florin

That was uncalled for! You do realize this is FLYERtalk...

florin

I think this was a very unfortunate situation for the OP. The NW staff have acted improperly IMO, but the OP has certainly made mistakes. My understanding:

1. The FA got the wrong impression because she thought the OP was the one who yelled "come on". This was nobody's fault.
2. The OP yelled "excuse me" as the FA went by. This was definitely the OP's mistake.
3. The FA abused her position and lied. She portrayed what she saw as rude behavior as being threatening. This is a deliberate exaggeration.
4. The Captain sided with the FA. He didn't have a lot of info to base that decision on and IMO could have handled it better. Perhaps he was just full of himself and decided to tickle his own ego by exercising some authority. Screwing the pax was also the easy way out - by declaring someone a threat he effectively washed his hands off it and destroyed any and all credibility that the pax had.
5. The ground staff pretty much echoed the captain's actions. Their primary concern is getting flights out on time and have things run smoothly. Sure, they could have listened to your story and then engage in a "he said/she said" ordeal, but the easy way out is to screw the pax. Even the fact that the OP may be a threat is enough to determine them to wash their hands and walk away.
6. The OP asking for IDB was another mistake since it would not apply.
7. Calling customer service was not a bad idea per se. This was a troubling incident and I think in that position I would at least want to tell someone about it. IMO the BIG mistake was connecting the two events. They have nothing to do with each other and I truly believe this is just a coicidence. Even if it wasn't, it still doesn't matter. As far as the OP knows (and I mean for a fact) they have nothing to do with each other. OP, assuming it is all true, you have several things going against you: it's your word against that of several employees (which is NEVER a good thing), you are perceived as a threat (and in all the terror/security stuff of late it's a sensitive issue), and you have 3 complaints in a VERY short period of time. If you're going to complain at least plan ahead and do so effectively.

That said, for a company with millions of customers, when one customer becomes "difficult" (for the lack of a better word) it may actually be better to just turn your back to that person than run a big investigation to find out the some other version of the TRUTH. It's a simple cost/benefit issue, so unless you are a VERY important customer on which significant revenue depends, you're SOL. Also, if they feel you are a disgruntled customer looking to harm them (regardless of who was right), they may not want you on board for fear that you would try to somehow retaliate.

Mistakes have been made on both sides. My advice for the OP: it's frustrating and unfair, but you don't have much of a choice here. (The NW staff did have the power to do what they did and there is no authority that can make this right for you.) Let it go. Sometimes you're just SOL. The best you can do is learn from your mistakes in this saga.

OhSoBlessed

There is another side to this story, and it would be interesting to hear the FA's side.

Always get witnesses...they are neutral. @:-)

sxf24

Perhaps that is why he said it.

TheMoose

In a situation like this, I would always ask questions instead of shouting remarks. If a FA was blocking the exit, rather than shouting "Come on!", I would have asked "May we deplane now? I have a tight connection...". It gives the FA the chance to explain why the delay is happening if warranted and if not, they can choose to apologize and let you through or just let you through. Either way, you've covered all your bases.

Many passengers these days turn into children when they hit the airport grounds. But I've also seen many airline personnel with some sort of a chip on their shoulder as well. Everyone needs to take a breath and realize "we're all in this together". This should not be a "with us or against us" atmosphere...

Safe travels all, and may the Flying Spaghetti Monster guide you well.

pragakhan

The amount of interaction I have with FA's and GA's is limited to one word responses (most of the time) that includes a smile and a thank you. I can't imagine in any situation being accused of being a threat to their safety.

All I can guess is when the OP was bumped he said 'excuse me' or maybe something else that came across as rude.

Instead of spending my time with the supervisors demanding compensation - I would be more curious as to what about me is threatening to the FA. Too bad OP never found out.

pbz

To the guy who said it was OP's fault for saying "excuse me" when the FA ran him over, put yourself in his shoes, he was in danger of missing his flight and this lazy (already delayed him for no reason) FA basically tried to knock him over. Who among us has not had someone do this and felt a sense of anger that, if we were already bent about something else, said something out loud?

NW's actions in this saga are not excusable. I would (1) file a DOT complaint and (2) sue them in small claims court for the corresponding amount "as if IDB compensation were due". NW may not even show for the trial. It goes without saying that OP must never fly NW again because this will make his permanent record and anyone he comes into contact with at NW will go out of their way to screw up his travels. All of this I recommend because OP has principles and if you have these principles and the money/time to fight for them, then the only way you will be happy is if you took a stand.

I would *not* bother sending NW an itemization of the travel I have booked on other airlines. Why bother. You don't want them to beg for you back. You just want a judge to tell them they were wrong to do what they did and to impose a penalty on them for it, that begins to make you whole.

micfly

I couldn't agree more; some of these FA are not stable individuals, I am very cautious in any approach and like you, avoid any unnnecessary contact.

jwlowry

My first question to the Customer Service Manager was "What did the FA say I did that made her feel threatened?"

Manager refused to provide an answer.

jwlowry

To clarify the event, I was standing near the red carpet, as were several other pax, waiting for an update, etc. I had my back to the rest of the airport and did not see the FAs approaching. They did not have enough room to get between the next pax and me, so pushed their way through. When I looked at who was doing this and realized it was part of the crew, I stepped to the side and said, "excuse me". This was not in a loud or obnoxious manner (I may have also said, "I'm sorry" as well).

My point in mentioning this is that my saying excuse got the FA's attention and she turned and looked at me. If I had not said this, it is likely she never would have realized that I was the same pax that she apparently thought had spoken out of turn on the previous flight.

jwlowry

Although I have flown over a million BIS miles, I have never been denied boarding involuntarily (as opposed to involuntarily denied boarding, see above). Therefore, since I was told no refund for my remaining segment was going to be allowed and the next flight was almost two hours away, I asked for IDB compensation from the Customer Service Manager.

I would say that Manager or the gate agent could have taken that opportunity to clarify the difference between IDB and being denied boarding involuntarily. However, neither did, and the GA and inflight supervisor both suggested that I take the IDB compensation matter up with Customer Care, since both clearly seemed to think that I was being treated unjustly. Therefore, when I contacted Customer Care, I followed their suggestion.

I have since come to learn that IDB is very specifically tied to cases where the flight is oversold, which clearly did not apply in this case. However, I did not realize that IDB compensation did not apply in other cases. My mistake here, then, was one of ignorance. I have also learned, however, that I was to be given a written statement as to why I was denied boarding and what my options were by NW personnel, and this did not happen; the Customer Service Manager refused to answer any of my questions.

drat19

Well, written statement = personal accountability, and you know they can't have any of THAT.

yogimax

Those who quickly condemn the FA need to understand that we are only hearing one side of the story. What was the demeanor of the OP? What did his body language demonstrate? What was the tone and volume of his voice? Are his facts correct?

Indeed, in regard to facts... one could logically assume that the discussion between the FA and GA who opened the door was precisely about a passenger in the back who needed special assistance.

Too much speculation and condemnation...

Not enough factual information!

OhSoBlessed

Oh, Brian, I'll be looking for you!

JAFA

Here are some facts.

Flight attendants can have a willing gate agent add "notes" to a specific reservation. I have seen this once in eleven years. There are no permanent "notes" that get attached to each subsequent reservation, no such feature exists. In my eleven years I have not seen any such notes about "problem passengers" on any passenger list. Notes about other reservation related "stuff" don't get printed on the passenger list given to FA's.

I don't know of any FA conspiracy at NWA to remember and purposely mistreat customers who have complained; and NWA mainline and Compass FA's don't have much opportunity to interact.

To those of you who don't even make eye contact with FA's, well that's your prerogative. But even a "crazy" FA can appreciate a smile, friendly eye contact or simple "thank you". Conversely, avoiding eye contact or avoiding speaking is likely to be seen as rude or disrespectful by any person not just FA's.