In my experience, the US air fleet is the most disgustingly vile carriers in the business. US carriers allow matrons to keep working until they’re in, what, their mid 70’s?
Flying domestic is just like being locked in a toilet with a wild Buffalo. You won’t see such disrespect toward the passengers on competent and classy carriers like Air China or Phlippine Airways. Or even Aero Mexico.
One of my favorite Dennis Miller rants:
And exactly when did stewardesses in this country get so f_cking
cranky? I know it’s a tough job — there’s got to be a thousand
different ways to tie that neckerchief, but why piss on me, huh? You
know, the worst thing about it is they don’t even come clean with you
and tell you how much they hate you. They treat you with that highly
contrived air of mock civility, that tight, pursed-lip grin where they
nod agreement with everything you say. You know right behind that
face plate they barely tolerate your very existence. I’d rather they
just come out in the open and say, “Hey, listen, _sshole: when I was
eighteen years old, I made a horrible vocational error, all right? I
turned in my entire adult life for cheap airfare to Barbados. Now
I’ve got hair with the tensile strength of Elsa Lanchester in ‘Bride
of Frankenstein.’ I haven’t met Mr. Right. I’m a waitress in a bad
restaurant at thirty thousand feet. Jam your Diet Slice up your _ss,
all right?” At least show me something. Come down the aisle like the
old broad in ‘From Russia with Love’ with the knife point coming out
of her shoe. “Peanuts, Mr. Bond?”