A
AmeliaAirhead
i got this story from airlinecrew.net. read it and voice your opinion on how you would have handled this situation.
So...
last week on my flight to Germany, I finally experienced it.
Although I had seen fights over reclining seats before between passengers, the situation never happened to me.
Shortly after leaving Charlotte on an A330, sitting in economy in row 28A, I decided to recline my seat.
Well, the passenger behind me decided to push the seat completely forward over and over, after my continual attempts to make myself comfortable in my seat.
I called the couple's attention and politely indicated that passengers were allowed to recline their seats for their comfort. He disputed this. Without getting into it with the passenger, and after advising to the passenger that I would notify the crew if he didn't decist, I had to follow through and get the flight attendant involved.
Prior to departure, I had already had nice conversations with the F/A's in the back galley after they recognized me as a non-rev.
After the situation started, I headed to the back and explained to the crew what was happening. At first we giggled and laughed about it, after she sited that on Germany flights, passengers always fought over this.
Back at my seat, the flight attendant then started pushing down my seatback while the passenger kept with his knees pushing it back up.
They got into it. The passenger telling the flight attendant to "FCUK off" (I swear), and the flight attendant loudly threathening to have him arrested. I was standing behind the flight attendant watching this.
With no success and after the passenger being verbally abusive towards the flight attendant, she then charged to the back, to call the (A) flight attendant - basically escallating to the next level.
Back at the seat,(A) flight attendant also tried to get passenger to comply. Now the two flight attendants were there struggling (verbally) with the passenger, while he was just defying the crew and refusing to comply.
Well, suddenly I figured that since we were heading in the direction of Philly, that the most likely scenario [if this were to continue to escallate with the passenger,] would be that we might make a quick stop in Philly. After all, threats of being 'met by police' would not work.
So I decided to step in again and presented a solution for everyone.
I offered to have my seat switched with the couple - the seat next to me was the only other seat open in the house, so I figured that it was the best solution.
Frankly, I was uneasy about being involved in a situation (while non-reving), although this really was no longer a problem with the seat recline, but rather a really nasty passenger who was verbally abusing the crew.
Thankfully, the passengers agreed to do this, and I was able to diffuse, this nasty confrontation between passenger and crew.
What would you have done?
Would you have let the two sides continue at it?
So...
last week on my flight to Germany, I finally experienced it.
Although I had seen fights over reclining seats before between passengers, the situation never happened to me.
Shortly after leaving Charlotte on an A330, sitting in economy in row 28A, I decided to recline my seat.
Well, the passenger behind me decided to push the seat completely forward over and over, after my continual attempts to make myself comfortable in my seat.
I called the couple's attention and politely indicated that passengers were allowed to recline their seats for their comfort. He disputed this. Without getting into it with the passenger, and after advising to the passenger that I would notify the crew if he didn't decist, I had to follow through and get the flight attendant involved.
Prior to departure, I had already had nice conversations with the F/A's in the back galley after they recognized me as a non-rev.
After the situation started, I headed to the back and explained to the crew what was happening. At first we giggled and laughed about it, after she sited that on Germany flights, passengers always fought over this.
Back at my seat, the flight attendant then started pushing down my seatback while the passenger kept with his knees pushing it back up.
They got into it. The passenger telling the flight attendant to "FCUK off" (I swear), and the flight attendant loudly threathening to have him arrested. I was standing behind the flight attendant watching this.
With no success and after the passenger being verbally abusive towards the flight attendant, she then charged to the back, to call the (A) flight attendant - basically escallating to the next level.
Back at the seat,(A) flight attendant also tried to get passenger to comply. Now the two flight attendants were there struggling (verbally) with the passenger, while he was just defying the crew and refusing to comply.
Well, suddenly I figured that since we were heading in the direction of Philly, that the most likely scenario [if this were to continue to escallate with the passenger,] would be that we might make a quick stop in Philly. After all, threats of being 'met by police' would not work.
So I decided to step in again and presented a solution for everyone.
I offered to have my seat switched with the couple - the seat next to me was the only other seat open in the house, so I figured that it was the best solution.
Frankly, I was uneasy about being involved in a situation (while non-reving), although this really was no longer a problem with the seat recline, but rather a really nasty passenger who was verbally abusing the crew.
Thankfully, the passengers agreed to do this, and I was able to diffuse, this nasty confrontation between passenger and crew.
What would you have done?
Would you have let the two sides continue at it?
