Fly Guy: A pilot's perspective on a passenger's experience
— -- Think that airline employees are blasé about their jobs? Then you haven't met Captain Denny Flanagan -- or Captain Denny as he is known among United Airlines crew and passengers, to whom he's a bit of a celebrity. As you'll hear from my interview with him between flights in Chicago, it would be a different world if every airline employee were like Captain Denny.
Q: What is your typical flight day like?
A: Well, each flight begins with the crew brief. It is my opportunity to connect with the crew and instill within them my ethos for flying. I put my hand to my heart and thank them for the great job they do taking care of our customers. I remind them that they spend more time with our customers than any other employee group. Flight attendants are rarely thanked enough for the great job that they do, and they often seem touched to be reminded from the captain how much we appreciate what they do.
Q: You are famous for some of the unorthodox things that you do when flying. Tell us about some of those.
A: Well, it always bothers me when I see wheelchair passengers awaiting someone to push them up the jetway. So I always take the opportunity to push them through the terminal and show them how much we appreciate them. Also, unaccompanied minors are another major concern of mine. If I have kids flying alone, I will actually call their parents to let them know the flight attendants are taking great care of them. People are often not sure what to say when they answer the phone, but I know that I would want someone to do that for my child. I hate watching parents struggle with all of their gear and waiting for their strollers to arrive. Usually my first officer or myself will go retrieve the stroller so the family can have a seamless travel experience.
Q: There was a lot of talk with the recent merger between Continental and United that got down to the nitty gritty. Even down to the way that the airlines board pets in the cargo compartment. You have an interesting story there, tell us about it.
A: Well, I recognize that pets undergo a traumatic experience when traveling in the cargo section. So if we have time, I will go down to the ramp and take a picture of the pet and show it to their owners to let them know that they are ok. Another pilot I know takes the carry-on pets for a walk around the aircraft because they have been cooped up for quite awhile.
Q: You have a thing with business cards. Please explain.
A: Quite a few pilots write thank-you notes to our business travelers. Additionally I write to our pass-traveling employees in first class and customers in the middle seats of coach if time permits. I select the customers in the middle seats because when the flight attendant delivers the card from the captain the people sitting on either side of them wonder who this important person must be and are more willing to share the arm rest.
Q: Let's face it. Sometimes luck just is not on the traveler's side. Do you still have the motivation and the opportunity to do some of the things you do with passengers during delays and cancellations?
