Gay couple forced to move plane seats to make way for straight couple to sit together
Jul 31, 2018, 1:03 am
#33
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 113
Not really. To faciliate a parent and a young kid to sit together maybe fine, but for a couple that's beyond annoying. I seen this on GA last month, but the crew didn't assist (the way to handle it) and no one wanted to move in 1/2/1 J (already all couples in the middle), so they had window throne seat one behind each other, of course the husband was ranting and raving his loud mouth about never flying GA again, terrible airlines etc.. etc..
Jul 31, 2018, 2:14 am
#34
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AS MVPG, WN A-List
Posts: 102
It’s true that Alaska has an excellent track record for openly and sincerely supporting LGBT causes. This doesn’t preclude individual employees from allowing implicit bias to influence decisions, even if those individuals are personally guided by pro-LGBT principals. These days, particularly in commercial/corporate settings, most discrimination is implicit, not explicit. That doesn’t make it less impactful.
In this instance, an IT error apparently caused two individuals to hold boarding passes for the same seat. If a human contemplated this error and made the instantaneous, subconscious determination that man/woman equals a couple and man/man does not, the human acted in an implicitly homophobic manor, even if he or she was, e.g., an openly gay gate agent who would never willfully discriminate. If the determination to reseat one of the gay men was based on more quantifiable factors (fare class, elite status, etc.) then Alaska should have made this abundantly clear to the inconvenienced passengers so as to preclude the reasonably-drawn conclusion that this decision may have been discriminatory in nature.
Even if you disregard all the above as spineless SJW hand-wringing, Alaska still should have learned from United’s notorious dragging incident last year that you do not, under any circumstances (unless you have an exceptionally serious reason), tell a seated passenger to move.
In this instance, an IT error apparently caused two individuals to hold boarding passes for the same seat. If a human contemplated this error and made the instantaneous, subconscious determination that man/woman equals a couple and man/man does not, the human acted in an implicitly homophobic manor, even if he or she was, e.g., an openly gay gate agent who would never willfully discriminate. If the determination to reseat one of the gay men was based on more quantifiable factors (fare class, elite status, etc.) then Alaska should have made this abundantly clear to the inconvenienced passengers so as to preclude the reasonably-drawn conclusion that this decision may have been discriminatory in nature.
Even if you disregard all the above as spineless SJW hand-wringing, Alaska still should have learned from United’s notorious dragging incident last year that you do not, under any circumstances (unless you have an exceptionally serious reason), tell a seated passenger to move.
Jul 31, 2018, 8:42 am
#38
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: Alaska MM, AA MM, BA Silver, Bonvoy Lifetime Gold
Posts: 321
Exactly what cairns said, this seems to have nothing to do with them being gay but they decided to use the gay card to prove a point. Not saying they weren't "wronged" by being double booked/asked to move but seems like their sexual orientation had nothing to do with it.
Jul 31, 2018, 9:45 am
#40
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
Even if one of the couple was handicapped and needed care...why not a regular coach seat?
Jul 31, 2018, 10:30 am
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,631
So, the complainant tells people to support an "LGBT friendly airline like Delta." Oh, he of short memory, no doubt a prominent member of the community, so popular that people will wait in line outside for the opportunity to pay too much for a drink, no doubt, to be partially spilled, while packed in a sardine can (the bar, not the plane) ... he must not remember this: In early 1985, the airline amended its contract of carriage to exclude passengers with AIDS. It goes down in history as the most LGBT-friendly act in the history of US commercial aviation. 
Jul 31, 2018, 11:15 am
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
Are AS F/As allowed to offer compensation for someone to go from Premium to non-Premium Coach? As a solo traveler I would have happily moved for 20k miles, grudgingly for 10k. Avoiding the delay with someone's baggage being offloaded, etc. would have gotten me to move for free if there were a pair of empty seats in the back, though.
Jul 31, 2018, 11:23 am
#43
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LHR/SEA/YVR
Programs: BAEC G/*O E
Posts: 919
I am open to be wrong, but this strikes me as a good old DYKWIA from the passengers. Will wait for the result of Alaska's internal investigation, but I would be very surprised if there were any foul play on the part of a cabin crew. From my own experience Alaska has always been one of the most LGBT friendly businesses - and I hope it stays this way despite random bashing from some of their gay punters.
Jul 31, 2018, 11:58 am
#44
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Detroit, MI
Programs: Delta, JetBlue, Marriott
Posts: 152
IMO, there was a seating error and the FA had to deal with it the best he/she could. No matter what the FA did, someone was going to be unhappy. I think the FA was in the worst spot out of everyone. Maybe the FA was rude, but from Mr. Cooley's comments, I'm betting he was no saint either.
