Flight Attendants Abusing Ability to Kick Passengers?

[my5cents]

Maybe it's just me, but I've heard so many horror stories about passengers being thrown off commercial airline flights for very questionable reasons. No appeal, flight attendant's word is gold, that I'm a little concerned.

The most recent story from last Sunday 20 July 2014, that hit the media, comes from out of Denver, when a Minneapolis man flying from Denver back to Minneapolis wanted to take advantage of his "A-List" status with Southwest Airlines and board the aircraft early. The trouble being he was travelling with his two daughters ages 9 and 6, who were not "A-List".

Apparently in the past he has managed to finagle his way on with his "status", but this time the gate staff wasn't buying it.

Words were exchanged, but nothing threatening. He then tweeted that he had had an encounter with rude gate staff. After boarding the plane with his kids (after all the "A-List" passenger had boarded), he and the kids were taken off the plane and not allowed back on until he deleted the tweet.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/family-booted- ... d=24685645

Now, I think he was a bit of a jerk for abusing his boarding status with the kids but tweeting his opinion of the gate staff didn't constitute threatening behavior. If he actually was a threat to the safety of the aircraft how would deleting the tweet change that ?

This has been one of many.

In mid June a woman flying from New York to Boston with her two daughters, ages 3 and 7 ran afoul of a flight attendant. The aircraft was delayed on the tarmac. After 30 minutes the 3 year old had to go to the bathroom. The woman began to get up and was shouted at to sit down and "no her kid couldn't go to the bathroom". A few minutes later the kid pee'd on the seat. Not having a towel or napkin the woman got to her feet and began trying to mop up the wet seat with a sweater, and was chastised once again.

A few minutes later the plane returned to the gate and she was summoned to leave the plane. It was only when an off duty captain sitting nearby countermanded the forced departure that she got a reprieve.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fli ... ys-n131261

A real bad one from February 2013 when a travel blogger took a smart phone photo of the TV screen on the back of an airline seat.

http://upgrd.com/matthew/thrown-off-a-u ... tures.html

It appears that if you look sideways at a flight attendant and she takes issue with it, you are gone, no appeal zip.

[FreeRights]

Questionable evictions should always be under internal review, but a corporation has the right to refuse service to any person. The fact is, your behaviour on the ground is going to reflect your behaviour in the air, and to avoid problems when they can't kick you off, they will assess you fairly comprehensively before. It should never have an appeal, that's insane.

[my5cents]

I agree 100% that if someone acts in a way that indicates that they might possibly be a problem in the air, off they go. What scares me is the very questionable cases. A mom with a toddler, almost getting kicked off.

The flight where the FA's seem to get the idea that it's an FAA regulation that one should be kicked from a plane for taking a cell phone photo inside the plane. Yes, if there is a policy for that airline, make sure everyone knows and give strong reminders but, very few planes have been downed by photo's being taken.

Also, some common sense must reveal. Does the mom of the toddler appear to have any ability or likelihood to cause a ruckus ??? Now really.

[Captain Awesome]

Obey by the rules or take a bus.

[my5cents]

Obey by the rules or take a bus.

Nobody is talking about not obeying the rules. There are dozens and dozens of cases of people being thrown off airlines for nothing. Flight attendants imagining things. Check out the links.

[Dizzy1]

The problem is that the law mandated by the FAA is you are to follow the cabin crews instructions. Unfortunately, the law doesn't specify what actually is considered to safely operate the flight or not. Like any other job, you give some people an ounce of authority and they run with it. And it all began when the term "stewardess" became taboo in North America. Fortunately, instances like these are usually isolated to this continent.

[kgcayenne]

I had to do a double-take on the thread title. It would be totally bizarre to see flight attendants 'kicking' passengers. (although, I bet there are a few passengers that would be deserving) Where are they allowed to kick, are they restricted only to the shins?