American Airlines controversy

[Pacolovestacos]

I find it just as helpful as the FA continuing to escalate the situation.

Since the passenger wasn't being paid to be helpful, his actions are excusable.

It's ok to stand up for people. He was there, he saw the entire event first hand and felt that it needed to be said.

I'm not going to say, "ooh, he threatened the guy, kick him off". Because he didn't threaten, he just felt based on the circumstances that he needed to step in and defend that lady.

Respectfully disagree.

 

[brockash]

Are you sure a flight attendant is allowed to help seat a passenger or handle their baggage? I thought I read disabled people had to have a companion to help them (if needed) and that FA's couldn't left someone's heavy carry-on into the overhead compartment. Sounds like this woman had way too much stuff to handle along with her twins and perhaps should have had a friend or relative with her to help.

Lol...I'm not the one who posted that, but yes, I've seen flight attendants help passengers with luggage every time I've ever flown.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

I applaud the FA who called out the big talker. Too many people think they can say anything to service personnel without repercussions.

I totally agree. The guy yelling at the FA should have been removed from the flight. His actions were horrible and made the situation worse.

Airline employees take a lot of abuse. I have seen too many customers yell and cuss at airline employees just because flights have been canceled because of weather or maintenance issues.

 

[Boski]

I find it just as helpful as the FA continuing to escalate the situation.

Since the passenger wasn't being paid to be helpful, his actions are excusable.

It's ok to stand up for people. He was there, he saw the entire event first hand and felt that it needed to be said.

I'm not going to say, "ooh, he threatened the guy, kick him off". Because he didn't threaten, he just felt based on the circumstances that he needed to step in and defend that lady.

I'm glad you brought this up, because after watching the video I was thinking this the whole time......the question is was the guy really standing up for the lady? First thing anyone should have done is made sure the lady and baby was OK. I didn't see this guy doing that...maybe he did before the filming started but if I'm getting up its not to get the guys name but make sure the everyone was ok. Then when the FA comes into the airplane he says "if you do that to me something is gonna happen".....come on. If you're going to try and be all chivalrous you don't say crap like that, you say something like you hurt and lady with a kid I should mess you up. It just seems like, IMO, he was trying to make the situation about him.

 

[dlavender]

I'm glad you brought this up, because after watching the video I was thinking this the whole time......the question is was the guy really standing up for the lady? First thing anyone should have done is made sure the lady and baby was OK. I didn't see this guy doing that...maybe he did before the filming started but if I'm getting up its not to get the guys name but make sure the everyone was ok. Then when the FA comes into the airplane he says "if you do that to me something is gonna happen".....come on. If you're going to try and be all chivalrous you don't say crap like that, you say something like you hurt and lady with a kid I should mess you up. It just seems like, IMO, he was trying to make the situation about him.

The way I saw it, was the guy was infuriated with how it all went down, and let rage get the better of him.

Should he have calmly stated that he didn't agree with the situation? Yes.

He probably got upset with the initial event, stewed a second on it, then the reaction to the event just made him snap.

But again, he didn't fly off the handle and start hitting anyone. He made a stern claim to the FA to bring him down a peg.

That's when the FA should have realized that his actions, whether right or wrong, were obviously perceived as being wrong. He's got a crying woman with a baby and a man yelling at him for it. Since he's being paid, on the clock, and its his job, he should have known way better than to run down the aisle turning up the situation. A simple, even if empty, "im sorry sir" would have done wonders. He should have just tried to calm everyone down. The FA was so enraged about taking the stroller that that man's comment set him off like that? I'd take that passengers rage any day over that FA's. Two wrongs never make a right. In my mind, one guy is an employee, one guy is not. I put the onus on the employee.

 

[declansdad]

The way I saw it, was the guy was infuriated with how it all went down, and let rage get the better of him.

Should he have calmly stated that he didn't agree with the situation? Yes.

He probably got upset with the initial event, stewed a second on it, then the reaction to the event just made him snap.

But again, he didn't fly off the handle and start hitting anyone. He made a stern claim to the FA to bring him down a peg.

That's when the FA should have realized that his actions, whether right or wrong, were obviously perceived as being wrong. He's got a crying woman with a baby and a man yelling at him for it. Since he's being paid, on the clock, and its his job, he should have known way better than to run down the aisle turning up the situation. A simple, even if empty, "im sorry sir" would have done wonders. He should have just tried to calm everyone down. The FA was so enraged about taking the stroller that that man's comment set him off like that? I'd take that passengers rage any day over that FA's. Two wrongs never make a right. In my mind, one guy is an employee, one guy is not. I put the onus on the employee.

Yet you blame the employee.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

The way I saw it, was the guy was infuriated with how it all went down, and let rage get the better of him.

Should he have calmly stated that he didn't agree with the situation? Yes.

He probably got upset with the initial event, stewed a second on it, then the reaction to the event just made him snap.

But again, he didn't fly off the handle and start hitting anyone. He made a stern claim to the FA to bring him down a peg.

That's when the FA should have realized that his actions, whether right or wrong, were obviously perceived as being wrong. He's got a crying woman with a baby and a man yelling at him for it. Since he's being paid, on the clock, and its his job, he should have known way better than to run down the aisle turning up the situation. A simple, even if empty, "im sorry sir" would have done wonders. He should have just tried to calm everyone down. The FA was so enraged about taking the stroller that that man's comment set him off like that? I'd take that passengers rage any day over that FA's. Two wrongs never make a right. In my mind, one guy is an employee, one guy is not. I put the onus on the employee.

Well we actually had 3 wrongs in this case. So what do 3 wrongs make? For me, 3rd wrong should get the boot because it's completely unnecessary. I actually wouldn't have reacted like the FA. I would have simply said, "Oh you're a tough guy huh?" And then called for security to remove passenger because of a physical threat to an FA.

 

[DaisyJ]

The way I saw it, was the guy was infuriated with how it all went down, and let rage get the better of him.

Should he have calmly stated that he didn't agree with the situation? Yes.

He probably got upset with the initial event, stewed a second on it, then the reaction to the event just made him snap.

But again, he didn't fly off the handle and start hitting anyone. He made a stern claim to the FA to bring him down a peg.

That's when the FA should have realized that his actions, whether right or wrong, were obviously perceived as being wrong. He's got a crying woman with a baby and a man yelling at him for it. Since he's being paid, on the clock, and its his job, he should have known way better than to run down the aisle turning up the situation. A simple, even if empty, "im sorry sir" would have done wonders. He should have just tried to calm everyone down. The FA was so enraged about taking the stroller that that man's comment set him off like that? I'd take that passengers rage any day over that FA's. Two wrongs never make a right. In my mind, one guy is an employee, one guy is not. I put the onus on the employee.

Or the lady could have followed the simple "leave the stroller outside the plane in the jetway" and then none of this would have happened. I put the onus on the woman who chose to deliberately ignore instructions.

 

[dlavender]

onus on the woman who chose to deliberately ignore instructions.

You know this for a fact?

Yet you blame the employee.

Yes, my last sentence points that out. I place the blame on the one in the situation who is paid by the airline. That's the one who should be able to keep his cool. And the whole meaning behind the two wrongs don't make a right saying is that when faced with a wrong, you should not reciprocate with another wrong. The paid employee had a chance to reciprocate in a fashion that would have helped. Instead, he forgot the saying..And his customer service skills (if he ever had any).

I would have simply said, "Oh you're a tough guy huh?"

Not sure that helps. The guy is being paid to deliver customer service. If he can't take a stressful situation without loosing his cool, perhaps being in customer service in tight quarters is a bad career choice......

Well we actually had 3 wrongs in this case. So what do 3 wrongs make? For me, 3rd wrong should get the boot because it's completely unnecessary.

As I've pointed out, one of the wrongs came from a paid employee. That's who gets the boot. He had a chance to do his job, and he failed.

 

[brockash]

The way I saw it, was the guy was infuriated with how it all went down, and let rage get the better of him.

Should he have calmly stated that he didn't agree with the situation? Yes.

He probably got upset with the initial event, stewed a second on it, then the reaction to the event just made him snap.

But again, he didn't fly off the handle and start hitting anyone. He made a stern claim to the FA to bring him down a peg.

That's when the FA should have realized that his actions, whether right or wrong, were obviously perceived as being wrong. He's got a crying woman with a baby and a man yelling at him for it. Since he's being paid, on the clock, and its his job, he should have known way better than to run down the aisle turning up the situation. A simple, even if empty, "im sorry sir" would have done wonders. He should have just tried to calm everyone down. The FA was so enraged about taking the stroller that that man's comment set him off like that? I'd take that passengers rage any day over that FA's. Two wrongs never make a right. In my mind, one guy is an employee, one guy is not. I put the onus on the employee.

You mean instead of getting in the customers face and taunting him, he should have acted like a professional, or at the very least like someone getting paid to do a job...go figure. Lol...I'm amazed by the number of ppl. defending this disgusting excuse for a flight attendant. Just his simple actions that are on video tape (not taking into account if/how he took the stroller etc.) his actions were repugnant. Obviously the male passenger could have handled things better, however he wasn't anything near as bad as the flight attendant, nor was he being paid, or representing a company or trained in dealing with high stress situations.

 

[dlavender]

You mean instead of getting in the customers face and taunting him, he should have acted like a professional, or at the very least like someone getting paid to do a job...go figure. Lol...I'm amazed by the number of ppl. defending this disgusting excuse for a flight attendant. Just his simple actions that are on video tape (not taking into account if/how he took the stroller etc.) his actions were repugnant. Obviously the male passenger could have handled things better, however he wasn't anything near as bad as the flight attendant, nor was he being paid, or representing a company or trained in dealing with high stress situations.

I don't work for an airline, but I'm pretty sure their training doesn't spell out how to flip out and taunt a customer.

Maybe it does......

"If a customer raises his voice, and makes an upsetting comment, get real mad, invite him to strike you in a very loud voice, and walk towards a confrontation."

If that's what it says, then give that guy a raise!

Hopefully he is never faced with an actual event where passengers need him to stay calm. Wouldn't want to be on that flight!

 

[brockash]

Well we actually had 3 wrongs in this case. So what do 3 wrongs make? For me, 3rd wrong should get the boot because it's completely unnecessary. I actually wouldn't have reacted like the FA. I would have simply said, "Oh you're a tough guy huh?" And then called for security to remove passenger because of a physical threat to an FA.

What are your 3 wrongs?

1st: FA handling the situation with the stroller extremely poorly at best (from all accounts that have been reported there's really no disputing that)
2nd: Male passenger
3rd: FA, yet again, taunting and getting in the face of the passenger and not only not de-escalating the situation, but instead escalating the situation and making it worse

So you, as a "professional" employee would taunt an "irate" passenger (if you happened to run into a true one, I don't personally feel this passenger was irate)?...says a lot.

 

[Hikergirl]

What are your 3 wrongs?

1st: FA handling the situation with the stroller extremely poorly at best (from all accounts that have been reported there's really no disputing that)
2nd: Male passenger
3rd: FA, yet again, taunting and getting in the face of the passenger and not only not de-escalating the situation, but instead escalating the situation and making it worse

So you, as a "professional" employee would taunt an "irate" passenger (if you happened to run into a true one, I don't personally feel this passenger was irate)?...says a lot.

The mother who refused to give up her stroller. If she had none of that other stuff would have happened.

 

[brockash]

Or the lady could have followed the simple "leave the stroller outside the plane in the jetway" and then none of this would have happened. I put the onus on the woman who chose to deliberately ignore instructions.

LOL...were you on the plane? Were you standing next to her and heard all the directions and everything that happened? Give me a break, you nor I have any way to know exactly what happened. We have no way to know if she intentionally did something wrong and most likely she did not. She may have been confused (I see confused passengers every time I fly), but please...let's not act like you or I have never made an error or misunderstood something. There are reports of a witness saying that 1 airline employee told her she could take it on, which if that's the case she didn't even make a mistake. A simple mistake or misunderstanding does not make any of this her fault. The idiot FA who seems to not know the first thing about handling pretty every day situations is the one at fault. I'd hate to see him attempt to deal with a real situation or emergency.

 

[dlavender]

The mother who refused to give up her stroller. If she had none of that other stuff would have happened.

Perhaps thats how he was trained. "Give good customer service as long as everyone listens and obeys all of your commands, the second they don't, fly off the handle and lose control of your emotions."

 

[bcla]

What are your 3 wrongs?

1st: FA handling the situation with the stroller extremely poorly at best (from all accounts that have been reported there's really no disputing that)
2nd: Male passenger
3rd: FA, yet again, taunting and getting in the face of the passenger and not only not de-escalating the situation, but instead escalating the situation and making it worse

So you, as a "professional" employee would taunt an "irate" passenger (if you happened to run into a true one, I don't personally feel this passenger was irate)?...says a lot.

I'd say the 3 wrongs were the woman with the double-stroller, the flight attendant getting snippy with her, and the passenger who got up and threatened the FA. Reports now are that the stroller was tagged at the gate for check-in. There were some claims that the passenger might have been told that she could take it on board, but there is zero chance of a double-stroller fitting in an overhead compartment. American's stroller policy clearly says that strollers must be checked in, although there are some reports of an unofficial policy that one under 20 lbs may be allowed if there is space available.

I've heard of some extremely expensive strollers that will fit in an overhead, but they aren't doubles. They kind of fold like a Swiss Army knife. This one says that it folds to 20"x17"x7" and weighs less than 15 lbs:

http://www.albeebaby.com/babyzen-yo...F45C2E87EF5F&gclid=CIfPtYmawNMCFQWpaQod9BAGRQ

 

[brockash]

The mother who refused to give up her stroller. If she had none of that other stuff would have happened.

"Refused to give up her stroller????" Obviously, you weren't there, but do you actually have a report that shows anyone who was there saying she "refused to give up her stroller?" From all accounts I've heard/read and just common sense, it seems it was an issue of a misunderstanding...if she intentionally "refused to give up her stroller," when she was specifically told to, then okay I would see your point where she would be the first wrong, but that does not seem to be the case AT ALL.

 

[DizBelle]

Is there any video of the original stroller incident that led to all this or is there just the aftermath?

 

[declansdad]

LOL...were you on the plane? Were you standing next to her and heard all the directions and everything that happened? Give me a break, you nor I have any way to know exactly what happened. We have no way to know if she intentionally did something wrong and most likely she did not. She may have been confused (I see confused passengers every time I fly), but please...let's not act like you or I have never made an error or misunderstood something. There are reports of a witness saying that 1 airline employee told her she could take it on, which if that's the case she didn't even make a mistake. A simple mistake or misunderstanding does not make any of this her fault. The idiot FA who seems to not know the first thing about handling pretty every day situations is the one at fault. I'd hate to see him attempt to deal with a real situation or emergency.

Were you on the plane? Did you here all the instructions given to her? Did you see a video showing what happened before the passenger decided to engage?

If it is OK for you and a couple of others to make assumptions, why is it not for others?

 

[dlavender]

I'd say the 3 wrongs were the woman with the double-stroller, the flight attendant getting snippy with her, and the passenger who got up and threatened the FA.

Are you honestly saying that the FA reacted the way he should have when the "3rd wrong" occured? Come on.

Reports now are that the stroller was tagged at the gate for check-in. There were some claims that the passenger might have been told that she could take it on board, but there is zero chance of a double-stroller fitting in an overhead compartment. American's stroller policy clearly says that strollers must be checked in, although there are some reports of an unofficial policy that one under 20 lbs may be allowed if there is space available.

I speak English as a 1st language, and that's a little confusing. One person says gate check, one person says you can take it on, policy says no, unofficial policy says yes..

If reports saying English was a secondary language is accurate, I'm pretty sure its understandable if she was confused as to what was going on.