Man refused to pay $12 blanket--Flight Diverted to LAX
Mar 9, 2017, 3:24 pm
#16
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Join Date: Jun 2013
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The choice here in reality is give the guy a blanket or don't. Using his expression " taking someone behind the woodshed" as a threat of bodily harm is a power trip by what seems to be a hypersensitive crew. How dare a paying customer insist he's correct! I'm sure the rest of the paying customers were overjoyed that this flight crew decided their time and planned connections, etc. were just collateral damage in this important struggle against anarchy in the sky.
Mar 10, 2017, 9:28 am
#17
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 60
however, to the millions of people who read the reports or watched the videos of the incident, they may have second thoughts about booking Hawaiian Airlines the next time they need to fly to the Aloha state. IIRC, other U.S. airlines fly from the mainland to the island, right?
if just 5 people decided to use another airline because of the news, the loss of profit from those ticket will no doubt far exceed the $12.the crew could have handled it better... just pull the man aside and tell him quietly "sir, we'll let you have the blanket for free just this one time..." Yes, I know the man was in the wrong, but the diversion could have been more costly than just the airport fees and topping up of jet fuel... what if the diversion caused the plane to spend too much time on the ground and the crew went overtime? (in which case replacement pilots/FAs would have to be called in at last minute)
Mar 10, 2017, 5:43 pm
#19
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This has nothing to do with the blanket or $12, it has to do with the judgment of the crewmember as to whether the "woodshed" statement was reasonably taken as a threat. That is all. Nothing more.
Unlike a bus where it is easy enough to see if the moron escalates and the next issue becomes about something else and involves actual violence, it is not quite so easy out over the Pacific on an aircraft.
This would not have been handled differently if it were about any issue on any carrier and I suspect that most people are just fine with the diversion and arrest.
Normal people who are well-balanced and don't pose a risk would say something, like "gee, that's a lot of money for something I expect for free" and then maybe send a nasty email afterwards. People who say what the moron said here, depending on their demeanor, are exactly the people trained air crews worry about ---- rightfully.
Good on them.
Unlike a bus where it is easy enough to see if the moron escalates and the next issue becomes about something else and involves actual violence, it is not quite so easy out over the Pacific on an aircraft.
This would not have been handled differently if it were about any issue on any carrier and I suspect that most people are just fine with the diversion and arrest.
Normal people who are well-balanced and don't pose a risk would say something, like "gee, that's a lot of money for something I expect for free" and then maybe send a nasty email afterwards. People who say what the moron said here, depending on their demeanor, are exactly the people trained air crews worry about ---- rightfully.
Good on them.
Mar 10, 2017, 5:47 pm
#20
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Join Date: Jun 2013
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In the end, only the people there know what really transpired, but HA looks pretty lame here. I'd certainly not be thrilled if my trip to Hawaii was interrupted by my carrier and they told me it was over a blanket.
Mar 10, 2017, 9:06 pm
#21
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This has nothing to do with the blanket or $12, it has to do with the judgment of the crewmember as to whether the "woodshed" statement was reasonably taken as a threat. That is all. Nothing more.
Unlike a bus where it is easy enough to see if the moron escalates and the next issue becomes about something else and involves actual violence, it is not quite so easy out over the Pacific on an aircraft.
This would not have been handled differently if it were about any issue on any carrier and I suspect that most people are just fine with the diversion and arrest.
Normal people who are well-balanced and don't pose a risk would say something, like "gee, that's a lot of money for something I expect for free" and then maybe send a nasty email afterwards. People who say what the moron said here, depending on their demeanor, are exactly the people trained air crews worry about ---- rightfully.
Good on them.
Unlike a bus where it is easy enough to see if the moron escalates and the next issue becomes about something else and involves actual violence, it is not quite so easy out over the Pacific on an aircraft.
This would not have been handled differently if it were about any issue on any carrier and I suspect that most people are just fine with the diversion and arrest.
Normal people who are well-balanced and don't pose a risk would say something, like "gee, that's a lot of money for something I expect for free" and then maybe send a nasty email afterwards. People who say what the moron said here, depending on their demeanor, are exactly the people trained air crews worry about ---- rightfully.
Good on them.
. I believe "moron" is a rather arcane word. You might try cold 66 year old man.
Mar 10, 2017, 10:03 pm
#22
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,806
IMO, it really doesn't matter if an airline wants to charge for something, even a blanket. The problem here is that, AGAIN, a f/a dropped the "Interfering With A Flight Crew" card when a pax became pissed about what they thought was a rip off, which it just possibly might be. Diverting, possibly dumping fuel, and inconveniencing hundreds of pax's over $10 or $12 is just plain stupid. Give him the damn blanket and continue on your merry way. No need to make a BIG DEAL out of this and quite frankly embarrass the entire airline over a petty charge. The captain should have to explain to his supers why he decided to take the route that he did, and if the f/a embellished her story to him causing him to decide to divert she should be reprimanded/retrained also.
As of late looking at an airline employee cross-eyed gets you an interview with the FBI. If they can't handle an upset customer without making a federal case out of something then they need to go into a different line of work.
As of late looking at an airline employee cross-eyed gets you an interview with the FBI. If they can't handle an upset customer without making a federal case out of something then they need to go into a different line of work.
The problem here is corporate policy that nickel and diming passengers is ok now, post 9/11. Everything and I mean everything for sale is accountable. If the inventory and the money don't balance, it could cost the FA their job. It's not like the old days when we could cut corners and take care of small things. That authority doesn't exist any more.
No matter how crazy the rules seem to be, challenging them on the plane is the wrong move. He should have waited until he was off the plane. Any kind of threats are taken seriously today. TSA scans babies and old ladies. The government is serious.
It's going to take the passengers to confront the airlines with what they will accept. Until that happens, it's business as usual. So take your frustrations out on anyone but the crew.
Fly Safe!
NWA FA
Mar 11, 2017, 5:50 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2003
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Well, I think there is plenty of sill to go around.
While you would hope that there was a better option than to divert over a grumpy old guy complaining about paying for a blanket, maybe his demeanor gave them no choice.
I will just say that I get tired of people complaining on planes. I also can see where a crew pulled the "for everyones safety card" out a little early.
I wasnt there but depending on the persons actions...it could have been justified. The fact that it was over a blanket it not really important, it comes down to his actions and all I have seen so far is his woodshed comment but maybe there was more...I hope.
While you would hope that there was a better option than to divert over a grumpy old guy complaining about paying for a blanket, maybe his demeanor gave them no choice.
I will just say that I get tired of people complaining on planes. I also can see where a crew pulled the "for everyones safety card" out a little early.
I wasnt there but depending on the persons actions...it could have been justified. The fact that it was over a blanket it not really important, it comes down to his actions and all I have seen so far is his woodshed comment but maybe there was more...I hope.
Mar 11, 2017, 6:15 am
#25
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 578
The blankets that are charged for are actually higher quality than the usual airline blankets. I do remember the blankets being free for red eyes though. However, I'm still not sure what side I agree with. Both sides had things that were wrong and could have been handled better. That being said, I've actually switched my flying from Ha to UA of all things. HA just doesn't respect their elites as well as other airlines, but that's another story.
Mar 11, 2017, 9:17 am
#26
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 60
people do crazier things for much less than $12. I once saw an elderly couple fight with the take-out counter employee because they felt it was wrong to charge them an extra 50 cents for a 2nd tiny cup of dip. FIFTY CENTS! Police was called and the couple arrested for disorderly conduct. The funniest(or saddest) part was that the cop had to load the couple's walker into the trunk of his police cruiser....
Mar 11, 2017, 7:25 pm
#27
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 45
AA provides blankets no-charge in Y on DFW-Hawaii flights
Yup, it's right here (though apparently it's $10.): https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/our...hana-snack-bar
I don't think it's that uncommon (jetblue: https://www.jetblue.com/flying-on-jetblue/shut-eye/ ) and I'd rather have the option of purchasing one than have them just unavailable, like on AA (and DL and UA?)
I don't think it's that uncommon (jetblue: https://www.jetblue.com/flying-on-jetblue/shut-eye/ ) and I'd rather have the option of purchasing one than have them just unavailable, like on AA (and DL and UA?)
Mar 11, 2017, 7:39 pm
#28
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
What the flight attendants did was stupid, but assuming they reported everything truthfully to the cockpit, I think the final blame lies on the pilot for deciding to divert.
Mar 13, 2017, 1:08 pm
#29
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No, I don't think he's banned from flying. He has no criminal record, but he never had any trouble from the law. He got a little trouble from flight attendant during the flight. He doesn't understand why he doesn't want to pay a blanket. This should be free.
Mar 15, 2017, 10:01 am
#30
Join Date: May 2003
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I don't understand why anyone would wish this on someone else, especially on a 66-year-old man who simply wants an aircraft to be regulated for the comfort of a seated passenger or a blanket to compensate for a lack thereof. Had I been on that flight and been cold, too, I'm about 95% sure that he and I would've both gotten free blankets or had the temperature raised.