Flight Attendant (Comair) vs. Ground Crew tonight at JFK
Dec 17, 2010, 9:49 pm
#1
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Flight Attendant (Comair) vs. Ground Crew tonight at JFK
I had the pleasure of flying tonight on DL6574 tonight, JFK-CLE. After late boarding due to some mechanical issues we had a very unique experience.
After boarding was complete, the number the FA counted was one more then the number the ground crew/gate agent was reporting. After counting a few times they confirmed that indeed someone else extra was on the plane. After asking if anyone was on the wrong plane, no one moved, as everyone wanted to go to Cleveland.
Then "ground crew guy 1" decided he would check everyones boarding pass to ensure they were on the right flight. He concluded that everyone was indeed going to Cleveland. At this point, the FA and "Ground Crew Guy 1" were clearly stumped. This is where it got interesting. "Ground Crew Guy 2", clearly a DYKWIA amoung delta staff, hops on board and grabs the intercom and tells people, I AM GOING TO HANDLE THIS, I NEED EVERYONES BOARDING PASS NOW. They decide to go and collect everyones boarding pass. He then announces he won't be giving them back. This angers a few people who want them back for records or bag check tags. "Ground Crew Guy 2" insists this isn't necessary as the info is all associated with the record. At this point, the FA yells back, YOU WILL BRING THE BOARDING PASSES BACK, AND THIS PLANE IS NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU DO! "Ground Crew 2" rushses off the plane, and we wait. As soon as he leaves, the FA jumps on the intercom and just tells everyone how she is here for them and won't let the plane leave until we have our BP's. Maybe 20 minutes later, "Ground Crew 1" comes back on board with the boarding passes, joking that "Ground Crew 2" didn't want to come back on board. It turns out that someone on the later flight to Cleveland some how boarded this one without the Gate Agent stopping them. Overall it resulted in about an hours delay that would have been completely avoidable. It seems that the gate agent was not paying attention when boarding people.
I'm drafting this up in a much more condensed form to send to Delta, not because I want compensation, but because it is extremely unprofessional for staff members to be arguing in front of customers.
After boarding was complete, the number the FA counted was one more then the number the ground crew/gate agent was reporting. After counting a few times they confirmed that indeed someone else extra was on the plane. After asking if anyone was on the wrong plane, no one moved, as everyone wanted to go to Cleveland.
Then "ground crew guy 1" decided he would check everyones boarding pass to ensure they were on the right flight. He concluded that everyone was indeed going to Cleveland. At this point, the FA and "Ground Crew Guy 1" were clearly stumped. This is where it got interesting. "Ground Crew Guy 2", clearly a DYKWIA amoung delta staff, hops on board and grabs the intercom and tells people, I AM GOING TO HANDLE THIS, I NEED EVERYONES BOARDING PASS NOW. They decide to go and collect everyones boarding pass. He then announces he won't be giving them back. This angers a few people who want them back for records or bag check tags. "Ground Crew Guy 2" insists this isn't necessary as the info is all associated with the record. At this point, the FA yells back, YOU WILL BRING THE BOARDING PASSES BACK, AND THIS PLANE IS NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU DO! "Ground Crew 2" rushses off the plane, and we wait. As soon as he leaves, the FA jumps on the intercom and just tells everyone how she is here for them and won't let the plane leave until we have our BP's. Maybe 20 minutes later, "Ground Crew 1" comes back on board with the boarding passes, joking that "Ground Crew 2" didn't want to come back on board. It turns out that someone on the later flight to Cleveland some how boarded this one without the Gate Agent stopping them. Overall it resulted in about an hours delay that would have been completely avoidable. It seems that the gate agent was not paying attention when boarding people.
I'm drafting this up in a much more condensed form to send to Delta, not because I want compensation, but because it is extremely unprofessional for staff members to be arguing in front of customers.
Dec 17, 2010, 9:54 pm
#2
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I had the pleasure of flying tonight on DL6574 tonight, JFK-CLE. After late boarding due to some mechanical issues we had a very unique experience.
After boarding was complete, the number the FA counted was one more then the number the ground crew/gate agent was reporting. After counting a few times they confirmed that indeed someone else extra was on the plane. After asking if anyone was on the wrong plane, no one moved, as everyone wanted to go to Cleveland.
Then "ground crew guy 1" decided he would check everyones boarding pass to ensure they were on the right flight. He concluded that everyone was indeed going to Cleveland. At this point, the FA and "Ground Crew Guy 1" were clearly stumped. This is where it got interesting. "Ground Crew Guy 2", clearly a DYKWIA amoung delta staff, hops on board and grabs the intercom and tells people, I AM GOING TO HANDLE THIS, I NEED EVERYONES BOARDING PASS NOW. They decide to go and collect everyones boarding pass. He then announces he won't be giving them back. This angers a few people who want them back for records or bag check tags. "Ground Crew Guy 2" insists this isn't necessary as the info is all associated with the record. At this point, the FA yells back, YOU WILL BRING THE BOARDING PASSES BACK, AND THIS PLANE IS NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU DO! "Ground Crew 2" rushses off the plane, and we wait. As soon as he leaves, the FA jumps on the intercom and just tells everyone how she is here for them and won't let the plane leave until we have our BP's. Maybe 20 minutes later, "Ground Crew 1" comes back on board with the boarding passes, joking that "Ground Crew 2" didn't want to come back on board. It turns out that someone on the later flight to Cleveland some how boarded this one without the Gate Agent stopping them. Overall it resulted in about an hours delay that would have been completely avoidable. It seems that the gate agent was not paying attention when boarding people.
I'm drafting this up in a much more condensed form to send to Delta, not because I want compensation, but because it is extremely unprofessional for staff members to be arguing in front of customers.
After boarding was complete, the number the FA counted was one more then the number the ground crew/gate agent was reporting. After counting a few times they confirmed that indeed someone else extra was on the plane. After asking if anyone was on the wrong plane, no one moved, as everyone wanted to go to Cleveland.
Then "ground crew guy 1" decided he would check everyones boarding pass to ensure they were on the right flight. He concluded that everyone was indeed going to Cleveland. At this point, the FA and "Ground Crew Guy 1" were clearly stumped. This is where it got interesting. "Ground Crew Guy 2", clearly a DYKWIA amoung delta staff, hops on board and grabs the intercom and tells people, I AM GOING TO HANDLE THIS, I NEED EVERYONES BOARDING PASS NOW. They decide to go and collect everyones boarding pass. He then announces he won't be giving them back. This angers a few people who want them back for records or bag check tags. "Ground Crew Guy 2" insists this isn't necessary as the info is all associated with the record. At this point, the FA yells back, YOU WILL BRING THE BOARDING PASSES BACK, AND THIS PLANE IS NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU DO! "Ground Crew 2" rushses off the plane, and we wait. As soon as he leaves, the FA jumps on the intercom and just tells everyone how she is here for them and won't let the plane leave until we have our BP's. Maybe 20 minutes later, "Ground Crew 1" comes back on board with the boarding passes, joking that "Ground Crew 2" didn't want to come back on board. It turns out that someone on the later flight to Cleveland some how boarded this one without the Gate Agent stopping them. Overall it resulted in about an hours delay that would have been completely avoidable. It seems that the gate agent was not paying attention when boarding people.
I'm drafting this up in a much more condensed form to send to Delta, not because I want compensation, but because it is extremely unprofessional for staff members to be arguing in front of customers.
Dec 17, 2010, 9:58 pm
#3
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It would have been much easier, had the flight been booked solid. Since there were open seats, and no ones seat had been taken, that made it much harder to figure out once everyone had boarded.
In the end, they must have moved the girl to our flight, because no one had to de-plane.
In the end, they must have moved the girl to our flight, because no one had to de-plane.
Dec 17, 2010, 10:25 pm
#5
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Confusion is one thing but making sure only passengers boarded on the flight matches the manifest escalates things a whole bunch. Headcounts are important and if they don't match the problem has to be reconciled prior to door close. It is for your safety and their accountability.
Dec 17, 2010, 10:29 pm
#6
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They let the person stay on board. I wasn't too upset, but there were a few kettles on board who were not happy that their BP's were taken.
Dec 18, 2010, 12:02 am
#7
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What a disaster. And I'm not even talking about the extra person on board (though it should be easy to catch that) but the crazy bickering between staff. I haven't been on a regional through JFK in 5 years for a reason. 
Dec 18, 2010, 4:53 am
#10
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I was wondering this myself. One time there was a gate change I missed, I tried boarding the wrong flight, and the machine made a lot of noise when the GA scanned my BP, so there was no way I could have gotten on the wrong plane...
Dec 18, 2010, 5:25 am
#11
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When I worked as a GA for a day at the DO, I was working a flight to LGA and had a guy with a JFK BP try to board, when I went to scan it, it was obvious that there was a problem and sent him on to his proper gate.
Dec 18, 2010, 5:46 am
#12
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Gate 23E ?
I flew out of JFK Gate 23E over the weekend. Total chaos. Sea of humanity pressed together waiting for their soylent green biscuits. 3 flights worth of people pressed together. They were boarding 3 separate flights from one gate. All at the same time. I told the gate agent - as she scanned my BP that I didn't know how she was able to organize this process with so much noise and confusion. She said that this day was lite. They often board 6 planes at a time from that one combo gate. Gate 23E IS gate 23. So is 23a, 23b, 23c, ...
I could easily see how this could happen at THAT gate.
I could easily see how this could happen at THAT gate.
Dec 18, 2010, 5:54 am
#13
Suspended
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COMAIR
I had the pleasure of flying tonight on DL6574 tonight, JFK-CLE. After late boarding due to some mechanical issues we had a very unique experience.
After boarding was complete, the number the FA counted was one more then the number the ground crew/gate agent was reporting. After counting a few times they confirmed that indeed someone else extra was on the plane. After asking if anyone was on the wrong plane, no one moved, as everyone wanted to go to Cleveland.
Then "ground crew guy 1" decided he would check everyones boarding pass to ensure they were on the right flight. He concluded that everyone was indeed going to Cleveland. At this point, the FA and "Ground Crew Guy 1" were clearly stumped. This is where it got interesting. "Ground Crew Guy 2", clearly a DYKWIA amoung delta staff, hops on board and grabs the intercom and tells people, I AM GOING TO HANDLE THIS, I NEED EVERYONES BOARDING PASS NOW. They decide to go and collect everyones boarding pass. He then announces he won't be giving them back. This angers a few people who want them back for records or bag check tags. "Ground Crew Guy 2" insists this isn't necessary as the info is all associated with the record. At this point, the FA yells back, YOU WILL BRING THE BOARDING PASSES BACK, AND THIS PLANE IS NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU DO! "Ground Crew 2" rushses off the plane, and we wait. As soon as he leaves, the FA jumps on the intercom and just tells everyone how she is here for them and won't let the plane leave until we have our BP's. Maybe 20 minutes later, "Ground Crew 1" comes back on board with the boarding passes, joking that "Ground Crew 2" didn't want to come back on board. It turns out that someone on the later flight to Cleveland some how boarded this one without the Gate Agent stopping them. Overall it resulted in about an hours delay that would have been completely avoidable. It seems that the gate agent was not paying attention when boarding people.
I'm drafting this up in a much more condensed form to send to Delta, not because I want compensation, but because it is extremely unprofessional for staff members to be arguing in front of customers.
After boarding was complete, the number the FA counted was one more then the number the ground crew/gate agent was reporting. After counting a few times they confirmed that indeed someone else extra was on the plane. After asking if anyone was on the wrong plane, no one moved, as everyone wanted to go to Cleveland.
Then "ground crew guy 1" decided he would check everyones boarding pass to ensure they were on the right flight. He concluded that everyone was indeed going to Cleveland. At this point, the FA and "Ground Crew Guy 1" were clearly stumped. This is where it got interesting. "Ground Crew Guy 2", clearly a DYKWIA amoung delta staff, hops on board and grabs the intercom and tells people, I AM GOING TO HANDLE THIS, I NEED EVERYONES BOARDING PASS NOW. They decide to go and collect everyones boarding pass. He then announces he won't be giving them back. This angers a few people who want them back for records or bag check tags. "Ground Crew Guy 2" insists this isn't necessary as the info is all associated with the record. At this point, the FA yells back, YOU WILL BRING THE BOARDING PASSES BACK, AND THIS PLANE IS NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU DO! "Ground Crew 2" rushses off the plane, and we wait. As soon as he leaves, the FA jumps on the intercom and just tells everyone how she is here for them and won't let the plane leave until we have our BP's. Maybe 20 minutes later, "Ground Crew 1" comes back on board with the boarding passes, joking that "Ground Crew 2" didn't want to come back on board. It turns out that someone on the later flight to Cleveland some how boarded this one without the Gate Agent stopping them. Overall it resulted in about an hours delay that would have been completely avoidable. It seems that the gate agent was not paying attention when boarding people.
I'm drafting this up in a much more condensed form to send to Delta, not because I want compensation, but because it is extremely unprofessional for staff members to be arguing in front of customers.
One more reason I avoid JFK at all costs.
Dec 18, 2010, 5:55 am
#14
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If so, it's very easy for someone to get on the wrong flight.
Bob H
Dec 18, 2010, 7:12 am
#15
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I need my boarding pass in order to get into the SC's (since I access SC's with AmEx platinum and one requirement is a DL boarding pass). I have always been asked for my boarding pass. Glad I usually print two of them anyway "just in case."