copy of letter I sent to Continental with no response yet -
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February 21, 2011
To: Customer Service, Continental Airlines, Complaint Division
From: David Albert, M.D.
Re: Case File #4742139
I am writing this letter after an extremely disturbing and unfair experience my wife and I just suffered on one of your flights from Las Vegas to Newark (flight #1069) on our return from a medical conference for 4 days. We boarded the plane having already checked our two bags for a fee of $50. I also had an antique mirror (wrapped in plastic cushioning in a bag), which we purchased during our trip for $700 that we did not want to check because of its fragility and which could easily fit in the overhead compartments. As we boarded the plane last, because we had seats 14C and F, we were told, even before stepping foot inside the aircraft, that all bags had to be stored under our feet or checked because there was no more room in the over-head compartments. I was concerned because the mirror was too large to fit under the seat in front of me and I expressed this to the first flight steward I saw. I was told to ask another member of the flight crew whether it could fit in one of the “closets.” I did this and was promptly told “NO…. “ without any further explanation. She said to put it front of my legs which meant on my feet and which would have definitely broken it as soon as the passenger in front tilted back his seat (
and also is it not a safety hazard?). As I got to our seats I saw that there was indeed no room overhead, but noticed that there was still room in some of the overhead compartments in the business section. I asked one of the flight attendants if I could put the mirror there, and she said “yes, I don’t care…..” I told her that I wanted to make sure that no one put a bag on top of the mirror, which would surely have broken it. She barely seemed to hear me and I didn’t receive any verbal acknowledgement other than “I don’t’ care…..” I also remarked that I did not think it fair that I had no room above my seat for my belongings, as I had already paid for two checked bags. I then attempted to sit down.
30 seconds later, a member of your security team approached me and told me to take my belongings and get off the plane. I asked why and she would not tell me. I asked if I would be coming back on the flight and she said “No, just come with me now.” Fortunately I asked this so that my wife could leave with me as well. This was a deeply and brutally humiliating experience to be taken off your aircraft for “security concerns,” when in fact it was merely a question of lack of space and very poor cooperation amongst your staff.
Moreover, this whole issue was completely resolved when the security officer “escorted us off,” and I was trying to sit down in my seat.
When we were off the plane, the security team person said that I had been “yelling and screaming” and that the flight attendant felt that I was a “threat and a risk”, that she had told the captain and he requested that I be taken off the flight. There was
NO discussion with me,
NO attempt on the flight attendant’s part to tell me I was making her feel “threatened” or unsafe, just the unilateral and arbitrary decision to remove me from my purchased seat as if I were a criminal.
This incident brings up 2 major issues. Firstly and most importantly, I believe that this was a total abuse of power on the part of your flight attendant and crew. I was not “screaming or yelling,” merely voicing my right to complain about the lack of space above my seat. I was told that space is available on a “first come, first serve basis….” Well, this is clearly not fair for people who board last, as was my case. Also, the situation currently with checked baggage fees encourages the majority of passengers to travel with carry-on luggage (
which was not our case) and fill up all the overhead compartments, with priority given to those passengers who board first (not really a fair “first come, first serve” system). Secondly, why your flight attendant could not have taken a brief moment to tell me that I was making her feel uncomfortable or “threatened” or being rude, if she felt that was the case, before being whisked off by security as the doors to plane closed behind us is quite beyond me. This whole incident could have been so easily avoided if your crew took 10 seconds to talk to me and explain their concerns. Of course, I understand when legitimate issues are involved, speedy action is required, but this was by no means what was going on here. Rather, this was a case of a paying customer calmly expressing dissatisfaction with your overhead spacing policies and a disgruntled employee – against whom I would like to make a formal complaint (I don’t know her name, as I was told that this was not information I was allowed to have.)
Once off the plane we spoke with a supervisor, Mike Ozuna, who was extremely pleasant and accommodating. He said that he would be involved in doing a “thorough investigation” of the whole incident – but what does that mean, and how do I defend myself? He booked us on the next flight, # 1469, and allowed us to board with the first passengers. Also please note that our bags remained on the first flight,
which seems to me a real security issue. Once on board, I asked a flight attendant, Kelly, if there was space somewhere for the above mentioned mirror. Please note that this was an equally packed flight. She also was very pleasant, looked in 3 spots and was successful in finding a place in a “closet” area.
I have been flying with Continental for more than 30 years, and have never experienced anything so unpleasant, humiliating, unfair, and quite frankly ridiculous. How my behavior could be construed as threatening, or a “security risk,” is totally preposterous. I would also like to add that my wife who is the daughter of holocaust survivors is still deeply emotionally shaken up. This was an affront on our rights as customers and human beings.
As a Board Certified Psychiatrist in practice for 20 years, I do believe that I know when people (myself included) are being “threatening” or pose a security risk. It is part of my daily work to make such evaluations. Believe me that beyond some words of displeasure on my part, there were no threats, “yells”, “screams”, or even a raised voice. For your flight attendant to state this is completely dishonest and represents an absolute abuse of power. My wife and I were treated as pieces of cattle to be hauled off because your staff could not professionally handle a very crowded aircraft.
After a very nice stay in Las Vegas, and a productive medical conference, this experience has put an extremely sour note on our four-day trip, not to mention the 1 ½ less sleep I have been working with since I started my day at 8 am EST. I would appreciate a response to this letter as soon as possible, as I am also considering seeking legal counsel and will be discussing this with my colleagues and friends in the media.
Sincerely,
David Albert, M.D.
Board Certified Psychiatrist
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
275 Central Park West, Suite 1E
New York, NY 10024
212-580-7731
E-mail: dalbert128@aol.com/da253@columbia.edu