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“Do You Know Who I Am?”: The Definitive Thread of DYKWIA Stories

“Do You Know Who I Am?”: The Definitive Thread of DYKWIA Stories

Old Aug 29, 2017, 10:15 pm
  #8416  
 
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Delta Studio has the answer

diburning is offline  
Old Aug 30, 2017, 12:42 am
  #8417  
 
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“Straight Outta Compton" actor Jason Mitchell threw a fit on a recent Delta flight after learning he wouldn’t be flying first class.
<snip>
“I paid my money, I’m supposed to be right here,” the 30-year-old actor can be seen telling a first-class flyer. “I got s--- to do tomorrow, you don’t understand.”
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2017/0...ta-flight.html

I've never heard of him, so it probably counts as a "DYKWIA", even though I didn't witness it.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 7:03 am
  #8418  
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Originally Posted by DavidinDCA
Long but hilarious rant, (source)

Tl;dr AA Gold Pax freaks out that AA didn't bend over backwards for him, goes on Reddit and claims they had him escorted out of the airport by police.

Full text:
I was scheduled on AA Flight 5361 from Chattanooga, TN to Charlotte, NC on Monday, August 21. The flight was delayed several times due to a maintenance issue, about an hour at a time, ultimately getting canceled a little over 4 hours after scheduled departure. I called the AAdvantage reservations line and was rebooked on the next available flight, a full two days later, and was told I would need to speak to the person at the gate to get a voucher for hotel accommodations until then. I stood in line at the gate, spoke to the gentleman and was told that there were no hotels in the area available due to the solar eclipse earlier that day having drawn in a great number of people. I was sent to stand in another line at the ticket counter to speak with a manager who had “hopefully figured something out”.
After patiently waiting my turn, I was informed there were no hotels available, but even if there were, American Airlines had entered the reason for the delays as “maintenance”, but the cancellation was due to “Air Traffic Control congestion”. As such, American Airlines was under no obligation to offer hotel accommodations, and would not be making any exceptions. This was news to me, and most of the my fellow passengers on this flight who were awaiting our hotel vouchers. As it turns out, the lack of hotels was a lie - there were plenty of hotels, as they started giving them to the passengers on the later canceled flight to Charlotte, which was entered as a cancellation due to maintenance. All that was offered to passengers on our flight was an insincere “sorry for any inconvenience.”
I stayed calm, but forceful in my response of “your answers are unacceptable” with the agent at the ticket counter. I asked how it went from maintenance to ATC issues, and was told to wait a moment. At that point, the person I was speaking with went to get a manager, who continued to tell me there was nothing he could do, where I continued to inform him that was unacceptable, and that I'd like an answer to the question. I was told I was “acting like a child” for continuing to ask my question and to “step away from the counter” so they could help other passengers who “were acting their age”. I politely refused, saying I waited my turn in line and would not step away until I had received an answer as to how this was suddenly changed from a maintenance issue to an ATC issue.
The manger then turned to a colleague and requested they call the Chattanooga police over. I was ordered to step away from the counter by the police. The fact that American Airlines called the police on a passenger in this type of situation was amazing. I was not threatening, not loud, and not violent. I did not raise my voice. I did not lean over a counter or raise a hand. I did not make any hint at physical violence or verbal assault. I did not violate any posted rule or law.
To have the police called was astounding!
For asking questions and demanding accommodations to be covered due to the maintenance, I was escorted out of the airport by the AA manager and two Chattanooga police officers.
After much discussion outside of the airport with the manager, with one officer standing by, I was informed that: - I “don’t understand how customer service works” (even though I’ve worked in customer service) - I was “out of line in [my] requests and actions” - I “continue to act like a child” - I had a “threatening tone” (even if I didn’t use threatening words or language) - I am “a solid guy with a presence that can be intimidating”
I was told numerous time this “wasn’t personal” and that it “wasn’t [his] decision to not accommodate or compensate me. It was American Airlines’ decision, and [he] had no choice but to enforce it. It is American Airlines’ money and [he] can’t just give it away like that.”
At that point, the manager realized I was not a threat and dismissed the police and we stepped back inside to look at alternative options. Again, there were no other flight options out of Chattanooga any sooner. I asked about flights on another airline that American could put me on, but was told that was not an option, either.
I was left with little option in the situation. I asked for my checked luggage back and set out on my own. I easily found a hotel for the evening at my expense, got some rest, canceled my flight (I did receive a full refund), rented a car the next morning and drove 17 hours home.
The Follow-up (regarding having the police called, not the canceled flight - you just gotta roll with that punch):
I decided to reach out to American Airlines and give them the chance to right this situation without sharing any details publicly by asking for: - An apology for the embarrassing public scene caused by American Airlines that was created by calling the police on a non-violent, non-threatening, frustrated passenger. - Compensation for the unnecessarily caustic treatment I received when trying to rectify this situation at the airport.
I tried calling customer service at first and was told I would need to e-mail my concern using the generic form on their website, as they do not handle customer service complaints on the phone, nor is there a specific person you can e-mail. All passengers in all situations must use the generic “Contact American” form to initiate a complaint.
Their response? What seemed to be a slightly tweaked “form letter” that did not address the biggest issue raised – the police having been called. Upon receipt of their reply, I responded right away asking to speak with someone directly to escalate this.
My reply was sent at 10:22am ET on Friday, August 25. At 11:26am ET on that same day, I got a call from Shannon Tatum at American Airlines, asking to speak more about my situation on the phone rather than communicate via e-mail. We spoke for nearly 12 minutes, during which I laid out my concern and why the response thus far has been unacceptable. Ms. Tatum in turn laid out American Airline’s zero tolerance policy for aggressive passengers and why the airline was justified in calling the police, again citing my appearance, though she admits she has no idea what I look like. She refused to transfer me to a supervisor, saying they were available for administrative purposes only, and told me she would note my concerns and share them internally for training purposes, but that was it. We reached an impasse again, and ended the call.
I then summarized our conversation in an e-mail back to Ms. Tatum in an effort to document as much of my experience as possible. Ms. Tatum once again replied, offering an apology that she could not resolve the situation any differently, saying that it was her hope when we spoke to do so. Yet there was no resolution offered other than my being quiet and going away.
At this point, I reflected a bit on things and realized nothing would change their minds – it simply is not in their business model to show remorse, sympathy or even appreciation for loyalty. So with that, I wrote what I am hoping will be my final message to American Airlines asking the most important question of all, and the one they really have not yet addressed at all – why? Why should I ignore this situation and get back on one of their planes? I won’t hold my breath for a meaningful reply to that message.
This situation, caused by American Airlines alone, left a very loyal elite-level passenger stranded, insulted, embarrassed and frustrated. From beginning to end, the service provided in the Chattanooga, TN airport by their employees and by their general customer service team who I was forced to contact, could have been handled more appropriately, and this situation could have been deescalated, if not avoided entirely with better treatment from the Manager or an appropriate response to my initial contact. Instead, I am left wondering why I should ever get on an American Airlines plane again...
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 7:27 am
  #8419  
 
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You quoted and then didn’t write anything...
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 8:11 am
  #8420  
 
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Originally Posted by Gig103
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2017/0...ta-flight.html

I've never heard of him, so it probably counts as a "DYKWIA", even though I didn't witness it.
Ditto, I've never heard of the guy. But from the news article, the behavior was less DYKWIA and more just being an a$$. I'm not seeing any references made by the actor to FO status, paltry miles flown, etc. combined with a sense of entitlement
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 10:23 am
  #8421  
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Originally Posted by sol95
You quoted and then didn’t write anything...
Interesting as AA used to take care of their elite no matter what the problem. (as does Delta). OPs problem, me thinks, is that he became a pain in front of many fleas. GA screwed as if he pulls out one now, he has to give to all

OP should have gone to another gate without a bunch of others. Should have called elite customer service and explained his problem.. Pretty sure he would have taken care of.

As to being escorted - after 9/11, one must follow all instructions from an airline employee. he was lucky he was not arrested. A FA ran over my grandchild's foot with her suitcase and did not stop etc. I went up to her and told her she should come back and apologize - guess who the police talked to.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 10:54 am
  #8422  
 
Join Date: May 2014
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Only tangentially related:


I once was stuck in MCO all day, and spent most of it in the Sky Club. I'm a smoker, though, and as the day wore on, I took several trips landside to have a cigarette. My tipsy brain didn't think much of it, but my repeated bookings and and cancellations of WN flights to get me back through security apparently alarmed the TSA agent who checked my ID multiple times, and he made me stand to the side while he called in a supervisor. I probably shouldn't have actually explained what I was doing, but I wasn't entirely on my game at that point ;-)

Fortunately, I wasn't drunk enough to make the situation even worse, and I was allowed to leave fairly quickly without the police being called in. I immediately went to the DL ticketing desk, explained the situation, and was given a gate pass to visit the club. I took perhaps a little too much glee returning to the same TSA agent for my ID checks from then on.

WN did punish me by failing to automatically refund a couple of those reservations, which took an asininely long phone call to resolve.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 10:57 am
  #8423  
 
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
If the AA CoC promise that hotels will be provided for mechanical/maintenance delays, report the failure to DOT. Airlines cvan't just lie about the cause for delays/cancellations to avoid their obligations. If you had kept the rebooked flight, you could demand reimbursement for your hotel costs.
I am not a lawyer, but did reasonably well in my contracts class. One of the forms of damages could be "Compensatory damages" which damages”) cover the loss the non-breaching party incurred as a result of the breach of contract.
I believe a hotel room would be included in that. Defendant may argue that under the COC, their only obligation is only to attempt to get you to your destination, but the extent of their efforts would be another issue. If there was a mechanical issue that then turned into an ATC issue, then I would argue that it is a mechanical issue, just as their blaming weather in the morning for a cancelled flight in the evening. But for the mechanical issue, there would be no ATC issue.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 11:24 am
  #8424  
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Most airline CoCs state explicitly that they won't cover consequential damages such as the hotel reservation at your destination or the business you missed by arriving late. They do commonly cover the provision of hotel rooms for unexpected forced overnights for passengers stranded away from home when IROPs are their fault.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 11:55 am
  #8425  
 
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Originally Posted by spamkiller
I am not a lawyer, but did reasonably well in my contracts class. One of the forms of damages could be "Compensatory damages" which damages”) cover the loss the non-breaching party incurred as a result of the breach of contract.
I believe a hotel room would be included in that. Defendant may argue that under the COC, their only obligation is only to attempt to get you to your destination, but the extent of their efforts would be another issue. If there was a mechanical issue that then turned into an ATC issue, then I would argue that it is a mechanical issue, just as their blaming weather in the morning for a cancelled flight in the evening. But for the mechanical issue, there would be no ATC issue.
But couldn't the airline then argue that it's a foreseeable risk? Mechanical, ATC, and Weather delays are certainly not uncommon enough events to be considered a unforeseeable event,and that if you have expensive/important plans than you have a contingency plan or at least some time built in?

Not saying it's fair, but I imagine that would be the defense.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 12:41 pm
  #8426  
 
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Police, Police Everywhere

Originally Posted by DavidinDCA
Long but hilarious rant, (source)

Tl;dr AA Gold Pax freaks out that AA didn't bend over backwards for him, goes on Reddit and claims they had him escorted out of the airport by police.

Full text:
I've had AA call the cops on me twice, once when I argued with a GA who failed to follow policy on giving standby's seats on the flight after a mech cancellation, and again when I argued with a check-in agent who took >45 minutes to check my family and I in, and we missed the cutoff as a result. Both times, the officer rolled his eyes, listened, asked me to move my bags 5 feet, and then walked away.

AA threw me a $300 voucher for each incident, but the email noted voucher was for the standby and check-in mess-ups, not for calling the cops. Small sample size, but seems AA corporate tolerates and maybe even condones using the police to adjudicate customer service disputes.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 12:48 pm
  #8427  
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Originally Posted by alpinecow
I've had AA call the cops on me twice, once when I argued with a GA who failed to follow policy on giving standby's seats on the flight after a mech cancellation, and again when I argued with a check-in agent who took >45 minutes to check my family and I in, and we missed the cutoff as a result. Both times, the officer rolled his eyes, listened, asked me to move my bags 5 feet, and then walked away.

AA threw me a $300 voucher for each incident, but the email noted voucher was for the standby and check-in mess-ups, not for calling the cops. Small sample size, but seems AA corporate tolerates and maybe even condones using the police to adjudicate customer service disputes.
......just like UA did.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 1:09 pm
  #8428  
 
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
......just like UA did.
Yes. No broken teeth for me, however.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 1:21 pm
  #8429  
 
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Originally Posted by alpinecow
I've had AA call the cops on me twice, once when I argued with a GA who failed to follow policy on giving standby's seats on the flight after a mech cancellation, and again when I argued with a check-in agent who took >45 minutes to check my family and I in, and we missed the cutoff as a result. Both times, the officer rolled his eyes, listened, asked me to move my bags 5 feet, and then walked away.

AA threw me a $300 voucher for each incident, but the email noted voucher was for the standby and check-in mess-ups, not for calling the cops. Small sample size, but seems AA corporate tolerates and maybe even condones using the police to adjudicate customer service disputes.


If you have had the cops called on you twice, me thinks you might want to change your tactics on how resolve issues. IME, being nice and talking to and empathizing with them, rather than arguing with people and hoping that the person on the other end can empathize with someone being confrontational will get you a lot better results a lot quicker. Perhaps its why when I was delayed a few weeks ago and would have missed my connection, I got a good seats (one of which was really good) on an alternative routing while everyone else was going to be stuck in SLC overnight.
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Old Aug 30, 2017, 1:32 pm
  #8430  
 
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Originally Posted by The Situation
If you have had the cops called on you twice, me thinks you might want to change your tactics on how resolve issues. IME, being nice and talking to and empathizing with them, rather than arguing with people and hoping that the person on the other end can empathize with someone being confrontational will get you a lot better results a lot quicker. Perhaps its why when I was delayed a few weeks ago and would have missed my connection, I got a good seats (one of which was really good) on an alternative routing while everyone else was going to be stuck in SLC overnight.
Always someone eager to blame the victim

Congrats on your routing success. Thank you for advising me on how I should change my personality. Are you sure you're not one of my employees?

Any empathy I possess evaporates at the point at which a GA/check-in agent screws up the most basic aspects of his/her job and offers no redress, in one case costing me a Saturday with my family and in the other case costing me a couple thousand bucks in hotel, etc.

Those are inexcusable customer service failures.
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