Paper tiger,
One would think it reasonable to imagine that the FINAL AUTHORITY as to who goes, and who stays, should be the skipper.
Unfortunately, as Captains like Stuart Clapson discovered, marketing departmants run airlines and accordingly they have the final say regards to who gets on.
Nowadays, any Captains refusing to carry a passenger need a damn good excuse. (I use this as a recent example, NOT in order to drag BA flightcrew or Captain Clapson down).
Said Captains receive little support from the company for fear of a discrimination lawsuit. (I believe all airline tickets should have a "right to refuse service" disclaimer, similar to many other private enterprises. Purchase of such ticket would then become an acceptance of such a condition.)
Sounds crazy I know but they're so concerned about ANY negative implications that they calculate which risks are deemed acceptable. Funny how they're not the ones actually personally subject to the same risks that flight crews are! Sweeping stuff under the carpet doesn't help if you're five miles high when an otherwise avoidable situation occurs.
Marketing majors pore over passenger surveys, take the data and throw the much needed common sense (and experiance) out of the window.
They need to start listening to their front line "troops". After all, the flight attendants spend the MOST time in the company of the passengers. This is real time feedback, not some selective telephone survey taken days after.
But then I guess in their eyes most flight attendants don't have the required "I'm smart
because I went to business school" certificate hanging on the wall.
I'll take practical first hand knowledge any day.
Rant over.