BEEN THERE. HEARD THAT.
Posted on 04/12/2016 | About New York City, New York
Unfortunately the video you will see here is not particularly unusual – well, not to anyone who has worked a long flight delay at the airport. In the passengers’ defence a lengthy wait with little information is upsetting, stressful and frustrating. However, there is no excuse for the screaming, swearing, threatening and even physical abuse that airline and operator agents are often obliged to endure.
Someone will post it on YouTube
In this particular situation, an out of control woman profanely berated American Airlines staff over a 12-hour flight delay that apparently ruined her family’s Disney Cruise. She embarrassed herself, and more importantly her children and her meltdown was (as always these days) videoed and posted on Youtube.
Passengers surrounded a gate agent at New York’s LaGuardia Airport apparently wanting information as to when their flight to Miami (which had been delayed by bad weather) would depart.
However, even these upset passengers looked stunned as the woman screamed and ranted at staff, while her crying daughter tried to stop her.
The woman slams her hand on the desk screaming, “If there’s no flight just say there’s no flight. Say there’s no flight.”
A girl, thought to be the woman’s oldest daughter, tried to calm her, but she continued screaming, “I’m getting what we want. We’re waiting all our lives for this. I’m waiting for this Disney cruise for a year already.”
Other passengers also became agitated and airline staff eventually called police for assistance.
American explains the delay
An American Airlines spokesman said that the flight to Miami was delayed because the inbound flight was diverted to Philadelphia due to bad weather.
Passengers had to wait for the plane to arrive from Philadelphia. The spokesman wrote in an email, “We do apologize that passengers on American Airlines flight 2240 were delayed due to inclement weather at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
“The inbound aircraft, which was coming from Miami, diverted to Philadelphia due to high winds at LaGuardia.
“The Federal Aviation Administration had air traffic control ground stops/ground delay programs in effect due to weather, which resulted in the diversion of the aircraft.”
The flight was scheduled to depart LaGuardia on March 24 at 9pm, but didn't arrive in New York from Philadelphia until 12:42am. It departed LaGuardia the following morning, on March 25, at 8:50am, 12 hours behind schedule.
It is always the same
In situations like this two things always happen. The gate agents (and frequently the airline itself) seldom know what the exact time of departure will be and the passengers after a couple of hours without specific information believe they are being intentionally lied to.
The result can be the most outrageously bad behaviour from normally polite and well-mannered people.
In my 18 years at Toronto International I was called every name you can imagine and some you can’t. The tour operator or airline I was representing, and I personally, were regularly threatened with litigation. My heritage, legitimacy, parentage and appearance were questioned and insulted. I was accused of every kind of racial, religious and gender bias - sometimes several at the same time.
Verbal abuse was the norm, physical abuse threatened, and on two occasions actually acted on. Documents were ripped from my hands and thrown on the floor or torn up with great glee (we always had extra copies).
And of course, this didn’t just happen to me, it can and does happen to anyone at the airport who is faced with irate travellers - as you can clearly see in the video.
Everyone who works with the public has stories, but I do believe those of us in travel have more outrageous ones.
Perhaps we should share?
