I don’t get it. I am an elite flyer with one of the Asian carriers, actually off one flight yesterday, on to another tomorrow. I have never seen anything like this. In fact FAs typically help flyers find overhead space, even moving up a class to find space. Always polite and smiling. I have the option of United non-stop for my most traveled route fron the US, almost the same schedules and costs as my preferred carrier. Based on my domestic experiences, I don’t think I’d fly United on this route unless you paid me.
I hate flying domestically and have no trouble believing the passenger in this instance was wronged. My last AA flight, an employee grabbed a man’s garment bag as we waited to board. No explanation, no warning, no apology - just a grab, the same as a thief would use. When the passenger asked what was going on, he was shouted at- the bins are full, I’m gate checking this. Rude, rude, rude. I was stunned and haven’t flown AA since.
@conmama, I have no trouble believing that a mom with 2 babies who has just been hit on the head, treated inappropriately (no matter the back story, there should have been no physical fight over the stroller) and is apparently alone to manage the trip with the babies would react by breaking down and crying. I don’t hear anything forced in her crying, but I respect your right to disagree!
I was in a new-to-me airport yesterday and couldn’t find my airline’s lounge ( what a privileged concern!). Everything was overwhelming and chaotic and I actually thought I would love to stand in the corridor and start screaming! Not at all the same as the Mum with twin babies, but I certainly understand feeling totally helpless and overcome by the situation.
I have never seen anyone allowed to board an aircraft with a stroller in my decades of flying. That was clearly a failure to get it gate checked before the mom got on the plane.
Accidentally hitting and injuring a passenger and then refusing to provide employer’s name or ID number seems very unprofessional.
This whole situation should never have happened and could and should have been diffused so it never got as bad and draining for everyone as it appears to have.
Grabbing a passenger’s luggage and shouting it had to be checked because overhead bins are full also sounds VERY jarring and unprofessional. Fortunately, I have been spared from witnessing any of the above, so far.
American seems to be working hard on damage control of this incident.
I truly believe that many though not all airline problems could be solved by selling overhead bin space and then tagging the Cary ons with the same kind of tagged check luggage has which tag would onky contain a GIANT number corresponding to the bin which can be easily seen No fight over bins. No one has to rush to get on. If you put Anything in bin without a number its taken off the same way that happens when bins are full.
I very rarely have checked bags, but would happily pay for the overhead bin space I now get “free”. Just knowing that I can board leisurely because I’m assured of bin space would be worth the fee. Overhead bins have always seemed a more valuable commodity to me than checked services with the frequent loss of bags and wait for bag arrival.
I really cannot stand the bickering over bin space and all the paraphernalia that people carry on – including dripping bags of food with all sorts of odors. I carry nothing on except a small tote that fits under the seat that contains my wallet, laptop, phone and make-up case. Retrieving a bag at baggage claim usually takes me 10 to 15 minutes and saves me a lot of trouble when boarding. And I don’t have to lug the bag all through the airport.
Certainly I can understand that when traveling alone with twins one might have extra baggage. I assume the large backpack she had contained supplies for the twins for the journey. Perhaps passengers like this should be given priority for bin space. I suppose that is why they give them the option of pre-boarding. Perhaps she was late in getting to the gate?
@zobroward In the video I can’t see any name tags on any of the employees. I think it’s fine to use a number rather than a name, but IMO there should be some way of IDing an employee if you want to write a letter (or email) of complaint (or praise). All the employees here failed to answer at least two requests from the male passenger to id the employee who hit the woman with the stroller.
It’s been a long time since I flew with a baby, but…when I had to walk some distance from the terminal to the plane, I was allowed to use a stroller, but told to leave it in the entryway as soon as I boarded. It was then loaded onto the plane and not accessible to me during the flight. IIRC, on international flights, this was what you had to do with duty free purchases as well. When I exited the plane, the stroller was there waiting for me so I had it before I got to the luggage carousels which often were a considerable distance from where the plane landed. When there were stairs to exit the plane, it was at the bottom of the stairs. I am not claiming this happened each time, but neither was it infrequent.
I suspect --pure surmise on my part–that that’s what happened here. The woman was allowed to use a stroller to help get the kids to the plane. She was supposed to leave it in the entryway, but decided to put it in the overhead bin, which is not allowed.
Of course, my travels with baby were pre 9/11, so things might have changed.
Bad thing is–now nobody will be allowed to take a stroller past the gate. To me, that increases the risk because it’s much safer to have a toddler–the twins were 15 months–strapped in than run the risk that they will get away and get hit by one of the baggage trucks or some such while the parent is walking them out to the plane.
I can’t see any stroller, even an umbrella stroller being short enough to fit in one of those overhead bins. And how can you maneuver it down the aisle? No way you can do that with a twin stroller.
Maybe that’s why she tried to put it in the first bin, near the door. Maybe he freaked out because those were the first class bins. Either way, as HiMom said - it just shouldn’t have happened. They should have calmly stopped her right at the end of the jetway and offered to help her carry things in. Even carry one of the babies. And then gate checked the stroller.
As a mother of twins, traveling at this age was just beyond difficult. Traveling alone? Can you imagine needing the bathroom and having to take both babies with you? The mother may have been ready to break down from the stresses of the previous hours for numerous reasons.
I have traveled with an infant and toddler. Having to use the bathroom was very challenging. You have to depend on the kindness of strangers. I have never seen a stroller on any plane I’ve been on and always gate checked our stroller when our kids were that age.
We use a wheel cart for some medical equipment. All the flight crews have firm rules that the wheels gave to remain under the seat in front, NOT in an overhead bin where they could hurt someone. I really wish I didn’t need to bring medical equipment and medications–loved the bygone days when I could travel much lighter.
Strollers have no business getting thru the boarding gate. There just isn’t any space for them – the aisles are way too narrow.
I’m in the same boat–elite flyer with an Asian carrier–and I would go great lengths to avoid any US-based airlines. I mean, I’ve avoided them for years, but now I’m even more determined to do so.
We always try to avoid US carriers for international travel too. Although I’ve heard some of them have been stepping it up lately (on the international routes, not domestic).
The last straw for W was a number of years ago on United. She asked for a glass of wine and was brusquely told, “You’re too young” by a flight attendant who just brushed her off without even stopping or giving W a chance to respond. W was left sitting sitting there wondering WTH just happened.
a little of topic but related to he misery of airline travel (private jet of course I would gladly use if I just had tons of extra $$$$ to spend)
I wish there was an app that could tell you on any trip at which point does driving come out as the winner.
there are hundreds of factors that could go into each determination for a trip and also added benefits like you can leave at a time of your choice from your house. but I have said before an 8 hour drive is less stressful and the same time involved as a 45 minute flight. (from leaving for the airport until you get to your final destination like say a hotel or uncle frank’s house)
I recently inherited a very large amount of money. I’m not going to spend it on a nicer house or newer/ fancier cars or pricy clothing and jewelry. And I’m not particularly interested in travel, as I’m a homebody. But I told my husband that when we do travel I will not fly coach again. Even on short flights. It’s too miserable an experience. This is the luxury I’m going to undulge in. Also airline lounges: I like to get to the airport early to reduce stress and am Not dealing with sitting at gates and trying to maneuver through those disgusting airport public bathrooms. The last time we flew going first class and spending our waiting time at the lounge was a completely different experience having almost no relation to my prior post 9/11 experiences.
They have made a change within the past year which I think is a big mistake and MAY have contributed to this incident: They no longer pre-board families with children. I have no idea why they made this change but I hope they’ll re-think it.
I haven’t seen many issues with difficult flight attendants on American; my worst experience with a flight attendant with major attitude was on Delta a few years ago. Ended up with the police meeting the flight and a passenger being escorted off. (A passenger who hadn’t done anything wrong other than be in the restroom on a small commuter plane and the flight attendant wouldn’t move her cart to let him return to his seat.) The upshot was the police, after their investigation questioning the rest of us, apologizing to the guy they took off the plane. (Happy to say he wasn’t dragged off the plane!)
I found the service in overseas airlines and the attitudes of the flight crew(including flight attendants) to be far better than their US airlines’ counterparts even before 9/11. After 9/11, the contrast gap became a large chasm.
Only exception IME to this is Jetblue, but then again a large part of that was I wasn’t expecting any frills for the ticket I paid for a coast-to-coast domestic flight and the actual experience far exceeded my expectations…such as the unusually wider seats with more legroom than on past coach flights. A good thing considering I’m a smidgen under 6’ and most coach and even business class seats tend to feel a bit cramped for those of my height or greater.
If you’re going to condemn the passenger who was angered by the power-drunk flight attendant who was so aggressive in his actions that he hit the mother and nearly hit her baby, I’d say that’d only be ok IF:
The flight attendant is immediately taken off the plane and arrested for assault and battery on the mother(for actually hitting her), assault on the baby(near miss), and creating a flight hazard(possibility of hitting other passengers/personnel in the confined space of the aircraft).