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BA offloads couple at Portuguese military base over business class row [LGW-KIN]

BA offloads couple at Portuguese military base over business class row [LGW-KIN]

Old Apr 27, 2017, 6:41 am
  #61  
V10
 
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Originally Posted by ScruttonStreet
BA needs to move to Defcon One very quickly on this issue.

I can't comment on the rights and wrongs of the particular situation, but with the United Airlines stories fresh in media minds this story could escalate into a huge deal very very quickly. I hope the BA press office or their PR Advisers are up to it.
Absolutely - whether BA is in the right or not, it's open season on the subject of airlines and their treatment of passengers right now.

They need to step in and fill this vacuum pretty damn quickly.
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 6:47 am
  #62  
 
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Originally Posted by V10
Absolutely - whether BA is in the right or not, it's open season on the subject of airlines and their treatment of passengers right now.

They need to step in and fill this vacuum pretty damn quickly.
or alternately they could just not feed the beast and let something else takeover the news cycle. Least said soonest mended.
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 6:47 am
  #63  
 
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It's quite interesting reading the comments in the Daily Mail - for once, people haven't resorted to mass hysteria, and are suggesting that the bloke shouldn't have tried to blag an upgrade, and that BA wouldn't have diverted unless absolutely necessary - they mostly seem to be pro-BA. I'm shocked by the level-headed responses!
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 6:56 am
  #64  
 
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DM now reporting BA have commented EXCLUSIVELY to them that the passenger self upgraded to CW and refused to move when asked. Also became abusive. BA claim he was 'helped Back to his seat'.

In my view, the comment by the passenger that he 'didn't have the energy to fight them' reveals a lot about his character.

7/4 Ms Stoney became involved because she was 'tired and emotional' 😃
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 6:57 am
  #65  
 
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Originally Posted by LOUDNOISES
DM now reporting BA have commented EXCLUSIVELY to them that the passenger self upgraded to CW and refused to move when asked. Also became abusive. BA claim he was 'helped Back to his seat'.

In my view, the comment by the passenger that he 'didn't have the energy to fight them' reveals a lot about his character.

7/4 Ms Stoney became involved because she was 'tired and emotional' 😃
"self-upgraded"

Thats a cracker. I'm going to do that! hahaha
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 6:57 am
  #66  
 
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Originally Posted by LOUDNOISES
DM now reporting BA have commented EXCLUSIVELY to them that the passenger self upgraded to CW and refused to move when asked. Also became abusive. BA claim he was 'helped Back to his seat'.

In my view, the comment by the passenger that he 'didn't have the energy to fight them' reveals a lot about his character.

7/4 Ms Stoney became involved because she was 'tired and emotional' 😃
Ok but the main question is why divert because of this? I mean surely the passenger was no threat, he was an old man!
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 7:07 am
  #67  
 
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Interestingly, the Police at the Island say that as far as we are concerned, the case is closed and we have made no arrests.
I wonder what will happen when they return to the UK? Will the UK police do anything?
Or will their only penalty be most likely a lifetime ban from flying BA?



Speaking of being stranded on the island, well at least FR flies out of that island so perhaps the 2 passengers can fly back with them = ) It would be funny if Ryanair capitalises on this and says 'kicked off BA? not to worry, come fly with us!'
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 7:11 am
  #68  
 
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Originally Posted by ahmetdouas
Ok but the main question is why divert because of this? I mean surely the passenger was no threat, he was an old man!
He's 65, which does not make him an old man.
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 7:11 am
  #69  
 
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Originally Posted by chazman189
Given their heavy bias against BA, I'm not surprised how they turn the narrative.

Unfortunately for BA, an worryingly large crowd reads DM and doesn't question their credibility for even a second. And reading through the comment section, I get the sense that DM readers generally don't have a clue what's going on.

Originally Posted by chazman189
Shows how poor the BA press office is that they haven't even given an off the record briefing to journalists about this.
If BA is sensible, they spend the last couple of hours evaluating the situation before making any incorrect statement.

Even the narrative of the DM isn't exactly putting the passenger in good light. "The cancer sufferer claims he wanted to move to first class to stretch his legs" still indicates IMO that the passenger wanted to self-upgrade and the CC didn't play ball.

I find the article of the DM rather contradicting. Either the passenger didn't wanted an upgrade and the crew would've told him to get back to Y, which would've been the end of it OR IMO more likely, the passenger walked into C, sat down on an empty seat and stayed there. After refusing to move, they moved him.

This would explain the following statement by BA (also in the article):

'We take great care to handle these difficult situations as sensitively as possible. Our cabin crew and one of our pilots repeatedly asked a customer to return to his booked seat in economy after he sat in our business class cabin without permission.

'He repeatedly refused, verbally abused crew members and disturbed other customers.

BTW: Anywhere care to explain why the DM thinks that LON-KIN is a 14H flight? Have they replaced the GE90s by PW150s?
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 7:24 am
  #70  
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Sounds like the truth is coming out ... eventually.

"Aggressive old Rastafarian self-upgrades and refuses to return to his seat."
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 7:28 am
  #71  
 
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Originally Posted by T8191
Sounds like the truth is coming out ... eventually.

"Aggressive old Rastafarian self-upgrades and refuses to return to his seat."
Or trying to reenact the recent UA business.

I seriously can't believe the cabin crew actions were anything other but proportionate to what was required.
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 7:29 am
  #72  
 
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Originally Posted by ahmetdouas
Ok but the main question is why divert because of this? I mean surely the passenger was no threat, he was an old man!
Dont say that to Uncle T.You will become the object of his displeasure.
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 7:30 am
  #73  
 
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IMHO it's reasonable for the crew to have done this. Given what the gentleman has said of his health the captain has made the right call to remove rather than restraining for the remainder of the flight. That he had to be restrained would be because of his behaviour. Big differences with the United case.
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 7:40 am
  #74  
 
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Originally Posted by T8191

"Aggressive old Rastafarian self-upgrades and refuses to return to his seat."
He took exception to the way crew asked him to 'get up, stand up' and decided to stir it up. Hence he is now waiting in vain at TER.
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Old Apr 27, 2017, 7:41 am
  #75  
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Originally Posted by rickg523
I'll bet it has something to do with alcohol. And maybe the mistaken notion, s​​​​​omewhat common among infrequent flyers, that once the doors close, you can sit in any empty seat. After all, it's empty, all the seats are going to the same place anyway and you're leaving an empty seat in exchange. So it must be allowed.
Good summary! I have actually heard people use these arguments before..they simply don't understand that the seats have different prices and different levels of service and it doesn't matter if they are empty and if the plane is going to the same place anyhow. Would these people hop a turnstile on the subway and rationalize it with "Well the subway train is going to the station anyhow so it shouldn't matter if I pay the fare or not"?
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