[bigwave916]

In order to avoid Delta, I recently flew via Milwaukee to Flint to get to Detroit on Midwest. I had a seat next to a rather large individual so I went back to the last row where no one was sitting. While I leaned over to put my computer bag under the seat and arrange the seat belts, I was startled by the slamming of the overhead just inches from my ears. My heart jumped into my throat and I was actually afraid I was having a heart attack.

I turned around and said without thinking "GEEZUS" The flight attendant with a smart ass looking smirk says, "What? Didn't you know I was back here?" Then she says "I was going to block off these seats. You'd probably be more comfortable in the seats in the front, they are a little wider" (This is actually a lie on her part) I told her "I have a seat in the front but I'd rather sit back here." She says "Well you can't sit back here."

After I took another seat and figured the confrontation was over, she went to the front of the plane, then returned to the aft galley. On her way by, loud enough so I could hear her, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear, she called me an "*******"

It was clear she didn't want me in the back of the plane, and I know why. Most of us have been on flights where the FAs rush through the service and then sit on their ***** in the back of the bus. And it's exactly what these two did, talking about American Idol, and an article they saw in People magazine.

If she'd talked to me like a human being instead of slamming the overhead, I'd have gladly selected another seat.

Leilani, or Lynloni, or whatever the hell your name is, you are a disgrace to your profession. In 35 years of flying on business, I have never met a flight attendant who treated customers the way that you did me. If I ever cross paths with you again, it'll be too soon.

I don't want to make this a racial thing either, but I'm white, she was black, and I was carrying a copy of Newt Gingrich's book "How To Save America" which is none too kind to President Obama. I'd hate to think that had anything to do with it.

[IAmJulie]

What aircraft were you on? On smaller planes it is important to sit where your boarding pass says to sit for weight and balance purposes during take off and landing. However, she shouldn't have been so rude about it all.

[bigwave916]

It was an Embraer 177, a regional jet. I've never been asked to move for weight and balance on anything that didn't have propellers. If asked to move for weight and balance, I always do and without complaint.

I wouldn't think slamming the overhead would be the preferred way to communicate to a passenger that weight and balance was an issue.

[jimworcs]

There is absolutely no evidence to introduce a racial element into this story.. it is utterly gratuitious and makes me suspect that you are looking to be insulted. Until you offered that little gem, I was thinking, wow she is an *******. After you introduced the racial nonsense, with no evidence whatsoever, I was thinking... wow..they are both *******s.

[bigwave916]

Wow! Thanks for your feedback jimworcs. I've never had a run-in with a flight attendant or a gate agent in my life where either of us got angry. I can't come up with a reason for this woman to treat me the way she treated me and I was looking for something, anything that could have set her off. I'll accept your analysis that there was no evidence in my message. The only "evidence" I have, could be disputed.

While moving my belongings I'd left the book in the seat in the back. The FA brought it to me and instead of handing it to me she threw it into the window seat next to me.

As to whether I'm looking to be insulted, from what I've read on this board from you and some of the others, I've come to the right place............

[jimworcs]

lol... you certainly have! Usually, I am insulting the airlines, but I try to operate an equal opportunity insult policy..

[IAmJulie]

My airline flies embraers. The ones that fly into my station are 135 and 140, occassionally at 145. We check the weight and balance on those aircrafts every flight.

[eAAgleguy]

It's not Midwest anymore. Midwest is gone. That was a Republic flight you were on.

[bigwave916]

eAAgleguy "It's not Midwest anymore. Midwest is gone. That was a Republic flight you were on."

Perfect candidate to work for an airline. Nit pit everything the passenger says without even addressing the issue at hand. BFD it was operated by Republic.

Just last week I booked a flight on the Midwest Airlines website, then printed boarding passes that say Midwest Airlines. I went to the Midwest Airlines agent at the Midwest Airlines gate and got on an airplane painted up in Midwest Airlines colors......etc, etc, etc,

Same deal when I fly Frontier, also part of Republic...soon they will all be called Frontier even though the parent company will be Republic.

Go looki for fly**** in the pepper shaker.

[eAAgleguy]

You booked a flight on Midwest Airlines (operated by Republic), then printed a boarding pass that says Midwest Airlines (operated by Republic), went to the Midwest Airlines agent (ask who pays him/her), and got on a Midwest Airlines colors airplane (operated by Republic)...etc, etc, etc.

I didn't address your subject because you brought race into it and clearly have race issues. You said you have never had a problem on a flight before and yet you flew all over the place to not fly on Delta. That leads me to believe you had a problem on Delta.

You set her off because you're another arrogant person who doesn't think the rules apply to you. You purchased a seat and were assigned a seat. You are expected to sit in your assigned seat unless you are given another one. If you want to sit wherever you want, you should try Southwest. They don't have assigned seating.

[The_Judge]

eAAgleguy......to be fair, you're arguing about the wrong thing to the wrong person. If your last comments are direct towards jonesmrdl, that person did not have an issue with seating or DL. He/she only talked about their flight being Midwest. bigwave916 is the one that made the OP.

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Since American Air is home to "Helen The Orange Juice Lady," and others who occupy a parallel reality--see:

http://consumerist.com/2009/12/askin...deral-law.html

I felt eAAgleguy's definition of "arrogant person" might be enlightening. "Arrogant person" can't possibly apply to "Helen," or any other like minded American employee. And it probably doesn't apply to a customer travelling with a criminal defense attorney--a "must have" for American Air customers! So what, praytell, could this phrase, in Americanspeak, mean??

[bigwave916]

Like the OP, I've flown a lot of years without having any kind of personal confrontation with airline personnel. Not to say that I haven't had a problem with an airline, I just haven't had any kind of heated exchange with an airline employee.

For the most part, I think they are just people trying to do a job that can put them in situations where their employers policies and practices make them targets for angry customers. Many of those customers have a right to be angry, which leaves the employee often in an undefendable position.

Even though I haven't had face to face conflict with the employees, there are a few airlines that I try to avoid....United, USAir, Delta. I used to prefer Northwest and Midwest Airlines and it remains to be seen if Midwest will be the same when it is merged with Frontier (OH, and don't forget it's really Republic)

Deos anyone know of a reference here or anywhere else that gives alternate choices between city pairs, or a thread about members favorite airline avoidance strategies?

[AirlineComplaints.org]

bigwave916 and jonesmrdl are the same person so we've merged their accounts into bigwave91.

bigwave916, please don't create multiple accounts on this site to attempt to further validate your points. It has the opposite effect.

[The_Judge]

Originally Posted by The_Judge

eAAgleguy......to be fair, you're arguing about the wrong thing to the wrong person. If your last comments are direct towards jonesmrdl, that person did not have an issue with seating or DL. He/she only talked about their flight being Midwest. bigwave916 is the one that made the OP.

Well.....after the post above this one, it seems I was wrong. eAAgleguy, you were arguing to the right person after all.