Editor's Note: A harrowing story about an attack by an abusive American Airlines employee will be told in segments for the next several blog posts. This story was 100% corroborated by several frequesnt flier passengers who also suffered the same attack that I did. These high level executives and leaders in their community also contacted American Airlines and did not have their complaints addressed. I received a half hearted call from an American Airlines customer service representative who refused to confirm the employee worked for American, refused to say what corrective action would be taken and all but laughed at me when I suggested a refund for that flight or a credit for a future flight was in order to compensate me for the abuse I suffered. I got an apology from the Dallas Mayor's office, which also led me to a Dallas Fort Worth Airport executive who confirmed the abusive gate agent indeed worked for American Airlines. That polite DFW employee said he would refer me to American's DFW point person and he was certain that person would contact me. The DFW-based American Airlines person never called. This incident happened nearly 2 months ago and I have still not gotten proper redress from American. Perhaps bankruptcy will shake some sense into this carrier that abuses disabled fliers routinely and even attacked some innocent passengers re-entering the US on an evening flight. I encourage everyone to forward this story, so other abused American customers can unite against this carrier. The blog posts reads exactly like the complaint letter I sent to American.
THIS RUNS THE COMPLAINT IN ITS ENTIRETY. BY THE WAY, THE SOOTHING PHOTOS SET AGAINST THE JARRING TEXT, ARE OF GUANAJUATO MEXICO
I am a longtime, loyal customer of American Airlines writing to complain about a very horrible experience on Monday November 14, 2011.
Flight 3341 from Guanajuato/Leon Mexico to Dallas Fort Worth Airport was professional and tranquil.
The lone flight attendant (he was outstanding and I wish I had taken down his name, but I can only identify him as a bilingual Hispanic male in his late 20s or early 30s) made for a smooth flight for all of us.
When we landed at DFW, the captain announced that we had arrived about 15 minutes early and because of that, it would take at last five minutes to get a gate agent so we could exit the plane.
As promised, about five minutes later, the jet bridge touched the exit door and the very professional male flight attendant told us to hold on for just a moment more.
I happened to be first in line to exit the small jet. The friendly flight attendant motioned for me to exit. Because I am consciences and very aware of 21st century security concerns, I asked the flight attendant directly if it was okay to exit and he said “yes.”
I proceeded onto the jet bridge to pick up my gate-checked carry-on bag. Immediately, a woman (African American, in her late 30s to early 40s, with a radio and wearing a gate agent/crew member windbreaker – I failed to get her name so I only have this basic description to identify her) screamed at me and a couple other passengers who had must exited.
She threateningly yelled "who let you out?, you're not allowed out!…go back!”
The handful of us at the opening of the jet bridge were stunned.
A gentleman who exited with me responded to the woman in a kind, warm tone: “ma’am, what gives you the right to yell at us like this?”
At the top of her lungs, she screamed back something to the effect that she had every right gain yelled at us to get back in the plane (this was impossible, as all passengers were queued up at the front of the plane, though I doubt most of the passengers that had yet to exit had any idea why there was such a commotion after an uneventful flight.)
The woman shrieked something about passengers leaving the plane without permission.
Her hysterics and body language clearly implied that we were about to be detained, arrested, etc.
The man behind me again stated in a very non-threatening tone "ma’am, you can’t talk to us like this. The flight attendant gave us permission to leave the airplane.”
The whole time this gentlemanly man and his traveling companion were trying to reason with this abusive and threatening woman, she continued to shriek something to the effect that we'd exited without permission and that she would send the flight back to Mexico or deny the right to go through Customs to re-enter our native United States.
She kept wailing something about the door (which leads to external stairs down to the tarmac – the stairway that ground crew members use to walk up to deliver strollers, wheelchairs, gate-checked baggage, etc.) not being secured before the plane door opened.
Perhaps some procedure was not followed, but of course no everyday American Airlines passenger would know what she was talking about (and any competent employee would know not to yell at the innocent victims of whatever perceived breach of procedure that she detected and over reacted to.)
But reason did not enter the mind of this crazed and incompetent employee who continued her bombastic attack on confused and frightened passengers.
Finally, the flight attendant (looking bewildered and defeated) made his way to the abusive woman to explain that we passengers had done nothing wrong other than to follow his directions to deplane once the jet door opened to the jet bridge.
I was speechless during the few minutes this confusing, intimidating event blew up in front of me.
In my hundreds of flights, including many international flights, I’ve never encountered such an angry, threatening and out of control employee.
Part of me wanted to use my camera to video tape the incident, but I feared the screaming woman would retaliate against me.
Finally, after conferring with the flight attendant, the woman she stopped her confusing verbal attack and I picked up my gate-checked carry-on.
Walking up the get bridge, my legs shook and my heart raced. Throughout the 2-hour-plus flight, I was resting comfortably, but the moment I exited the plane, I was face to face with an out of control employee in full meltdown.
10 1-19
While waiting to get through Customs, I still feared that I would be pulled out of line and arrested by federal marshals based on the unreliable and crazed ramblings of the woman who verbally attacked me and a few other first-off-the-plane passengers.
In the wake of the female employee’s irrational outburst, I worried that I would be detained and questioned. I feared I would not make it to my connecting flight to Miami – where my wheelchair-using disabled wife was waiting for me to care for her.
When the other couple (including the gentleman who had politely questioned the abusive worker about her behavior) saw me in the long customs line, they remarked that I was still shaking.
We exchanged contact information so each of us – who had never met before – could confirm this story of worker abuse against confused, innocent passengers.
Less than 48 hours removed from this incident, I am still hesitant to make my complaint. I fear that for pointing out an injustice, I will receive retaliation – possibly being placed on some kind of watch list of do not fly list.
But I feel like the truth must be spoken and I can only hope that I am rewarded, not punished for exposing this abuse by your employee.
