David Dao 2.0? An American Airlines first class passenger was purportedly dragged off a flight after becoming irate when flight attendants refused his demand for a pre-departure beverage. Who is at fault here?
First Class Passenger On American Airlines Dragged Off After Pre-Departure Beverage Request
Video begins after a first class passenger on American Airlines was asked to get off the flight. From what we can gather, he aggressively, and perhaps rudely, asked for a pre-departure beverage. Although flight attendants on American Airlines are instructed to serve a pre-departure beverage when feasible, this is not a published benefit of flying first class on American Airlines.
I am not going to make any further assumptions about the man’s behavior, for reasons I will address below. But I will criticize the way he acted after he was asked to leave.
- When asked to leave, he demanded to know what “crime” he had committed and refused to comply with the instruction to leave the aircraft
- Numerous efforts were made to encourage him to voluntarily leave, including appealing to the authority of the captain and noting that under no circumstance would the crew fly with him (making his refusal to depart a futile effort)
- Police were called and advised him to leave; but he refused
- Back-up police officers were called, his phone was confiscated, and he was forcibly led off the aircraft
- After the police grabbed hold of him, the man began crying hysterically and screaming that he would get off the flight
Here’s the video:
Man forcibly removed from flight after refusing multiple requests to leave from attendants, pilot, and police. All started over being denied a pre-takeoff gin and tonic.
by u/losfathead in PublicFreakout
My Thoughts
Just over a decade ago, I was thrown off a United flight for taking a picture of my seat. The FA was crazy, the captain had no backbone, but I left voluntarily because 1.) I knew I was in the right and United would make it right (it did) and 2.) once the crew decides you are unfit to fly, whether valid or not, the captain will back-up the crew. There is no discussion and therefore trying to reason your way back onto the flight it likely futile.
I will not assume the man was rude, though that is likely. That is because I was not rude to the flight attendant and I got removed…I would not put it past a power-tripping flight attendant on AA to throw off a passenger simply for the request. That said, more likely than not the man was fairly aggressive (and this is corroborated by another passenger in the video above). I find in most situations, and particularly on airplanes, you catch a lot more flies with honey than vinegar…
It is not clear if his actions are calculated or not. After all, David Dao settled for millions of dollars with United Airlines after being dragged off a United flight for refusing to give up his seat after being bumped from an oversold flight. But whether he should have been thrown off in the first place or not, my advice is to simply get off the flight when asked (film it too). If you do not, you forfeit at least some of your argument that you did nothing wrong.
Furthermore, you do not have to commit a crime to be thrown off a flight. Airlines can refuse to accommodate you for a number of reasons that fall well short of a crime. Thus, the repeated questioning over what crime he committed is actually non-sequitur.
Finally, American Airlines flight attendants should proactively offer pre-departure beverages to first class passengers on all flights, absent intervening issues like a flight delay which accelerates the boarding process. Shame on any flight attendant who is too lazy or apathetic to offer this service.
CONCLUSION
A man was thrown off an American Airlines flight (forcible removed by police) after refusing to get off. The situation escalated after his request for pre-departure beverage was denied. While we will wait for more facts to unfold before making final judgment, my immediate takeaways are that it is futile to flight back against a crew that refuses to transport you but also that flight attendants should make every effort to offer pre-departure beverages and asking for one does not make you a self-entitled jerk.
p.s. Does anyone find it interesting that a crewmember appears to have taken the video above and posted it online?
(H/T: View From The Wing)
It’s nothing short of tragic how we have allowed Flight Attendants to exercise such massive and unchecked power that they can insist that you supplicate yourself to their superior position lest you be removed from your flight by an armed goon-squad. Shame on every institution that allows this to continue to happen.
FA’s power is neither massive nor unchecked.
Some people these days just don’t know how to be arrested
FAs are under tremendous pressure to not only provide customer service, but primarily customer safety. If you are disruptive, those FAs definitely don’t want to have to deal with your BS in the air where a potentially violent interaction could be very dangerous.
The FAs are under so much pressure. They put their bags in the overhead bins above the bulkhead row and then spend the bulk of the boarding time on their phones and chatting with each other. Twenty + minutes on my last flight between last passenger boarding and door closing.
The FAs and pilots should be taught to defuse the situation, not to need to have a passenger forcibly removed.
You are so ignorant. Flight attendants put their bags in the overhead bins that the FAA instructs the them to put them in. As for being on their phones, they have electronic inflight manuals on an iphone. This phone provides them with safety instructions as well as customer service info. Talk to a crew sometime and see what their work schedule is like and have some empathy.
The bin labeled “This bin reserved for passengers in the bulkhead row”?
This was an FA working in Economy who came to get something above my seat 3 times during the flight. Would have been more convenient for her to put it closer to where she was working. No, the FAA did not instruct her to put her bag above the First class bulkhead row. Simply entitled and inconsiderate.
And no, they weren’t reading manuals. They were texting and chatting with each other while doing no prep work and not providing any service. There is no supervision and no accountability.
Right!!! Not to forget most flight attendants are “not on the clock” during boarding….meaning they don’t start getting paid until the aircraft door closes. There is extreme pressure to get the boarding door closed on time….so if flight attendants were on their personal phones and not doing their jobs during boarding…the flight would NEVER close on time. Think and know your facts before you decide to criticize and ridicule.
As a Flight Attendant, we are taught to diffuse potentially hostile encounters. Unfortunately, there are situations where a passenger will not cooperate or be placated. It has been my experience that most situations boil down to alcohol or drug abuse prior to arriving at the aircraft.
Stay in your lane unless you really know what you are talking about. Flight attendants manuals are on their phones provided by the company. Also, now required to communicate with the agents via that same phone. You know what they say assuming means…smh
Wow mr/ms pax…..since you know so much about the flight crew job requirements and actions…and how lazy they appear….you surely have worked as a flight attendant before, no? Unfair judgement= stupidity and ignorance
Watched the video. Although I think the police/airport security? could have done this better, I’d give them a 6/10 for effort. They at least tried to reasonably talk him out of the seat before resorting to dragging him and didn’t taser him. This interaction could have gone worse. The problem is that security officers and even FA’s are given training on their job basics, but (perhaps) less on de-escalation techniques so they just “wing it.”
I’d also add that a responsibility for someone on a plane is to follow the flight crew’s (reasonable) safety instructions in an emergency. If someone can’t get out of their seat after an argument with an FA over a pre-flight beverage, one wonders how safe they’ll be up in the air. So considering his behavior, it’s perhaps best he was removed. In Matt’s case, he handled his (unfair) removal with class.
No on us clamoring to store their luggage near your bag of dirty socks and underwear. I’m sure if the FAs had to store their bags their it was because that’s the company’s policy. Besides you are giving off broke person energy. Pay to check your bag and if your luggage is too brittle for the cargo hold, pay for first class.
You really are ignorant. I wouldn’t let you fly anywhere. If you can’t behave on the ground, I would never want to risk your behavior in the air. Violence in the air is at an all time high. Why take a risk. The technology that the FA use in on the electronic devices. There are things that must be done and completed. Since we are not paid until the plane is leaving, I get nothing during boring. Get your own drinks. I am not your mother. FU. I hope you make the do not fly list so I never have to encounter your lazy ass. I don’t have to get you anything.
Flight attendants have become a rude and immature batch of unruly children who have the government to back their stupidity. The airline industry does NOT deserve our hard earned dollars. The airlines are already on the verge of going under. I say boycott them and push them the rest of the way under.
The flight attendants requested his on-ground removal to circumvent in-air attacks to flight personnel and travellers by this person. It was a smart and safe action by the thought personnel and security team. Plus, I’m sure you wouldn’t call them names, if the flight attendant were your daughter, sister, or mom.
That man is Mathew Butcher. Was married to him for 5 years he’s an alcoholic and a pilot. They did their job.
Really? Am I the only one curious about this? You know the guy and he’s your ex-husband?
Agree
I think the author is upset about what happened to him. Therefore he is extremely sore about what happened to him. I agree with the man being taken off the flight.
One must remember the FA are there for the safety of the passenger’s and to make sure nothing disruptive happens at 10,000 plus feet in the air. I’ve worked as ground crew and ticket/gate agents…they also have the choice of not letting people on the plane so remember to always treat the airline staff and crew as u would like to be treated and enjoy the flight. Just don’t be an [redacted by admin] and all will be
Wow. What planet did you fall off? Someone HAS to maintain when we have customers like you. I pray you’re nasty attitude is never on my flight.
“Armed goon squad?” Seriously? How else were they going to remove this man from the plane? Police were just doing their jobs. Reasoning with him was not going to work. They tried it. Again, here we see police bashing on a group of officers simply doing their jobs and forced to physically remove the man because he refused to comply . You comply, you walk off safely, and then you sue the pants off of AA.
You dont understand the importance of their job. One person doesn’t have the right to disrupt an entire flight . You should be saying that people are behaving in uncivilized ways and beed to be held accountable.
Cannot comment on the situation as it is not clear what exactly happened before. What I find concerning though is what airlines understand under customer service. I have seen a lot of rude personnel in my life – like yelling at a Mexican family that didn’t speak English and simply didn’t understand what they wanted them to do. Any other business would need to shut down due to the lack of customer service. For airlines it seems to be okay, because they can.
I have been a flight attendant for 27 years, really never had any issues with passengers. If you know how to talk and respect, one, another, and walk away when it starts to escalate, then you should not have any issues. However, we have a whole new breed of passengers, and a whole new breed of flight attendants. Unfortunately, times have changed. This is the world we live in, no matter what or who you are,Humanity and respect has gone out the window.
AHMEN!
I recently made a comment to a FA on Southwest flight regarding my bag being under my seat. She was extremely rude and her name was Patricia. Her response to me was do you want me to have you taken off the plane? I found out her name towards the end of the flight as I walked back to the rear of the aircraft to get her name as I didn’t say another word after her threat. She tried to cover up her name but I got it anyway. When I departed the plane I was greeted by a supervisor and she asked to speak to me. She first wanted to know if I had a connection which I didn’t. I asked her if I did what would happen and she said I would or could deny you boarding. This FA had to be in her late 60s and even looked like she was miserable. But these FA today really are on a serious power trip. I’m a A plus flyer with SW and have never ever had a threat like this. I was beyond furious when the supervisor said that she could have denied me my connection if I had had one.
It’s easy for all of us to understand that the Captain has the authority to remove any passenger they want because we fly a lot and we know how all this works. For most people (even road warriors) they may not really understand that. It’s not illogical to stand up for yourself, or even refuse to leave. Defending what one believes to be right is natural and admirable. Bringing police in to the matter to effectively serve as airline security does little to deescalate the situation. It shifts the narrative from “private business refusing to serve” to a legal matter.
I think airlines would be wise to stop bringing police on the planes for matters like this. Nobody was in danger; a passenger was just upset. If the Captain is such an authority figure that they can kick anybody off, they should also use some of those supposed leadership skills and try to deescalate.
“It’s not illogical to stand up for yourself, or even refuse to leave.”
I think it’s entirely illogical to refuse to leave. I’ve never once seen a video where a person was ordered by crew and captain to leave, but was then allowed to stay.
Once you are ordered to leave an aircraft by the flight crew and pilot the situation only ends one way– with you leaving. You can go the easy way or the hard way. This dumbass chose the hard way.
You and I know that, but a lot of people who don’t read airline blogs don’t. My point wasn’t that the passenger had any chance of prevailing; it was that it’s not illogical for one to defend themselves when they believe they are right. In most situations in life you’re allowed to express displeasure at the situation unfolding before you. It’s a shame that nobody onboard this aircraft cared what he had to say, but I don’t think he can be faulted solely for the act of speaking up.
As stated above the man’s a pilot. He knew exactly what way this was going.
Not one time . I want your ass to leave it’s a wrap.
If the video was made and posted by a flight attendant, he/she should be fired.
Why do you say that?
Fired? Based on what grounds? Do you work in AA’s HR department?
Most airlines have media policies. Airline employees are prohibited to post videos or photos of passengers, aircraft interior, secured areas or incident occurred.
Sorry, she is what the rest of us have to deal with more and more everyday.. Where or she knows it, she is a first class WOKE person… danger because they feel they are 100% in the right.. That is so wrong.
@Evelyn Malo: And you are a right wing, racist, entitled b!tch. It’s too bad you’ll never see this comment.
Bring right wing is a good thing.
We’re smarter.
Larn hoe 2 spel then
Chad, you are sadly mistaken. With that comment, you just proved that right wingers aren’t smarter. You are a first a$$ for saying something so ridiculous.
I swear people like you use that term like you think it’s a bad thing. It only means being more aware of the world around you; of the similarities and differences between people and circumstances and races and creeds and ideals. There’s nothing wrong with that. Please stop implying that it is. Find another term.
It is a bad thing.
Intersectional Marxism
That’s why the passenger can get a lot of money. ’cause that video on internet ☝
Why? If passengers can cause problems, and they, and o5her passengers are allowed to take videos, why not the crew? This video proves to me that the pilot, and crew, were acting in a proper manner, and did the correct thing. The pilot and crew are responsible for everyone’s safety aboard that aircraft. When a passenger, such as this nut job, cause a ruckus, off the plane..His actions show a possible precursor to more issues during the flight. Personally, I feel that they should also receive a lifetime ban on all airlines. Too many liberal idiots among us today!
I will remind everyone that Sara Nelson wants to arm FAs with tasers.
LMAO
For once I agree with Matt. I had a similar incident mid flight with a mask Karen during the covid stupidity. Either way, there is no fighting it, it’s their flight. Just catch the next one and complain. It is sad that people like the FA above, as I do question things leading up to this given they are the ones now, as you pointed out, recording it, are allowed to keep their jobs. This should be investigated by the airline to the fullest extent and punishments to crew considered if necessary. He was stupid for not getting off. He did seem mostly calm in what’s posted, so I question the full account.
I mostly agree with you, unless he was asking for a bud light. Then he should have been thrown off the plane… mid flight!
Cancel bud light and whatever company makes it! Only drink budweiser or Busch light!
Joe Chivas? I’ve been looking for you all over town!
YASS, .., by far the best comment I read!
Once you’re asked to leave, YOU LEAVE and fight your battle off the plane. The guy is an entitled idiot. I have ZERO sympathy for him, even if he shouldn’t have been asked to deplane in the first place.
Didn’t look busy in 1st Class.. and reasonable request for a drink was denied. Was passenger inebriated at boarding? There is more to this for sure. FA needs to give their version. Flying in USA on some USA airlines is risky. More training is needed for FA’s.
Maybe they’ll finally serve PDB once they get their 35% raise.
LMAO!
It didn’t look busy, because this incident caused an interruption.
It’s interesting that the article rushes to judgement without all the facts. The author admits the passenger was aggressive. That should be enough to throw his ass off the plane. But, we don’t yet know if the passenger aslo was enibriated. If he was drunk, then zero alcoholic drinks for the rest of the flight! If he just asked for water, then it’s a whole other story.
If he was drunk and it was discovered during boarding, the crew can’t legally let him fly. That’s federal law.
With respect, I think it is not reasonable to expect flight attendants to always provide a pre-takeoff beverage to passengers in the front cabin. There are many circumstances where time will simply not permit it.
I’ve been upgraded enough recently say it’s really unnecessary. It just slows down boarding. Just get people on and get the bird in the air.
There’s literally no lazier group of people in the world than stewardesses in the US.
We all hate you.
Just a added note. If we are boarding late at all Flight Attendants can not hold up the boarding line to serve drinks to 20 first class seats. Many times we just do not have time to get those drinks out and count all our meals to make sure catering did their job. If that small drink is going to upset you that much then you have a bigger problem most of us do not want to deal with in the air.
In my opinion there is something entirely wrong with the passenger’s behavior. Perhaps he was drunk, or otherwise impaired, or mentally unwell, or possibly even an individual with special needs.
Sure, he speaks to the officers relatively calmly, and he ticks off a number of boxes to get the majority of unconscious bias on his side– he’s nicely dressed and groomed, etc…
However, he perseverates to a very unreasonable degree. When two police officers demand that he gets off the plane repeatedly– does anyone rational think that the police are just going to walk away from him and let him stay? Then more police arrive and they remove his luggage. And then the police put gloves on– that’s not because their hands became suddenly chilly. He is not going to be on that airplane when it departs.
Then once they get him out of the seat– he tries to make a bizarre slow trot to freedom, and even after being pinned to the wall by 4 officers, and then having his face driven into the ground, he continues to resist and fight with the officers– as if somehow he’s going to stiff arm his way out of this. This is the kind of thing that people who are drunk or impaired in some way do.
I think denying that fool a PDB was a great idea.
To me this is not similar to the Dr. Dao incident, where a sober, calm doctor was forcibly removed from the plane due to overbooking, not due to his poor behavior. Though, I don’t understand why they didn’t do the typical current move of deplaning the whole aircraft first.
I’m not sure we watched the same video. I see nothing here that indicates he was “inebriated”. I also think that given he final compliance they certainly overreacted on the jet bridge and had he been something other than what he is, we would be hearing screams of “police brutality”. They were angry at that point and he should sue for that. I don’t say this to agree with his asinine behavior up until this point, but their actions were just as poor as his.
Something’s wrong with that guy.
Lot’s of folks get detained against their will– happened to me a few times. For folks with a decent mind, it doesn’t look like this: ignoring every opportunity to avoid physical confrontation and arrest, screaming like a child in a haunted house, making an awkward high stepping slow motion jog, losing your shoe, continuing to fight when 4 guys have you pinned to the ground with your face shoved down.
I did not see any of that in the video I watched . I did not see the beginning or the end . But these flight attenders should lighten up . They bring there misery to work for sure.
The headline insituates that the passengers was ousted because he requested a beverage. Surely the decision to remove the passenger was separate from, and prior to, the beverage request.
One chain of events.
Times have changed so much , .. honestly,,and unfortunately the flight attendants are of power , and abuse , they think they can say and do what ever they want to you and you better suck it up or you’ll be tossed .. it’s happened to me and I’ve seen happened to others !!!! Horrible. What happened to the beginning of the video!
Don’t you get tired reporting on incidents like this?
Anyway, I would boycott any airline that lets their crew behave like this unpunished. They are the professional part, and the service persons, and should be able solve (deescalate) these simplest of requests (situations) as smooth as silk. This first class paying passenger was in his right mind to naturally expect to be accommodated on his personal expectations as such. It is first class, after all isn’t it?!
Not a good idea to talk back to a FA or a cop.
I like a PDB, but I’d never proactively ask for one. Though I do think whether you are offered a PDB is a very good indicator of the service you will get on a flight.
Flight Attendants are not servers. They are on strict schedules and grown adults can be patient. The entitlement of these adults on planes is disgusting.
Flight Attendants are not servers. They are on strict schedules and grown adults can be patient. The entitlement of these adults on planes is disgusting.
I’m not sure Miss Nelson. Do servers carry tasers
My mistake; I thought you said they were servers; withdrawn
Stewardesses are literally nothing else but servers. Go fix my drink, honey.
@Loretta, Happy Easter from your server. Hope you’re having a lovely day with your Family.
They are no longer called “stewardesses” — updated term is flight attendant. This is not the 1960’s…..
Flying first class does not make you God … even though most of the entitled sitting there believe they are.
Neither does being an FA, and while I have been yelled at by an FA (loud enough to wake sleeeping PAX in biz on a transpacific flight) for something ridiculous, and I was physically assaulted by a GA, in all of the years of flying I’ve never had a Pax do either thing to me. AA employees are becoming increasingly dangerous.
I honestly can’t see how the FAs can servicea pre departure beverage effectively like how the customer would want because on narrow body planes there is only one aisle and during boarding the aisle is blocked until boarding has been completed. So in essence serving pre departure drinks would be difficult. Not making an excuse for this FA or the airline but I’m just saying.
And just when you thought it was safe to go back into the ocean! I saw a guy similar to this one on a UA flight. This time around, the FA delivered with poise and grace. Although her initial intention was not to serve anyone in the beginning.
This guy clearly is nuts. I say with confidence that everybody on that plane was glad he was dragged away before wheels-up.
Santastico strikes again! You should have asked for a Junior Mint!
We love Santastico. He’s mint. Maybe you meant Fantastico. Mint is an expression used to denote the quality of a good as displaying virtually no imperfections and being in pristine condition. Also mint: a vast sum or amount, in a sentence “worth a mint”. We like mints here.
Who’s gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It’s chocolate, it’s peppermint, it’s delicious!
What city was this in?
The video was taken by a passenger that moved from the first few rows of first class to get this lunatic off. He cornered the flight attendant and demanded a drink while already inebriated and all the other first class passengers wanted him off as well which is why they all recorded. This isn’t a case of the flight attendant being on a power trip, this is a case of a grown man thinking a temper tantrum will get him a drink… take care of these lunatics on the ground before trapping them in a metal tube where they could do worse
Thank you for enlightening us with the true story.. As expected, the author of this article and many of his Flight Crew haters, assumed that the crew was at fault, If you leave a disruptive passenger aboard I can guarantee that things only get worse at 30,000 feet, and now you have a big problem. The other FC passengers as well as the other travelers would be more inconvenienced than this one idiot who didn’t receive his Pre-departure beverage..
I wasn’t defending the passenger, Miss Smith.
We have no idea of the time frame of this incident. AA currently is pushing for on-time departures and requires that all beverages delivered to first class be collected before the aircraft pushes back from the gate (FAA requirement). There is no information given regarding why he was not given a beverage. Did he board late? Did catering show up late? Was he asking for something he wouldn’t be able to finish by the time it would need to be collected? Don’t just assume the flight attendant was being lazy.
Shame for him that he’s white otherwise people would be outraged they treated him like that. Like that doctor on united.
Yup !!!
I think the fact that the flight attendant filmed and posted this to social media speaks to his or her attitude and overall lack of professionalism. But it’s also a sign of the times. And sure, First Class Guy was being a dick and was 100% in the wrong for refusing to leave once requested. But in hindsight, might the best course of action have been to take 30 seconds and hand the guy a can of soda? Didn’t this cause a much bigger headache and delay? With years of experience in service industry management (yeah, Flight Attendants, I know you’re not servers you’re safety professionals) I have seen countless times where an entitled employee attitude is just as toxic as an entitled customer attitude. This looks like a classic case of two people who had to have the last word.
@Chris… the F/A didn’t film. Wake up and read.
Instead of being a jerk, you could simply point out where I came to a misunderstanding and we could have an adult conversation. Are you that rude in real life, or just when you post anonymously on the internet?
Are you the same Flyer1 on VFTW that had an absolute mental breakdown in the comments on this same incident, making veiled threats saying Pax should tell you that they read VFTW?
If so, you should seriously consider a career change and therapy. More flyers like myself are wearing covert cameras due to escalating FA incidents so it’s only a matter of time before your aggressive behavior is filmed and your airline sued over it.
I was on the plane. The heavy-set FA with the scarf filmed this.
As with any business, “we reserve the right to refuse service”. In which case, we reserve the right to refuse transport of passengers we may deem as unfit to fly. Pre-Departures, I will do them once the flow of passengers has trickled down because 1) We have been getting written up by ground personnel for.”blocking the aisle” (even when not the case) and 2) I prefer not to leave the door unattended if my colleague is already in the cabin. But, I will make an effort to offer a single light beverage so that I can get one to everyone. But, If I cant get to everyone, I at least get to some.
BTW, those drinks are supposed to be collected prior to door closure.
No, we paid for it and you’re an uneducated waitress. Go fetch our drinks, boi.
Wow. Aren’t you a treat.
I enter a plane mute and stay that way until I leave the airport. I put my noise canceling earbuds I do not interact with anyone. Most FAs are great but there are way too many disgusting bad apples out there and they do everything to make your life miserable so I simply do not interact to them. FAs, TSA, Customs and Immigration agents are all on the same bucket: the less you interact with them, the better.
@Santastico, I agree. Now trade out the word F/A and substitute passenger and you have the entire picture of many flights. I’ve been very fortunate as all my flights are on the quiet side.
I fly almost 200k mikes a year. I can smell trouble with FAs as soon as I step on the plane. From the way they behave within 5 minutes after I boarded I already know if they are the nice ones or the bad apples. Don’t get me wrong, some passengers should never be allowed on planes but lately some FAs should not be allowed to be FAs.
Funny, I have no problems chatting with FAs. Maybe I’m just an extraordinary person.
No as in apple.
My next door neighbor is a FA for Delta. He has been there for 25 years. One of the most amazing person I ever met. I definitely have no problem in chatting with him. Every summer when we travel with family he asks for my flights and if he knows the FAs that will be working on my flights he lets them know I am his friend and they always come to introduce themselves and say Hi. But when flying alone for business I simply focus on my work and avoid any interaction.
After reading all the comments on this fiasco, no one has commented on the person recording the video! It appears based on the vantage point from the galley it must have been another AA employee, a GA, FA, FO? I totally understand the mentality of other pax recording events on aircraft, you see it all the time. I can’t imagine another pax in the galley recording a 5 min video without AA personnel objecting, or interfering! Why would an AA employee record that interaction; AND, AND post it on the internet! If it was for the benefit of AA and you are employed by same, you certainly wouldn’t post it publically! Did the employee feel that the customer was being denigrated against and wanted the world to know? If this pax has the wherewithal, I believe that this will end up being another Dr Dao incident based on the video footage in the jetway!
Usually whenever someone is unhappy with how their interaction with the police turns out, the internet tough guys with gun stickers and gray scale American flags on their trucks will tell them that they should “just comply” with the police direction. Just comply. it’s that simple, just comply. It’s weird that in this case no one is suggesting that the passenger should “just comply” with the police. I wonder why.
That only applies to people they feel are beneath them
How do you apply any logic or common sense to this situation? Both sides want to be right but authority always wins.
No, you don’t talk back to authority, and in this case, the police times 2, with a flight attendant in the same category.
You are aware that FAs are NOT paid during this time they are serving pre departure. Furthermore, AA FAs have now been given a requirement to send text messages on company provided tablets regarding the progress of boarding. Staffing has been cut to a minimum and some planes have 20 FC passengers, plus 2 pilots, all with drink requests (adds to 22 people) all with individual requests. Pre departure was once OJ and champagne, reasonable and easy, but has somehow turned to bar service.
So sad that the airline industry can throw you off the plane for any reason. First off a member of the crew shouldn’t of been filming. That was very unprofessional and they should be terminated. Second I hope that passenger Sues the shit out of them. Unfortunately we as passengers would flip that bill but they need to retrain there staff. This situation could of been handled without any drama. It seems like the flight staff look for reasons to make a problem even bigger. SMH
It’s complicated because egos of all individuals involved plus fear-based mindsets of having to figure out who is not fit to travel are not a good mix. It’s beyond time to return to pre-scamdemic staffing levels so PDB’s aren’t a point of contention. I think they are simple to execute.. it doesn’t take long to make a drink. Yes, yes, I know FA’s have tons of other responsibilities but it’s still doable. USA carriers need to get it together and think back to the how it used to be done>> https://imgur.com/a/XZIRjku
They ARE paid. This misconception needs to stop.
Airlines price the wages for stewardesses based on hours, but it’s not specifically an hourly wage. So a flight blocked at 6 hours gets, say, 6×100 dollars or whatever overpaid amount you get.
That includes the whole flight. For every stewardesse, there’s 300+ ready to take her job.
Some passengers became very rude and abusive behavior ,no manners at all , not polite at all , and could be more dangerous at 33,000 ft. flight attendants deserve respect as well.
It is wrong and unjustifiable for law enforcement to get involved in a contract dispute between private enterprise and its customers when no crime is alleged. The private business can hire its own security. Law enforcement had no right to physically assault a private citizen when there was no crime. Hope there is a lawsuit that questions these basic issues.
You nailed it! This is the core question of the entire argument. The guy didn’t commit a crime so why is he being treated him like a criminal? How did this go from “I want a pre-departure drink” to “Get your bags, you’re being removed from this flight”? The whole thing is ridiculous and completely unnecessary if the flight crew had even a modicum of training in how to interact with customers in high stress environments, de-escalation techniques or even basic interpersonal communications.
The FA had plenty of time to film this whole incident, but couldn’t crack open a beverage for the guy who overpaid to be in first class? The police got aggressive enough to reach over the seat and start grabbing him. He was not being aggressive. Typical FA power move–just like flying during the COVID scam and your mask comes off your nose when you fall asleep and they shake you to wake you up and adjust it. Grossly unnecessary. Over half of the time, the FAs just sit in their seats in their phones the whole flight. Thanks for the water and pretzels.
It does seem to lean that way from appearances and true regarding paying to be up front.
It sure seems like flight attendants are becoming more and more thin skinned. It seems like looking at them the wrong way can get you booted off a flight.
Asking for a pre departure beverage in first class, even if done so rudely, should not get you kicked off a flight. They should have tried to de-escalate he situation.==
The FAA does not permit the transport of passengers who appear to be intoxicated. It would also not be permitted to add fuel to that fire. This crew was following federal guidelines for the safe operation of this flight.
For those who say FA has too much power. I need you to think for a second. When in mid air and there is a problem passenger who are you going to call? why should they not remove a passenger that is not complying. FsA are trained to watch people behavior and make a judgment call. Normally, before someone is removed the majority of the FA must agree. I am going out on a limb and say this man was refused a drink because he appeared inebriated. Ifthat is the case, then they are required to refuse him travel.some of you are blaming the FA, even after hearing the guys behavior was not right. May I suggest you drive whenever you need to go because the FA are the ones that is going to save you assets in the event of an accident.. Fa are pushed, hit felt up on those planes yet they still will put their lives on the line for ungrateful passengers.
All this fuss over a glass of cranberry juice!!
Maybe if they started paying flight attendants for boarding they would offer pre-departure beverages because they are not getting paid for this time.
Also adding they are there primarily for your safety, and trained in emergency situations not to be your waitress
They can’t truly be there for our safety without tasers
You sound like you are an airplane employee.
Unfortunately, as part of their responsibility is to honor what AA offers. ESPECIALLY as a first class customer.
The gentleman had every right to ask what he did wrong. WHO is this Stewart to ask him to be removed??? This does not sound right. I fly AA all the time and would be furious if I were asked to leave the plane for asking for a drink. Is this flight attendant have zero patience, but feels powerful? This makes me think twice now with ever flying with AA aging.
Extremely disappointed ,
Miriam
I used to work with him. He’s a good guy. Must of just had a bad day. It happens. Give him a break.
Chad really? He was one of the rudest flight instructors at the time and repeatedly came to work drunk.
That was hilarious! He’s a spoiled bully, and when the consequence came down he revealed his inner self squealing like baby.
I’d like to point out that this reputation of first class flight attendants being lazy doesn’t seem to happen on highly rated foreign carriers in flights originating in the US which (correct me if I’m wrong) still have to meet US FAA safety requirements. How often do we hear of flight attendants on Swiss, jal, Lufthansa, Cathay pacific, Virgin Atlantic etc not serving PDB of choice?
I don’t think this is necessarily the fault of flight attendants. If the problem is not enough time then airline policy regarding amount of time allowed for boarding should be changed – give them more time.
If not being paid during boarding is the problem, then pay the flight attendants during boarding.
I know staffing levels on US carriers are lower than above mentioned carriers. Maybe we need to have increased staffing levels.
I admit that I don’t know, and I’m just asking, how much more time is required for pre flight safety procedures now vs the 60s and 70s where it would be almost unheard of (as it is on foreign carriers on flights out of the USA) to not serve PDB? Pan Am flight attendants had a reputation for providing absolutely fantastic customer service rather than not having time to provide it. Do we simply need more time and more people working?
I kind of feel like the reputation for flight attendants being lazy and not providing truly first class service in first class may really be due to corporate bean counters back at HQ not cabin crew on board.
That said I usually hear complaints from cabin crew that they cannot provide things like PDB but never a complaint in conjunction with saying my goal is to provide these amenities and I think it’s fair for customers to expect it but I simply am not given the resources to do it. Instead I basically hear that customers shouldn’t expect things like PDB, or first class meals NEVER being brought out on a tray and in fully separate courses.
If airlines are not going to provide the same level of service as their competition by their own policy then expectations of customers need to be much better managed. Just make it like Spirit. You get the big seat and nothing else unless it’s specifically for sale as a specific item. I actually like that product
So this is the doctor who was punched and dragged off a UA flight in Chicago,then received a multi million dollar settlement.Such a person could claim being asked to leave a flight was a traumatic reminder of the UA incident and caused terrible stress and terror,this,time for more litigation.Seems someone might be testing the waters of a far more lucrative source of income.
It seems like a very prideful situation on both sides. They are grown adults regardless of status as an employee or customer. They all handled the situation in a ridiculous manner and it could have all been avoided. Id be interested to know what type of beverage was he asking for? Sounds like a prideful flight attendant with a power trip. Although the guy did handle himself the wrong way. If authorities say get off-just get off then. At least he can sue AA.