mrow

I agree with you on the sympathy piece. I very much doubt it was a case of take a seat in CW and be immediately dragged back to WT without warning from the crew.

However, let's be realistic. A captain with an axe was unable to break into a locked flight deck on a Germanwings A320 series, so I very much doubt that this passenger could have done anything 'dramatic' that would have disrupted the flight deck.

That said, I wouldn't want to spend multiple hours in a cabin with an agitated and/or hostile passenger and would much rather see the back of them as quickly as possible!

Jagboi

I gather from this, that the Captain has sole authority to divert if he decided it is necessary? Would he talk it over with London before doing so and have an agreed course of action, or is it reporting the incident after the fact as a post flight report?

T8191

At 72, I can play "frail and helpless" any time I choose. Add a couple of 'notional' medical conditions (which can't be proven in flight) and I should be able to fly in F or J any time I choose. Hey, I will just buy Y tickets from here onwards, and then move forward and occupy a comfy seat.

Is there a possible flaw in my plan?

Forever in Seattle

You will only get the TP's for the cabin you booked.

T8191

mrow ... my experience on AA is that they really hate pax gathering near the cockpit door, and the front Galley, and actually shoo us away. It may be cabin arrangements, of course, where the FD people have to use the communal toilets ... I have no idea how the crew bogs are arranged on a BA 777

I am aware that there are crew bunks on the AA A330s opposite the pax loo in J. Could one capture a relief pilot? You can understand why they get a bit sensitive about disruption at the sharp end.

T8191

Damn! Forgot that!

When I Travel The World

A lot of tough arguments here in this thread.

But surely, illness or no illness, you are allowed to sit in the seat you have paid for. That's how it works.

If he was so very ill, why did he not pay for business class...probably be he did not want to and wanted the free upgrade.

chucko

I think the flight crew loos on the 777 are en suite.

Calum

there's a video on the dailymail now.

The_Bouncer

Seems like there might be a sense of entitlement at work here.

JK90025

The guy sounds like he was being a royal pain in the a$$ and disruptive. Unruly passengers are a scourge these days. Not just on the aircraft but from the parking lot to 35,000ft, and everything in between, they are just annoying

firstlight

From personal experience of flying in CW from visiting the lovely island the Jamaican flight is a bit of a difficult one:

First of all the number of people who need assistance preboarding comes to about 1/2 the Y cabin by the time assorted relatives are also preboarded.

There are a lot of 'characters' who get on, and traditionally the flight back to the UK gets a lot of police / customs interest.

Secondly the CSD has a lot of work to do, they often are summoned down from J to deal with some problem or other. BA fly old 777's which often have IFE issues.

It is a long flight but 10 hours does it not 14. I can imagine the crew were very considerate of anyone who is infirm but it does sound like the gentleman was causing a substantial issue.

PJSMITH0

If he wanted to sit in CW he should of paid for a ticket. No sympathy and well done to the crew. Hope his legs don't swell up after an hour on the FR flight back as he's going to be very disappointed trying to self upgraded

T8191

firstlight ... agree completely on the pax load, How many miraculously become fully mobile at KIN deserves a survey

It's not a route we actually enjoy in J, TBH ... just a means to an end and glad when it's over. The impact of the W and Y pax cannot be understated.

Africanflyer1955

I hear United have offered him and his copmpanion a free ride back to London but it is quite a long routing.