Mini trip report - EWR-ATL, amazing CO story!
Mar 10, 1999, 7:15 pm
#1
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: In protest of Flyertalk's uncalledfor censoring of my point of view, I cancelled my InsideFlyer subscription. So long, and thanks for everything.
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Mini trip report - EWR-ATL, amazing CO story!
Greetings from the Atlanta Hilton. (Another confirmed towers upgrade certificate they didn't ask for when I presented my gold VIP upon check in...)
I had to get this one out fast, because I couldn't believe it.
I got to EWR early in hopes of an upgrade, and the President's club was very happy to put me up front on the 5pm flight in exchange for my coach seat on the overbooked 7pm flight. So we're all seated and I see the jetway operator about to close the door when a woman comes schreetching down the aisle toward the door. "I left my purse in the bathroom!!!!!" she announces. The attendants let her off the plane, and wait for 3 or 4 minutes then begin to close the door. The captian instructs them to stop! The word is she should be treated like we would expect our mother treated, and says we can afford to wait a little, as he'll see what he can do to make up any delay.
Sure enough, she returns with her purse (way to go honest Jerzee) in about 10 minutes. We take off and arrive in Atlanta 13 minutes ahead of schedule. (The Chicken Kiev and Ceasear salad were awesome.)
Kudos to the Continental captian for standing-up for a lowly passenger.
I had to get this one out fast, because I couldn't believe it.
I got to EWR early in hopes of an upgrade, and the President's club was very happy to put me up front on the 5pm flight in exchange for my coach seat on the overbooked 7pm flight. So we're all seated and I see the jetway operator about to close the door when a woman comes schreetching down the aisle toward the door. "I left my purse in the bathroom!!!!!" she announces. The attendants let her off the plane, and wait for 3 or 4 minutes then begin to close the door. The captian instructs them to stop! The word is she should be treated like we would expect our mother treated, and says we can afford to wait a little, as he'll see what he can do to make up any delay.
Sure enough, she returns with her purse (way to go honest Jerzee) in about 10 minutes. We take off and arrive in Atlanta 13 minutes ahead of schedule. (The Chicken Kiev and Ceasear salad were awesome.)
Kudos to the Continental captian for standing-up for a lowly passenger.
Mar 11, 1999, 7:04 am
#3
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Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
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Shame on CO for a direct violation of FAA security regulations regarding the loading of passengers! Once a final destination check has been made, no passenger should be allowed to de-plane unless all their carry-on and checked bags have been removed as well.
This is a sensible safety precaution, since otherwise would-be suicide bombers could be made into just regular old bombers by hopping off the plane at the last moment. And it CERTAINLY would have been a more grevious violation if the doors had been shut and the plane took off without her!
Having said that, however, if she were my mother (or wife or daughter or even me, for that matter), I'd think CO was right for bending the rules!
This is a sensible safety precaution, since otherwise would-be suicide bombers could be made into just regular old bombers by hopping off the plane at the last moment. And it CERTAINLY would have been a more grevious violation if the doors had been shut and the plane took off without her!
Having said that, however, if she were my mother (or wife or daughter or even me, for that matter), I'd think CO was right for bending the rules!
Mar 11, 1999, 10:26 am
#4
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: Houston, Texas, TEXAS
Posts: 1,510
Here! Here! to JAWs hometown airline. I wonder what the guy in Phoenix I saw the other day, would say about this when he arrived 10 minutes before scheduled departure time, the gate had been pulled back from the plane and CO refused to let him on the aircraft.
Mar 11, 1999, 1:40 pm
#5
Commander Catcop
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 10,259
The guy from Phoenix would have probably said some words that should not be on this board!
This is a C (as in CLEAN) rated board.
NJDavid's story reminds me of one of my first flights. I bought a ticket on Delta to San Francisco. The plane was to depart at 8:50 a-m. Well I get stuck in traffic and get to good old EWR around 8:00a. The check in person says "OH the plane's about to depart at 8:05A!!!
I ran like JAWS was chasing after me for spilling Shiner Bock on his last collection of Cuban cigars! I ran to the gate and screamed "Wait for me!" The gate woman ran down the gateway and screamed "STOP The plane! We have another one!"
It was 8:06a. The captain joked "OH I held up the plane just for you!" I sat down as the entire coach cabin appalded.
It turned out the travel agent never called me to say the flight time was changed. This was early in my flying career (1990)
SO the lesson: call the night before and CONFIRM THE FLIGHT TIMES!!!
------------------
CATMAN
This is a C (as in CLEAN) rated board.
NJDavid's story reminds me of one of my first flights. I bought a ticket on Delta to San Francisco. The plane was to depart at 8:50 a-m. Well I get stuck in traffic and get to good old EWR around 8:00a. The check in person says "OH the plane's about to depart at 8:05A!!!
I ran like JAWS was chasing after me for spilling Shiner Bock on his last collection of Cuban cigars!
I ran to the gate and screamed "Wait for me!" The gate woman ran down the gateway and screamed "STOP The plane! We have another one!"It was 8:06a. The captain joked "OH I held up the plane just for you!" I sat down as the entire coach cabin appalded.
It turned out the travel agent never called me to say the flight time was changed. This was early in my flying career (1990)
SO the lesson: call the night before and CONFIRM THE FLIGHT TIMES!!!
------------------
CATMAN
Mar 11, 1999, 3:49 pm
#6
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Location: New York - DL Gold, AA Gold, AC Prestige, VS Silver
Posts: 811
> SO the lesson: call the night before and CONFIRM THE FLIGHT TIMES!!!
In the interest of keeping phone lines at airlines less clogged, my revision:
> SO the lesson: check the web the night before and CONFIRM THE FLIGHT TIMES!!!
In the interest of keeping phone lines at airlines less clogged, my revision:
> SO the lesson: check the web the night before and CONFIRM THE FLIGHT TIMES!!!