American Airlines, what the hell ?
End of a long summer internship at California. Myself and my friend Dhyanesh were all looking forward to the cozy life back in school. AA flight 16 at SFO airport, to depart at 12 noon, 27th August, for JFK. Both of us were unwinding at the isle seats and preparing for the next 5 hours 30 minutes of boredom.
The whole flight seemed full, but the window seat beside me was still vacant. I was waiting for someone to turn up at the last minute before I would buckle-up my seat belt. 10 minutes before departure, a middle aged lady showed up but instead of sitting, went back to the front. 5 minutes before departure, an AA staff came directly to me and ushered me to take my bags and follow her. To my bewilderment she took me just outside the aircraft and asked me to wait. Because Dhyanesh was with me, she called him out too.
What the hell ? I asked what was wrong with me. She said the lady to sit beside me complained I was sweating and she would not like to be seated by me !!! Of course I was sweating a bit. The A/C was not on seemingly and it was a little hot inside the plane. I had taken a refreshing morning shower, but then we had some insane amount of luggage to handle and came 40 miles to the airport. And what was this ? Being Thrown out of the commercial airliner because I was sweating ? What if I came running to the airport to catch it at the last moment ? Forbidden to sweat just because someone else wouldn’t feel at home ?
We were both aghast to imagine such things would happen in the US !!! The lady at the counter apologized. Did they think they could do just about anything and say “I am sorry, but…” to justify ?
We got our tickets on the next flight, a frustrating 10 hours away. We almost shrieked in anguish faced with the possibility of having to catch the next flight in the coming weekend. After all, we are both students and our primary purpose for being in the US is for studying, and we were at risk of missing classes at school, which start on Monday. And then of course there was the issue of our clothes, all of which were in the flight from which we had been ejected.
Life is not fair. But we dont realize it till shit hits in the face. We did get to settle down a bit at a airport hotel at the expense of American Airlines, but with the terrible anguish of having to contend with 10 hours of lost time, the ignominy of being asked to leave a flight for no specific reason and the worry of not being with our clothes. The flight we finally caught was also not without its share of incidents. But thankfully, we did not have to leave it and we did manage to sleep well.
Will I fly AA again ? Maybe not unless someone from AA apologises for the injustice done.
——————
I thought I would write a little bit about what happened in the second flight, AA 18 departing SFO at 10pm. From the evening I was being a little too paranoid and already taken not one but two consecutive showers. All the while I watched TV at the hotel, while Dhyanesh spent the whole time playing Warcraft.
I was praying that we do not have any more repeats of the incidents of the morning, but it had to happen! There were a couple of ladies in front of us, and before long to my horror one of them started acting funny, as if some smell-gas-shell had been dropped on her head. She profusely covered her nose and fanned her face with the boarding pass. Everyone else looking normal. They were seated next to the toilet so I thought maybe, maybe it is the toilet. I peeked ahead and tried to pick up the slightest scent, but all I got was the perfumes of the air hostesses who were all busy with that frantic lady. It turned out that something was wrong with two people who sat in front of the lady, and thankfully not with me.
Those two persons were asked to sit in some empty first class seat. And the head airhostess asked us to move in at that place, surging my adrenaline up like I was taking a bungee jump. But it was with good intention, for the new seat was better, though not of first class, but with leg-rest and leg space. We had a good night’s sleep thanks to the leg room.
I still think, why ? What exactly happened ? Let the readers imagine.
August 28th, 2005 at 2:36 pm
Welcome to America!
August 28th, 2005 at 2:58 pm
dude,
Why did you have to take a break, if she had an issue she should have taken the next fligh, not you ?
Venky
August 28th, 2005 at 7:42 pm
Dear Venky,
So now you realize the meaning of “the world is not fair”
looks like some people get preference in some places, no matter how ridiculous the logic is.
It still bothers me to imagine what would have happened if I had to catch a flight to India within a few hours of that AA flight.
God bless America !
August 28th, 2005 at 7:42 pm
thats realy bad! what the hell………and Venky is righ why u? u should take a legal step. atleast u should file a comlain against that crew member who was handle with u guys.
Mili
August 29th, 2005 at 2:27 am
Dear Joy,
I suggest, you send a detailed mail to the PRESIDENT, American Airways, giving your Flight No.Seat No. etc. Exact time should be mentioned so that they can figure out the staffs who handle your case.
Baba
August 29th, 2005 at 3:35 am
I think venky, baba are absolutely right … I also recommend you to write an email to YAHoo !! folks and tell them about this …
ITS SeRIOUS !!
-uddhav
August 29th, 2005 at 10:32 am
Hell yes sent a scathing letter to the AA president or forward our replys to him/her. That woman just wanted all seats for her self, yes she should have delayed her self. They should have put you in first class pn the next flight plus some sort of perk for the incovence
Pat
August 29th, 2005 at 11:00 am
Joyda,
Sue them for racial abuse man… I’m telling you. This is sheer racism! Dont let them get away with this… bloody… let the next amru come here and complain about our airports or something.. I’ll have a few words to tell them!
Meet a lawyer man…. you could hit big time, if nothing else.. maybe a talk show appearance, even
Sandeep
August 30th, 2005 at 2:02 am
Sorry to hear it Joy but its fact of life, We “colored” ppl are 2nd grade humans in USofA & some parts of Europe. I have heard of many such stories like this. My Indian friends / relatives usually talk bout Rs. 45 = $1 all the time but later on tell these other tales.
August 30th, 2005 at 2:06 am
this is sheer nonsense…
but why did u agree to step out in the first case..u didnt argue with them
??
..hope u have all the proofs in the form of tickets etc..if you decide to sue them.
tc
bumboo
August 30th, 2005 at 2:46 am
Supremacy feelings and low tolerance goes hand in hand.
Hope you enjoyed your flight on AA.. … duh!
August 31st, 2005 at 12:20 am
I don’t think all of US is racist although there are some racist’s in it. Write the letter complain real loud you might wanna check with the FAA there’s gota be rules covering this. FAA must have a complaint site. You won’t fix the ignorant woman but they owe you for the inconvenience.
August 31st, 2005 at 6:11 am
hey joy !!
i guess u were educated enuf to retaliate , huh? i mean wot the hell did they think ? u had all d rights to fight . after all if we r not goin to rise for ourselves , no one else is !! so next time plzz watch out . but itz not too late . needless to give u suggestions , u know d way, don’t u ?
keep d faith
nazia
August 31st, 2005 at 10:23 am
Here is a similar incident, a “brown” man thrown out because a woman thought he looked suspicious: http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0605/p02s02-usju.html
September 1st, 2005 at 3:06 am
Joyda! Are u sure u were on the right plane in the first place?!
Just kidding. Anyhow, as Sandeep says, hire a lawyer and go after them! AA doesn’t fly to India anyway.
VIPZ
September 5th, 2005 at 2:37 am
Joy,In America do the American way, sue them and do it before they file for Bankrupcy ;)).
September 5th, 2005 at 5:36 am
Hi Joy,
AA episode - its just terrible. If the crew did what they did - they must have followed some procedure (Howsoever unethical it may be!).
I am wondering if the case would have been different, had u complained that the lady was ’sweating”!
The least u can do is to make a formal complaint to the AA copy to as many as people u can. Don’t just let a stupid rule push put u on the defensive.
U have right to complain man! at least thats something they can’t stop you from doing!
Dash of a nice and proper complain RIGHT NOW!
Ranjit
September 6th, 2005 at 7:06 am
Unbelievable! what rule! and to think it happened in USA!
slap a libel suit dutta!
No wonder the Airlines Industries in that part of the world is in shambles
Vineet
September 10th, 2005 at 10:55 am
Joy,
This is horrible and serious. I have blogged about your experince at my blog. I say what most have, sue AA.
-MD
September 10th, 2005 at 11:57 pm
hey!! i met you at the cabinet social and club info fest. i was one of the emcees. what they did to you was wrong. you should definitely e-mail the heads up at american airlines. the airline staff lady did a smart thing by telling you what the middle aged lady said when you were off the plane,, because if i were you, i would have raised hell. but if you were on the plane when she explained what the problem was, then making a ruckus is totally in your right. it’s too bad that you weren’t on the plane when the staff lady spoke to you. then you could have told that middle aged lady to take the next plane if she didn’t want to sit next to you because technically you were there first and everyone know the rule is first come first serve.
mai
September 16th, 2005 at 12:08 pm
Sue them , sue the fucker for doing that . The is a case of colour….. sue AA big time i say……………
November 10th, 2005 at 6:13 am
That’s really nasty behaviour on the part of the airlines.