Southwest Pilot Holds Plane For Murdered Child's Family

[brokeflyer]

although I agree with what the Captain did, I woulda done the same thing.

I think he would be fired if not for the press getting the story first.

remember, management dont care about your dead grandchildren.

 

[yahooair]

A few years ago, I had worked a flight from EUG to SFO right a few days before Christmas eve. 6 am push and with a few minutes to spare i walked up and headed for the little restaurant for a cup of joe. Boarding was about to start and as i was walking down the hall 2 women approached me and asked if i was the pilot to san fran. They literally had tears in their eyes and a sense of panic. They explained how they had gotten bumped off a flight in PDX due to over bookings and the flights out of the northwest were full for the rest of the week. They had rented a car and drove down during the middle of the night in a snow storm to make this flight to san fran and connect to where they were going. their husbands were not at the gate because they were returning the rental car and were running to make the flight. They had seen the passengers get up and get ready to board our flight and felt scared that their husbands were still not passed security and with them in the gate area.
i assured them i would do everything i could to make sure our staff was informed and would wait for them to get on the airplane. I went to speak to the gate agent but she did not really seem to care and said if they were not here in the next few minutes we would close the flight and leave without them. I ran down the bridge to advise the captain and told him the story and he thought it would be alright to take a delay and wait for the last 2 passengers. well..the gate agent didnt think so and pulled the jet bridge off the airplane with 10 minutes to to push. My captain jumped out of his seat and told the flight attendants to please not close the door and asked the gate agent to please bring the jet bridge back and wait. as i looked into the terminal from the cockpit i saw the two men waiving at the airplane and trying to get the agents attention. we both pointed out this to the agent but the agent refused to get a delay on her shift and told us it was too late. My captain called ops on the radio and the supervisor took the agents side and refused to let them on as well.
-Sorry, were not going to take a delay for anyone! they should have been at the gate 10 minutes prior to boarding like everyone else. she said.
we as a crew refused to close the door and the captain got on his phone and called the MOD.
sadly enough, the MOD had no control over the matter and advised my captain to just leave and head for san fran.
we couldn't believe what was going on..both flight attendants head were in the cockpit and we all agreed to to leave them behind. it was now 10 minutes past our departure time and this became a pissing contest between the gate agents V.S. the flight crew.some of passengers were now aware of the situation and were horrified by the the gate agents attitude about passengers and the way she was treating the situation. the gate agent was yelling at us to close the door from the jet bridge and said she didnt care about 2 late passengers and said you guys will be taking the delay for this one..we were in awe. at about 15 minutes late the captain decided it was time to close her up and get on our way. I felt so bad about the situation at hand and looked back at the 2 ladies in the cabin crying. the short flight was quiet in the cockpit that morning, we even got to san fran about 25 minutes early. as people got off the 2 women thanked us for trying and appreciated us putting our selves out there for them. In my aviation career, i had never felt so embarassed. the shame i felt for leaving people behind and letting this fed up gate agent on her little power trip, still eats me up. Every Christmas season i cant help think of that day and wonder if they had made it to their destination that Christmas. Even now, years after i still think of what i could have done differently to have gotten them on. the guilt still haunts me today. So congrats to the SW pilot who showed great leadership qualities and compassion. I really appreciate the action he took. thank you

 

[glasspilot1]

Yahooair, I'm going to say your Capt kinda botched this one. He should have acted sooner in talking to the agents; not waited till they pulled the jetway to get out of his seat. And here's what he says: "We're not leaving until those 2 passengers are on the plane and put the delay on me." Later, during the day when I had some time I'd call my C.P. and explain myself.

 

[GuppyWN]

I ran down the bridge to advise the captain and told him the story and he thought it would be alright to take a delay and wait for the last 2 passengers. well..the gate agent didnt think so and pulled the jet bridge off the airplane with 10 minutes to to push.

What do you want him to do? Use a teleporter?

Thanks for trying...... and thanks for flying United Airlines where customer service is Job #not1!

Gup

 

[Tripower455]

In your original post, you didn't say you used judgement. On the contrary, you stated that if someone was running late, you held the plane REGARDLESS of the circumstances. Those were your words, not mine.

You're right. But notice I never mentioned 30 misconnects or anything about that one last drink.

I've been doing the right thing for over 25 years, and have never been questioned for it. The day that I am, I'll become just another droid collecting a paycheck.

 

[Taco Rocket]

Is this individual's act of kindness is the norm and indicative of Southwest "culture" as a whole, why did he have to pre-emtively justify himself to the agents and the world? (As described in Time). Why not just do it?

 

[ivauir]

I have not regretted waiting for a runner every time I've done it.

Tri,

My brother, I'm afraid I cannot agree with you here - I have waited - on principle - for complete A HOLES. It is always a disappointing moment ... wait 2 and a half hours and THE guy complains that the exit row is occupied ...

That is life.

But if it is the right thing to do in the abstract ... well ... it is the right thing to do.

Glowing newspaper columns aside. Our company does have a heart and I applaud their attempts to institutionalize that - but heart isn't about institutions, it is about individuals.

I'm not a "people" person. "People" suck. They don't know how to go through security, they can't merge, they consider "relative" seniority is fair without studying the industry ...

But a "person" can be amazing. A person swerves into a light pole to save a pedestrian. A "person" stands at the gate - the port of entry to a fortune 500 company with his job on the line and says - "this is what I do ..." - we wait.

It happens everywhere - the interaction between pilot and traveler - no one "gets" it like we do - but there are very few companies where it is protected.

 

[dicko]

Tri,

My brother, I'm afraid I cannot agree with you here - I have waited - on principle - for complete A HOLES. It is always a disappointing moment ... wait 2 and a half hours and THE guy complains that the exit row is occupied ...

That is life.

But if it is the right thing to do in the abstract ... well ... it is the right thing to do.

Glowing newspaper columns aside. Our company does have a heart and I applaud their attempts to institutionalize that - but heart isn't about institutions, it is about individuals.

I'm not a "people" person. "People" suck. They don't know how to go through security, they can't merge, they consider "relative" seniority is fair without studying the industry ...

But a "person" can be amazing. A person swerves into a light pole to save a pedestrian. A "person" stands at the gate - the port of entry to a fortune 500 company with his job on the line and says - "this is what I do ..." - we wait.

It happens everywhere - the interaction between pilot and traveler - no one "gets" it like we do - but there are very few companies where it is protected.

Nicely played.

A thread about a corporation and an individual acting ethically. Turned towards a thinly veiled stab at an SLI, and micro treatise of your world view.