qfcabin

You really did not read my post properly. If I subsequently helped her deal with stroppy PAX banging off about the delay instead of boarding quickly and quietly, in what way was she a target of my ego?

Some people just don't get it!!......

You apparently didn't.

Wings, I still do not see why the option to 'give her a hard time 'was a consideration. What sort of hard time were you considering?

Flying AMS-SFO recently there was a thoroughly obnoxious man who started getting a little too much to bear only an hour into the flight. Despite repeated crew attempts to deal with him he persisted in irritating everyone within a 10m radius. Fortunately the situation was resolved by a retired headmistress who proceeded to inform him in no uncertain terms that he was a disgraceful embarassment who everyone on the flight wanted to throttle and that he should sit down and shut up. Didn't hear a peep for the rest of the flight.

hello qfcabin!

i think what wings folded was trying to say is that lots of people could have get angry against that lady: going to a funeral is sad/stressful so any little thing can get you very angry.

Dont know if this is relevant but at the end of September 1999 flying back on Caledonian Air (later became Air 2000/1st choice) from Austria....weather is crap to say the least and heavy turbulence. Wasn't pleasant and had me gripping the seat. Lo and behold, two women in their 40s bitching and moaning at the lovely stewardess about they were vegetarians and where the vegetarian meals were as there was a mix up on special requirements on the flight. So as there werent any all hell broke loose

The ladies and one of their husbands also joined in..wasnt abusive but it was bad enough...raised voices and we're bumbling along or rocking around. We were probably 20 mins to landing and being bounced around in the air and I was thinking "cant they shut up let the crew get on with what they doing as we are almost home and bigger enough worries with turbulence".

I felt sorry for the girl who was getting grief and then the usual hand outs of complaints form. Anyway before we landed and as the turbulence subsided. I went to the toilets, saw the same girl, and smiled at her reassuringly to say she was great and fab. At the end of the flight as per always I say thanks to the crew on the way out.:)

Nice One AMS :ok:

A friend of mine is a nurse in a mental hospital. The technique taught to her and her colleagues is that if a patient becomes angry and/or agressive the nursing staff becomes calmer and soothing - patient gets angrier, nurse gets calmer. It seems to work for her.

Ricardian,
That reminds me of a story my Dad told me once of how he used to deal with a particularly obnoxious work colleague who was prone to long abusive rants. My Dad's technique was to wait until he had finished and then politely say "Ok. Now what was it you were trying to tell me?" or something similar. At which point the colleague would realise he needed to calmly explain his point or get nowhere.

As for the offload or no offload question ... I'm SLF who not only enjoys flying but also enjoys the whole experience surrounding it, so if I get an extra ride back to the terminal and a chance to sit for a little longer (within reason of course) in air-conditioned comfort watched over by well trained, patient and usually friendly cabin crew, I'd certainly rather have that than be forced to share the inside of the cigar tube for any length of time with someone who was abusive and potentially or actually violent with no safe or easy means of escape. Having said that, of course, I'd prefer that everyone just behaved themselves but otherwise kick 'em off, and quick!! :ok:

To cabin crew in general ... you don't get paid enough!! :D:)

Can't say that has ever happened to me in 20 years of business travel.... I have however sat near more than my fair share of obnoxious pax.

Given the number of Lufthansa flights where my baggage hasn't been on the same plane as I was on, it would make for some interesting games of "Libyan roulette" amongst dedicated terrorists.

Given that on both out- and inbound flights over Xmas there were middle-aged and otherwise reasonable-looking idiots persistently finnicking with baggage instead of getting their asses on their seats, I'm surprised the book doesn't get thrown more often. In fact I thought it WAS being thrown on one flight as there was a delay due to sorting out an item of baggage which shouldn't have been flying. It only took a few minutes to find so offloading idiots can't be that difficult.

As in:- "Yes, now there's a dear, why not try on this lovely cardigan I've got you, it's got these cute little ribbons which get tied round the back ..." Certainly the required action in many of the cases reported here.

Passangers who board already drunk but not too drunk IYKWIM , are usually the biggest troublemakers . I have seen cc facing a difficult:hmm: dialemma by refusing a drink to a passanger who then became rowdy and offencive and was given the drink anyway.

How NOT to handle a situation - allowing these people to fly TWICE with you and only 'think' about charges upon their return.
Airliner hell as 40 drunks run amok on flight from Gatwick | Mail Online


HOW to handle a problem:
TheStar.com | GTA | Toronto man charged in airplane scare

ZERO TOLERANCE = everyone knows you go to jail right away and pay costs for your stupid actions.


'Thomas Cook is investigating events with a view to a possible complaint to police.'

Possible complaint?? Sounds like this airline is part of the problem.

I agree that it was extraordinary that this large group of passengers got away with making so much trouble on the outbound flight, only to (inevitably) do the same on the return. Surely, for the protection of the crew and passengers on the inbound journey, something should have been done? Maybe there is an aspect to the situation we don't know about, but I would really like to understand the reasoning behind the decision to let them continue unchallenged. Can anyone explain? :confused:

A comment regarding loco flights.

When I was at work I normally flew first or business class, usually between Frankfurt a.M. and Paris, Rome or Amsterdam. Now I'm a poverty-stricken pensioner, it's Ryanair every time, usually out of Girona or Perpignan.

And do you know, the passengers on Ryanair are a damn sight nicer and exhibit more self-control than the arrogant businessmen you'd find on Air France or Lufthansa.

If really really pressed I'd say Perpignan passengers are a tad more POSH than Girona pasengers, but either way they beat every time the guys who always turn left when they embark.................

Now, wasn't that a smoooooth landing ? So everybody clap !