Even if we assume the worst about the man who was thrown off an American Airlines flight, I find it very hard for American Airlines to justify removing him on the basis of an alleged photo policy that is not even published. There should be no reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place and gate agents should expect to be held accountable when they provide rude service.
American Airlines Unpublished Photo Policy Used To Kick Man Off Flight
The incident occurred at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). As told by Liran Hirschkorn, the following occurred:
- He tried to board with two carry-on items
- The gate agent told him to consolidate to one item because the second item was too large
- He consolidated, but then the gate agent said the consolidated item itself was too bulky and had to be checked
- Feeling that he was being distracted, the man pulled out his phone and began recording the situation
- On that basis, the gate agent denied him boarding (calling his recording a “violation” but refusing to show him the written rule) and called a supervisor as well as airport police
- Airport police verified that it was not illegal for him to record
- An American Airlines supervisor told him that he was being denied boarding because he recorded her colleague
- She also refused to rebook him on a later flight to New York, forcing him to fly with another carrier
- The man leaves the gate area calmly
We can only make inferences about how this situation began, but let’s just assume (for the sake of argument only) that this guy was a rude smart-(well you know…). Let’s assume he argued with the agent over whether his bag was too big or not.
If you watch the video, she makes it clear she is throwing him off for his recording.
@liranhirschkorn @American Airlines will kick you off a flight without explanation. Ive taken 100s of flights in the last few years and never had an flying with delta. Please share. #americanairlines #kickedoffmyflight
I have several thoughts here:
- There’s an odd secondary issue here where another passenger accuses the same gate agent of pushing her
- As far as I can tell, the police handled this issue very well
- The AA supervisor strikes me as rude and could have calmed the situation down instead of escalating it by getting weirded out by the recording
- Her reaction screams out a desire to avoid accountability
- I’m relatively comfortable in stating that it appears the gate agent here does not know how to properly speak to passengers
- On the other hand, she cannot be faulted for enforcing American’s carry-on policy, even though most agents do not bother
- It is not illegal to record airline staff at an airport
- The legal gray area comes if images or video are used for non-editorial commercial purposes, but I don’t think that is at play here
- American Airlines does not have a formal policy on photography which it publishes online
- In the past, the (now defunct) American Way magazine included language stating that employees could not be filmed or photographed “in any airline area, including ticket counters, gates, baggage service, cargo or onboard aircraft.”
- Even the Contract of Carriage does not mention photography
- Recording events is a critical method of accountability (just ask David Dao).
As View From The Wing notes, this constitutes a “secret policy that runs against common cultural practice where people film things with their phone at will.” It’s an unreasonable rule that lacks the kind of notice that would fairly put passengers on alert.
CONCLUSION
There’s a lot going on in the nine-minute clip above, but the insular idea that gate agents cannot be filmed or photographed has no place in 2023. If you’re going to throw a passenger off an airplane, you better have a good reason for doing it and expect some pushback when the vast majority of gate agents do not enforce such rules.
(image: @liranhirschkorn/TikTok // H/T: Off The Beaten Points)
Pulling out your phone and recording someone only serves to escalate matters. If you think it’s ok, consider how you would feel if some stranger did that to you at your job.
Read the of the first amendment!!! Anytime you are on public property what ever your eyes can see you can take a video, or pictures!!! In fact airport has a security cameras!
That is why a body cam should be used instead of a phone
As a flight attendant, you are going to remove the body camera or you’re coming off my flight. I’ve worked for three mainline US carriers and unless you ask for my permission to record, it’s a no from me. You’re on our aircraft and at 30,000 feet in a giant metal tube, we don’t have time for bs.
That nasty gate agent risks being fined by the FAA if they are monitoring the flight and she allows the passenger to board with 3 carry ons , no matter the size. Just follow the rules.
“ If you’re going to throw a passenger off an airplane, you better have a good reason for doing it and expect some pushback when the vast majority of gate agents do not enforce such rules”
THIS! It drives me nuts watching passengers flaunt this rule and nothing said. And it’s mostly the other Group 1 EXP AA members boarding with me. I may come off as an ass but following the rules, agree or disagree with them, is a core belief of mine. I may complain about them but I follow them, as we all should.
That said AA needs to come out with a policy on filming and photos. But we all know it will be selectively enforced and probably just cause more issues.
As an employee of AA 20 years I can say that Doug Parker told us that customers can record in public places. So AA is responsible and the supervisor should be demoted.
As an airline employee of over 30 years, there is a security component to why we ask to not be filmed. And anyone who has any knowledge of what took place prior to 9/11 would understand that.
There’s no valid “security aspect” in our world without privacy.
Some gates agents are just nasty. Yesterday I was boarding a plane and a woman in front of me had a carry on, a backpack and one of those little sling bags that goes across your chest. Yes, she had 3 items but the sling bag was so small nobody would even bother. Well, guess what? The nasty gate agent pulled her aside and told her to consolidate all in two items. The woman started removing her sling bag but kept walking towards the plane. The gate agent followed her and made she come back by the gate and show that she was indeed consolidating the sling bag into the backpack. Why???? It was absolutely unnecessary. The woman never said a word but the gate agent was ready to make a scene if she said anything.
Would you record and film the police? Well, the airlines have turned into the police. Interact with them and talk with them as little as possible. Take this advice: Anything you do or say (with the airlines, and the police) may be used against you.
Yes, the US Supreme Court has confirmed that this is legal. Many police do not know this and get upset which has resulted in a cottage industry of YouTube videos and lawsuits.
Yes. In fact I would recommend it. Watching ‘auditing’ videos (popular in the US and UK) to understand why.
1st amendment of the US constitution is ignored, disregarded by so many ignorant fools these days!
Maybe the asshat in the flatbill should just follow the rules and quit being a jerk. I applaud the gate agent for not letting him aboard. If he cannot take simple direction from a gate agent, he wont listen to the cabin crew either.
For whatever reason these gate agents seem to be the worst. I mean I have really never had a rude FA. Sure some that arent as good as others, talk too loud in the galley or arent proactive but not rude. Lounge agents have bombed on denying me when I shouldnt have been let in but they werent rude. But gate agents are the absolute worst!!
Another reason I only fly Southwest – I, in over 30+ years of flying, have never had to put up with any of this type of asinine behavior. Anyone flying A A is just asking to have a issue.
Boycott American airlines they are no good for flyi g
Matthew Klint is obviously a Millennial or Gen Zer. This idea that the answer to every human interaction that doesn’t go your way is to whip out your phone and start filming is ridiculous.
Maybe, given that the Internet mob has proven to be a crazed circus of histrionic overly reactionary a-holes, this gate agent simply didn’t want to be filmed and become “Internet famous”.
Film me, in public or otherwise, and you will need the services of a proctologist to retrieve your phone.
This Liran Hirschkorn is an entitled jack-ass. And Matthew Klint appears to be a jack-ass enabler.
how was he “thrown off” the plane if he was never allowed to board? something must have happened before filming started before this guy was more interested turning a molehill into a
mountain for all the world too see.
Had the same BS happen to myself and several other passengers at the Austin airport flying AA. AA has bad employees who hate passengers at this airport. Saw it happen to Group One people.
FYI this policy is still in the inflight entertainment card under “flight mode” same section that mentions you must wear headphones