AA-Flyer-SAN

AA had a long standing tradition honoring our servicemen and women. This man wasn't asking for a freebie, he wasn't asking for an upgrade, he wasn't asking for free booze - he was asking to hang his uniform jacket to preserve the integrity of the uniform - as we are all trained to do.

This happened to me three years ago when I was forced to fly this turd of an airline. I was flying to a funeral on the east coast and carried my uniform on US AIR. I asked to hang it in the bin or in the FC cabin was rudely denied. Instead I held it in my lap (I was in coach bulkhead). FA flipped her lid, grabbed it from me, and shoved it unceremoniously into the overhead bin.

http://http://toprightnews.com/?p=6481

milesandmoremiles

I'd consider this a big non-story. Especially since the primary source of the story seems like somebody who was trying to get his few minutes of fame (not the military guy but the frequent flyer). If this guy was so appalled by the service and/or attitude from the the flight attendant, was it truly necessary to go to the media? Then for the guy to say he is thinking of switching airlines because of this once incident, well I say, good luck to him and c ya later.

Dave Noble

The FA refused to hang a jacket of an economy passenger in 1st class wardrobe - have trouble seeing the issue
The FA refused to let the economy passenger just be upgraded by swaps - again seems perfectly correct

The issue seems to me to be the passengers not being prepared to accept the FA doing their job

FWAAA

That's not the issue.

If it seems "perfectly correct," then which federal law or federal regulation or US Airways rule prohibits passengers from switching seats with a decorated veteran (or anyone else, for that matter)? It cannot be "perfectly correct" unless the flight attendant can cite to a federal law, regulation or airline rule to justify the refusal to let passengers upgrade a soldier.

According to the information we have, the soldier asked the flight attendant if they would hang the soldier's jacket in the closet. The issue appears to be the unreasonable refusal by that flight attendant, coupled with the alleged outrageous (if true) behaviour of that flight attendant in refusing to accommodate the soldier's reasonable request plus the alleged outrageous response of yelling at passengers who wanted to ask other FAs for a second opinion and the outrageous behaviour (if true) of the flight attendant refusing to let passengers switch seats to upgrade the soldier.

Have no idea if any of the alleged outrageous behaviour actually occurred - but if it did, then I see a flight attendant with anger management issues, not a flight attendant "doing their job." Apparently, the other flight attendants overruled their colleague because they did hang the soldier's jacket.

If a flight attendant was "yelling" at any passenger in any situation not involving an emergency evacuation, then IMO, that flight attendant was not fit for duty and should have been removed from the flight before departure.

Dave Noble

I agree that if the FA yelled at passengers, then that is v poor, but it also seems that it is more than simply someone asked and was told no - which should have been the end of it

There does not have to be a FAA rule that says that an economy passenger cannot be upgraded by other passengers to a higher class. It is not just a case of switching seats within the same class

There is no reason to think that someone with an economy ticket can be upgraded to 1st by other passengers

Refusing to hang a coat up is not unreasonable; it is not an economy service offering

Also, I cannot see what business it is of the other passengers regarding interfering - if they had not interfered, would perhaps the case be that FA said no, passenger goes to his seat and that would be the end of it

ibrandsguest

I've been in FC and have voluntarily swapped seats with someone in coach. No FA was involved- the other passenger (a co-worker) and I just did it. Nobody said a thing to stop us.

Curious why the passengers didn't just handle it that way.

GalleyWench

When did they put closets back on the 320?
I also heard it was a garment bag but who knows?

josmul123

Your link seems to have 404'd.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/socie...lass-passenger

Same incident (probably) different article.

Good for those passengers who offered him their seats. They're definitely cut from a different cloth than this FA.

Microwave

As there's already a thread discussing this situation, I'll merge this in. I've also moved this post to the top as the first OP deleted his comments.

~Moderator

malgudi

U.S. Airways released an apology:

Still think it is a non-story?

coachrowsey

This + none of us know what really happened.

Dea Certe

I thought US Airways removed the closets on all the 319/320/321 aircraft, there is only a rack with hangers on the divider between first class and the main cabin. The last row of first class seats reclines into the coats. My understanding is the closets were removed to add more seats.

GalleyWench

There are still closets on the east 319's but I believe the a/c on this flight was a 320 which doesn't even have a closet. Coats are hung behind the last row of f/c on the wall and garment bags can't be hung there at all. Bad attitude is never ok, but I'll be curious to hear the specifics of the rest of the story.

Hokie Gator Flyer

The story about it on the local news last night said that the first class passenger took the jacket & hung it behind his seat--hence, no closet.

lobo411

Absolutely.