Forced Ejection at Manchester
Posted: 23 Sep 2004, 23:52I was flying back from Manchester yesterday with BA on an Airbus A320. While everyone was settling in there was a bit of a disturbance in the row next to us.
In short, a lady and her husband were refusing to let another lady get into the seat by the window. After a few short minutes an FA came to try and sort out the situation without success.
The story seemed to be that the husband and wife were supposed to be travelling with their son but he had failed to show up. BA had then allowed a "stand by" on to take the empty seat. But the husband and wife were claiming that as they had paid for the seat they wanted it left empty (Unreasonable given the circumstaces).
To cut a long story short a BA security chap arrived and after some intense negotiations gave the husband and wife 2 choices. 1, let the lady sit down and everybody gets to go to London. 2, Don't let the lady sit down and he would call the police to have them removed from the plane.
Yep you guessed right, they refused to let the lady sit down. Most people sat close by can't beleive how stupid they are and by now are letting husband and wife know how they feel.
By this time nearly an hour has passed and now we can hear banging around down in the hold so you know their bags are coming off.
After another 15 minutes or so the police turn up and now the wife decides to change her mind and let the lady sit down. "To late" says Mr Plod "the Captain wants you off the plane and that's whats going to happen". But now their stupidity is dawning on them they are refusing to budge and insist that the only way they are getting off is by force.
Mr Plod calls for assistance and another 15 minutes pass. Now we have 5 cops involved and half the plane is cleared in case of any violence. After a brief stuggle husband and wife realise the game is up and march off the plane defiantly to loud cheers and clapping (I didn't partake).
After a few minutes the lady who was originally trying to sit in the empty gets on with the BA security chap. He then informs her that husband and wife were due to connect in LHR with a BA flight to Bangkok. However BA had now blacklisted them and they were going nowhere but the local cop shop.
An hour and 45 minutes later we leave Manchester and no one has gained anything.
Fair play to the Captain though we were in T1 at LHR 45 minutes later. An unheard of journey time in previous experiance.
Just goes to prove that some people shouldn't be allowed to make their own decisions because they even get the simple ones wrong.
Miopyk
In short, a lady and her husband were refusing to let another lady get into the seat by the window. After a few short minutes an FA came to try and sort out the situation without success.
The story seemed to be that the husband and wife were supposed to be travelling with their son but he had failed to show up. BA had then allowed a "stand by" on to take the empty seat. But the husband and wife were claiming that as they had paid for the seat they wanted it left empty (Unreasonable given the circumstaces).
To cut a long story short a BA security chap arrived and after some intense negotiations gave the husband and wife 2 choices. 1, let the lady sit down and everybody gets to go to London. 2, Don't let the lady sit down and he would call the police to have them removed from the plane.
Yep you guessed right, they refused to let the lady sit down. Most people sat close by can't beleive how stupid they are and by now are letting husband and wife know how they feel.
By this time nearly an hour has passed and now we can hear banging around down in the hold so you know their bags are coming off.
After another 15 minutes or so the police turn up and now the wife decides to change her mind and let the lady sit down. "To late" says Mr Plod "the Captain wants you off the plane and that's whats going to happen". But now their stupidity is dawning on them they are refusing to budge and insist that the only way they are getting off is by force.
Mr Plod calls for assistance and another 15 minutes pass. Now we have 5 cops involved and half the plane is cleared in case of any violence. After a brief stuggle husband and wife realise the game is up and march off the plane defiantly to loud cheers and clapping (I didn't partake).
After a few minutes the lady who was originally trying to sit in the empty gets on with the BA security chap. He then informs her that husband and wife were due to connect in LHR with a BA flight to Bangkok. However BA had now blacklisted them and they were going nowhere but the local cop shop.
An hour and 45 minutes later we leave Manchester and no one has gained anything.
Fair play to the Captain though we were in T1 at LHR 45 minutes later. An unheard of journey time in previous experiance.
Just goes to prove that some people shouldn't be allowed to make their own decisions because they even get the simple ones wrong.
Miopyk
