More than one frustrated traveler sees the passenger satisfaction survey as their only chance to let loose and tell the airline what they really think.
As the wider airline industry grapples with chronic understaffing amid the boon in travel demand post-pandemic, many feel that their flying experience is significantly worse than they remember while they cannot even complain about it (because most customer service lines are also tied up.) A J.D. Power survey conducted last May found that airline passenger satisfaction fell seven points between 2022 and 2023.
Related: You can probably already guess which airport ranked worst in the country again
As such, some frustrated passengers get snarky in the customer satisfaction surveys. Earlier this month, traveler Mads Waller captured a video of the passenger in front of him typing “you served vegetables that were frozen solid” into the survey presented on the airline’s entertainment screen during the flight.
Surveying 🤝 Roasting #guesstheairline 😂
♬ original sound – Mads Waller
‘You also interrupted my movie twice to ask me to take a survey’
“You also interrupted my movie twice to ask me to take a survey,” the passenger continued typing in one of the question fields.
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The video quickly went viral and was viewed and upvoted more than a respective 2.8 million and 308,000 times in the week that followed its posting. While the traveler is likely male, many jokingly called him “Keyboard Karen” for the relatively minor issues over which he took offense. Others, in turn, sympathized with the frustration over airlines providing bad service and then asking for “reviews.”
“HE TOOK THE SURVEY ALRIGHT,” one commenter named Jenni wrote.
“Scathing airline survey MID FLIGHT is a mood,” wrote another TikTok user named Rich in one of the most upvoted comments under the video.
Still other viewers tried to guess the airline based on the appearance of the entertainment system — some guessed Turkish Airlines or the Dubai-based Emirates while others insisted it was an American airline and put their money on Delta Air Lines (DAL) – Get Free Report.
Airline travel is objectively worse (but don’t take it out on flight attendants)
Some particularly eager sleuths found that the San Francisco-based content creator who posted the video had earlier posts from Thailand and tried to dig up which airlines flew between Bangkok to the Bay Area. Waller, however, has fallen off the radar since the video went viral and has not been providing info to the many asking for details.
The mid-air typed rant helped unite passengers who are growing increasingly frustrated with airlines but there has also been a push among flight crew who encourage passengers to be more patient and respectful at a time when many of them are also feeling overworked and pushed to a breaking point.
“We are more willing to help you if you are nice, and there really is no need to be rude,” flight attendant Lisa Kulpa recently wrote in a post asking passengers to be patient and kind to them. “We know you are upset about XYZ and missing whatever event. However, we don’t purposely delay and cancel your flight to ruin your trip. Things happen. If you absolutely have to be somewhere, fly out the day before to give yourself enough time to be flexible and not stress.”
