Global_Hi_Flyer

OTOH, sometimes a change in seat assignment works out for the best. At HNL a couple of weeks ago I was paged to the GA, who asked if I was traveling alone and would accept a seat swap to the same seat 3 rows ahead. He was trying to seat a family together. Since it was the J cabin, I accepted.

Best decision I could have made. Across the aisle from the old seat was an infant, who did put up some noise during the flight and left a ring of Cheerios 5 feet around their seat....

sethb

There are too many instances of "authorities" exceeding their lawful authority. They need to be challenged, not yielded to.

Companies (I have no personal experience with DL in this regard) will often lie in response to complaints. Having the photo provides evidence, especially if the company claims that the complainer had that seat.

DL should (by law) have a list of all passengers on the flight, so the photo allows identifying the one who got OP's seat.

What law prohibits photo-taking in "secure environments"? Even the TSA has been forced to admit that taking photographs at Security Theater is legal, despite their signs saying not to.

GeorgeBurdell

While its true that you can take pictures in an airport, what you do with them is the key.

I'm not an attorney, but I did work in the broadcast media for 13 years and the cabin of an airliner doesn't meet the critieria of a public place. As a paying passenger, I do have an expectation of privacy. If I suspect someone is taking my picture, I may confront them. You can't always disguise using a cell phone camera considering you're going to have to point it at me to get a picture.

And if someone's intent was to use those pictures to depict me as part of some act of taking someone's seat and they publish them, that's slander.

Besides, I'm not sure what taking a picture of the person in the seat somone thought they'd have would accomplish, except for sparking a confrontation which might lead to them getting thrown off the plane for some violation of FAA or TSA regs.

I don't understand why the OP hung around until the end to get on. Although the GAs probably didn't do the right thing here, consider that the end of that line may have been all the stand-by pax and they thought they had everybody boarded who was going to show up. They don't always make gate calls if you haven't boarded. I had a friend waiting for a flight out of LGA one morning get only one call, a "final call" for his name and he'd been in the gate area waiting to get his BP. He was there because somebody at DL loaded his flight home to be 5:30AM instead of 5:30PM that day. But that's another story.

I'm not going to push the T-15 cutoff if I can help it. Things happen.

sethb

If I can see you and you should know it, you have no expectation of privacy against me. Consider the times an airline has objected to, say, what a passenger's t-shirt said, because it claimed other passengers would find it objectionable. Clearly, there was no expectation of privacy.

If I'm talking on a cellphone held to my left ear while boarding, at some point it points at each seat on my left side.

Finally, truth is an absolute defense against slander. "I was originally given a boarding pass with seat 3C. When I went to board, the GA took it and gave me one in coach. Here is a picture of the person sitting in 3C as I boarded. Here is a photo of the GA. If you know why that GA would downgrade me, presumably for that passenger's benefit, please let me know."

Crazyhotelguy

until 4A asked 3C to swap so that he could sit with his s/o that he did not plan ahead enough to sit with, and whom is now having a hissy because they are separated..... Now you have a pic of a completely innocent person...

N965VJ

There are no FARs regarding photography, and I doubt DL has an OpSpec for it since their C of C does not contain the word "photography". There are no TSA rules about photography, other than a prohibition of taking a photo of the x-ray machine screen at the checkpoint.

spc354

Is it OK per Delta rules (or any other airlines' rules) for a customer facing employee (a rep whether at counter, gate or on-board to intentionally reverse their badges and hide their identity.

I prefer that a DL employee/representative provide an authoritative answer rather than more heresay / speculation.

Cheers.

sethb

That's why I worded it the way I did.

weezl

I agree, this is an important question. More important is whether or not this rule is enforced. I see it not followed properly all the time, everywhere, even in high secrity areas. People are afraid of showing their mug and some are afraid of being identified in case they are not doing their job correctly. In an airline employee's case, although I do not completely agree, I could see that the purpose of the ID for a GA is really to verify ID among airline and airport staff, not really to give pax a chance to ID them. From a customer service standpoint though, it would be nice if they were held more accountable, especially in instances of irregular ops.

FYI, I am told that my flight in question was too long ago for a DL employee to get info on what happened to me. So I will assume that the story is unfinished/over now.

If I ever have to fly DL again, I will be forced to board with my zone. And if someone messes with me, I will discreetly "talk" on my phone, while "accidentally" pressing the camera button. I will not expect restitution for being messed with. I will expect minimal interaction with CS after the flight. I will expect a maximum of $100 for my troubles regardless of the magnitude of the offense, and I will just take a pill to forget it all once it has passed. I thank you, Delta for reinforcing my impression of you.

By the way mods, looks like at least the discussion of photgraphy at the airport and on board should have a separate thread from this one. I started this to get advice on what to do about my seat being given up, but it has wandered off a bit.

reamworks

I'd just be happy if United didn't screw up in first place so they didn't have to hand out consolation prizes.

reamworks

Unless you witnessed the FA giving that seat away, you really can't comment on who is in that seat. The only information you can give is that someone was in it.

I didn't see a comment on it here: Were you at the gate / checked-in within the window that Delta specifies before they give seats away? Are you certain they didn't call your name before giving away the seat? If you weren't you should drop it.

If you were, then you should send a detailed letter, but be sure to stick to all the facts that you personally witnessed, and no speculation about anything else.

weezl

See post 147:
I was in line, not running to the gate at the last minute. There was no announcement or mention by the GA like "we paged you"

jimrpa

Thanks for stating all those points much more clearly and succintly than I could!

TravellingMan

I have asked the question to many an airline customer service center - "Are your employees so ashamed to be employed by you that they hide their ID cards". It seems to trigger something only on Continental Airlines. I guess the email gets sent to the station representative who takes corrective action.

The most paranoid ones are the INS/CBP officials. I dont see why they need to wear their ID if they do not plan on showing it. Anyways there is a name badge they wear so one can note the name of the officer they dealt with.

tvnwz

A commercial airplane is not a public place. an airport may/may not be a public place depending on where you are.