PUCCI GALORE

That was well put. I, too read the threads and have to admit that there appears to be a trend. I do not doubt that I too am one of the above villains and you can see how much I care. Does being on the internet mean that we have to suspend any common sense?

I think that we have a first in one measure - this maybe the first time since I have been here that anyone has taken legal advice as to whether to post anything or not - including Celebrity names. Indeed, have there not been Celebrity on BA threads. How did anyone know when posting their experiences that the celebrity should not have been there and could have ended up in the divorce courts. I have had that very situation - more than once we had people who went to extraordinary lengths to avoid being recognised so that no one would know where they had gone. Again, correct me if I am wrong, but for what could anyone be sued - assuming that the perpetrator could be identified. Slander given that this was relayed by word of mouth by the OP's Dad, or libel since it would be here in writing. Since I would be surprised it the "celebrity" knew (or from his reported manner, cared) about the identity of the person in question. I would have considered the risk extremely low. Anyway, I am not a barrister so I do not know except that which common sense indicates

Since we have now settled the question of the the role of the Cabin Crew, I agree the we all love a mystery and I think for me the mystery is why the OP's Dad gave his consent to move since he was not turfed out.

snaxmuppet

Having read all the posts (yes, really!) I cannot see any evidence that the crew did anything wrong. If the OPs father agreed to move what are the crew to do? Force him to stay put?

It is a shameful and sad event but not on the part of the BA crew. Instead it is the so-called "celeb" who is to blame here. It was despicable and rude IMO and, whilst I respect the OP for being cautious for legal reasons, he should be named and shamed in the biggest possible way. If there is no legal reasons not to then the papers and, perhaps, TV might be interested.

I can understand an 81 year old and inexperienced flyer giving way to such pressure from the celeb. I wish I were there... but then again, I might have been thrown off!

Worcester

Bullswood

Sure, and some of the reaction has been unsympathetic, but it's a serious matter if BA crew acted as described, and given that the OP has put it out there for comment, the caution of FT members as opposed perhaps to some DM readers isn't necessarily bad. We all agree it sounds awful, but what's the mileage in stating the obvious a hundred times? It is a discussion forum, after all. Asking who, when and where is surely a fairly obvious next question for a relatively intelligent bunch of readers. If those questions can't be answered, for valid reasons or not, then discussion will tend to fizzle out.

mikem004

People are missing an important point.
Only cabin crew should instigate a seat move. A fellow passenger should never instigate a seat move directly.
Any other way and there is anarchy on board. Can you imagine the chaos if several people in Economy class started to do this before take off?

The BA cabin crew were weak in this regard.

muscat

SKT-DK

There are multiple factors in play here, and I can fully understand why @Killian_S would be discouraged by posting on here given the speculation that occurs.
First of all, the indecent person who tried to bully someone out of a seat deserves to be publicly shamed! That is no way to behave, and while many would have told him to sod off, I can understand that the OP's father as an elderly gentleman, would not want to cause a scene beyond having already questioned why he should have to move.

While the crew did not do anything directly wrong, I feel the crew indirectly contributed to the situation by letting this bully continue his guilt trip on the OP's father. They could perhaps have told the so-called wannabe-celeb to step away while they would speak to the OP's father. The purpose would be to remove any pressure and to assure him that he has no obligation to move. That clearly did not happen, so I can see why the OP is questioning BA here. Regardless, nobody should be forced (or pressured!) to move out of their assigned seat, be that F, J or Y.

V10

I suppose a legitimate concern might be that if the individual concerned is prepared to bully someone as they did on the aircraft, they would quite possibly adopt a similar approach to anybody attempting to involve them in negative publicity.

bluemoon68

Can I help you

ginger50

It is the "bad manners" threads that stir the bile on this forum and I confess that my bile was well and truly stirred by this DYKWIA. Like many of the readers here I too have been dreaming up "what I would have said had it happened to me". Maybe we should start a wiki where we can list witty responses to oiks like this. It could be categorised according to the type of bad behaviour:

Queue jumping at check in
Queue jumping at boarding
Bare feet
Child out of control
ET class baggage dumpers
Loud phone caller
Self up-graders
Somebody sitting in your seat

And of course my own bete noir.... People who treat the staff like skivvies

I am thinking of spending a fortune booking 1A in F to see if I can catch up with this nasty piece of work. Hang on a mo, is this some dastardly ploy by BA to fill the F cabin?

HIDDY

Also worth noting that not every F passenger sees a seat in row 1 as being any better than a seat in row 5 anyway....I certainly don't. Was the old bloke really all that bothered about moving? I'm not so sure he was.

nrr

If pax in originally seated in 1A were from outside UK, he probably would have never heard of this "famous" DYKWIA person. It's nice to make suggestions after the fact, but many/most "give in" when pressured by a FA--especially an 81 year old.

Truthmonkey

I assumed it might be Peter Mandelson, having read a very similar story on FT a while back.

I don't yet have enough posts under my belt to post a link but this might help someone identify it - 26992311-post34

NWIFlyer

If my father, who is of the same generation as the OP's, were faced with this and travelling alone I'm not sure what he would have done - but I can see it might have gone the same way as the OP described. I don't therefore see anything unbelievable about this.

I, tending more towards the obstreperous end of the spectrum and not being phased by too much, would politely have stood my ground and told anyone trying to take my seat - A, B, Z list celebrity or just Joe Public - just why I wasn't prepared to give up row 1.

If I was travelling on TG and a member of the Thai Royal Family had requisitioned the seat, my attitude might be a little more subservient though!