When DYKWIA becomes the full <airline> tanty

[Strategic Aviation]

US man who went berserk and tried to open plane door during first-class flight to Beijing is jailed for two years - South China Morning Post

Prosecutors said Hudek tried to open an exit door while the flight was over the Pacific Ocean, managing to move the lever about halfway up.

When two flight attendants tried to stop him from opening the door, Hudek became violent, federal prosecutors said. A melee ensued in which Hudek punched one of the attendants twice in the face and hit a fellow passenger with a wine bottle and with his fists.

A flight attendant grabbed two wine bottles and hit Hudek with both, breaking one over his head.

“Hudek did not seem impacted by the breaking of a full litre red wine bottle over his head, and instead shouted, ‘Do you know who I am?’ or words to that effect,” according to a complaint filed by the FBI in Seattle.

 

[prozac]

US man who went berserk and tried to open plane door during first-class flight to Beijing is jailed for two years - South China Morning Post

Obviously a Gen-Y.

 

[Stoffel]

A few years ago I was on a long haul QF flight seated in Y. The seating arrangement was 2-4-2, reducing to 2-3-2 as the fuselage tapered down the back. I was allocated an aisle seat in one of the rows of three.

The flight was fairly full with only a few seats vacant, but no chance of bagging a whole row for yourself. I was one of the last to board and as I approached my allocated seat, I was relieved to see that there was a spare seat between me and the older lady on the opposite aisle.

As I was putting my bag into the overhead locker, I noticed the lady was giving me the dagger stare. She also did the loud sigh and I'm pretty sure there was an eye roll. Oh boy. I sat down and gave her a smile and a polite "hello", whereupon she started to complain that she had specifically requested an empty row to herself and the check in person said they would make this was done. She finds it hard enough to sleep on a plane, how is she doing to manage to sleep without being able to lie down?

"So sorry to hear that", I said as I slipped on headphones and began to go through the IFE.

As soon as the seat belt sign goes off, up goes her armrest, off go her shoes and she plants her feet right next to me on the vacant seat. As she restlessly moved during the flight, her feet at times ended up under my armrest and prodding into leg. I did consider spilling some of my coffee onto her feet but thought better of it.

 

[OATEK]

Aaah Stoffel, if only everyone could show such restraint when faced with entitled pax! Not sure I could have let it go.

 

[leadman]

It was my turn to throw one the other day with AA @ LAX or at least try it on, but failed. My EVA flight from TPE was about 40 minutes late and i had a LAX > TUC flight in 70 minutes. The staff was wonderful and got me through customs record time. From there it was all downhill. Got to the international transfer counter finally after PAX in the queue realised what country they were in! Grumpy AA staff directed me to term 5 to check in as "I would be faster" but when i asked for the boarding pass, no way.

Got to term 5 (after the elevator was out of action) and the queue was huge. Tried to queue jump with Pt, but guard was having none of it. Saw there were less PAX at the normal check-in, so switched lanes. Finally got to an agent who could not give a rats a#$%@. Was almost in his element telling me i had missed close and i should have been earlier!!!! He told me he would put me on the 10:30 so i calmed down. Started to go to TSAPre check when I saw i was on the 16:35. Quit the queue, went back down and the guy is leaving the desk. His reply was "take it up at the Admirals Club"!

Up the club it got worse, where do they hire these people???? 15 minutes of explaining and being told bad luck when i was told my original flight was delayed and if i sprint across to terminal 52 by bus i could make it. Across to the satellite terminal, no plane, it had departed! Now fuming, went to that poxy little lounge there and started all over again. While standing there the attendant at the next desk received a phone call and said "yes the PAX is in front of us now". There was absolute no chance to get the plane as my ticket was cancelled on that flight and now on the 16:35! WHAT!!!! They knew that at the Club and sent me out there to get me out of their hair!!!

They were going to waitlist me but if i want to guarantee a seat i needed to pay an extra $200. Whilst all this was going on i went online and booked Southwest, and told them to get my bag off.

Bag collected and i thought i would try one more time at check-in. At last someone went through it and said all the way through was a debacle, sorry sorry sorry, but since "I" have booked at WN nothing they could do. Said id been given the wrong advise and i wasn't waitlisted.

Yes I was late in, and 2 hour connection time at LAX a bit tight, but the old Pt trick just did not play at all! i think i can could about 5 times i tried it but seemed to go back in the queue. Went over to Term 1 WN as a nobody (well, business select) and breezed through. Still on the same trip, but upon return will fire up the complaint to AA, but will not use/mention Pt..........

 

[prozac]

Pt .... please explain?

 

[Wong.a]

Pt .... please explain?

I think leadman is referring to being a Platinum member of the QFF.

 

[leadman]

I think leadman is referring to being a Platinum member of the QFF.

Sorry, that's the problem of being a metallurgist!!!!!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Sorry, that's the problem of being a metallurgist!!!!!

My wife doesn't see the problem. She's a midwife, but every window she passes with shiny objects within, she becomes a prospector. Her extraction and smeltering methods encompass neither mercury nor cyanide ... purely credit card! An environmentalist, through and through!

 

[JessicaTam]

Ahh got it. So Pt = WP.

 

[leadman]

Of course, and Au = SG, Ag = PS and i suppose Cu/Sn = NB

 

[Wong.a]

Of course, and Au = SG, Ag = PS and i suppose Cu/Sn = NB

CL would be unobtanium.

 

[Quickstatus]

The expectation here is that being a WP solves the issue of being late. In the end late is late. So trying to flash a WP status in these situations never works. Nor should it. That an airline might pull some strings should not be an expectation that it will do so every time.
It would be impossible to fast track every late WP/EXP through the maze/zoo that is LAX. AA have a lot of AA EXP passengers. It is not unusual for some flights to have a majority of passengers on the manifest to be at that status level.
Where the status helps is the waitlisted position is usually higher. No guarantees here either because at any time there may be a whole lot of AA EXP on the wait list who would sit higher

 

[leadman]

The expectation here is that being a WP solves the issue of being late. In the end late is late. So trying to flash a WP status in these situations never works. Nor should it. That an airline might pull some strings should not be an expectation that it will do so every time.
It would be impossible to fast track every late WP/EXP through the maze/zoo that is LAX. AA have a lot of AA EXP passengers. It is not unusual for some flights to have a majority of passengers on the manifest to be at that status level.
Where the status helps is the waitlisted position is usually higher. No guarantees here either because at any time there may be a whole lot of AA EXP on the wait list who would sit higher

It's called "giving it a go". it was worth the try, but failed miserably..... moved on...... next flight............

 

[Quickstatus]

It's called "giving it a go". it was worth the try, but failed miserably..... moved on...... next flight............

True and some ?all of us have at some time tried to leverage FF status

I’ve found though that such attempts invariably fail

 

[Quickstatus]

In January this year I was on an afternoon flight DFW-LAX.

The wait list was maybe 35 for an A320
I overheard the gate agent mention to a passenger trying to get on the flight that 30 of the waitlisted passengers were AAEXP. Sounded like she was also EXP so with 15min prior to boarding she had little chance.

A QFWP would sit below an AAEXP??

 

[defurax]

A QFWP would sit below an AAEXP??

Oneworld policy in cases of flight disruption and wailist suggest that Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby members should have the same priority as members of the carrier operating the connecting/missed/disrupted flight:

"2. oneworld’s top tier frequent flyers in times of disruption
Customers understand that things occasionally go wrong. Ensuring that the most loyal customers
are supported during times of disruption is a key driver in customer satisfaction.
Each member has their own individual processes in place to manage top tier frequent flyers
during times of disruption; over and above each member’s processes is oneworld’s requirement
to offer the same level of service to oneworld top tier customers as they would offer their own top
tiers as shown in the following DRD extract (Section B Frequent Flyer Benefits)"

 

[Franky]

Oneworld policy in cases of flight disruption and wailist suggest that Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby members should have the same priority as members of the carrier operating the connecting/missed/disrupted flight:

"2. oneworld’s top tier frequent flyers in times of disruption
Customers understand that things occasionally go wrong. Ensuring that the most loyal customers
are supported during times of disruption is a key driver in customer satisfaction.
Each member has their own individual processes in place to manage top tier frequent flyers
during times of disruption; over and above each member’s processes is oneworld’s requirement
to offer the same level of service to oneworld top tier customers as they would offer their own top
tiers as shown in the following DRD extract (Section B Frequent Flyer Benefits)"

That might be the protocol as it is writ, however I think we all know that many if not all OW operators interpret them according to their own needs and wants from time to time...

 

[oz_mark]

Ahh got it. So Pt = WP.

Wettable Powder?

 

[JohnK]

As soon as the seat belt sign goes off, up goes her armrest, off go her shoes and she plants her feet right next to me on the vacant seat. As she restlessly moved during the flight, her feet at times ended up under my armrest and prodding into leg. I did consider spilling some of my coffee onto her feet but thought better of it.

You are too kind. A spare seat between 2 people is just that, a spare seat. I would have accidentally bumped and tickled her feet. I would have also put things there.

A few months back on a domestic flight had someone next to me in row 9 or something and row behind had only 1 person. I hinted he could move so we could have more room but he just ignored me. He was quite happy squashed between 2 people so I moved.

Another time again row 8 or 9 and sitting in aisle seat with vacant middle seat and someone from a few rows back comes up wanting to sit in middle seat. I refused and he looked at me in funny way and went back. It wasn't a full flight and he obviously wasn't happy where he was seated but why would I want someone sitting next to me?