RoadWarrior200

I read a few days ago about the AA flight from CLT to NAS where there were mechanical delays, a switch of aircraft and eventually students on a group trip became so out of control the flight was further delayed and the students were kept overnight at the airport. Not knowing more, the teens’ behavior was totally inappropriate, especially re their subsequent mask protest (although was it masks, that they may already have been wearing for hours on end, or AA they were protesting?), but let me compare how a once-great American Airlines handled a similar situation years ago. For over 20 years, I flew several times a month between DC and the West Coast. On the standard 5:30 or thereabouts departure from IAD, we regular flyers were alarmed to find 100 high school students noisily waiting to board. The gate agent unexpectedly announced they would be boarding the students a half hour before everyone else. When the rest of us were boarded, we found that the students had all been seated, already served a snack and beverage (they later got a full meal and then another snack) and were watching the first of three movies that were going to be shown to them. We later learned, several teachers and volunteer students also were working with the flight crew to see if anything was needed throughout the flight. We complimented the flight crew for such great forethought and the handling of what otherwise could have been a flight from hell. Ah, but that took an airline, cabin crew and management that was paying attention to these sorts of details and then exceeded all expectations in response.

BlooJoo

OK...

Catbert10

These days, most flights are in the air or barely on the ground 30m before boarding starts, let alone cleaned and ready to receive passengers

Herb687

Objection. Hearsay.

garykung

Overrule. 803.

DutchessPDX

What's worse is the tour organizer has come out defending these bratty kids.

https://liveandletsfly.com/american-...enagers-delay/

BS, if you're traveling as a group then you get booted as a group. It was reported that 75-80% of the teens were being disruptive. That's not "a small subset". Their behavior wasn't fare to the rest of the people flying. Now they're demanding compensation? Screw that, I say they're lucky they didn't get charged for the costs associated with the canceled flight.

ISTFlyer

This is simply ridiculous. The DYKIA style action from the tour agency wouldn't be penalized as most likely they would probably find more customers for AA in the future.
However, I would also want to celebrate the parents of the teens onboard as they are allowing their minor kids to go to Bahamas even when these kids can't control themselves.

They should be sued under Federal Law and the US Federal Courts should fine these kids for violating the Federal Law.

Lomapaseo

If the flight was cancelled you need to define a law that was violated or a safety system that was breached.

I would have been PO if I was traveling a a teen and considered as part of a group I didn't even know.

I think the airline's do-not-fly-list is a better way of dealing with it by leaving the FAA out of it

ISTFlyer

Who would ever go to a graduation party with people who don't know.
I am wondering if this is a tour agency organizing a package tour specifically for any high-school student that pays or if this is a group that were already friends and all of them graduating from the same high school.

Barrheadlass

It was a group from Winthrop, MA, and you should be able to find the Boston Globe article on line.

LondonElite

Interesting story

ISTFlyer

Just read the Boston Globe article which gives a more clear insight about the situation.
Although there is too much to talk, to not go OMNI, I would only say one sentence:

AA has clear fault here; this is clear unfairness to all those people who were listed on the non-fly list due to mask compliance issues in previous occasions.
Kids of rich parents shouldn't be exempted in this case for no reason.

Pickles

I wouldn't say coming from Winthrop you're "rich", more likely "unruly" and "poorly educated." It's more Gone Baby Gone than Reversal of Fortune. Of course you can be unruly and poorly educated while rich.

FoothillFlyer

I hate that you made me drag out my FRCP!