Without a doubt there are significant differences in on-board service from airline to airline and especially between US carriers and non-US carriers. Most US carriers should emulate carriers like CX, EY, JA, BR, SQ, etc. to attract customers who care and willing to pay for quality service, and allow the low-cost carriers cater to the large herds of people who only want to get from one place to another at the lowest price….and they look and act like such ubiquitous bargain hunters.

Personally, I hate using it because even I can survive for 10 minutes without a drink, lol. But sometimes I get anxious and need it, I think others could be in the same boat, and there has also been times when my aisle passenger is fast asleep, even snoring, and using the call button is the best way to go.

In sure we are treated better than steerage but in too many cases, they park their ample butts in the galley.

I’ve been so conditioned by US based airlines and the culture that you don’t use the call button for small requests but rather grab an FAs attention as they walk down the aisle that on my recent 50hrs of flying Singapore Airlines, most of it I business class, I often didn’t get things I wanted because I am not accustomed to using the call button and instead tried to grab their attention or catch their eye. I went without water, drink top-ups, new drinks, slippers, etc.

Definitely not that big of a deal but it would be nice if Airlines were upfront about their preferred way to communicate or ask for something.

How quickly we forget the million people who died that first year before vaccines and effective treatments were widely available – you know, that year when lots of passengers also didn’t want somebody sitting right next to them.

How quickly we also forget the epidemic of bad behavior that has happened on airplanes in recent years, many of which were fueled by… alcohol?! I think banning it completely on board flights is both unrealistic and money-losing, but from all the crazy in-flight behavior this blog loves to make fun each week, I can see why some FAs might want to reduce access to booze.

Finally, nobody stops you from bringing your own drinks on board. All they have to be is non-alcoholic. And honestly, if you’re gonna dehydrate during a 1-2 hour flight, perhaps you shouldn’t be flying anyway. Many 1-2 hour flights these days are through turbulence, and there is no safe time to serve the entire plane with any drinks, button pushed or not.

If you want a FA on your beck and call, you should pony up the dough for premium class seats or fly enough to get that perk for free. In the era where airlines charge for amenities like seat choice, bags and advance boarding, I think expecting FAs to respond genie-like at the press of a button is ridic.

I’ve given up and learned to bring my own food and beverage on domestic airlines, though the PREMIUM airline seemed to get a bit more proactive after the Skymiles debacle