DCWolverine

Hi all--I have been lurking for several years and finally decided to post. Thanks for all the great information, tricks, and inside info! Everything I've learned here from all you regulars has certainly made all my time in 3A a whole lot more fun!

I had a situation the other day, 8/6 BWI-FLL, and was curious if any of you have experienced this, and how you reacted.

I was in 3A, and after most of Y had boarded, 3C was still empty. A mother and 2 sons (early 20s) boaded, giggling. The mom and one son continued to Y, then the other son literally jumped into 3C, with a suspicious, big grin on his face, and sarcastically teasing his brother. Soon after, the mom approached one of the FA in F--apparently their BP were for other people. 2 of them got of the plane to get everything worked out. when they returned, 3C asked his mom, "Should I stay in F?" With a big, sarcastic, grin she she whispered "As long as nobody comes!"

Now, granted, I didn't see his BP, so he very well may have confirmed in F. But, Y was not full, and the other 2 were back in Y. It all just seemed a bit strange and supicious, like he knew he was pulling a fast one on US.

I was slightly annoyed, but as it was 7AM on a Saturday, I didn't feel like making much of the situation. I wanted to mention something to the FA, but as I was in 3A, and didn't get up during the flight, I didn't have a chance. Also, after reading last week's posts re the incident on the LAX-PHL flight, I had visions of air rage dancing in my head, if I confronted him about it.

Sorry for the long post! I was just curious if any of you have been in this situation, and how it was handled/resolved. Incidentally, F was 9/12. 5 paid $100 at the gate, there were 2 non-revs, the 3C guy, and me; I was the only preferred in F.

EnvoyBoy

Welcome to FT!!

I'm not sure what I would have done. I certainly would not have bothered an FA if boarding was going and we were running late, etc., and they were busy getting ready. However, if it was a light flight and running on time and we were all just sitting around for baggage to load or some such thing, I probably would have made my way to the galley and said something, trusting the FA to be discreet and tactful, maybe approaching the pax long after I'd spoken to him/her.

That said, I was on a short, late-night, near empty BDL-PHL flight earlier this year and a middle-aged woman (I wont' guess her age and label what it means to be middle-aged!! ) sat right in 1C and, for whatever reason, the FA knew she did not have that assignment. Sitting in 2D I overheard her ask for the BP, confirm the pax was in the wrong seat, but then tell her to just stay put!

To this day, I'm hoping/assuming that the BP noted the pax as some level of US/UA/*A elite and that's why she did what she did. Ignorance is bliss! Regardless, I was furious because all this FA did was reward this bad behavior, not matter what her status. As they say over on the UA forum, RAAAARRRRR!

GotCalcio4

I saw this happen on my shuttle flight from BOS last weekend. A pax (clearly one that, from first sight, appeared to be up to no good) boarded, and snuck into 3F. The F cabin was 6/12, so it wasn't a big deal. But as the FA was coming around offering pre-departure drinks (YES, pre-departure drinks on a Shuttle flight! ^ ^ ) she stopped when she saw him. She returned to the galley, probably to check the manifest, and returned to him and said "Sir, you're going to need to return to your seat." The man responded with an obvious lie, "But I showed you my BP and you said it was OK." The FA simply said, "No, you didn't, return to your seat," and he did. All the other F pax had a giggle over this, and the FA returned the galley and laughed it over with the other FA (My companion and I were in 1 A & C, so we heard the whole thing).

Funny, I guess the man honestly thought that no one would notice.

mileshound

I was on a PHL-LAX flight and a woman asked the FA during boarding if her friend could sit with her in F since the seat next to her was open. The FA said NO.

She was in row 2 and I was in row 6 so i couldn't hear the whole conversation. The row behind me only had 1 person in it (40 50ish man). Then after takeoff his 12ish yr old daughter (and cat in cage) slips in and sits next to him. It was very discreet but the woman in row 2 saw it. She approached the FA and I could see her motioning back to row 7. The FA did nothing and did not let her friend sit next to her. I'm sure she asked.

Well, during the fight she had visitors about 75% of the time and drove everyone crazy.

My only enjoyment is every time the man behind her got up, which was a lot, he pulled himself up by grabbing the top of her seat. The look on her face when she turned around was priceless.

PamHarwood

Sorry duplicate

JAXPax

A couple months ago on the late night A321 CLT-JAX.... only about five of us in First. A man boarded the plane, made a big deal to the F/A about "they told me I was supposed to be in First Class!" and had a BP for row 11 or so. The flight attendant just told him he'd have to take that up with the gate agent. He walked back to coach. Toward the end of boarding, he came forward and sat down in 4F (I was in 3F). Just prior to departure, the gate agent came on board with a manifest, walked to him, and asked to see his boarding pass. He got real defensive, and produced it. I heard the gate agent ask him "Who wrote 4F on here?" He said that "some female gate agent upgraded me." She countered that she was the only female gate agent, she'd been up at the gate the last hour, and nobody did any such thing for him, then told him to go back and sit in any open seat in coach.

I had another time, also on a CLT-JAX evening flight, where it was just me, one other passenger, and a non-rev in First. Somebody from the back kept coming forward during our ground delay for a MX reason demanding to be allowed to sit in First. The flight attendant kept telling him he couldn't sit up front for weight and balance reasons.

AZ Travels the World

You just never know what exactly is really going on. I was recently scrambling to make a connection (on HP) and got there just as the gate agent was about to close the door. I had checked in online and an upgrade wasn't available, so I still had my assigned exit row. The gate agent told me as we were hustling down the jetway and approaching the door that they had gone to open seating long ago so I would need to "take any open seat in coach." Crap!

As I walked onto the plane, I saw that 1C was open. I looked at the FA standing at the door and said, "Is that open?" (Thinking that perhaps the occupant was in the bathroom.) He said it was. I showed my copy of the boarding pass to the gate agent, with PLATINUM printed across it and she smiled and nodded her head so I walked around the bulkhead, squeezed my computer case into the overhead and sat down -- thrilled at the outcome.

The man in 1D looked at me with his most disgusted look and said, "you can't sit there." I said, "Excuse me?" And he replied, "Does this look like coach to you? I said (increasing his volume considerably) that you can't sit there. You are supposed to be sitting in any open seat in the back of the plane."

I just looked at him and rolled my eyes. He was determined. He rang the call button -- on and off multiple times, as if there was an emergency. The FA was in the process of closing the door and stopped. He turned and looked at him, saw the light. He walked over and said, "what is it, sir?" 1D Man said, "He can't sit here -- he was told to take any open seat in coach." There wasn't a person in the first class cabin who didn't hear him.

The FA looked at him with the most incredulous look he could muster and said in his best theater voice, "Sir, he's a good two elite levels above you, so perhaps you shouldn't be jumping to conclusions and embarassing yourself." Then he turned and went back to closing the door.

1BMan looked at me and said, "How was I supposed to know?" and shrugged his shoulders, tossing his hands into the air. I looked at him very calmly and said, "I think the point is that you have no need to know." That was the end of our conversation for that flight. Interestingly, I was the first one asked what I wanted for my meal selection. He was asked last. Fortunately, his choice was "no longer available." The airline gods were with me that day.

Robertsonland

Great story AZ.

I had something similar to that happen when I was in 2A on a flight. I was sitting waiting for boarding and this guy gets in 3B and plops out his computer and starts typing away. This other gentleman passes us and head back to coach with his family. About 10 minutes later he shows up and tells 3B "Excuse me, may I get to my seat?" The guy looks at him and says but you were back in coach, let me see your boarding pass. The guy looks majorly suprised and declines the offer and once again asks the guy to please move his stuff so he can get to his seat. The guy simply refused (At this point I would have stepped over the guy and his laptop). This continues until 3B says well get the FA to make me move. 2 seconds later the FA comes over and asks what is going on and 3B says this guy won't show him his boarding pass and says he is in 3A but came up from coach. The FA looks at him and says, well then let him through. The guy still refused and told the FA to look at the boarding pass to verify it was his seat. The FA took the BP never bothering to look and handed it back and told the guy..."Now please move."

The offended gentleman used the restroom alot on that trip causing his seatmate to have to pack up and move about every 20 minutes for a 3.5 hours flight.

I'm of the notion that I usually keep my mouth shut if I'm not sure if someone "belongs" in F. I've flown LAS-MSP by myself in F before and would have welcomed some coach encroachment as I felt a bit odd up there eating off of the 12 meals they had for little old me

Lance

EnvoyBoy

It does gaul me those who believe themselves the universal FC police. Please do note in my earlier post that I said I'd speak to the FA and not to the pax. After that, I'd go back to minding my own business and let the FA do as s/he feels is best and appropriate.

CLTFlyer

My personal favorite was on a CLT-DEN flight in 2003 (back when they still had hot meals before the IFC experiment in F) and a gentleman just plopped down in 4C of F (I was in 5D) during boarding (the F cabin was about half full on a Saturday a.m. flight). The FAs knew no one had been assigned to the seat, and asked for his boarding pass, which read something like 17C. They politely asked him to move back to his assigned seat - which he did, realizing he had been caught.

jaymay

Since I am new to the world of elite flying, and have fully changed my ways, I think it is time to make my public confession: One time when I was in high school flying to Florida (MIA) with a friend, we tried really hard to scam our way into first class. We tried saying there was a mistake, all of it. Definitely didn't work and we got no end of dirty looks from the other F people.

Anyway, my confession is made. I can only hope the Gods of FT will find room to forgive me

BNAChairman

My personal favorite was on a flight from CLT to BNA this year. Two business men were in 3A and 3C talking loudly before the flight door closed. I heard the FA explain to the man in 3C that she didn't have his name on the manifest for FC. The jig was up - she made him move to coach, thank goodness. His last comment was priceless, "But I always fly first class!" as he packed his things and moved behind the wall.

CloudsBelow

Classic story! You handled it with a lot more patience than I would have. I am amazed at all of the snobby people sitting in domestic first these days! Hello!!, this isn't 1995 anymore. First class is a couple inches and a couple hundred more than economy. Oh yeah, you also get the $8 meal and $1 shot of liquor on some flights. Seems pretty minimal to act like many of the people described in the stories above.

goheelswks

Not a FC story...but before my "super silver elite" days , I ALWAYS sat in the exit row (window, please!) b/c I'm fairly tall and I prefer the legroom. Well, after sitting down and taking out my dinner (messy cobb salad bought at the Chili's by the gates in ATL), some guy and his wife come and tell me that they have my seats. B/c I checked in online (and bought my ticket online, too, see THAT thread...), I usually just let the GA keep my entire printed-out boarding pass so we don't have to worry about ripping the full page in half. I politely say that there must be a misunderstanding, and ask to see his boarding pass...which has my seat. Since I didn't have mine to show and claim "squatter's rights," I had to close up my salad, stow my laptop, and fight the crowd to get to the front to talk to the FA.

The FA, who was great otherwise, denies the existence of a manifest ("What's that?") and tells me to take any seat. I explain that I'd really prefer an exit row and that there must be a misunderstanding...as the two GAs run onto the plane to deboard the couple, who it turns out, were on the wrong flight

Glad to know that:
1. Manifests DO exist in places other than Wonderland
2. Two people were allowed to board with BPs for a different flight

dukeman

1. Manifests do exist, but the FAs don't get a copy until the flight is closed and the GA brings it onboard with the final paperwork.

2. Same thing happened this past weekend CLT-IAH. I was hoping for a bump. Flight was booked to 70 of 70 according to the GA. After a few minutes it was discovered that there were 72 people on the plane (obviously 2 didn't have seats). I got excited thinking here comes that bump. 2 minutes later the GA came onboard and paged 2 pax who were on the wrong IAH flight. Can any US employee explain how that wasn't caught by the scanner? The GA was scanning all BPs as they were presented.....