“Bias” Is Everywhere (Flying Example)

Intro

Side note: I just want to add that the flight after this, I had the most amazing crew on the same airline. This is not the biggest deal in the world, but if you know anything about me, it is that I always think meta, and this interaction made me realize something deeper, which I would like to share.

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to try out China Eastern on board their A320neo from Bangkok to Beijing Daxing. While I will have my initial thoughts in an upcoming post, I wanted to share something that was actually quite interesting. 

Background 

Before I begin, I just want to say that this isn’t a case of solely me. Unfortunately, in today’s world, there are plenty of people who look at others differently if they are not from the same place. 

If we think in aviation terms, think about the man who was dragged off of the United Airlines flight; he didn’t look “American” per se. We could continue about the plenty of people who have claimed they have been “discriminated” against, such as the black woman on American Airlines who “didn’t receive a meal in Domestic First”. 

So, I think it’s important to note that I am not calling any one specific country/place out. As a matter of fact, I think it is the worst in the world in the United States…

So… What Happened 

Roughly an hour into the flight, the cabin crew came around to offer a meal and drinks to passengers. While the meal was served by a flight attendant with a smile, the drinks cart came along and I was asked, “What do you want?”.

“Water, please”, I replied. 

“No, no more” (keep in mind I am in the middle of the plane). 

“Orange Juice?”

“No”. 

“Beer”? The flight attendant then proceeds to pour the smallest cup of beer, which is 3/4 froth, and keeps the can. I ask, “Do you mind if I have the rest, please?”. 

“No”, as she turns around, shaking her head. 

I had some hiccups with the airline, but China Eastern impressed me on the whole. Especially on the widebody to Moscow.

Thankfully, another FA came back a few minutes later with the rest of the can, but it was interesting to see that magically, well over 5 large bottles of water had appeared just after my row 😅. 

The Message Here

Look, I despise the word “discrimination” for small instances (there are large instances where it needs to be said), but this is an example that showed me more. Sure, the flight attendant might not have liked me compared to the other passengers, but that is part of life. I’ve gone through this in Somalia, Yemen, Juba, and many other places where I am seen as almost “alien”. 

So, with this, I just want to say: try not to escalate small situations that occur, such as these. I understand larger circumstances, at least when done respectfully, but at the end of the day, all of us have judgments around the world. It doesn’t matter where you are from, or what language you speak, we all hold biases in some* regard. It's the way that we are taught in life.

Final Thoughts

Earlier today, I had a very interesting experience on China Eastern. Honestly, it wasn’t that deep at all, but it put a couple of things into perspective for me. As an American white man, I am privileged, and I will be the first to admit that. However, going abroad to certain places has made me realize that privilege only gets me so far, same with my English accent…

Do I blame anyone? No, we do the same in the United States, but worse 🥴