Passenger removed from flight after a joke
May 13, 2019, 8:29 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Singapore
Programs: HHonors Diamond; A3 *Nothing ; BA Exec. Club Gold
Posts: 1,689
Passenger removed from flight after a joke
Didn't see this reported here yet and the Daily Mail is not always the most credible source but well, interesting reading.
https://www.msn.com/en-sg/travel/new...cid=spartanntp
Short version: Passenger is allegedly removed from a Southwest flight that had a maintenance light come on before take off. They have been stuck on the ground for a long time, Cabin Crew served water, passenger supposedly joked it should have been vodka, CC took offence and plane returned to the gate to offload the passenger.
Reading things like this I am happy I don't like Vodka or hardly fly in the US
Globalist
https://www.msn.com/en-sg/travel/new...cid=spartanntp
Short version: Passenger is allegedly removed from a Southwest flight that had a maintenance light come on before take off. They have been stuck on the ground for a long time, Cabin Crew served water, passenger supposedly joked it should have been vodka, CC took offence and plane returned to the gate to offload the passenger.
Reading things like this I am happy I don't like Vodka or hardly fly in the US
Globalist
May 13, 2019, 8:31 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 2,931
WN's FA's are getting nastier and nastier. The "Southwest Spirit" is dead. There are definitely a few good WN FA's out there (I flew with them back in March) but many are robotic, angry, and find customers are the enemies. The legacy carriers in comparison and other LCC's like Spirit & Allegiant have nicer FA's.
May 13, 2019, 10:14 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,512
https://wtvr.com/2019/05/13/passenger-kicked-off-of-southwest-airlines-flight-after-making-vodka-joke/
https://fox40.com/2019/05/10/southwest-airlines-flight-from-smf-gets-delayed-after-passenger-makes-vodka-joke/
May 13, 2019, 10:44 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
May 13, 2019, 10:46 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
WN's FA's are getting nastier and nastier. The "Southwest Spirit" is dead. There are definitely a few good WN FA's out there (I flew with them back in March) but many are robotic, angry, and find customers are the enemies. The legacy carriers in comparison and other LCC's like Spirit & Allegiant have nicer FA's.
May 13, 2019, 10:58 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,525
May 14, 2019, 7:19 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
I tend to defend the crew sometimes, but this is just wrong. Totally wrong.
FA should have just sucked it up and moved on. People say things... that's all.
Southwest owes this guy big time. I hate people that file lawsuits, but based on what the story from WTVR above, not only was the FA wrong, but the pilot should not have bowed to her either.
Then again, we do not have the full story. But - the version given by a third party sure looks bad for WN.
FA should have just sucked it up and moved on. People say things... that's all.
Southwest owes this guy big time. I hate people that file lawsuits, but based on what the story from WTVR above, not only was the FA wrong, but the pilot should not have bowed to her either.
Then again, we do not have the full story. But - the version given by a third party sure looks bad for WN.
May 14, 2019, 10:23 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: SNA
Programs: MARRIOTT TITANIUM / HILTON GOLD / UA SILVER / AMEX PLAT
Posts: 609
The behavior of the FA is idiotic. While I do not have the full story, a joke about vodka instead of water seems to be a petty reason to go back to the gate.
"We apologize for the delay. Would you like some water, sir?"
"Any chance you could make this a vodka?"
=Perfectly acceptable joke.
Heck, I tell the HR manager when she is working late on a Friday that it is creveza time.
If the joke had a component that dealt with the FA personally, I could see why they went back though:
"We apologize for the delay. Would you like some water, sir?"
"How you a little piece of you and some vodka."
= Inappropriate
"We apologize for the delay. Would you like some water, sir?"
"Any chance you could make this a vodka?"
=Perfectly acceptable joke.
Heck, I tell the HR manager when she is working late on a Friday that it is creveza time.
If the joke had a component that dealt with the FA personally, I could see why they went back though:
"We apologize for the delay. Would you like some water, sir?"
"How you a little piece of you and some vodka."
= Inappropriate
May 14, 2019, 10:28 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
Seems like after passenger outrage, the FA should've been the one removed in handcuffs to a roar of cheers for wasting the police officer's time on a disorderly conduct charge. This would've been the perfect FA to make an example out of. The FA clearly started something out of nothing and caused a public disturbance. Who wants to fly on a plane with someone like this FA?
Someday, our lawmakers will step in and strip FA's of all of their rights - FA's constantly prove why they shouldn't have one ounce of authority over any situation because many act like their frontal cortex hasn't been fully developed yet. If you act in the same way the customer does, you deserve to be removed from a flight yourself.
Hopefully she already got the boot.
Someday, our lawmakers will step in and strip FA's of all of their rights - FA's constantly prove why they shouldn't have one ounce of authority over any situation because many act like their frontal cortex hasn't been fully developed yet. If you act in the same way the customer does, you deserve to be removed from a flight yourself.
Hopefully she already got the boot.
May 14, 2019, 10:45 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
May 14, 2019, 10:48 am
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
I also hold the pilot responsible. It was the pilot who made the decision to deplane the passenger and presumably also the pilot communicated with ground staff to tell them to have the passenger removed by police rather than having a GA come on board to kick the guy off. It's the pilot's fault for believing whatever the FA told him and failing to communicate either with the passenger being removed or with other witnesses before making the decision to remove the customer and allow the FA to continue to work that flight. The ground staff who willingly called the police to intervene in this situation should also be disciplined for overreacting and not questioning what had happened. If there was a station manager involved, that person should have pulled the FA from the flight, even if doing so required returning to the gate yet again.
This easily could have turned into a Dr Dao incident with the cops severely injuring the customer.
This easily could have turned into a Dr Dao incident with the cops severely injuring the customer.
Last edited by MSPeconomist; May 14, 2019 at 10:55 am
May 14, 2019, 11:45 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Nashville -Past DL Plat, FO, WN-CP, various hotel programs
Programs: DL-MM, AA, SW w/companion,HiltonDiamond, Hyatt PLat, IHF Plat, Miles and Points Seeker
Posts: 11,072
I hope the passenger has the contacts of a few witnesses.
And I tend to agree... the FA should have been removed from the flight.
If it when down as reported, and then some passengers opted to get off due to the "crazy" FA - what would happen then?
May 14, 2019, 12:42 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
If other passengers are sticking up for the passenger that's "in trouble" then why were they still removed from the fight and not the FA? The FA was clearly in the wrong.
Maybe airlines and the government should start realizing their FA's aren't always right instead of saying, "Oh... We're sorry." afterwards.
Time for a lawsuit based on free speech rights and and an unlawful arrest. The guy was basically arrested for saying "how about vodka instead of water." It's not like he said there was an explosive on board or something the would cause a national security issue.