Coach class passengers treated with no class by Korean Air

Date: 28 May 2013
Airline: Korean Air
Flight: KE 0019
Location: Incheon, South Korea to LAX

Once my son and I boarded the airplane and settled in, the captain told us the airlines were having some difficulties and we would be leaving shortly. After waiting another 15 minutes, the captain again mentioned some struggles happening with the luggage. He also said he didn’t want to leave until everyone’s luggage was onboard. In essence, we were delayed numerous times before departing on our soon to be long and unpleasant flight.

During food service, my son and I requested chicken for our choice of dinner but was rudely denied by one of the flight attendants. She said, "There isn’t any chicken left, pasta is all that we have." Immediately I asked why this had happened and the [Steward] rudely replied, "I'm sorry but that’s what happens when you sit in the back." I explained that I paid just as much as everyone else for my ticket and deserved the same option for food.

During the second round of serving drinks, my son and I requested Ginger Ale and were told by another Stuart that the airlines had run out. Once more, this Stuart said, "This is what happens when you sit in the back of the plane."

My son and I didn’t ask to be seated in the last row neither deserve the treatment we were given. This was a very long, disturbing, and uncomfortable flight for the both of us. (Keep in mind; we flew 10 plus hours across the country)

Upon arrival at LAX we were soon notified our luggage hadn’t come in and had remained in London. We would not be receiving our luggage until the following day but was once again told it would not arrive until the day after the original date.

All in all, the treatment we received was unacceptable. I feel every customer should be received and treated with equal respect no matter where their seated, business or standard class. After speaking to a representative on the phone, we're still feeling those raw emotions from the flight. What a bad experience this was for the both of us...

Flight attendant behavior causes loss of medication

Letter sent to airline by dissatisfied passenger
Airline: Southwest Airlines, flight 3463

To Whom It May Concern
Re: Flight 3463 from Houston Hobby to Harlingen, Texas
Date: 6 May 2012
Subject: Alicia xxx --Flight Attendant

I realize as I write this letter of complaint; I most likely won't get a response but I feel compelled to let you know what happened to me on that flight (Flight 3463)

On Sunday evening I boarded a flight from Houston Hobby headed on a direct flight to Harligen, Texas I decided to take the very front window seat to the left of the aircraft. Next to me was a lady and her seeing-eye dog. I had no carry on bags, only my purse. To get situated I placed my purse behind my feet (with my medication on top of my bag) on the floor under the seat because I had medication to take within a 30 minute time frame.

Before takeoff, the flight attendant (Alicia xxx) yelled at me very loudly "give me your purse" initally I said, "no" but before I could explain to her i needed to get my medication out of the purse she yelled again "give me your purse". At that time I tried to fit my purse under the seat but she said, "I said give it here-someones' bag is under there". When I tried to hand it to her she jerked it out of my hand and threw it in the overhead compartment.

She then stood there, and yelled "is there a problem"? I said "no" Her response was: " I dont understand why you are looking at me like that" "Your purse has to go up top" ...I replied "I heard you the first time". She then responded "Then you need to quit looking at me and turn your head the other way" "I will have you kicked off this flight; you are looking at me in a threating manner and I'll have you kicked off immediatly". I was frieghtend that would get kicked off so I turned my head and said nothing.

She continued to yell at me stating "I dont take attitude, I will have you removed, you understand that?" Everyone around me head the exchange I was humiliated. To make matters worse, she began to call the other flight attendants up after we got off the ground to brag about how she told me off and how she put me in my place.

When the flight was over in baggage claim many passengers came up to ask me my name and stated I was treated harshly and it was un called for. I was humiliated.

As a result of her throwing my purse; I didn't take my medication. When I went to the rest room at the airport in Harlingen, my medication was nowhere to be found, nor were my keys. I am convinced that when she threw my purse in the overhead compartment that my medication fell out along with my keys to my home. Because I didnt place my purse in the overhead compartment nor retrieve it upon exit of the plane; I dont know what was left behind. My purse has no zipper so anything could have fallen out.

I feel really disrespected by how this flight attendant treated me. I flew Southwest becuase it was most cost efficient for me and you don't charge for bags and my job sends me to the Valley often and I wanted to take advantage of your frequent Flyer Program, but now I will opt to fly with United; they are pricer but at least I will have better luck not getting humiliated.

-Jessica

Flight attendant won't deal with vomit on seat belt

Date: July 30, 2011
Flight: Continental flight 1693
Location: Seattle, WA

My husband and two children were traveling home from a wonderful trip to Washington and Canada with a return trip to Houston, Texas.  Our trip home put us on Continental Airlines and from there things went down hill.

My son took his seat in 34A, the window seat and suddenly stated, "mom the belt and seat has vomit on it." I told my son to stand up and I called the flight attendant, which was only a few feet away, because for some reason Continental shoves anyone with kids, mine being almost adults to the back of the plan with young families and babies.

I quietly advised her of the situation, she showed no concern or compassion, much less did she offer to assist to clean the mess. I told her it was a biohazard, gross and nasty. She quickly stated this flight is overbooked and suggested that if we didn't like it we could get off.

She quickly walked off with no suggestion of helping.  I instructed my son calmly to go to the restroom and clean off his hands and shorts. When he exited the restroom he overheard the attendant calling someone, I'm assuming the pilot telling him that, "I'm not dealing with that woman, she's rude and getting on my nerves."

My son returned to his seat very upset and advised me of what he heard.  The cleaning crew arrived he also seemed to be upset and had a nasty attitude, replaced the cushion and belt and walked off. I asked politely what the flight attendants names was and in a very nasty, put out attitude she stated, "Grace." I then requested her last name, she quickly removed her name badge from view and stated she didn't have to provide her last name.

She then marched off, however at the same time another attendant was standing a few feet away listening in and also made the comment, "I'm not dealing with her either."  The blond's name was possibly Cynthia but we were never told since both Grace and Cynthia removed their name tages from view.

At no time did any of us raise our voices or show disrespect only conern for our son's exposure to biohazard.  Within a few minutes, a ticket agent came down, Janny, she wanted to know if ever thing was alright and suggested that the pilot was concerned that we would act out, we never presented any such threat. She also suggested the underlining threat of if you don't like it get off, we're overbooked anyway.

-Nikki

Another reason to confirm anything your airline says about flight delays

Date: 21 April 2012
Airline: Delta, Flight DL833
Location: San Diego

Mechanical problems with the first flight caused a delay, asked about connections and were told we were probably fine but they couldn't check, landed in detroit and were told to sit tight until a gate agent told us where to go, agent only addressed the one flight being held then told everyone else to go ahead and deplain and we would be helped by an agent when we got to the gate.  Agent at the gate told us to check the monitor and then we pressed about our connection departing in 10 minutes, she indicated the plane was being held.  Ran through the airport and got to connecting gate as the jetway was being pulled back.  That agent told us the flight was never being held and there was no way for us to make it.

Can't get on another flight for over 12 hours.  Waiting in line with 14 others in same situation.

Michelle

Son almost misses flight because of mystery ticket fee

My son was traveling home for Christmas on a ticket that I had purchased in advance for him. He was given a boarding pass, checked his bag and proceeded through security to the departure gate.  Once at the gate, he was refused boarding because there was a 'fee due on the fare'.  No other information was given about the fee and he was told that they couldn't check on the details or verify anything - all they could do is take his money and let him board the flight.  

Being a broke college student, he did not have the ~$85 ransom payment in order for him to board.  He called me with about 20 minutes until the departure time in a panic because he was going to miss his flight.  I called the JetBlue reservation desk and after several minutes verified that there was no amounts due or any outstanding fees.  The agent on the phone was adamant that had there been any fee due, the ticket would not have been issued at the time of purchase.  By the time I was able to get off the phone with the agent and attempt to contact my son, he had already boarded his flight and had turned off his phone.

From my point of view, this was nothing other than an attempt to collect money from a passenger at the very last minute. "Pay up or you don't get on the plane."  Had he (or possibly countless other passengers) been able to pay the ransom fee at the gate, he would likely have done so simply to be able to board the plane and dealt with the issue later.

I would ask that anyone else who has experienced similar 'hostage' scenarios, please put your comments in writing.  You pay your fare and there should not be any additional fees requested.  Extortion, ransom, whatever you want to call it. Bottom line is it's wrong and needs to be addressed.

Unacceptable Infant Travel Equipment on American Airlines

Flight Date: 14 April 2012

Since we were travelling with our 8 month old baby, we sat in the bulkhead row. Due to early boarding, we were given the only bassinet available for the entire plane. Although the American Airlines website clearly states that the bassinet is for all children under 2 years of age and less than 35 lbs, my 21 lb 8 month old child did not fit in the bassinet and slept with his feet sticking out. 

After securing him as directed on the bassinet instructions, I look up in the middle of the flight to see my child unzipped from the bassinet and on his knees ready to jump out and fall 4 feet on to the floor of the plane. This is UNACCEPTABLE from any company, and even more so from American Airlines. Although the service and quality of flights were extremely poor, I would at least expect that the resources provided by the company were safe. I cannot imagine what consequences would have occurred if I had not looked up in time to grab my son.

It is unconceivable that such lack of safety exists in the child restraint devices provided by American Airlines. How could a company charge $1,200 per seat for a flight and not even provide a safe bassinet? For this reason, I am extremely disappointed. After travelling for years on American Airlines and putting the safety of my loved ones in the hands of the company, I am appalled at what occurred during my flight.

- Illenna

Flight Delays Lead to a Loss of a Job

I was living and working in China. I came back to UK on the 15 November 2011 for 6 days for a family funeral. I was due to fly back on the 21 November, the night before I was due to fly the website showed the flight had been cancelled due to high winds and fog around Newcastle airport.

I was unable to contact the KLM call centre on the Sunday night so tried again on the Monday but to  no avail, also  on Tuesday and again I could not get through. the problem to start with at the call centre is if the call waiting is over ten minutes then they ask you to call back later.

The first time I was able to get through was the 23 November 2011. I spoke to the KLM agent and asked him when the next flight was I could rebook, without asking me I was put on hold. then after 3/4 minutes of being on hold I was cut off, totally unacceptable. i was unable to get through for rest of the 23/11 so tried again on the 24/11 were i got through again, I spoke to the KLM agent, told him my query and was promptly cut off. Totally unacceptable. as far as im aware these calls would have been recorded.

The original complaint was passed to KLM who passed on apologies but no more. What hurts the most is that because I was unable to return to china during that week I was dismissed from my position in China. after my final attempt to get through on the 24 November,  I checked my email and read message from my employers telling me as i was unable to return to work i had been dismissed. this has left me without most of my possessions, without a permanent home and utterly disgusted at kl and obviously the treatment from my employer.
I have asked KLM for recompense but they have declined this.

- Ian

How can a simple request for food turn into a security situation?

The following article is from a copy of a customer service email that was sent to our partner site AirSafe.com. It is about an American Airlines Flight on August 4th where things got a bit out of hand between a flight attendant and two passeners. Some of the contact information was removed, but all of the emotion remains.

Date: 4 August 2010
Airline: American Airlines
Flight: 1212
Location: Orlando, FL to Chicago, IL

Dear American Airlines,

On Wednesday August 4th 2010 my fiancé and I flew from Orlando airport to Chicago O’Hare airport on AA Flight #1212. The customer service during this flight was horrendous and needs to be dealt with in an immediate manner. We were treated like criminals by a flight attendant just for asking for cheese and crackers. Due to this incident we will never fly American Airlines again unless the situation is handled properly.

The flight left the gate on time however a minute after leaving the gate they announced that the flight was going to be delayed for over an hour due to weather in Chicago. When we called our family in Chicago they said that the weather indeed had been horrible. Our question is why in the world would we leave the gate if the weather was that bad and wouldn’t they have checked this prior to leaving the gate? How could they have not known the weather was bad just two minutes before? This inconvenience was not comfortable to deal with but I would never write a letter like this just because of this problem. The major issue, which is why we are writing this letter, is the service that was provided by one of your flight attendants named Darlene and the resulting events.

With both of us being in customer service fields we see and deal with many patients and guests every day. One of us is a nurse practitioner and the other is a hotel manager. We both know the level of service that is expected and needed in customer service fields. On Wednesday August 4th that level of customer service was not met and was breached beyond belief. It is the worst customer service that I have ever seen or experienced in my life by an airline attendant.

When the plane took off it was a quiet ride until it was time for drink service. We were seated in an exit row about half way down the plane. We did not buy snacks at the airport because we thought we would be arriving before lunch in Chicago. However, since we were delayed I decided to purchase the cheese and crackers snack since I was very hungry at this point. I then proceeded to ask Darlene if I could purchase the cheese and crackers, Darlene then rather rudely responded we are out of cheese and crackers. When I asked what else she had she took a bag and threw it on the cart and said “these”. I then asked what “these” were and she answered I don’t know some kind of nut mix. I responded do you have anything else available because I am allergic to some nuts. Remember we are only halfway through the plane and nuts were the only thing you had left. I understand that the airlines are feeling the economic pressures and that items are no longer given away for free but you should have the proper amount of product to be bought if offering this to customers. She responded no and so I asked how can you run out of all snacks when you aren’t even half way through the plane. Darlene responded well I don’t stock the plane and if you don’t like it you can write a letter to corporate. This comment was given in a very sarcastic loud tone.

Seeing that this was going nowhere and Darlene was not being very nice and becoming very animated, I very politely asked her to be quiet and not talk to us anymore because she isn’t helping the situation and if she could please serve us our drinks and drop the snack issue. She continued to badger us and kept talking about how she did not pack the cart and we should write a letter. We then asked her to please stop talking to us and leave us alone again. At this time she replied did you just tell me to shut up. My fiancé replied that this was horrible customer service. She then said if you continue to talk I will have security meet you at the gate when we arrive.

We then asked her again to leave us alone which she replied you’re harassing me and I don’t need this and turned and stormed towards the front of the plane. We were unable to walk away from the situation like I normally would because we were trapped in our seats by the two flight attendants and the service cart. We both sat there in shock of what just happened. She then went to the front of the plane and came back and said security would be waiting for both of us. Darlene then said to the other flight attendant standing there that she would not serve us and asked him to do it. At that time we asked the other flight attendant if he heard what was taking place and want we did wrong which he replied that he wasn’t paying attention and he only heard us ask her to leave us alone.

About 15 minutes later she came down the aisle and gave us paper work that stated that we were interfering with airline business, being verbally abusive and intimidating an airline employee. First of all during the whole encounter the only thing that my fiancé said was this was horrible customer service and he was also given this paperwork. Secondly neither of us should have received this letter as the Darlene the flight attendant was the only one in the wrong in this situation. Neither of us at any time interfered with any airline business and at no point did we ever threaten her or verbally abused her. We never even stood up in our seats, cursed at her or made any demeaning or threatening comments. How is asking someone to leave you alone threatening? If anyone was becoming aggressive or threatening, it was Darlene not either one of us. After we received the paperwork we called over the other flight attendant again who was present during the whole situation and asked him why are we receiving this and what does it mean. He said well I wasn’t paying attention so I don’t know why you are getting the notice and he did not know what it meant or what would happen but he would send Darlene back to answer this. Are you telling me, that you as an airline employee seeing a confrontation occur with a passenger that you are not trained to watch the situation to see what occurs especially when you are three inches away from the situation? If the situation was so severe that it is going to involve security why would another flight attendant not get involved? Wouldn’t you step in and try to diffuse the situation or at least assist your colleague?

Also, are your flight attendants not aware of what these notices mean and how to properly use them since he could not explain this to us? We then had to sit there for over an hour wondering what was going to happen and if we were going to be arrested. Being so upset and bothered by the situation I cried for over 20 minutes and was tortured by the fact that we didn’t know what was going to happen.

When we got off the plane Darlene was standing with 10 American Airline Corporate security agents. Darlene pointed at us and said “that’s them”. Everyone on plane then looked at us as they were walking by like we were terrorists or criminals when we never did anything wrong. When the head security agent, Joe, saw us he told the other agents that he would take care of the situation and to go about their business elsewhere. Joe was extremely respectful and told us to continue on to the end of the jet way and wait for him. He then explained that he already spoke to the flight attendant but that he needed to hear our side of the story because they still needed to make a report. We proceeded to tell him the details of the incident while the whole terminal was staring at us. He then apologized that this happened and stated that we were not in trouble and there would be no further repercussions for us.

We then told him that we wanted to make a complaint against Darlene. I explained that this was such a silly thing to be calling security over and what a huge waste of our time and I wanted the airline to be aware of how their flight attendant is acting due to the fact that her instability could affect her ability to perform necessary flight actions. The security agent agreed with us and thought that Darlene was the one that was wrong. We proceeded to retrieve our luggage where I asked the customer service representatives if I could please speak to the flight attendant supervisor. They replied that they had no idea how to get a hold of them and to send an email.

I then proceeded to the ticket counter where I again asked to speak to a flight attendant supervisor. The first representative said that she had no idea how to get a hold of one and then called over her supervisor who then proceeded to call flight services. Flight services wanted to speak to me over the phone who it turned out to be the security agent, Joe. Joe explained to me that the flight attendant supervisor was not in today. I asked if I could call her tomorrow then and he replied that there is no number to reach her at. So then I asked if he could leave her a message so she could call me back as I wanted to make her aware of the situation, he said this was possible and that Jennifer would be calling me the next day. Over ten days later and I have still not received a phone call.

The customer service that was provided by Darlene we are sure is not what you expect from your employees. Working in the medical field and the hotel industry we know that we would want to know if this extremely poor level of customer service was being shown to our guests. We expect that something should be done with this letter as it was the worst travel experience that we have ever had, and further more the worst example that I have ever heard of. We also expect to be compensated in some way for the inconvenience and suffering this has caused. With many choices of airlines to fly on we will be very skeptical to ever fly on American again unless you truly show that this is not the level of service that should be provided by American Airlines. We will be happy to discuss this issue further at anytime.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this horrendous matter,

[names withheld on request]

Always check with the airline to confirm your flights

When you book with a third party service like Orbitz or some other online service, always check with the airline about the status of your flight.

Airline: United Airlines, flights 5096 and 5033
Date: 24 December 2009 and 1 January 2010
Location: Round trip Kansas City, MO to Salina, KS


After much planning for the Christmas & New Years holidays, I had a less than pleasant experience on my leg from Kansas City to Salina, Kansas December 24, 2009. Due to inclement weather, my flight #5096 was cancelled and rescheduled for the next day. This
flight was was again cancelled and found that the next actual flight that made it to Salina, Kansas from Kansas City was Saturday night December 26. By the way, my luggage (a new red roller bag) finally showed up filthy at that time. This was a fairly recent purchase also. The only reason I made it to Salina was the kindness of strangers from Pennsylvania that invited me to drive there with them or I would have been stranded.

Before my return flight on January 1, 2010 on United flight #5033, I received a call from the Salina airport December 31 around 5pm indicating that my flight was cancelled due to lack of no one working to fly the plane. I was rescheduled for the same departure time and flight number for January 2, 2010 and again informed by the Salina airport that this flight was cancelled due to lack of no one to fly the plane.

I was rescheduled to fly back on Sunday, January 3rd. This is the "funny part", I even received courtesy calls from Orbitz around 3:30am January 1 saying that my flight from Salina to Kansas City was on time. Another "funny" is that two booking sites that I checked indicated that these flights were still booking passengers for the Friday and Saturday flights that were cancelled.

I work in Customer Service and although I had no problems with the people I dealt with as far as courtesy as they were apologetic, after spending $594.40 for my round trip flight from Michigan to Kansas and not getting the service I paid for and luggage problems and added expenses and inconvenience, I am requesting 2 round trip non-blackout days tickets in the continental US. I feel this is the least I deserve after having to change plans inconveniencing myself and my family.

AirSafe.com Responds
Unfortunately, the US airlines on domestic flights are not required to compensate passengers for canceled flights, late flights, so she would be lucky to get anything out of the airline. She has more hope about compensation for the damaged bag, so long as she can document the condition of the bag before the flight.

While you may get information about a flight from on online service, you should contact the airline directly if you have any questions about your flight, especially for delays and cancellations. If you book a ticket through a non-airline service like Orbitz, you should still check with the airline or the airline's web site for flight information

Photo: Aquila

Passenger in Pain Denied a Simple Drink of Water

Reading a story like this makes you wonder if some flight attendants just don't care about a suffering passenger.

Airline: Copa
Date: 19 December 2009
Location: En Route Panama City, Panama to Los Angeles (LAX)

I'm an Australian university student aged 20 and had been on a volunteer project in a small village in Ecuador during December. On the day I left the village I became sick with a gastric bug, suffering with diarrhoea and vomiting. I was ill on the bus and at the airport, although my symptoms stopped before I boarded the flight.

Once on the plane I asked the flight attendants several times for water. Once I was given two sips of water in a cup. I was quite distressed with thirst and tried to sleep but was too thirsty to do so. At one point I walked to the back of the plane and asked the steward for water. He acted as though he couldn't understand me. I said "agua por favor" and the steward responded in perfectly good English, "When you learn to speak Spanish, I'll get you some water", whereupon he opened a bottle of water and poured a tiny amount into a cup.

I’m troubled that the flight attendants could not provide me with at least one cup of water. I couldn't eat a thing, I don't drink alcohol and by the end of the 6 hour flight I was dehydrated - obviously a serious condition. I wrote a letter of complaint to Copa Air on 23rd December but have received no reply. I would like to receive an apology for the poor treatment which I received.

AirSafe.com Responds
An apology from the airline would be the least that they could do. An even better thing that the airline could do is to guarantee that no passenger, whether sick or healthy, has to beg for a cup of water.

Photo: matt_so

Check Your Ticket Very Carefully and Avoid Both Hassles and Avoidable Penalties

These two complaints from last week have a similar theme--mistakes on the ticket led to problems at the airport.

Complaint #1: When I arrived at the Flint MI. airport I attempted to check in. For what ever reasons I could not check in on the kiosk. I then tried to check in at the desk. The airline personnel advised me that they did not have me. I advise them that I was seated in 16B. They still said that the did not have me. I Immediately went to my son's apartment to get the information that I had forgotten there. I hurriedly returned and showed them my confirmation.

They claimed I had left off the J in Jones and it was listed as ONES. That was a terrible day for me trying to return to ATL. I was given a hard time with the staff that checks your bags. I almost missed my flight. And in a HURRY I had kept my son's keys in my purse. Not Knowing this, I received a phone call from my son with this info. I had to ask the Steward to allow me to get off of the plane to give my son the keys. He was so RUDE and of course I was embarrassed tremendously. I spoke with someone on the ground who said that they would give my son the keys. THANK GOD. Again I was very EMBARRASSED. The steward was just not sympathetic or empathetic to my situation. I spoke with a staff after I arrived who did comfort me. Now I do not want to ever get on Delta again and am requesting some kind of refund.

Complaint #2: I admit I must have hit the date wrong on the crummy Delta Website causing a ticket to be reserved for Dec instead of today. It was a shuttle flight which was half empty on the BOS-LGA leg since it was a Saturday (7 November 2009). When I could not get a boarding pass online for the return, I realized that the wrong date was entered. The Reissue clerk (who would not even listen to my explanation without babbling on about the change fee of 150.00 per person, which would have cost an additional 300.00 for two uf us) simply refused to hear any plea EVEN IF THE PLANE TODAY WAS HALF EMPTY. I admit it must have been partially my mistake and partially their website mistake but come on 150.00 to change a ticket for the damn shuttle on a weekend.

AirSafe.com Responds
Always check and double check the information on any ticket order, especially the name, date and time of travel, flight number, departure airport, and destination airport. Especially important is your name since it must match the ID that all adults need in order to fly (while minors are not required to have an ID for domestic flights, it is a good idea to carry one if they have it).

Unfortunately, if you don't follow the airline's rules, you are at their mercy when it comes to things like change fees. You can try to talk to a customer service supervisor at the airport, but if that doesn't work you, then you are likely out of luck.

As for the rude flight attendant in the first complaint, it is unlikely that that passenger will get any compensation. However, rudeness should not be tolerated, so if you have a chance, talk to the head flight attendant on the plane, or a customer service supervisor on the ground.

Passenger with Suspected H1N1 Flu Removed from Plane and Later Misses Connection

Cindy describes a situation that involved compensation issues for delayed flights, the airline's response to a perceived medical issue involving Cindy, and the airline's response to her situation.

Date: 9 November 2009
Location: San Antonio, TX
Airline: United Airlines Flight 7316, SAT to IAD

As we were all boarding the airplane and I was seated,a lady sat next to me. I have been having sinus problems and they were draining and making me cough and my head hurt. She asked me if I was feeling okay and I said no but "It's not the flu." The lady jumped out of her seat and ran up front to a vacant one.

The flight attendant talked to her about it and the next thing I knew the same flight attendant told me to put on a mask. I tried to tell her I wasn't that kind of ill and showed her my Advil sinus and cold pills I've been taking. She insisted I wear it and I asked if I could just hold it up to my mouth because I am allergic to latex and was afraid the rubber bands would cause skin irritation. She replied that I wasn't being cooperative and causing a disturbance which was going to result in my being removed from the plane. I still was afraid to wear it but continued to hold it against my mouth.

The next thing I knew was the plane was being turned off the runway and parked at the terminal while everyone on board was groaning about missing their connections. The flight attendant then told me to follow her to the front of the plane while I held the mask in place. As I walked down the aisle I was so embarrassed and humiliated as everyone in the aisle seats leaned away from me.

When I got to the front a man told her to take me back to my seat, that the medics would check me out back there. So I returned to my seat which was only 2 or 3 rows from the end of the plane, so once again I had to walk past all the people in total humiliation as they all stared at me. Then after I was seated again, I was told they changed their mind and I needed to walk forward again only this time she carried my bottle of water from the front pocket of my seating area. I said to her "I guess this means I won't be coming back" and she said nothing.

I was so terrified of what was going to happen to me and whether I was going to end up at a hospital or left at the airport to sleep on the chairs or how I was going to get back home. I did my best to remain calm and put on a brave face and comply with all that was being asked of me but inside I was a nervous wreck and trying hard not break down in front of everyone.

As I was forced off the plane I saw a group of men wearing masks and standing next to an extremely scary looking contraption they proceeded to strap my legs and waist to. I was so frightened, my legs were shaking as they all started sticking things to my body and asking me questions. It felt like I was having a horrible nightmare and couldn't wake up. Finally after what seemed like an eternity they cleared me to get back on the plane. For the fourth time I had to walk down the aisle in embarrassment. After we took off and it became dark and I was hoping no one could see me, did I then finally let my emotions loose and silently cried during the whole flight.

Needless to say almost everyone missed their connections after we landed late, I was one of them (According to FlightAware.com, this United Flight 7316 left 58 minutes late and landed 47 minutes late at 9:29 pm local time). It was almost 10:00 pm when I was told the next flight out wouldn't be till morning. The three people I had been traveling with were mad at me because they had to be at work in the morning, so they called a friend to drive two hours to pick them up and United told they would have their money refunded from the trip.

The customer service man gave me the tickets for a hotel room, flight pass and a meal ticket. I told him about my ordeal and asked if I could be refunded for my flight costs and he said no, but instead gave me a $150 credit voucher. Since I drove them in my car to the airport I was stuck having to pay for the almost $50 parking lot fee and gas which one of my traveling companions was supposed to pay on the way home.

This whole experience has left me feeling traumatized and I feel that after what I had to go through I should be totally compensated for my flight costs and above mentioned additional monetary costs. I truly believe That I deserve at least that much.

AirSafe.com Responds
This raises three issues. Compensation questions concerning delayed or canceled flights come up frequently in the AirSafe.com Complaint System, and was stated in earlier articles, US airlines are not required to offer any compensation due to a delayed or canceled flight. The airline was not required to give compensation in this case, though the different levels of compensation may represent a fairness issue best dealt with by contacting an airline manager in the customer service area.

The second issue is passenger compensation for treatment by airport or airline staff. The passenger in this case felt traumatized and embarrassed by what she had to go through, but there is no specific FAA rules for compensating passengers who have this kind of experience. If a passenger is seeking some kind of apology or compensation, filing a formal request with the airline may be one option.

The third and most complex issue is whether the airline addressed the apparent medical issue with the passenger in an appropriate way. In the last week of October 2009, the US Centers for Disease Control had reported that the H1N1 flu activity was widespread in 48 of the 50 states, including Texas. The CDC has also provided guidance to airlines about what to do with passengers who exhibit flu-like symptoms. Suggestions include:

- Cabin and flight deck crew should be aware of the possible symptoms of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, runny or stuffy nose

- Separate the ill person from others as much as possible (at least 6 feet) without compromising flight safety.

- Have the ill person protect others by wearing a face mask, if it can be tolerated, to reduce the number of droplets coughed or sneezed into the air.


AirSafe.com found no CDC guidance that called for what the airline apparently did, which was to taxi back to the terminal for further medical screening. The CDC stated that an airline's captain is required to contact the CDC if there is a suspected H1N1 infection on an international flights flying to the US, and the CDC in such cases may arrange for appropriate medical assistance, but no such guidance was found for a suspected infection on a domestic flight.

Swine Flu Risks for Airline Passengers

Audio: MP3 | Video: iPod/MP4 | WMV | YouTube
For more videos, visit the AirSafe.com YouTube channel.

AirSafe.com Passenger Resources
Centers for Disease Control Swine Flu Information
World Health Organization Swine Flu Information

Photo credits: Flickr user Guerilla Futures- http://www.flickr.com/photos/streamishmc/2247180420/sizes/l/, CDC

Laptop and Other Items Stolen During an International Flight

This complaint was sent in by A.C. in early October 2009, about a baggage security issue on an international flight:

I traveled from Boston to Bangalore by Lufthansa flight Flight LH 0421 (Boston-Frankfurt) and Flight LH 0754 (Frankfurt - Bangalore). I checked my baggage in Boston on October 7th 2009 and collected it in Bangalore international airport upon arrival. My baggage has been opened and items from my baggage were pilfered and stolen.

Now it seems no one wants to accept responsibility for this theft. Since everyone claims to not be liable it is apparently acceptable if employees help themselves since no one has to be held accountable. How is that right? Someone needs to make restitution for these items.

I'll never feel safe leaving my luggage in the hands of airlines again. They should be held responsible to refund full face value of any items stolen. This person had enough time to go through and decide what he needs and only took the right things. So much for airline security!!! It seems to be a free for all at travelers expense.
One would think an airport has thousands of security cameras in it, someone should be able to determine what happened. Who has access to these cameras? So if they can take items undetected from luggage that means they can also place items in. So how is that secure? Your bags could be transporting who knows what from point A to point B and you would never know.

AirSafe.com Responds
This passenger brought up two general issues, flight security and airline responsibility for lost and stolen items, implies two other issues, the role of the airport and the passenger's role in protecting a passenger's property.

Flight Security
While the passenger's baggage was opened at some point of the trip, it was not clear that it happened at the departure airport, the transfer airport, or the destination airport. We suggest contacting the TSA Claims Management Branch, and following their procedure. You can also contact the TSA at 866-289-9673 or TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov to report specific violations and concerns about security.

AirSafe.com has no equivalent contact information for Germany (Frankfurt) or India Bangalore).

Airline and Airport Responsibility
Because the thefts may be by airline or airport staff or their contractors, you should contact the airlines you used, and representatives of the airports where your baggage traveled, and file the appropriate reports. For information on what compensation you can get for baggage issues on international flights, visit AirSafe.com's main baggage page.

Passenger Responsibility
This passenger's experience is very similar to the FlightsGoneBad.com article about the airline losing a bag with keys inside. AirSafe.com's response is virtually the same. If you fly often enough with checked bags, eventually you will have one lost, delayed, or stolen, so prepare for that possibility when you pack. AirSafe.com recommends that some things should never go in checked luggage, and should always stay with you in a carry-on bag. The kinds of things you should not put in checked bags include medicine, computers, electronic files, legal documents; credit cards, checks, or other financial documents; cash, jewelry, keys, and items of great sentimental value.

In many cases, airlines may not provide compensation for some types of valuables. Cash and jewelry are two examples. Also, it is very unlikely that a passenger would get compensation for the value of any lost data on the laptop.

Additional Advice
Baggage Basics for Checked and Carry-on Items
Carry-on Baggage Advice
Top 10 Baggage Tips
Top Ten Tips for Dealing with Security