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Lawyer Is Refused Boarding on La Guardia Flight After Revolving-Door Mix-Up

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Lawyer Is Refused Boarding on La Guardia Flight After Revolving-Door Mix-Up

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Old Dec 1, 2015, 8:26 am
  #1  
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Lawyer Is Refused Boarding on La Guardia Flight After Revolving-Door Mix-Up

From today's NYTimes. Not sure if the Times paywall will block some so here is the article.


A prominent Texas lawyer was not allowed to board a Virgin America flight home from New York on Monday because of an encounter with a crew member at La Guardia Airport in Queens, he and the airline said.

The lawyer, Robert B. Abtahi, the vice chairman of the Dallas Plan Commission, the official body that makes planning and zoning recommendations to the City Council, said he was trying to board Virgin America Flight 885 to Dallas before its scheduled departure at 3:50 p.m., when he was told that he would not be allowed onto the plane.

Mr. Abtahi, who goes by “Bobby,” said the reason he was given was that the captain and crew did not feel comfortable with him on the flight. When he pressed for specifics, a gate agent told him that he had cut off a crew member in a revolving door while arriving at the airport, he said. He was forced to cancel the ticket and rebook on another airline.

Last edited by essxjay; Dec 7, 2015 at 4:21 pm Reason: trimmed for respect to copyrights
Chrisinhouston is offline  
Old Dec 1, 2015, 8:45 am
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And people hate the TSA worship airlines.

A pilot or crew delicate feelings are hurt and all the sudden you are a danger to the 150 other people on the flight. The airlines response is a crock of bull.

It "customer service" is very evident that if flight crew delicate feelings are hurt, you do not fly.
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Old Dec 1, 2015, 10:16 am
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Almost right out of a Seinfeld ep, like The Diplomat's Club, Season 6, Episode 21
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Old Dec 1, 2015, 10:22 am
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If the crew member has not been fired then the airline wasn't serious about the apology.
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Old Dec 1, 2015, 12:28 pm
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Originally Posted by surreycrv
Almost right out of a Seinfeld ep, like The Diplomat's Club, Season 6, Episode 21
I remember that one. It's the one with Kramer betting on flights with the rich Texan.

Also had the mom from "That 70's show" as Jerry's assistant.
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Old Dec 1, 2015, 2:30 pm
  #6  
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Originally Posted by Boggie Dog
If the crew member has not been fired then the airline wasn't serious about the apology.
Agreed. That's a flagrant abuse of power.
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Old Dec 1, 2015, 3:02 pm
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Originally Posted by Chrisinhouston
Asked whether he thought he had been profiled because of his appearance, Mr. Abtahi, who is Iranian-American, said he hoped not.
Oh.
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Old Dec 1, 2015, 3:10 pm
  #8  
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When I heard about this on local radio here in Dallas, they mentioned that he had said that returning from vacation, his hair was a mess and he hadn't shaved in 5 days. Neither one should be reason to be removed from the plane, of course, but maybe these factors helped prejudice the crew.

Good for him for accepting the apology and donating the free flights to a good cause.
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Old Dec 2, 2015, 4:54 am
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Originally Posted by swag
When I heard about this on local radio here in Dallas, they mentioned that he had said that returning from vacation, his hair was a mess and he hadn't shaved in 5 days. Neither one should be reason to be removed from the plane, of course, but maybe these factors helped prejudice the crew.

Good for him for accepting the apology and donating the free flights to a good cause.
Being "brown" probably did it more than being back from vacation with five days' growth of facial hair.

We're riding high on a spike of fear of "'brown' people" when it comes to travel.
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Old Dec 2, 2015, 5:39 am
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Wow, they actually admit that he was prevented from traveling for something so preposterous? Unbelievable.
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Old Dec 2, 2015, 5:54 am
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Originally Posted by gobluetwo
Wow, they actually admit that he was prevented from traveling for something so preposterous? Unbelievable.
He's a connected Texan, and he found an honest VX employee who gave him the details. It probably didn't hurt that he wasn't eager to sock it to VX.
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