Return to Gate to Unload Passanger on Wrong Flight?
Jul 16, 2018, 11:40 am
#31
Join Date: Mar 2018
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Totally disagree.
Obviously the gate agent is the failsafe/gatekeeper of the flight. But you'd have to be pretty clueless and imperceptive to not notice. There's a chance the person presented a passport and somehow the GA missed the BP, that happens, it shouldn't but that's why the counts are done, so someone probably fudged their count or something too cuz it would have to match between the GA & FA.
But how do you NEVER read the signs at the gate, or hear an announcement, or notice someone else's BP, or catch a high amount of spanish being spoken at the gate, or board the plane and don't hear "welcome aboard flight _____ to SAL". There's gotta be 10 times before and after boarding where the passenger should've caught this, unless of course they didn't want to catch it.
Obviously the gate agent is the failsafe/gatekeeper of the flight. But you'd have to be pretty clueless and imperceptive to not notice. There's a chance the person presented a passport and somehow the GA missed the BP, that happens, it shouldn't but that's why the counts are done, so someone probably fudged their count or something too cuz it would have to match between the GA & FA.
But how do you NEVER read the signs at the gate, or hear an announcement, or notice someone else's BP, or catch a high amount of spanish being spoken at the gate, or board the plane and don't hear "welcome aboard flight _____ to SAL". There's gotta be 10 times before and after boarding where the passenger should've caught this, unless of course they didn't want to catch it.
LOL. You "totally disagree" that someone who's JOB it is to properly and safely load an aircraft with human cargo and follow mall federal and international laws should not be the party at fault here? Passengers should know where they're going, for sure. Maybe it was a language barrier. Maybe it was nerves. Or nerves coupled with a trip to the airport bar. Either way, it's the AIRLINE's responsibility to get people on and off that plane who belong on it.
Jul 16, 2018, 11:45 am
#32
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Totally disagree.
Obviously the gate agent is the failsafe/gatekeeper of the flight. But you'd have to be pretty clueless and imperceptive to not notice. There's a chance the person presented a passport and somehow the GA missed the BP, that happens, it shouldn't but that's why the counts are done, so someone probably fudged their count or something too cuz it would have to match between the GA & FA.
But how do you NEVER read the signs at the gate, or hear an announcement, or notice someone else's BP, or catch a high amount of spanish being spoken at the gate, or board the plane and don't hear "welcome aboard flight _____ to SAL". There's gotta be 10 times before and after boarding where the passenger should've caught this, unless of course they didn't want to catch it.
Obviously the gate agent is the failsafe/gatekeeper of the flight. But you'd have to be pretty clueless and imperceptive to not notice. There's a chance the person presented a passport and somehow the GA missed the BP, that happens, it shouldn't but that's why the counts are done, so someone probably fudged their count or something too cuz it would have to match between the GA & FA.
But how do you NEVER read the signs at the gate, or hear an announcement, or notice someone else's BP, or catch a high amount of spanish being spoken at the gate, or board the plane and don't hear "welcome aboard flight _____ to SAL". There's gotta be 10 times before and after boarding where the passenger should've caught this, unless of course they didn't want to catch it.
Do we know that the misdirected passenger was supposed to be going to someplace where Spanish isn't commonly spoken?
Jul 16, 2018, 12:19 pm
#33
Join Date: Mar 2010
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So the system worked in this case, with the Gate Reader blinking red but the process failed with the GA failing to stop the passenger? I wonder if GA would ever be replaced from manually overriding the GR in the future to prevent this from happening.
Jul 16, 2018, 1:46 pm
#34
Join Date: Mar 2018
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That's another strange element to this. If the GA manual entered the seat and the seat wasn't booked then why was it allowed to be entered? I guess they have the ability to do when clearly non-revs and standbys but I would think that would be a different part of the software and not in the ticket reader window.
Jul 16, 2018, 2:00 pm
#35
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 182
Our plane was finished boarding at Kona Airport when 3 ladies at the back discovered they were on the wrong plane. They were hurriedly taken to the correct plane and the flight attendants initially announced that this was a form of security breach and we would all need to deplane, go through security, and board the plane again. Fortunately, this was countermanded just a moment or two later. We were delayed about 30 minutes, but nothing like it would have been if we needed to unload, go through security and board again.
It was the situation where the boarding pass is scanned at the gate area and then the passenger is responsible for walking out across the tarmac to the correct plane. These ladies went left when they should have gone right........
It was the situation where the boarding pass is scanned at the gate area and then the passenger is responsible for walking out across the tarmac to the correct plane. These ladies went left when they should have gone right........
Jul 16, 2018, 3:17 pm
#36
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This seems to be exactly what happened, with the GA either ignoring the warning or forcing the system. My thoughts on contacting AA mostly relate to make sure situations like these are minimized, to make sure the GA is reprimanded, retrained, or at least made aware of what she caused. I'm assuming it's a big pain for the airline too and this probably happens automatically? I'm sure the FAs and Cockpit crew fill out all sorts of reports for this type of incident but I sent a note to AA to make sure. I'll post their reply (probably canned) to give this thread some closure.
Jul 16, 2018, 4:09 pm
#37
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Several months ago I was flying JFK-ZRH (when they still flew NS on this route). About T-3 a GA was on board trying to sort out seating issues; an announcement (by the Purser(?)) was made "we are near dep time, all ground personnel should leave the plane...immediately". The doors closed, we taxied out to the runway, only to return to the gate: THERE WAS A PAX COUNT issue--the GA was shooed out too soon; they concluded "all was now OK". We departed 1 HOUR late, probably connections were missed.
Jul 16, 2018, 5:44 pm
#38
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 163
Just yesterday, on both domestic flights GA came on and asked passenger X, Y, and on the second flight Z as well, if you are onboard please ring your call button. What? How did they either get on and not have the ticket scanned, or not get on and have the ticket scanned. In one case it was an RJ, so finding someone in the midst of about 35 wasn't too hard. The second was a 321S, so it took a while, on a departure already an hour late.
Jul 16, 2018, 5:57 pm
#39
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Just yesterday, on both domestic flights GA came on and asked passenger X, Y, and on the second flight Z as well, if you are onboard please ring your call button. What? How did they either get on and not have the ticket scanned, or not get on and have the ticket scanned. In one case it was an RJ, so finding someone in the midst of about 35 wasn't too hard. The second was a 321S, so it took a while, on a departure already an hour late.
Or maybe they were in the lav.
Jul 16, 2018, 7:00 pm
#40
Join Date: May 2015
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This happened to me on a flight from Cabo to O'Hare back in November. In that case, I was on the plane that the passenger in question was SUPPOSED to have boarded.
We were full speed on a clear runway to take off when the pilot slammed on the brakes and came over the PA saying that he didn't know why, but we immediately needed to return to the gate. It turns out the dope had gotten on the wrong plane—in Cabo, you board on the tarmac so it's easy enough to get on the wrong plane if you don't listen to direction. We couldn't leave the guy because he had checked bags on our plane. Man, when he boarded, he had a real walk of shame. Especially when another passenger told him that he owed us all drinks... LOL.
The real kicker is that, because of our fake taxi and take-off, we had to refuel after the false start which added another hour on the tarmac!
We were full speed on a clear runway to take off when the pilot slammed on the brakes and came over the PA saying that he didn't know why, but we immediately needed to return to the gate. It turns out the dope had gotten on the wrong plane—in Cabo, you board on the tarmac so it's easy enough to get on the wrong plane if you don't listen to direction. We couldn't leave the guy because he had checked bags on our plane. Man, when he boarded, he had a real walk of shame. Especially when another passenger told him that he owed us all drinks... LOL.
The real kicker is that, because of our fake taxi and take-off, we had to refuel after the false start which added another hour on the tarmac!
Jul 16, 2018, 7:07 pm
#41
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 163
I'm surprised more don't fail like this in CLT at the end of the E gates, A, B, and C all through the same door, half the time nobody outside to point to which of the 3 planes it is, especially when boarding 2 of them at the same time, and there isn't generally any signage out there. Had several pop their heads in ask is this to X, nope not this one, and they climb back down to try another plane.
Jul 17, 2018, 7:22 am
#42
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My wife is a native Spanish speaker (Peruvian), and she is unable to understand half of the employees at MIA. As she said to me, "Whatever it is that they're speaking, it's not Spanish."
Jul 17, 2018, 7:43 am
#43
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Reporting is good to do. I suspect the local management will try to keep errors quiet as it reflects upon them too. Getting this data further up the system may get someone to change something in their training process to be more conscious of what they are doing. And let's not forget the extra miles that might be thrown in response!
Jul 17, 2018, 7:45 am
#44
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Our plane was finished boarding at Kona Airport when 3 ladies at the back discovered they were on the wrong plane. They were hurriedly taken to the correct plane and the flight attendants initially announced that this was a form of security breach and we would all need to deplane, go through security, and board the plane again. Fortunately, this was countermanded just a moment or two later. We were delayed about 30 minutes, but nothing like it would have been if we needed to unload, go through security and board again.
It was the situation where the boarding pass is scanned at the gate area and then the passenger is responsible for walking out across the tarmac to the correct plane. These ladies went left when they should have gone right........
It was the situation where the boarding pass is scanned at the gate area and then the passenger is responsible for walking out across the tarmac to the correct plane. These ladies went left when they should have gone right........
Jul 17, 2018, 8:08 am
#45
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,,, or were the "innocent passengers" going to be a victim of nefarious acts? How much caution is too much? Today's "security theater" may very well thwart some issues, but far from thorough. As long as I make it to bed at night, I've done an excellent job getting through the day, waking the next morning is not in my control!