[It's Ugly Up There]

I've been chewing on this one for a while, and thought I'd toss it out. I've been flying for twenty years and had the mistaken believe that customers are an important component in the airline industry's scheme. Not so.

In late January, our American Airlines flight originating at Dulles Airport (IAD) left 75 minutes late for DFW (Dallas) because, as the gate agent explained, the lead flight attendant had overslept and the plane couldn't leave without her. The pilots, milling around the gate, did not appear to be happy. Sleeping beauty finally showed up and we left.

During the flight, many passengers around me talked about missed flights. One woman talked about putting in an extra 8 hours of travel time and an extra connecting stop because of the oversleeper. I missed my connecting flight to San Antonio, but that's a milkrun and flights are frequent. When I got to DFW, I went to the departure gate for the next San Antonio flight.

Two women were there, standing near and behind the counter. I said, "I missed my connection because the flight attendant at Dulles overslept." The two women laughed and then ID'ed themselves as flight attendants, and one of the of the two, a flight attendant with long blond hair, asked me, "Well, haven't you ever overslept?"

I was taken aback by this defensive/aggressive comment and asked her,"Excuse me?" She repeated the question and I told her the obvious, "I am not a flight attendant." She ask me again if I'd ever overslept. At that point, the other flight attendant suggested I go to another gate and they'd fix me up.

I did, got my ticket reissued for the flight to San Antonio and headed back to that same gate. As I was walking by the counter, on my way to sit and wait for the flight, I caught the movement of someone behind the counter. I looked up and it was the blond flight attendant. She said, "Can I help you." I said, "No. You're the flight attendant that blew me off on this issue of the flight attendant who overslept." I walk on. She followed and said, "But, haven't you overslept?"

I said that I didn't think that was the issue and that because I'd booked the flight that day, paid a pile of dough for my seat, and that many others had missed connecting flights, that oversleeping by a professional airline staff should not be condoned. She asked the same question again. I said I didn't know how the question applies in this situation. "Come on. Didn't you ever oversleep in college?" At that point, the weird factor hit a high point and to disengage, I said, "Look, you're just defending your bretheren," and walked away from her.

It was an unusual circumstance, to be sure, but I shrugged it off, bought a snack and sat down in the waiting area.

About 15 minutes before scheduled boarding time, as I was engrossed in a book, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the gate agent asking me to see him at the counter. I honestly thought I might be lucky enough to get an upgrade because of the price I'd paid for buying the ticket on the day of the flight.

When at the counter, the gate agent said that the blonde flight attendant and the flight captain has decided I wouldn't be allowed on the flight because I had argued with her, I was abusive, I used profanity and she would be uncomfortable with my presence on the plane.

I was dumbfounded. I argued the point, unequivically denying abuse and profanity (which was the case) and I asked to whom I could appeal. "The captain is the only that can let you on," the gate agent said. "Is he near," I asked?

The captain was standing next to the gate agend pulling what looked like the passenger manifest or a weather report out of a printer. A few minutes passed and the agent finally got the captain's attention. He said, "Captain, this is the passenger that you've decided will not go on this flight."

With fire in his eyes and anger in his voice the captain pointed at me and said, "You will not get on this flight!" I tried to ask why. He cut me off and said, "You are not going to fly on my plane!" I was surprised by the pilot's anger, lack of professionalism, and the force of his response, particularly since he'd not been present for my conversation with the blonde flight attendant.

At this point, feeling like a I'd been tried and sentenced without the opportunity for a defense, a brief discussion, and airing of grievances, or an apology, I gave up.

I credit the gate agent with a professional attitude and response through the situation. He said, "Give me your ticket." I hesitated because I had no idea at the time if he was there to further tar and feather me, or help.

"Give me your ticke and let me get you on anther flight," he said. "There's one that leaves a little after this flight and I'll get you on."

When I got back home, I wrote up this account and passed it on to my long-standing travel agent. They sent the note to AA. A month or so later, I received an email from AA in which they said they would take action to make sure the flight attendant wouldn't oversleep, BUT a review of the case found that I was abusive, had used profanity and posed a risk on the flight. I should be glad that they were willing to put this incident behind them as long as I did not display such behavior in the future...an implied threat. Again, I've been flying with great regularity since the mid-1980s, and with NO incidents.

The folks at the travel agency said they'd never heard about such a situation or airline response. I've told this story to many, many friends and they are all shocked by the draconian nature of this incident.

The lessons for me -- It's a mine field in airline world. I steer clear of all contact with all flight attendants...at the gate and on flights. Individually, they may be nice people, but I now view them as I view a rottweiler.

I used to be sympathetic to their situation...getting beat up on salary and benefits by management, being put-upon by Homeland Security/TSA with constantly changing regulations, and dealing with the public who, I've observed more than once, can be real jerks and, to reference the baseball great Satchell Paige, the trip through the TSA gauntlet "angries up the blood."

Flight attendances and their enablers are now just another group of gnarly "public" servants who, in their small moments of authority, have the power to arbitrarily put a big bite on you in the name of safety, security, or a discussion they themselves have advanced.

In retrospect, this ordeal centers around the aggresiveness of the blonde flight attendant. I'd made my frustrated comment about the tardy flight attendant and that was it. Under my new rules, silence would have been golden.

Under their rules, silence would also have been golden, but the blonde flight attendant couldn't let my comment die a quick death of "no comment." Her badgering and aggressively behavior turned a simple puddle jump to San Antonio into a story that I don't mind telling when ever I have the chance.

And while AA couldn't care less about me as a future passenger, I care and I will avoid that airline with great delight. It's the only thing I can and will do.