If you travel on a regular basis, you’ll invariably wind up in a hotel where flight crew are staying overnight. This just means that the airline has a contract with that particular hotel, usually close to the airport, so the flight crew has a place to sleep for their required hours of rest before they go back up in the air again.
We’ve read about the occasional (*cough*) “heated discussion” about “flight crew cutting the line at check-in,” but happily, that issue was resolved. But now another question has popped up: if you’re taking the hotel shuttle back to the airport and the flight crew wants to get on, are you obligated to give up your seat for them?
The question came up from Reddit user HeatDue2236 in its AITA forum a couple of months ago.
The initials “AITA” represent the term, “Am I The A-Hole.” The community is defined as, “A catharsis for the frustrated moral philosopher in all of us, and a place to finally find out if you were wrong in an argument that’s been bothering you. Tell us about any non-violent conflict you have experienced; give us both sides of the story, and find out if you’re right, or you’re the a-hole.” It’s kind of like a “jury of your peers” sort of thing and you may eventually be determined to YTA (You’re The A-Hole) or NTA (Not The A-Hole).
The Story: HeatDue2236’s Experience
HeatDue2236 shared that he was at an airport hotel for a conference. He explained that when he arrived at the airport, he had a long wait until he was able to get on the hotel’s shuttle because it was a very small vehicle that only held six passengers. He added that several of his co-workers were bumped from the shuttles so flight crews could get to the hotel.
Fast forward a couple of days. The conference is over, and as he checks out of the hotel, he asks to reserve a seat on the shuttle. But the front desk people said it was first come, first served. Since he remembered the problems getting a shuttle seat on the way to the hotel, he got to the shuttle stop 10 minutes early and was first in line when the 6-seat shuttle arrived.
HeatDue2236 boarded, as did 2 pilots. One of the pilots counted the seats and then talked quietly to the shuttle driver. The shuttle driver then told HeadDue2236 to get off the shuttle because 4 flight attendants were on their way down and needed the seats.
HeatDue2236 refused – he had a flight to catch and had been screwed on arrival, so he had purposely asked how the shuttle worked and he made it his business to get there first.
The pilot then tried to bully HeatDue2236 and say his airline reserved the whole shuttle. Not one to be bullied, HeatDue2236 asked the driver to get the manager to figure out the “first come, first serve” policy vs. the pilot’s claim that the whole van was reserved for flight staff. The pilot then backed down, and 2 of their crew were left behind to wait for the next shuttle.
So HeatDue’s question was:
So, should I have given up my seat? I was burned on arrival, so asked the rules, planned ahead and got on first. I recognize the hotel probably has a contract to transport the airline crew but the root of the problem is a 6 person van for an airport hotel.
The Responses: Public Opinion on the Situation
Was he an A-hole? The responses were overwhelming that he was not. The following points were made:
- Depending on the airline, the ticket counter stops check-in 45-60 minutes before your flight leaves. The crew can walk on at the last minute. The pilots don’t get paid until the door closes anyways.– Nacelle72
- Now I am reminded of being at Newark and a back up pilot being chauffeured from Washington DC. We left 5 hours late. — 7148675309
- I’d bet money that the airline in fact does pay the hotel as part of their lodging contract to get their employees to and from the hotel on time. Not quite the same as reserving it for the whole crew, but the hotel is obligated to get the entire crew to the airport in time to perform their duties and depart on time. Maybe that’s not your problem, and I’m not sure it makes you an AH. It is the hotel’s obligation, not yours. They could have insisted you allow the flight crew to go ahead of you. You’d be pissed, complain, maybe never stay there again, but that airline is probably booking many rooms, daily, 365 days a year.– SteelGemini (someone replied that they work for an airline and the issue was 100% a hotel issue)
- One person also asked how a hotel could only use a 6-passenger van to bring between between the airport and the hotel, but got several replies from people who said they work(ed) at hotels, which did just that.
- NTA (and I’m an airline pilot). Hotel says the shuttle is first-come, first-served and you got there first; if the airline doesn’t want their crews to be late they should reserve the whole shuttle or otherwise arrange for dedicated transportation. — 49Flyer
- actually, flight crews do reserve whole shuttles. They have contracts with the hotels for room and transport. the first come first serve policy is likely completely separate from their deal with the airline. The hotel should have dealt with this and neither you nor the pilot should have had this problem. — thatotterone
- If the hotel has a deal with the airline, the hotel could send the guests in the shuttle (to which they are entitled) and the hotel could pay for a cab for the pilots to share. The hotel has an obligation to ALL their guests.– Maximum-Swan-1009
- Glad you held onto your seat! I hate bullies, especially bullies who lie. YNTA!– BoomerBaby1955
- NTA. You were there first, it was your seat. That’s the rules. But bc he’s a pilot he thinks he can make his own rules & try to bully you. You didn’t do anything wrong. The pilots & flight attendants should have planned better. Their poor planning is on them.– NOTTHATKAREN1
Our Thoughts: Balancing Flight Crew Needs and Hotel Policies
Although it would’ve been a pain for others waiting for the shuttle, I could see the flight crew having priority going from the airport to the hotel. They’re required to rest X number of hours or they can’t fly. So let them get their rest.
But on the way back to the airport? Nope. They all should’ve gotten there earlier. The respondents said the plane can’t leave until the flight crew arrives, while HeatDue would have to get to the plane in X amount of time before his flight, or he wouldn’t be allowed to board.
And overall, this hotel really needs to have a bigger shuttle vehicle. Or more than one running at the same time.
Here’s the whole thread, if you want to see his original post and all the responses.
What do you think?
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