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#2694 by miopyk
23 Sep 2004, 23:52
I 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
#41825 by Pete
24 Sep 2004, 00:38
Wonder how long before the husband and wife put their own spin on it and launch a website like bacrewlies.com ;)
#41827 by miopyk
24 Sep 2004, 00:44
Yea I know what you mean. You read storys like this and sometimes wonder if they really are true. I think it would be fair to say that if BA wanted any witnesses most people on the plane would be on their side.

Husband and wife were frankly unreasonable people and paid the ultimate price for being stubborn.

Miopyk
#41828 by onionz
24 Sep 2004, 00:55
This is an area where VS, bmi , BA etc could co-operate and share blacklists of passengers like these, much like the mobile networks sharing details of blacklisted phones now. I don't want my next VS flight being held up by halfwits like that! :D

You have to wonder how people like this of sub-normal intelligence manage to pay their mortgage, find a job, dress themselves...:D
#41835 by RichardMannion
24 Sep 2004, 02:54
Whatever next, passengers getting 'upgraded' to zone B on the MCO route and then taking VS to court because they couldn't use the Upper Class toliets?

Oh hold on we've had that one,: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121833

Looking back thru that old story makes me wonder, what on earth are some passengers thinking! He bought PE tickets, and was fortuante enough to be offered one of the Zone B Upper seats (which we know now are not used for J, they are typically used for Gold/Silver PE passengers or passengers with restricted mobility). Ooh what I would have paid to be on that flight - I've encountered some real stupidity on VS flights in my 6 years of flying with them - and I must say it normally happens on the B&S routes; people just don't get that its not 'their' seat. They have paid for a trip between two points, they have not bought a particular seat.

Thanks,
Richard
#41848 by jaguarpig
24 Sep 2004, 11:40
quote:You have to wonder how people like this of sub-normal intelligence manage to pay their mortgage, find a job, dress themselves...


Well at least they will be looked after for 1 night slam slam:D
#41853 by Nottingham Nick
24 Sep 2004, 13:33
Interesting, it brought back memories of this thread from many moons ago

http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=136

Where a poster claimed to have booked three economy seats for himself, rather than one in UC.

Whilst I have no hesitation in condemning the behaviour of the couple, I will throw this in, purely in the interests of debate.

IF the seat held by their son was non-refundable then, by failing to turn up, he would lose it. The parents MAY argue - we have paid for this seat, so therefore we are going to use the space to spread out, and the airline do not have the right to 'resell' it.

Having said that, one of the golden rules of air travel, is that you obey the instructions of the crew - especially the Captain.

They would have been better using the 'reselling' argument for claiming a refund on their son's ticket.

Nick
#41864 by HelenF
24 Sep 2004, 15:17
I've always taken the view that when you buy a ticket you are paying to be transported, rather than for a particular seat, and if you fail to show up, that's your problem. It would be interesting to know what the position on 're-selling' is in relation to airlines, considering that over booking is routine practice. I suspect that if you break the contract by being a no-show, you lose your rights.

I really cannot comprehend why anyone would risk a criminal record and severly disrupted travel plans, over slightly more space on an internal UK flight!
#41866 by miopyk
24 Sep 2004, 15:25
Nick

You are absolutely right and this is exactly the scenario that played out on this occasion.

BA security chap explained that a "no show" entitles them to fill the seat with a "stand by" and that under the circumstances BA would be very simpathetic regarding refunds etc. However wife was having none of this and dug her heals in.

In the end she was clearly told what her options were and she unfortunately decided on the wrong one. I suspect that this error will have cost her more that the price of a single seat from Manchester to London.

Miopyk
#41868 by Nottingham Nick
24 Sep 2004, 15:34
quote:Originally posted by miopyk
I suspect that this error will have cost her more that the price of a single seat from Manchester to London.



One would like to hope so, anyway.

Nick
Virgin Atlantic

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