Originally Posted by
Stan Woolley
I’ve been a passenger on a flight where the No1 was picking a fight with a guy over cabin bag stowage (on the ground). I can’t remember exactly what it was about, but I do remember thinking the pax had a good case while the no1 was digging her heels in rather petulantly. The Captain came out and immediately took the side of the No1without listening to both sides.
Where did this idea that passengers who disagree with F/A instructions have a right to to a fair trial with the Captain as judge come from?
There’s no disagreements between pax and F/As that require the adjudication of the Captain. This isn’t a court case. The Cabin Crew, deriving their authority from the P.I.C, issue instructions to the passengers. The passengers don’t have the right to appeal their instructions to the Captain for final adjudication. They aren’t going to be using other passengers as witnesses to back up their case.
Sure, as P.I.C a Captain may disagree with what F/A has done and has authority to alter their decisions, but a good Captain will back up their crew. There’s only one crew on an airliner, not two seperate pilot and F/A crews.