I came across an interesting news article this evening that proved that sometimes “strength in numbers” doesn’t always get you places… literally.
According to a recent article from the Associated Press, 73% of the passengers on a Monday-morning AirTran flight going from LaGuardia to Atlanta were thrown off the plane after refusing to listen to the flight crew prior to take off.
More specifically, 100 high school students and their chaperones were asked to leave the aircraft (a Boeing 737 that seats 137) after failing to take their seats and turn off their cellphones. The captain and flight crew have made repeated requests for their cooperation.
The article also states that in addition to re-booking the students on another flight, Southwest Airlines offered vouchers valid for future air travel to all of the faculty and students who were removed from the plane.
Hmmm…
Truthfully, I know there will be many varying reactions to this story, but in my honest opinion, if the facts that were stated in the article hold true, then I would agree that the airline made the right choice to ask them to leave. I also wouldn’t have compensated them, but I understand they probably did that to make light of the situation and avoid bad press.
What are your thoughts?
Good thing they chose to fly Southwest. I have a feeling things would be a bit different if this happened on another airline.
Put them on United and watch what happens.
Flying is voluntary and by booking a ticket, you know that the airline will expect you to turn off your phone. IMO, refusing to do so is being jerky. Whether having the cell phone on interferes with the plane or not isn’t the point.
Course I’m still mad at my fellow passenger who chose to make a phone call during taxi for takeoff. Grrr.
They thought they were special and then Southwest reinforced it by rewarding them. It makes no sense at all. Why not give them a trophy too? Southwest just went down a notch in my book.
How did they act on the rebooked flight?
I couldn’t agree with you more. Is like applauding bad behavior, and Southwest took advantage of the situation. That’s simply crazy and bad for the industry as a whole.
I think you misinterpreted the article somewhat. The article says that “some” of the kids did not turn off their electronics, not 73% of the flight. Makes a big difference in terms of rebooking flights. I have no control over what my coworker does on a flight and I cannot blame all the kids for the bad behavior of a few rotten apples. I have no problem with denying the kids who misbehaved any recompense, but I do have a problem with taking away the vacation of innocent bystanders. God knows I had some jerks in my high school class :)
@Choochmanc: the fact that the airline elected to removed the entire group suggests that more than just a handful were unwilling to comply with the crew’s requests. I understand that perhaps not all of the kid’s were disobedient, but the fact that there were chaperones on the flight and they did not act appropriately to aid the ones who were misbehaving also says something too… who knows.
The reports I saw said about 10 sitting in the back who were the ones acting up. But like you said…who knows.
These kids deserve a swift kick in the butt. How rude and inappropriate of them to delay the flight and inconvenience other passengers. Their parents should be ashamed.
When did school groups this large fly? We always took a bus.
They were broken up into multiple flights so that probably alleviated many problems. Some had to connect through MKE.
Of course, the kids tweeted that Southerners are bad even though FL is based in…FL, not GA.
There seems to be a lot of misinformation floating around.
Some but not all of the group was involved. I have been on many flights with cellphones left on. No action was ever taken. In this case this was a religious group and the employee might have been in a bad funk or might have had an issue that violated the law. In any event she ejected at least 100 paying pax that did nothing wrong.
Likewise, hold that suggested kick in the butt till you know who did or did not do wwhat.
If I was ejected from a flight by an irate but wrong cabin attendant after doing nothing wrong you can be sure I will expect much more than they got.
Angelina didn’t say that 73% of the passengers (or 73% of the students) were using their phones/electronics. She said that 73% of the passengers were thrown off the plane.
I agree with folks who are annoyed that Southwest rewarded kids who weren’t following the rules, but it’s not fair to punish the kids that followed the rules (or their parents). So unless they could figure out which kids were misbehaving, Southwest was sort of stuck putting them on another flight. That said, I don’t think they should’ve given anyone vouchers.
This proves what happens when people start blogging who must have been past Spin docs for either party. Cant remember the last time I read where someone got it Wrong so badly. If you bothered to have read the thread on FT, you would have read where a passenger on that flight (not a part of the group) said it was at most 10 kids
No reports have surfaced what if anything any of the chaperons did or didnt do. But I guess you were on that flight and know 73% werent obeying the FAs or Capt.
It happens I agree with what the Capt did, but no way would I ever have had written what you have and make things up along the way to suit my opin
Charles… You have a lot of “might ofs”. Is this info you have or purely conjecture of possibilities. I read the captain and flight attendants (plural) were involved, not just one “bad funk” FA. Again, maybe you have more info than AP gave out.
To me the fact that is was a religious group doesn’t help the situation. I would have higher expectations of them.
Of course you are right that if some people got away with breaking the rules on your flights it therefore makes it OK for everybody to break the rules from there-on.
If turning off a cell phone is an FAA mandate, shouldn’t the FAA fine them? why are they getting compensated?
What concerns me the most is that there were CHAPERONES with these kids, they were responsible for assisting the flight attendants in getting the kids to comply. Their phones should have been confiscated by the ADULT CHAPERONES if they refused to follow instructions. There is no reason that they should have been ignoring the kids and laying all this responsibility on the flight attendants. This makes you wonder what went on the entire trip, and how safe these kids really were flying with these sorry adults.
WHEN A passenger breaks the rules, then they deserve to be taken off of the plane. As a world flyer, I do not have any tolerance for anyone (of any religion or teenage or not) who willing breaks the law. For the safety of all, there are regulations; and if the cockpit crew has to stop their work to take care of a situation in the passenger cabin, then those individuals causing the problem ought to be fined to cover the added expense. i have been on a flight where hijackers took over the plane; they did not allow rule breaking! And point two, media will alter a crime scene! i know this to be true; that is just what ‘media’ does in its quest for that prize and they don’t care if it even costs lives. I stopped Rivera from endangering U.S. troops with his bragging about being right in the battle..at the … and he would give out information harmful for the safety of our troops. Criminal behavior! On a plane, “we are all in this together” and I do not want anyone on my flight who is rude, and no one has the right to be upsetting my flight crew. Never pay the criminal and never allow a terrorist to get away with murder and to get away, but i digress into my own personal experience. As to how many; well ask witness on the flight because they MIGHT know. Additionally, it the group was flying as a group, then if the group’s members did not control its members and some had to be removed, then the group leader probably made the decision for all to get off in order to keep the group together. And my final point with this being a good example for my points is that ‘we the people’ must each listen and look at reporting and ask two question of every presentation. l. “From whom as the source?” and 2.”for whose gain?” The answers put the information in its proper place! Now ending of email (Having given my opinion on rowdy persons ought to be expelled especially if the flight crew has been upset. If the group leader chose to keep the group in tact, then that was his leadership decision. Media ought not to be as trusted in the fullness most persons had been doing. and their point was that inside an airplane, I want my plane safe from crazy acting persons! Cell phones causing damage, dunno know about that, but if planning on flying, then it is well known that the rule is to turn of the mobile equipment and don’t give the cabin crew a bad-time. and another oughta-be-a-rule-about don’t bring stinky food on board and don’t wear heavy perfume or deodorant nor be smelling bad.)Good night from from a tired and concerned world flyer and ex-hostage.