Comments on: Don’t go there! 6 things you should never do when you’re away

By: ton

ton — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:08:30 +0000

i had my share of tough flights, seen some strange things

from the “people with children can now board” that had a couple with the 18-20 year olds claim that ment them to people that screamed at staff (tip you might want to check local laws about that punishments can vary from fines to jailtime)

i know al lot of people that work at airlines, even flown as guests with some of them. There is no excuse for screaming or worse. treat people like you want to be treated.

As for irritating fellow passengers, i always take earplugs and some entertainment.

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:40:18 +0000

A Gate Agent in the south, showed me BITE MARKS on her arm. A woman was upset that weather had delayed her flight. And, I’ll never forget the agent with Continental that had his neck broken by a passenger. I sent him a get well card and he actually wrote me back thanking me for my sympathy! The result of that case was injustice.

How ironic that for decades, the traveling public complains about being treated like cattle, yet they act like it as well. And for decades, we tried to calm the loudest complainers with compensation, upgrades, free this or that. But, we’ve become fully aware that that tactic doesnt always work anymore. People complained, just to complain and see what they could get from the airlines, because of course they have this ENDLESS source of revenue/compensation.
9-11 brought on, Zero Tolerance. Act up and you may be arrested. A plane may divert and enjoy being stranded in another city in jail.
And, Mr Johnson, Gate agent have more authority then you think. What they have no control over is the aircraft, what time it leaves, the weather, your upgrade chances, overhead space, sitting a family of six together at departure time….etc…etc. I think you meant to say, sometime’s they’re treated like trash, but, expected to perform miracles, like God.

By: Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:42:17 +0000

I am probably one of the squeakiest wheels in the air and rare is the occassion where any of the above work. I am an elite frequent flyer and in my mind we are the ones who should be the role models of appropriate travel decorum. Certainly not the poster child for boorish behavior. I always ask instead of demand and very rarely show my elite member card. Gate Agents have only slightly more authority then the guy that empties their trash baskets so why yell at them?

If you have a burning desire to rip a new one do so where it will be effective. I have more then a few VP’sdirect dials stored and I’ve used them 5 or 6 times in 20 years when things were really a mess.