While media attention seems to be gaining some momentum since the incident first occured the other day (where Katie Couric, after pushback on a recent DL flight, asked the FA's to give her cockpit access to talk to the pilots so she could convince them to return the plane to the gate so they could get her producer who was running late), it got me thinking: has anyone ever seen such an act on a CO flight let alone get away with it?

The new CBS hostess was able to convince the Delta pilot that he should return to the gate....much to the anger of other passengers on-board the flight. (You can see the whole rant in the DL forums.)

But with CO, even if I were an Infinite Platinum Elite sitting on Larry Kellner's lap, I doubt I could attract the attention of a FA and get access to the cockpit post-pushback --and be successful in getting the pilot to return to the gate (without being arrested, of course.)

I could see if there was a security threat, the pilot would return to the gate (with of course never opening the cockpit door to a passenger requesting such.) And in a medical emergency, where someone's life is in danger, I suppose a flight would return to the gate.

But to get access to the cockpit post-pushback and have the pilots return to the gate to pick up my slow co-worker seems outlandish if not illegal.

DL said they didn't do anything special for their VIP passenger, saying that the flight crew needs to make judgement calls about these things from time to time.

But in the hundreds of thousands of miles flown on CO, I've never seen a situation where a passenger requested and got access to the cockpit so the plane could go back to the gate for a late passenger. Have you?

Out of curiosity...was it really pulled away from the gate? I read an article, and it sounded like they were about to get into motion, but were still at the gate. Still very presumptious either way.

On Sat, during the safety video briefing at EWR, we were still at the gate, but the jetway had pulled away. It quickly returned...and the GA knocked on the door. FA asked the captain if it was okay to open, and he let her.

They were letting an elderly woman who was disoriented board the flight. Not a Couric, but the most bold boarding I've seen. We arrived a half hour early, although I missed my shuttle to the train by about 90 seconds and ponied $20 for cab fare.

hopefully they had already given away his F seat...

In the 80's, just after People Express was folded into CO, security and boarding at EWR was very casual. I was flush with VDB RT vouchers, all hand scrawled on the forms of the day, and was basically wasting one to get to Boston in a hurry for the afternoon. CO pointed to the corner where a plane was boarding, I boarded (very late) without anything being written on my voucher. Turns out there were two gates in that corner. If there was a hint before taxiing that this plane was instead heading for Denver, I missed it.

I did catch on before takeoff, figuring "Oh #%@%, there goes the day and a voucher" (not to mention my plans in Boston). However, they actually returned to the gate to let me off! Made the next flight to Boston, day not in ruins.

I have never done it; I have flown with people that I would gladly leave at the gate.

AA did it for Uchenna and Joyce in SJU (I think?)... they eventually won the Amazing Race .

I have to admit, I had pulled a half-Couric on a CO flight in 2002. No, no one saw me from the inside out but I did deplane in a hurry!

On a trip from AUS to ISP (Yes, I know), I had a layover in CLE. In the PC, I was listening to my iPod and, in a rush to get to the gate by going over the river and through the woods and under those heavy metal ornaments in the tunnel to my gate in the other terminal, I didn't realize that I left my iPod charging next to my empty wine glass.

The plane I boarded was boarded from the tarmac instead of a jetway. As I prepared to get all my stuff together and right as they closed the door, I realized that my iPod was missing from an open zipper in my backpack. Somewhat imbibed, and genuinely frantic, I kept saying, "I have to get off the plane! My iPod was stolen!" And, the flight attendant--so kind, she was--arranged for me to deplane without a hassle. The other passengers, immediately following 9-11, were also axious for me to deplane! I went to the PC, just to make sure that the iPod wasn't lifted, and there it was! They rebooked me on another flight to LGA instead, and I was free to go!

What I noticed a few days later is that I had mileage from the boarded, but uncompleted, CLE-ISP flight AND the CLE-LGA! And, since the CLE-LGA was a Y-fare, I did have 150% miles.

And that, my friends, is how I became Silver for the very first time.

Very touching story ^

Oh, and I should also tell you about the time I deplaned in SAT during a thunderstorm, just so that I could make a stopover in AUS for some Salt Lick BBQ... Oh, another time...!

I have not forced a gate return, but I have smacked the heck out of the entry door until they re-opened it after trying to push back early. It was a late connection due to WX, though it was on another airline.

So they let you down the jetway to an airplane with a closed door and let you smack on it until they felt bad and finally opened it?

Yes, that is correct. The GA had no clue that they had shut the door early.

On CO with mainline jets, doesn't the GA working the jetway actually open/close the door ...and the flight attendants merely open/close it all the way and stow the door to the side (or secure it for flight)?

I would be surprised to see a plane door shut at the end of a jetway without a GA knowing it was closed. I supposed if I went down the jetway and saw the plane door shut, I'd bang on the door to so they could let me in

Over here (AA and Eagle) the GA has to hand paperwork to the FA or we have to hand the paperwork to the GA. The door would not be closed without a gate agent knowing

LOL, I forgot about that, so it actually does happen. I remember being impressed that AA would do that for passengers! Note to self: bring a camera crew to the airport!