tmrevolution

I'm putting our experience out there to get some advice from more experienced travelers.

This morning we arrived at our gate to board our flight to ORD about 25 minutes before scheduled take off. Only one passenger besides us hadnt boarded and no employees were at the gate. We waited about a minute and no one showed up, so we headed down the jetway to find a gate agent. Halfway down, we saw him coming back to the gate and he yelled at us to go back several times. We complied, but when we kept yelling, I told him that we wouldnt have come down the jetway if someone had been at their post like they should have been. He then threatened to call the police and to kick us off the flight. We were tempted to talk back but knew he was the gatekeeper. He then proceeded to give us a speech about 9-11.

My question is how we should respond to either get an apology or have the employee reprimanded. Would it be best to write a letter or call? Is it even worth the effort to pursue?

Any advice is appreciated.

OPFlyer

You were definitely at fault here. JB are under SIDA-Sterile control and each JB door has to be opened by someone with a SIDA badge. Since she was probably the one who swiped her badge to open the door, she is in control and responsible for those who come through. She essentially is not allowed to leave the door unattended which she in a way did but most ASP's permit this as it was under her "general" control, though if she was on the plane then that is a different story. In essence, she did do nothing wrong, though probably should have been more cordial with you.

UA-NYC

Let it go - you shouldn't have walked down the jetway in the first place. MAYBE if it was T-10, and the door was imminently closing, but not at T-25.

mherdeg

I think the agent in question is a "he".

UnitedFlyGuy

It sounds like the person just wanted to make sure you got scanned on, etc. If you hadn't talked back and instead just walked and scanned and gotten on, half of the conversation wouldn't have happened. Yes, they should have been at the post but you don't just walk down and board yourself.

No letter is needed or an apology. For what? You caused the whole thing.

travelinmanS

Do you go through red lights when nobody is coming the other direction? I doubt it, because you know it's wrong. I'd never think that boarding the plane without having my ticket scanned was acceptable, and I doubt you would either. I don't understand what you are complaining about. Your course of action should be to wait to get scanned before boarding in the future. Or you could write a letter to UA explaining how agreeved you feel and ask for free tickets for life and the employee to be fired.

Zouf

Why walk down the jetway? The absent GA won't close the flight if he/she's absent... and what did the other passenger present do? Walk down as well, or wait?

downhillcrasher

Sounds like a rude GA indeed. Yeah, you probably shouldn't have gone in, but ultimately he is at fault if people walk down a completely unattended jetway.

kenziid3

First of all, that is a very strange situation.

I have never walked up to a gate at t-25 and not seen a single GA outside the gate area, and i dont possibly see how the OP is at fault here. If I have a boarding pass and I walk up to the gate and dont see a single UA GA, i am not going to stand around with my thumb up something. I am going to walk in to the jetway slowly with my ticket in hand looking for a GA.
As he stated, once the OP saw the GA, he complied. And he did not talk back even though he was tempted to.
If that is the wrong thing to do, then I would have made the same mistake, and like the OP, I also would have not talked back.

goodeats21

Wow. Maybe I am in the minority here, but for non-frequent fliers...

Why not go down the jet bridge of an open door at the gate you were told to board a flight for which you have a boarding pass? Was there a big sign that says "Do not go through this door"?

For all they know, boarding passes are checked at the airplane door now instead of the gate stand.

I think UA (and FT) would be a bit better if the customer was not blamed for everything and staff stopped yelling at customers without a real reason.

And I am really confused about the Sept. 11 reference. These people have been security screened for our protection....

cordelli

Yeah, thinking this wasn't the best course of action, a simple I'm sorry would probably have worked better. It's only going to go downhill once you start arguing with them and telling them their job. You are lucky you got on the plane.

I would have waited if it was 25 minutes before the flight.

DeaconFlyer

Yes, the employee overreacted. There was no need to yell.

But, were you actually harmed? Doesn't sound like it.

Your compensation should be knowing that you were the rational one in the incident.

FlyWorld

Let it go? I think this calls for a long discussion, a DOT complaint, a personal lawsuit, a class action lawsuit, a BBB complaint, a letter to $mi$ek, a letter to the BoD, and a call with Mr. Hand. At minimum.

Mike Jacoubowsky

Forget about whether or not the OP should have been on the jetway, we weren't there, we don't have enough information to know if the OP handled the situation correctly when confronted. The Gate Agent may have thought he was being challenged by whatever response the OP gave, and a challenge on his (sterile) turf is likely to elicit a stern response. Even a "How was I supposed to know..." from a passenger in the wrong place at the wrong time could set off an adrenalin-laden exchange.

This likely doesn't rise above the category of "lesson learned, won't do that again."

If the OP really wants a response from United, they should reverse their thoughts on this matter and apologize to United and the Gate Agent, and explain that there was no signage and they didn't realize they were doing something wrong. Who knows, you might get a sympathetic response and maybe even an e-cert if that's what is being sought.

I know it's screwy to suggest that the person demanding the apology do the reverse and apologize to the airline.

Cargojon

nah, it's perfect, because it lets UA know that the GA left their post and left the jetway door unattended without making the OP look like a jerk. I love it. ^