I AM “KAREN.” This is when I was training manager and the flight attendant is my long time flying partner, Cindy Pritchard. My hair was so short because of a bad perm that I had to get rid of. I don’t know whether to laugh or be totally embarrassed. Cheri Leonhardt is the passenger across the aisle giving me the evil eye. Not sure who the disgusted man was. Cindy and Cheri were instructors.

"I spend a lot of money here" 'We have a wing seat for you, all the room you need'

My real name is not Karen. It’s Susan. I felt embarrassed because I always thought I was such a terrible actress. We had a blast making these videos and it was an honor to be part of Pan Am flight attendant training.

I love her flashing her frequent flyer card like it’s a badge

The lady in blue behind is like "if she's getting an upgrade then I want one too."

My notes to recap. 1. Look at people eye-level to lessen their discomfort. 2. Offer possible solutions instead of just the denial of the request. 3. If all else fails, offer free soda. Americans love soda.

In all honesty, these training videos have been really reassuring that obnoxious people aren't a new phenomenon. It's just so common now that you start to think they didn't exist before

I liked the way she handled it the first time! 👍🏼

BUT I’M A WORLD PASS MEMBER 🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣

That economy back then has more room than domestic first class has today.

Lady in blue is here to WORK! Her acting skills are second to none.

Her necklace is as long as her entitlement 😂

Moving Karen to another seat also makes the trip more enjoyable for the person who was sitting next to Karen before.

i love how realistic it is, the 'do you know who i am', 'i'm more important that those that paid for first' and the other people in seats around them watching and listening.

It’s disheartening to know that there are actually passengers like this in the world.

"I need to get some sleep on this flight. By the way, please bring me a Coke that's loaded with caffeine." MAKES SENSE LOL😂

I really wish they had further developed the character of the guy with the white tie across the aisle. He had "spin-off" written all over him.

I think the flight attendant handled it very nicely the second time: kneeling down, being empathetic, emphasizing on what she can do vs what she can't do. Reminds me of an "Airport" episode (BBC show from the mid-1990s) where a trainee flight attendant had to do the same role playing, but on British Airways.

If anyone has seen the Stanley Kubrick film, 2001, there are Pan Am logos on the space craft in orbit around earth. Presumably they thought pan am would last into the millennium.

.. just loved this .. ‘lady, if you want to fly First, pay for it’ ! ..

“Smoking section” I can’t even believe we used to have those! 😳

"I'm a WorldPass member, bitch! Move me to first class, on the double!" "I'm really sorry" "Oh, I'm sorry, you must be hard of hearing. I'm a WorldPass member!"

Pan Am: “I’m so sorry, let me try to do what I can” United: *so you choose death*

Crossing one's arms (like in the first version) is always am immediate way of saying, "I am not going to agree with anything you say."

Omg. The look on the face of the lady in blue at the end is PRICELESS

She Like "Nobodys gonna know" "They gonna know" "How would they know?" "They gonna know"

This reminds me of an incident I observed on a PanAm flight from JFK to São Paulo, Brazil back in 1971. A passenger sitting in the row ahead of me was quite insistent to the fight attendant that he should be moved to first class. She handled the situation very well and he didn’t get the upgrade. How I miss the glory days of “the world’s most experienced airline”!

I thought your acting was pretty good. You convinced me that you were more special than anyone else on the plane. :)

Even though this is a training video the guy sitting on the aisle is looking at her like he's absolutely sick of her sh*t lol

"We have plenty of room for you to spread out.. on the left wing or the right wing. You choose."

I luv the sympathy crouch. Works wonders!

I'm sorry ma'am but if you keep on like this I'll have no choice but to duct tape you to your seat and call the authorities. I hope you understand and thanks for flying Pan Am :)

I'm check in and gate agent in a huge airport, those kind of situations it's standard every single day, actually the majority of the passengers want different type of seats. The worst is that they can be very rude when you try to explain them that you can't upgrade them free of charge.in ten years I've heard everything, from bribe to threats not only for a better seat but also for the overweight luggage. The pick of all is the pendemic restrictions, it's like working in kindergarten sometimes.

Flight attendant here and I really really LOVE my job but I can tell you there are still people like this lady nowadays and they’re worse than back then. Because not only do they carry their entitlement but they also carry smart phones which they use to post their victimization online about how poorly they were treated because they didn’t do what they asked for and they happened to a “loyal customer”.

I love how 9/10 times the solution the flight attendants offer is bringing them a free drink. Sadly, nowadays you even have to pay for that...

So she a member of World Pass. BFD. Being a member means you know how to write your name and address down.

Lady in blue is APPALLED

Here is a mechanical credit card machine. We will be charging $1000 for the upgrade.

2022 : Did you check in this pearl necklace?

That lady in blue is a right curtain twitcher! Love her!

These videos are the reason Pan Am folded.

I picture June Cleaver in line with a tire iron.

"Do you know who I am" syndrome - it's been around for decades, and has gotten far worse over the past 25 years. Oh how I loathed getting those DYKWIA passengers on full flights. There was NO appeasing them.

They would have smacked her silly if she had been on United.

Part 1: American Airlines today Part 2: Delta today

Karen is rocking those sideburns like a boss.

I love these videos

Wow I see people using full sentences and not screaming. Different planet, I guess.

These are so funny ! I’m glad the beige interiors have gone now days , or was that from the cigarette smoke

Both the flight attendant and "Karen" did a great job in this training video.

"Do I LOOK like I want a Coke?!?"

Love that they're demonstrating how passengers always think those memberships are a passport to Shangri-La!

These vids are really cool to watch. Thanks for sharing them!

I remember the smoking section with great fondness.

This is interesting! Thank you for sharing!

Nowadays: "SONDRA! GIRL come here. This lady in 16E wants a upgrade!" *both flight attendants leave, laughing hysterically*

It’s 2022. Today, “Karen” would be slapping the flight attendant, threatening her, her family and the CEO. Then an all out brawl will happen where either the door depressurizes or someone’s teeth get knocked out across rows 12 to 15. Federal agents will be alerted and the whole plane will be diverted to Wichita for the night.

“We can’t move you up to 1st Class or Clipper, ma’am, but we do have some openings below in the baggage compartment or on the port side wing, umm kay?

this is how we need customer service regularly. but the customers can be unreasonable no matter what. "it's the principal"

If you want first class, buy it. Simple as that. Karen should have bought it. On short flights the difference is sometimes roughly in line with the cost of checking 2 bags.

These training videos are really cool and interesting! You can really tell the people acting have lived these experiences day in and day out 😂

Once someone is seated in a particular cabin they cannot be upgraded. That was always the rule. All upgrading has to be done at the gate before boarding and when you think about it, it makes perfect sense.

The irony is that most first class in the US these days are upgrades or frequent flyer miles people. Vert few US domestic flyers pay first class. I was one of them. First class in the US has been devalued greatly since the 1980's.

I'll try this next time on Ryanair.

I've flown over 3 million miles in my life and only got upgraded on board after asking for it once, and surprisingly recently (pre-covid). I was seated in a 747 bulkhead economy row on a BA flight from Heathrow to JFK. Three family members were seated in the 4-seat section with me. A daughter who looked to be roughly 14 was on the isle to my left, and her brother, who looked to be roughly 11 or 12, was sat directly to my right. The brother and sister were quarreling and wouldn't stop trying to wack each other across and over me. The sister would not switch seats with me when I asked her to, saying she didn't wish to sit next to her brother. The person who I assumed to be their mother was sat in the other isle seat reading her magazine and astoundingly did not intervene or say a single word. A flight attendant came out of the galley after hearing the commotion and saw what was happening. I looked at up her silently as if to say "please make this stop." She motioned for me to come to the galley and I said to her, "I will literally pay whatever the airline wants to upgrade right now, I honestly don't care how much. I simply cannot sit between these kids for the next 8 hours." She called the purser down to the galley and as luck would have it, a single passenger in the otherwise very full business class cabin had no-shown. The purser and the flight attendant whispered to each other briefly and then the purser looked up and smiled at me. He said, "well mate, you're in luck. We're going to do something we very rarely do anymore and move you up. This one's on us!" I have never been more grateful to an airline or an airline employee in my entire life as I was at that moment. But I'm pretty sure it was being very nice and offering to pay rather than acting entitled that got me that amazing gift. (Later on I chatted with the same flight attendant and she said half-jokingly that I had looked to her as if I might have a heart attack and they didn't want a medical emergency!)

Susan did a great job I’m not going to lie Lmk when you post another airline familiarization video interiors-

"I'm a world class traveller - ya . . . I'd like a Coke please" lol

In the 90's on many airlines, you could do a paid upgrade onboard.

Isn't she the lady that was smoking in one of the other videos? These training videos are great.

Karen: Can't do it or won't do it? Me: both

Little did she know in the future all flights would be full and an essential part of the business formula.

This is truly painful to watch. And the only difference between the 2 tries, is that PanAm stewardess still gave her shit but knelt down the 2nd time and gave her shit just a bit more politely.

I am world class member too.

I waited until the end of the clip to hear the passenger say “please”

These days passengers are much more unruly to airline staff. Airlines should require passengers to sign a legal contract upon reserving a ticket, promising no abusive behavior or violence of any kind. At the same time there should be government legislation for stricter standards requiring airlines to provide more seating space for passengers (or less seats) and more cabin crew to fulfill all in-flight duties adequately.

Don't worry, ma'am, a seat will be opening up in about a couple hours just past door 1L for you. If you're unsatisfied with that and continue to be belligerent, we can even give you a free upgrade to Custody Class, which comes with a free pair of silver chain-link bracelets!

“Fine!”

Why do I feel United Airlines reused theses training videos but failed to let their staff see the second part of the videos so the staff at United never knew they were seeing what NOT to do. 😂 😂 😂

21stC solution: pull out the hand held and say, 'sure can upgrade you for the small upgrade fee. Ok the fare difference is $1,845....will you be handling this with an airline branded credit card?" BOOM ...game over.

She's a WORLDPASS MEMBER! How many times does she have to say it?! This denial of upgrade is why PanAm went broke. Did I mention she's a WORLDPASS MEMBER?!

Legend says that crew after seeing that obviously first class was fully booked, came back to the passenger and give her the good news that she can get upgraded in the lavatories or in the cargo hold. As a member of world elite that upgrade she got the options that perfectly suites her.

Unbelievable that they had to have this discussion twice god. Some people just don’t listen

Who would ever expect more than 1 seat

Ha, ha, during the whole conversation about the "full" flight and the stewardess offering to looking for an empty seat, there is a guy across the aisle from her with an empty seat next to him. Geez, you'd think for the purposes of the video, they'd fill every seat.

The flight attendant is definitely nicer than I would be. You want first class, book first class Lady.

When did they start offering upgrades in the air? Usually if you have cash you can upgrade if you want. I did when I was 14 on a school trip to Washington DC and it cost me half my spending money 😂😂 worth it though, it was over 3 hours so we didn't get full meal service but we did get choice of cake or brownie on a real plate 😂🤙

While there is literally a seat open next to her...she has her purse on it. I'm a DM on Delta...I see these people all the time...

Economy class in 1988 had no room? Economy class in 2022 hold my beer.

1:46 She literally just stopped functioning when she heard that "Fine" from the attendant. She had never experienced that.

I'm not Cynthia, I'm your dreaded KAREN!!

Wow how times have changed if that were today they would basically tell her tough cookies lady in so many words.

Me: I don't care about food or drinks or room for legs or movies... I just want to be allowed to smoke a cigarret. 😂

Is that Jerry Stiller in the background?

Fuckin' good old days 👍

It was an important meeting, she was off to deliver marcellus wallaces suitcase This is like a tarantino movie. Every passenger has a fully fleshed out backstory in the panam cinematic universe.

Is this the training video for Ryanair?

"nobody has to know!" actress in the background: "I'll know."

Frank Costanza in the background is getting annoyed. Serenity now!

Believe it or not, there are Lufthansa passengers who are "HON" and can even evict passengers from their seats. Imagine you have bid for an upgrade and someone with a HON status comes up front and wants your seat. It is a dumb policy.

2 Karens going at it in their natural habitat!!!!WOW!! The persistence from the Karen 1 is unreal!!