Baby Stroller Incident on AA591 SFO>DFW April 21st
Apr 24, 2017, 12:55 pm
#541
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OK, dumb question. My kids are 10 and 13, and from what I can tell stroller technology has way high-tech in the past 7-8 years. People spend more now on 1 stroller than we did on all strollers and carseats combined.
My question is: what kind of stroller was this? Going back 8 years, there were two kinds: (1) a little umbrella-looking thing that folded down to the point where it fit in one hand. We always carried this kind onboard aircraft and stowed it in the overhead bin. (2) a larger contraption that folded flat, but was still a large bulky square thing that *always* was gate-checked.
There was no ambiguity about either kind: one was little and carried on easily. You could even slide it into the overhead bin on an RJ. The other would not fit in any overhead bin of any aircraft. Even folded, it was heavy and bulky and required two hands to lift.
There was no need for histrionics about either type: when we had the big stroller, it was always brought back up to the jetbridge as we deplaned. No biggie.
So I'm confused about the underlying issue, and I realize it may be my own ignorance about modern stroller technology. (Is there some middle-sized contraption now that can only fit in *some* overhead bins?)
My question is: what kind of stroller was this? Going back 8 years, there were two kinds: (1) a little umbrella-looking thing that folded down to the point where it fit in one hand. We always carried this kind onboard aircraft and stowed it in the overhead bin. (2) a larger contraption that folded flat, but was still a large bulky square thing that *always* was gate-checked.
There was no ambiguity about either kind: one was little and carried on easily. You could even slide it into the overhead bin on an RJ. The other would not fit in any overhead bin of any aircraft. Even folded, it was heavy and bulky and required two hands to lift.
There was no need for histrionics about either type: when we had the big stroller, it was always brought back up to the jetbridge as we deplaned. No biggie.
So I'm confused about the underlying issue, and I realize it may be my own ignorance about modern stroller technology. (Is there some middle-sized contraption now that can only fit in *some* overhead bins?)
Some airlines at least sometimes refuse to allow for strollers to be gate-delivered on arrival even as other airlines (sometimes even at the same airport or even for the same airport pairs) will do the arrival gate delivery of the stroller)
. This can make transits awful at some airports; and this is more of a problem when flying European carriers than when flying US carriers. Gate delivery of strollers is one of the areas in which US carriers are much better than say European carriers. For example, BA often refuses to gate-check for gate-delivery strollers at ORD even as AA and UA at ORD accept the very same strollers to gate-check-for-gate-delivery. Not a month goes by where I don't see this happen at ORD.
.... and being at LHR or even at DFW without a gate-delivered stroller on the transit (or for arrival) can be a major pain.
Last edited by GUWonder; Apr 24, 2017 at 1:07 pm
Apr 24, 2017, 12:57 pm
#542
Join Date: Aug 2012
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Unbelievable.
If I had been on this flight, I would have vdb'ed. Drama queen wailing woman, unstable FA, and Vigilante John Wayne wannabe pax.
AA should blacklist all 3 of of them for the sanity of all their customers & employees.
If I had been on this flight, I would have vdb'ed. Drama queen wailing woman, unstable FA, and Vigilante John Wayne wannabe pax.
AA should blacklist all 3 of of them for the sanity of all their customers & employees.
Apr 24, 2017, 1:03 pm
#543
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For the earlier flight where she brought it onboard, was it stowed in the front cabinet? I'm still wondering how she pulled that off if it was a larger stroller.
I still don't get her fear of gate-checking it. We did this often with larger strollers and they always came right back to the jetbridge when we landed. I've never heard stories about strollers disappearing during this process. Airlines sometimes lose bags, but they don't seem to lose things when you're handing the item over *at* the airplane.
Not that this justifies the actions of the FA on the video. It sounds like a situation where nobody was thinking logically.
I still don't get her fear of gate-checking it. We did this often with larger strollers and they always came right back to the jetbridge when we landed. I've never heard stories about strollers disappearing during this process. Airlines sometimes lose bags, but they don't seem to lose things when you're handing the item over *at* the airplane.
Not that this justifies the actions of the FA on the video. It sounds like a situation where nobody was thinking logically.
Apr 24, 2017, 1:05 pm
#544
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Understand. A general rule that all strollers must be deposited either upon check in or at the aircraft door and they are then sent down to the cargo section of the aircraft would appear to be more logical. No strollers in the cabin.
A lady with 2 babies...surely some common sense would kick in and for someone to assist her with the pram/stroller being packed up and passed to the ground crew who are handling loading of bags so the passenger can enter the aircraft with 2 babies.
Don't quite know how this escalated or why it escalated but...given the history of how arrogant american FA's are and the serious attitude problems with staff of airliners in America, I am not surprised.
A lady with 2 babies...surely some common sense would kick in and for someone to assist her with the pram/stroller being packed up and passed to the ground crew who are handling loading of bags so the passenger can enter the aircraft with 2 babies.
Don't quite know how this escalated or why it escalated but...given the history of how arrogant american FA's are and the serious attitude problems with staff of airliners in America, I am not surprised.
Apr 24, 2017, 2:00 pm
#545
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A Hero - Second Row Guy
Apr 24, 2017, 2:01 pm
#546
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I'm sure about that. And I'm sure that every woman with twins making an issue about strollers at the gate or on the plane isn't the same woman as this one. So AA will have to hunt for records based on the passenger's names or other PNR stored items to find her AA travel history beyond that for just this flight.
Given the age of her children and the hassles and expenses of traveling alone with two kids of such age, I doubt that she has had that many incidents over strollers.
Given the age of her children and the hassles and expenses of traveling alone with two kids of such age, I doubt that she has had that many incidents over strollers.
I doubt that there were many blonde Argentine women travelling with twin babies who have put up hissy fits over gate checking double strollers while boarding American Airlines flights in the past few weeks.
Apr 24, 2017, 2:34 pm
#547
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I can't think of a reason why AA can't term/transfer FA to a non public position and refuse service for the catawailing woman & John Wayne from all future flights.
Seriously, anyone here want to be on a flight with any of these people? Need to stop accepting & making excuses for uncivilized behavior and rewarding people simply because they whine and throw hissy fits.
Seriously, anyone here want to be on a flight with any of these people? Need to stop accepting & making excuses for uncivilized behavior and rewarding people simply because they whine and throw hissy fits.
Apr 24, 2017, 2:41 pm
#548
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I can't think of a reason why AA can't term/transfer FA to a non public position and refuse service for the catawailing woman & John Wayne from all future flights.
Seriously, anyone here want to be on a flight with any of these people? Need to stop accepting & making excuses for uncivilized behavior and rewarding people simply because they whine and throw hissy fits.
Seriously, anyone here want to be on a flight with any of these people? Need to stop accepting & making excuses for uncivilized behavior and rewarding people simply because they whine and throw hissy fits.
Apr 24, 2017, 2:47 pm
#549
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I can't think of a reason why AA can't term/transfer FA to a non public position and refuse service for the catawailing woman & John Wayne from all future flights.
Seriously, anyone here want to be on a flight with any of these people? Need to stop accepting & making excuses for uncivilized behavior and rewarding people simply because they whine and throw hissy fits.
Seriously, anyone here want to be on a flight with any of these people? Need to stop accepting & making excuses for uncivilized behavior and rewarding people simply because they whine and throw hissy fits.
Apr 24, 2017, 3:16 pm
#551
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Incident aside, I'm happy to come back to FlyerTalk to see a somewhat reasonable discussion.
Apr 24, 2017, 4:03 pm
#552
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The post that I quoted, mentioned one prior incident. A passenger's travel history is easily searchable, especially if it was on the same ticket/PNR.
I doubt that there were many blonde Argentine women travelling with twin babies who have put up hissy fits over gate checking double strollers while boarding American Airlines flights in the past few weeks.
I doubt that there were many blonde Argentine women travelling with twin babies who have put up hissy fits over gate checking double strollers while boarding American Airlines flights in the past few weeks.
Given Easter/Passover this year, this has been a rather popular time for Argentines to travel with young kids to go home or away.
Unless the "acquaintance" of the AA FA friend has verified the names of this female passenger with twins as having been on the flight that "friend's acquaintance" FA worked, I don't know what to make of the claim that she gave AA FAs grief before. While it wouldn't surprise me if she had, it also wouldn't surprise me if the story from the "acquaintance" of the AA FA friend is not entirely accurate.
Apr 24, 2017, 4:29 pm
#553
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Sigh. Misses the point entirely.
I posit that there is ample evidence that more legroom and extra staff would reduce overall stress levels for all the humans involved - passengers and FAs - and therefore would result in fewer incidents of these types.
It's my opinion; but all you have to do is go back to the 90s when there WAS a better FA to pax ratio - and more bathrooms - and better seat pitch - and wider seats on widebodies - and fewer of these types of incidents. Correlation to be sure, but I think there's definitely some cause-and-effect here.
If you don't like my ideas on what should be done...what are yours?
I posit that there is ample evidence that more legroom and extra staff would reduce overall stress levels for all the humans involved - passengers and FAs - and therefore would result in fewer incidents of these types.
It's my opinion; but all you have to do is go back to the 90s when there WAS a better FA to pax ratio - and more bathrooms - and better seat pitch - and wider seats on widebodies - and fewer of these types of incidents. Correlation to be sure, but I think there's definitely some cause-and-effect here.
If you don't like my ideas on what should be done...what are yours?
My ideas? I don't find things so bad at the moment that I feel the need for any dramatic changes. I pay for extra legspace, whether it's F, J or Y+ and while I could certainly imagine an improved experience, I'm not suffering from the delusion that governmental intervention is what is needed here.
Apr 24, 2017, 4:38 pm
#554
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Here's another message from the closed AA flight attendants Facebook group that was sent to me by my friend, I happen to know the author of this post.
When I checked in for my flight yesterday in SFO, I heard a conversation between the MOD and a flight attendant about the situation. The crew was USAir. The flight attendant was trying to take the stroller away from the passenger and they got into a tug-of-war. Then, the flight attendant let go of the stroller and the passenger was hit by the stroller. The incident was definitely handled very poorly, but the passenger is also at fault.
Apr 24, 2017, 4:48 pm
#555
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Here's another message from the closed AA flight attendants Facebook group that was sent to me by my friend, I happen to know the author of this post.
When I checked in for my flight yesterday in SFO, I heard a conversation between the MOD and a flight attendant about the situation. The crew was USAir. The flight attendant was trying to take the stroller away from the passenger and they got into a tug-of-war. Then, the flight attendant let go of the stroller and the passenger was hit by the stroller. The incident was definitely handled very poorly, but the passenger is also at fault.
Demetrio said that the woman contacted him, and he also confirmed to the “Today Show” that neither the woman nor her baby were actually hit by the stroller."