Alaska Airlines - treated like a sack of *****.......

[Craig 930 RS]

I board the 737 to Daytona FL.

Head to my seat, I was one of the first 10 on board. *Full flight*
Arrive at seat - someone is sitting in it.

Converse with person in seat to clarify, obviously he is mentally not at full function. Which is fine.

Ask Flight attendant, show ticket demonstrating that this is indeed where I sit.

She says "Well you'll have to find another seat, he has special needs and we are having him sit in your seat"

......I said "Huh? Where do I sit? This is my seat. And it's a full flight."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then I get the smack down, post-911 bull***** routine
(note: I remain pretty calm yet wish to know where to park my butt for the 5 hour flight....) :

"Sir, if you don't calm down we will have to remove you from the flight"

Uh, I am calm. But getting rather incredulous at the entire situation.
So they call the pilot, who is nearly as big of a ____ as the flight attendant.

So ONLY after all this stressful BS do they bother to find me a seat in the back of the plane.

What the hell?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

You're from the "lower 48". Alaskans don't care about you.

[Rikao4]

was waiting for 'don't Taze me B1tch' line.
Sad thing is, there was time when the 'attendants' at least looked Bar/Bed worthy..now you get some overweight Mc D's flunky telling you 'find your own seat'
Rika

[Craig 930 RS]

The kicker is:
"Find another seat"
On a full flight.

And the big "quasi-security power move" on the part of the attendant and pilot.

Unbelievable.

So you can have a reserved seat, go TO your seat, the FA sits someone else there, and it's up to you to find another seat ON AN ASSIGNED SEAT AIRLINES?

WIth NO assistance.

[9dreizig]

Wow that's unusual. Post 911 they treat us all like Sh$t..
Hey Craig sorry I didn't get in touch with you ,,been a crazy week. The good news is I had a great meeting so will be plenty of other opportunities up there for business!!..

[sammyg2]

I'd b!tch to the head brass at Alaska if they did that to me, letter writing, e-mailing, maybe tell them that the channel 4 news is interested in the story. I definately wouldn't put up with that and not fire back.

On a related note, I flew Alaska a couple weeks ago and a half hour prior to landing the stewardess (yes I know that's no longer PC) got on the intercom and started into her 10 minute infomercial speech, telling all of us how we should all sign up for an alaska airlines credit card and get free frequent flyer miles. She had the forms all ready and went down the aisles passing them out and made several passes to collect them after we all filled them out. She failed to mention the $75 annual fee just to carry the card, or the very high interest they charge, or the doubling of interest if your payment is more than two weks late, etc.

I passed but maybe you're interested?

[Craig 930 RS]

Sure, come on up and have a beer. Just don't take Alaska Airlines from the SF area to Seattle!

[JavaBrewer]

[island911]

c'mon Craig, we all know that your're leaving out the best part

... the part where you snapped back "special needs !?! . .. I just got out of rehab, after being removed from my favorite postal route! I've got the special needs, Beotch!!!! "

[Neilk]

They could have at least been ready for you and told you where your new seat was.

This whole 911 "security" spiel is getting really old.

[Jims5543]

The solution was simple. Go sit in a 1st class seat. When the 1st class passenger confronts you over the seat tell them the FA told you to sit there. Let them hash it out.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Just fly Southwest next time.

[island911]

Originally Posted by Craig 930 RS

...(note: I remain pretty calm yet wish to know where to park my butt for the 5 hour flight....) :...What the hell?

I'd be pissed to. I mean, where the hell are they taking that plane, to take 5hrs to get from SF to Seattle? --The bastards!

[NICKG]

you should do what any other red blooded american in your position would do...sue them. say that you have been psychologically harmed by their discriminatory policy and the threatening actions of their crew.

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by Jim Cesiro

The solution was simple. Go sit in a 1st class seat. When the 1st class passenger confronts you over the seat tell them the FA told you to sit there. Let them hash it out.

Yep that is what I would have done. I hate the ******* airlines. They treat everyone like cattle. I sure as hell avoid flying whenever possible.

[Craig 930 RS]

That video was a must-see!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by NICKG

you should do what any other red blooded american in your position would do...sue them. say that you have been psychologically harmed by their discriminatory policy and the threatening actions of their crew.

I like how you think.

[Gogar]

I have a close friend with a medical condition who would say something like this:

"Craig, I'm sorry you had to wait a few minutes to get your seat on the plane. I have terminal cancer."

Flying does suck, though.

[911boost]

I fly alot, I mean alot, and if that ever happens to me, I am going to take the advice on here and go sit in first class.

Did he pay more for his ticket than you? Did he not have an assigned seat that they could have kindly asked you to take? I might have ended up getting tazed in that situation because I would have had a VERY hard time keeping my cool like you did.

Now if its a little kid or something, and they want to sit next to mommy or daddy, or near a flight attendant (my fav are the "straight men" flight attendents..), that is one thing, as long as it is handled properly.

Hell, I have given up a first class seat and taken the middle coach seat in the back for a uniformed military kid once, but that was my choice, and I'd do it again. But to be treated like you did, uh huh, I would have snapped.

Bill

[9dreizig]

Originally Posted by Craig 930 RS

Sure, come on up and have a beer. Just don't take Alaska Airlines from the SF area to Seattle!

P.S. At the time I'd like to have put the my card offer in "the slot"...... if you know what I mean ;-)

Uhm actually, I had a very uneventful flight up Tues night and back yesterday.. but from Reno
The real rub here is that they didn't bother to get you a seat,, BTW,, you weren't stuck in a center seat for that 5 hr flight were you ?? I'd have gone ballistic!!!
T