An angry passenger who tried to board an American Airlines longhaul flight to Australia was turned away from boarding for having too many carry-on bags and not waiting his turn to board, but not before an epic temper tantrum reminiscent of a spoiled toddler.
Tantrum At The Gate: LAX Passenger Melts Down, Misses American Airlines Flight
In an undated video posted yesterday to Instagram, a middle-aged man wearing shorts and sandals can be seen attempting to circumvent the boarding gates to board AA73 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD). He is blocked at the boarding door and clearly agitated, though a member of ground staff tries to calm him down while warning him that he will not fly to Australia if he does not back down and return to the gate area.
He finally agrees after trying to edge past several members of the ground staff, but then gets caught in the retractable arm of the boarding gate, losing his sandal. Finally free, he slams his luggage against the boarding gate in anger.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJtCRknxhqI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
While that last outburst of anger may have sealed the deal, this man was not fit to fly…full stop. Trying to bypass the boarding gate and get onboard in the first place, with or without a third carry-on bag, already crossed a line that would have made me deny him a seat on the plane if I was the gate agent in charge.
Arguing with the agent and trying to move past goes beyond petty behavior…it suggests derangement. Who in their right (and sober) mind would think that they can wiggle around several agents and onto a plane.
Unfortunately, we do not know what happened next…but as a frequent flyer on American Airlines out of LAX, I would guess a service director came over and explained to the disgruntled passenger he would not be traveling to Sydney that day.
The man is very fortunate he was not thrown to the ground and arrested on the spot…
No boarding pass maybe?
I used to take that flight once a month and I’d swear every second flight someone got told they weren’t flying tonight….. why? BECAUSE THEY WERE INTOXICATED.
I think this guy is that guy……
Wonder if anyone investigates where in the terminal he was being served enough alcohol to have him acting that way……
In about two dozen US to Australia flights (and in Y pre Covid), I’ve never seen a drunk pax. That kinda surprises me now thinking about your comment. You leave near midnight PST. So, liquor up, get a meal, and fall soundly asleep. At least there have to be those whose plan that is. May have been his. And now I’m surprised to have never seen that.
Wow, this looks wild. I really don’t understand why people feel this burning desire to board early, I aim to get to the gate 10 minutes before it closes and I am often the last passenger to board even if I arrive before that. Nevertheless, I do have some sympathy in relation to the large amount of hand luggage as that flight is very long so it’s a good idea to carry a change of clothes, slippers and maybe even a second pair of shoes onboard. Travelling with a laptop and a CPAP machine, it’s a challenge to fit everything into a rollaboard and a small backpack.
Do you check a bag too? Wouldn’t 3 bags with 1 of the checked be enough? That gives you a ton of space.
I think his desire to board early is driven by the fact that he has too much carry on luggage and he knows it. He wants store his luggage before the other passengers take up the overhead space above his seat.
It’s pure selfishness.
I don’t get the second pair of shoes thing. They can go in his one free checked bag (unless he’s basic economy purchased in last 6 months). A pack back should be sufficient for carryon, though a CPAC might not work in that case. Anyway 23kg checked plus a roller and a back pack should be sufficient for nearly all.
Oh, and I can’t remember basic economy being sold on AA whenever I searched this route. It didn’t come up as an option in a search of a few random dates.
I always travel with 3-4 pairs of shoes because I had a fungal infection a decade ago which had been the result of wearing the same pair every day, so for very long journeys I try to have a second pair with me on the plane.
I don’t disagree that 23kg plus hand luggage should be sufficient overall, the problem is mostly with the distribution between hand luggage and bags in the hold. When on short haul, I try to check everything in where permitted by the rules of the airline*/ticket/status, but for these really long journeys I need my CPAP and then want to have some spare clothes to cover a shower in the lounge and the possibility of some sauce from an airline meal ending up on my shirt. If I also need to carry a laptop, space gets really tight while at the same time my checked bag barely exceeds 15kg and has a decent amount of space available to add shopping etc!
*Quite a few airlines have a policy of accepting hand luggage in the hold without charging extra or affecting the passenger’s baggage allowance.
For most airlines, your CPAP bag is counted as a medical device and this does not count toward your carryon limit.
That’s true (with the exception of TAP where I had a massive issue with it on a flight where I was ultimately denied boarding due to their misinterpretation of visa rules), although I am technically not compliant when carrying it on long haul as I don’t want to be carrying three bags so I end up putting the CPAP in my ‘personal item’ which is a canvas bag that’s almost 10cm wider than the 40 typically allowed. As I don’t normally do long haul Y [and some airlines do allow a bit extra in business class], I have not been challenged yet about it, but there’s always a risk of having to repack or at least have an argument at the gate.
When did grown men start wearing shorts on planes? I didn’t even do it as a kid in the 70s and 80s. Maybe I would do it in Hawaii between islands but not on a flight from Lax to Australia or just about any other flight.
Lordy, Oz, if you haven’t seen grown men wearing shorts on planes you haven’t flown in the US in twenty years. Can’t speak to other parts of the world but we are a country of slobs.
Typical DYKWIA behaviour.