When a flight gets delayed, the unfortunate reality for many of those working in the airport is that they may get yelled at — but one gate agent made sure to defend her fellow employees.
It was Sunday, April 6, when American Airlines flight AA5270 from Birmingham, Alabama, to Charlotte, North Carolina, was delayed from 8:17 a.m. to 3:43 p.m.
A video posted on Instagram showed a woman lingering by the seats as she addressed the frustrated passengers who had been waiting for their flight for a whopping eight hours.
A gate agent delivered an epic pep talk to frustrated passengers when their flight was delayed
“PSA from American Airlines — be nice to the flight attendant’s even the babies are listening !!!! Preach it girl. Amen,” wrote realtor Mia Wolfe, who shared the little speech on social media.
The gate agent said in both a serious and lighthearted tone, “When you get on that aircraft, let me tell y’all something. Don’t get smart with my flight attendants.”
She ordered, “Be nice to them. They have a hard day just like we do. The same aircraft that’s coming out, the same people that are on that aircraft, it’s the same people that have been waiting as long as you wait, or maybe even longer. So please, y’all, please, I’m asking, do it for me, be nice to them.”
A baby decided to crawl by in the middle of the speech and she jokingly called them out, saying, “Hey, you on this floor. Nuh uh now, where you going? Look, don’t be on that acting up, we know you’re gonna get all the attention.”
Aviation expert Ben Schlappig decided to chime in on how the gate agent tried to defuse the situation, praising her ability to look out for crew members, while also acknowledging that this kind of delay can be extremely inconvenient.
The woman urged passengers to be kind to the flight attendants, as they most likely have been waiting just as long as anyone else
On his blog One Mile at a Time, he wrote, “This is honestly my favorite kind of gate agent to have working a flight, and she has such good vibes. So many gate agents are indifferent and seem like they don’t really care, while this woman obviously cares.
“Let’s be clear, what she’s doing here is totally selfless. It doesn’t directly impact her how passengers behave toward the crew, but she’s trying to pay it forward, and look out for others.”
He went on to say that her tone was absolutely “perfect,” since “some meek little talk” wouldn’t have had the same effect.
An aviation expert said the gate agent invited “good vibes” while showing she obviously cares about her staff
“This woman is basically telling people how they need to behave, or else. And good for her, because I think she got the message across.”
Flight attendants are “easy punching bags” for frustrated passengers because they are the face of the airline, Schlappig noted, but they are not responsible for any delays and are likely not even being paid extra to work those long hours.
He wasn’t alone in his admiration, however. Those who viewed the Instagram clip had only good things to say about the gate agent.
“As a FA, she is dope! I love her!! I enjoy her working my flights out of Birmingham Alabama! Extremely personable and genuine!” one commenter wrote.
Another stated, “Honestly, gate agents are so underrated. They set the stage snd [sic] tone for your flight experience. The FAS and Pilots carry it to the finish line.”
An airport worker gushed, “I LOVE when we work as a team. It’s already so hard to work in this industry, it makes it even harder when we don’t work together. Loved her.”
Those on social media applauded the gate agent’s speech
“O M G!” exclaimed a fourth. “This made me cry here. Kudos [sic] to that gate agent !”
An ex-employee said, “That is a people person. Great job Ms Gate Agent. I know I worked for a Major Airline for 43 Years. I know what you’re up against.”
Not all passengers will become irritated when a delay happens, but those who do tend to direct their rage at flight attendants — simply because they’re usually the first ones they see when boarding.
Data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that there has been a rise in unruly passenger reports since 2019, with the COVID-19 pandemic heightening these frustrations even more.
In 2023 alone, the FAA counted 1,900 reports of air rage incidents. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) reported a 33% increase in these occurrences on European flights between 2017 and 2018.
“Gate agents are so underrated,” read one comment
