to implement and manage though..

 

[mannej]

Fair enough if you don't like the greeting, but surely a "fine - thank you" wouldn't hurt.

I am one who is similar and needs to be in the mood as such, but I feel to suggest an opt out for this would be a waste of resources TBH.

I really do feel for the FA's here. They can't win can they?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If it bothers enough people, surely Qantas can have an opt-out of personal greeting button? (Red Roo.. ?) or they can be far more discreet and ask if WPs "need anything else" when they are serving the meals or something like that?

What do others think?

I don't know if QF has a similar system to CX where they can record pax info such as the name they would like to be called and preferred language. This appears on the manifest. Might be worth investigating.

 

[flyingfan]

I really do feel for the FA's here. They can't win can they?

Not at all. I recall reading a number of threads where WPs were wishing really hard for a personal greeting and a smile. I haven't had such a greeting past L1 - the only inflight bonus was the offer of a newspaper once.

I think the greeting would only bother me if it was so conspicuous as to make the non-greeted nearby suspicious.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I think what is much worse is if WPs sitting in Y are offered a newspaper, while the non-WP beside them is not; or offered a J class meal or J class wine if the non-WP beside them is not.

Similarly, I guess, the non-WP may well feel a bit put out if the person beside them gets a personal greeting and chat, while they get nothing.

Not only does that make the WP highly conspicuous; it also has the potential to alienate the other pax surrounding them, which is not good customer service.

 

[kirk7]

its normally the other way around that WP wants special attention...greeting, food, headphones, wine, etc...

the only airline that does this well is CX....preflight- AA treats us WP the best with extra luggage, priority boarding....

QF fails on both pre and post boarding....

 

[ReLoad]

When I was a WP I never got the greeting, so i guess i must have opted out without even knowing

 

[gbetox]

its normally the other way around that WP wants special attention...greeting, food, headphones, wine, etc...

the only airline that does this well is CX....preflight- AA treats us WP the best with extra luggage, priority boarding....

QF fails on both pre and post boarding....

I even got free food when flying AA in an US whY flight. I don't know if that is now standard, or the FA made a mistake.

 

[medhead]

It's extremely rare for me to get a greeting. Never on 6am flights. Sometimes, read half a dozen times in the last 100 flights, on evening flights. Maybe 75% of the time on weekend and middle of the day flights.

 

[aus_flyer]

If this isn't the pinnacle of #FirstWorldProblem I don't know what is.

Seriously... get over yourself.

 

[Mal]

Can you attach a "Do Not Disturb" sign to your seat perhaps? Works in hotels ... sometimes!

Don't think there is any official way to opt-out, although manifests do contain lots of interesting information about passengers and comments can be left there.