[stop_bad_airline_service]

This is what happened to me on May 28, 2008. These are the facts no bs....Earlier this evening I was booked on Horizon Air oflight 2525 from Portland to SFO. This was only the second time I have taken a Horizon Air flight, the first being from SFO to Portland on May 27. At approximately 6:30pm this evening I boarded the flight and went to my assigned seat – 2D. As I boarded, seats 1-Window and 1 C and D were occupied as well as seats 2 A and B. When I arrived at my seat I found that there was no one seated in seat 2C, the seat next to mine, yet the overheard compartment was full. I noticed that there was a place in the overhead compartment above seats 1A and B. I placed my bag in the compartment above seat 1A/B and my laptop under the seat in front of me.

The gentleman in seat 1-Aisle arrived shortly after I had sat down and found that the overhead compartment was full, so he opened the overhead compartment above seats 1C and D. I could see that he only had to place a small laptop bag in the overhead compartment. The woman in seat 1D told him that he could move her things around. I heard him reply that that was not necessary as he had found a place for his bag. As I was seated behind the woman, I could clearly hear and see what had happened.

The Flight Attendant, Ms. Marcella Oswald, then opened both compartments above seats 1 A and B removed my bag and placed it on my lap (somehow she knew it was my bag as she did not ask who owned the bag) saying that it could not go in compartment 1 and that it needed to be placed under the seat in front of me. As Ms. Oswald placed the bag on my lap I told her that my laptop was under the seat in front of me and there was no room for two bags. She said “put it under the seat next to you”, which was not occupied. I said that I wasn’t sure if anyone was sitting there (as passengers were still boarding) and I asked her if she knew if another passenger was assigned to the seat, as I didn’t want to inconvenience another passenger with my bag. Ms. Oswald said she did not know.

I put my bag on the seat next to mine and waited for a break in passengers boarding when I could find a place for my bag. I tried to position my bag in the compartment above my seat but struggled and I asked Ms. Oswald why she moved my bag when both my bag and the gentleman’s bag seated in 1-aisle both fit with our previous configuration. She said that only people seated in row 1 can place their bags in that compartment and because I wasn’t seated in that row I couldn’t. [I would like to restate that with the prior configuration all 4 passengers in row 1 were seated and all 4 including myself had our bags stowed without Ms. Oswald needing to move my bag]. She said I didn’t understand. I continued to struggle to find a place for my bag and Ms. Oswald told me to leave it and she would find a place. I did leave it and she collected it and placed it further back in the plane. [Subsequently, I didn’t know where it was located until I was asked to leave the plane and had to open up several compartments to find it.]

At this point, I was very disappointed with the customer service provided my Ms. Oswald. I am a software consultant based in San Francisco, but my work takes me to cities across the country and I am travelling every week from San Francisco to client’s locations, so I am very aware of how other airlines handle baggage. During the 13 years I have been travelling for work have I never encountered an airline hostess removing a bag when:

1. All bags fit well and passengers have not complained; and
2. I wasn’t sitting beneath the compartment where my bag was stored

Because of this I told Ms. Oswald that I was disappointed with the customer service she had provided me. My tone of voice was matter of fact, it was not rude; I was not loud, I did not raise my voice and I did not use profanity. Her response to me was (to quote) “you better keep it real or you won’t make it to San Francisco”. I asked her “are you threatening me?” in a question-like manner, again not raising my voice nor yelling. She said “right” and walked away. The next thing I knew Mr. Len Wolford appeared and asked “How can I help you”. I told him that I didn’t make any requests and I didn’t understand what was going on. He asked if there was an issue with my bag and I said no, he asked if the air hostess had moved my bag and I said yes and explained how Ms. Oswald had moved my bag and told me that only passengers seated in row 1 could place their bags in that compartment. And I told him about the conversation where Ms. Oswald had threatened me. I told him that I didn’t understand what I had done wrong and that he could ask any of the passengers around me if I was being disruptive, rude, loud, obnoxious or had used curse words; I said “I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t know what I’ve done wrong”.
Mr. Wolford walked away (I later learned that he had left the plane). At this point I thought everything was OK. Ms. Oswald then came back to me and said “I want to speak to you”. I said “I don’t know what I’ve done wrong”.
She said “come with me”, and at this point I was frightened of what she would say or do to me because of her previous reactions to me. I again asked “what have I done wrong to deserve you doing this to me? Please tell me what wrong thing I have done?” She then walked away and Mr. Wolford returned and asked me to get my belongings and leave the plane. I did as he said.

As I was leaving the plane I saw Ms. Oswald and told her that I wanted her name and she replied “he’ll give it to you, pointing to Mr. Wolford”. As I was walking with him back up to the terminal, I again asked “can someone please tell me what I have done wrong? I don’t understand what I have done wrong”. He said he didn’t know because he wasn’t there. Mind you, I was asked to leave by Ms. Oswald after Mr. Wolford had left the plane the first time, so he had seen that everything was resolved enough to leave the plane already. Why did Ms. Oswald come back and demand I leave the plane? I don’t understand.
I was extremely distraught about what had occurred and called my boyfriend to tell him what had happened and started sobbing heavily. I still don’t know what I did that was wrong – can Horizon Air explain this to me?

Mr. Wolford then got PS Supervisor PDX, Ms. Trisha Perry, and I told her what had happened and she said she couldn’t tell me what I had done wrong because she wasn’t there. In front of Ms. Perry I asked Mr. Wolford if during his and my interaction on the plane if I had used profanity or was threatening - He said no, I asked him “was I loud?”, he said “no”; “yelled?”, again, he said “no”. I asked “Was I speaking to you in a regular conversation voice”, he said “yes”. Even after I was thrown off, I didn’t yell, I didn’t curse, I didn’t scream or threaten anyone. I was only crying, in fact I cried the whole time I was speaking with Mr. Wolford and Ms. Perry; and cried even on the Air Alaska flight all the way to Oakland, because I cannot believe the experience I had just had, and for no apparent reason.

I realized that one reason I was upset was from feeling threatened by Ms. Oswald after she said to me “you better keep it real or you won’t make it to San Francisco”. This was in response to me telling her I wasn’t happy with her customer service. Again, I never used a loud or an angry voice, at any time with any member of your staff. And I would be happy for Horizon Air to interview all passengers around me to confirm this statement.

When I got to the terminal I asked Mr. Wolford if it was policy that only those passengers seated in row 1 can place their bags in that compartment, as Ms. Oswald had told me. He said those passengers in row 1 need additional room because they don’t have an area under the seat in front of them. Again I asked, if it was a policy, and he said no.
Prior to Ms. Oswald rearranging the compartments above the seats and removing my bag, all of the bags of all passengers in row 1, including my bag, fit in the compartments above seats 1 A/B and 1 C/D; all passengers in row 1 were seated.
When I spoke with Mr. Wolford and Ms. Perry, I asked them why Ms. Oswald returned to speak with me after Mr. Wolford had left the plane; both said they didn’t know. I also don’t understand why Ms. Oswald wanted to cause further problems, when the issue had been resolved and Mr. Wolford had left.

I have been flying extensively for work for the past 13 years, both internationally and domestically; never in that time have I experienced such dismal customer service. As a consultant I provide customer service and if I treated a customer the way Ms. Oswald treated me or threatened them like Ms. Oswald did, I would be out of work.
What is so appalling is that no one provided any sort of explanation. Ms. Oswald would not provide an explanation, even after several requests from her – I find this to be especially unbelievable.

I know my behavior was not rude; I was not loud or obnoxious in any way. I encourage Horizon Air to question any of the passengers around me on that flight to verify everything I have written in this letter. Additionally, I can provide numerous references to Horizon Air from my employers, peers and clients indicating my disposition; I am not violent, nor am I an angry person. I do not have a criminal record, and I have never been involved in any altercations; this is simply not in my nature.
Even though I had received an apology from Mr. Wolford, though nice, it does not resolve the issue for me; I feel that it is Ms. Oswald that needs to apologize for her actions.

It appears the only conclusion I can draw from her behavior is that Ms. Oswald was racially discriminating against me because of my dark skin and hair; or because I am a young attractive woman and she is an old ugly bitter witch.

Based on my experience I will never fly Horizon. I have avoided Alaska in my travels because of their terrible safety record and now I will avoid Hoirzon......spread the word, Horizon expect their passangers to receive crap service and then when the passenger tells them this, they threaten passengers and get them thrown off the plane.......Marcella Oswald remember what goes around comes around. I know I'm not special and you've probably done this hundreds of times before, I just hope this time someone stops you....you bitter old witch

[Silent Bob]

You had me right up until:

"It appears the only conclusion I can draw from her behavior is that Ms. Oswald was racially discriminating against me because of my dark skin and hair; or because I am a young attractive woman and she is an old ugly bitter witch."

For all this to have happened something more went down than what was mentioned. But good tryin to come across as miss innocent. Though I don't think too many will buy this tale of woe.

[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

It sounds like that flight attendant has the airline's "SOP" manual, and FAA regulations, with her for bedtime reading. She was, obviously, enforcing EVERYTHING, down to the last period and question mark. I have no problem with that. What I DO have a problem with is inconsistent enforcement, by the airlines, of rules. I have flown, in first class and had no space, in the overhead bin, because the flight attendants allowed the coach passengers to fill-up the first class bins. I have seen bags, the dimension of duffle bags, being put into the overhead bin.

Because I used to work with a few "Ms. Oswalds" I know that the "rule book" can, without warning, be pulled-out at any time. So, when I fly, I prepare accordingly.

It sounds like Ms. Oswald is a power-drunk bitch who hates her job, and a lot of the customers she comes in contact with. Having said that, she DID, to my understanding, have the "rules" on her side. There is a weight limit as to what can be put into the overhead bins. British Air is nice enough to put a small sticker below the latch of every bin door, stating exactly what the limit is (it's quoted in metric however.) And, yes, for those flight attendants who want to move into the stratosphere of being anal retentive--everyone is supposed to have all of their things directly overhead. Although, the only flights where I've seen that happen, on a regular basis, is on the essential air service flights to a town south of where I live--Worland, Wyo. ("WRL")--and those flights average about 4 - 5 passengers per flight!

Again, if airlines, or anyone else, are inconsistent with enforcing rules, then they're asking for problems.

[Gromit801]

I agree with Silent Bob. You had me almost believing your story until we got to the personal attacks. Then I was sure there is more to the story then just your side.

As to Alaska's safety record? It one of the best in the industry! I would rather fly on Alaska Airlines then ever step foot on a Southwest Airlines aircraft because I know that Alaska actually performs scheduled and FAA mandated maintenance. Alaska doesn't place their passengers lives at risk to save a few bucks by fudging maintenance requirements. If you're thinking of flight 261, you had better read the whole report. There was a lot of blame to go around, including Boeing and the FAA.