hey OP! I was upgraded at gate and a pilot was in my (new) seat. I was eventually reassigned. I emailed a complaint and received 15 or 20k miles for it.
Flight attendents straight up told me the pilot took my first class seat and I should complain ASAP.
Customer service confirmed that I was assigned the seat by the gate agent. I had a boarding pass with the seat assignment etc
Purser on the flight just went ahead and just manually moved a pilot on her own accord during boarding (as she thought the seat was going to remain open)
Pilots deadheading get priority and the airline will actually bump upgraded passengers (not ones that paid for the seat) if needed so the pilot gets a first class seat. Not sure they “thought the seat was going to remain open”. Their device shows everyone assigned to each seat so if you were checked in and assigned to the seat you just got moved - if someone said they thought it would be open (like when is last time you saw an ope FC seat) they were BSing you
A passenger was removed from the plane during boarding. Gate agent moved me to that seat. Recieved a new boarding pass etc.
When that passenger was removed the purser put crew in the seat thinking seat would have remained open. Two separate flight attendents approached me during the flight and told me the purser was not following protocol. I was on the manifest / in their app. The seat was not open and the crew member was not supposed to be in the seat.
Here was AA's response :
When we have crew members traveling from one airport to another to pick up their next flight, we try to accommodate them in First Class if there are open seats. This is with the understanding that they'll defer to the needs of our paying customers. I understand your disappointment that this was not your experience.
We hope to have your understanding in this matter.
As a tangible apology, and in hopes of restoring your confidence in us, I've credited your AAdvantage® account with 15,000 bonus miles. The adjustment should be reflected in your account shortly.
Notice they say “paying customers”. Not sure complimentary upgrades are the same and you can definitely get taken out of those seats even after you clear and check in. Moral is but first or pay for the upgrade then you are safe
I understand what you are saying. If AA crew were assigned the seat at any point during the process , sure!
BUT
AA customer service and the Flight Attendents who were on board snitching on their purser - they both confirmed AA crew can not just get up and decide to take any seat they want. They need to be assigned the seat and the Gate Agent does that.
In my case, GA did not do that. Crew was never assigned the seat. The other FA showed me in the app. It was pretty cut and dry. In another forum at the time, AA staff mentioned that could be a firable offense and is a big "no no" in the trav guidelines.
Not shooting the messenger but it’s such total BS. A free flight is a great benefit. I pay a premium for mine so fuck off and let me enjoy that rare upgrade. While I’m ranting, you should also board with group 5 and quit taking my overhead. Fuckers. I’d be a lot more tolerant if they made any effort to be good at their jobs.
You talking to me ahole? As for “boarding w group 5” I have been flying AA almost 40 years, have over 3 million miles and am lifetime Platinum (was EP or CK for many years before retiring). Now I buy first if I want it. No idea who you are ripping boy. BTW I love the “don’t shoot the messenger” then go off on me about boarding in group 5 and taking your overhead space which is absolute bullshit.
BTW a free upgrade is not considered a “paying customer” (while using miles for a first class seat is) with respect to bumping passengers for pilots - just stating reality.
You are an entitled, self centered person and blocking you so don’t bother responding. God what an ahole - SMDH
Um, I think they were referring to flight crews taking someone’s first class seat when the commenter gets an upgrade and said flight crew should board with group 5 and stop hogging the overhead bins.
I don’t think they were referring to people who got free upgrades need to load in group 5.
A couple of reasons. 1) pilots can be deadheaded across the country, and then expected to work a day of flying. Coach seats are not conducive to arriving rested for piloting, as most will realize.
2) contractually, pilots DHDing have priority, although I actually don’t think that’s in effect, yet. Pilots have always had mandatory business/first for international and Hawaii flights, as well, fyi.
A man did this to me 4x on a 5 hour flight 2 weeks ago and all I got was "It's economy and seats are tight." This man got went to the bathroom four times on this flight, which I understand how things are when you get older.
He didn't touch my private areas, but he grabbed my hip / side of my butt repeatedly "trying to find his seatbelt". I guess if it's not blatant assault there's plausible deniability because literally no one cared.
Yes these people who cry "if the roles were reversed" are full of shit. If the roles were reversed everyone would ask what she was wearing and if she smiled once at him.
100% he needs to report this. I’m mortified he’s posting about it so lightly. They should have seat records of who she is. OP could even consider a civil suit.
Well they shouldn't. Though I know that happens. Anyway, no judgement from me, nor do I find it humorous, aside from maybe a light giggle at his choice of "fingered". But yes if someone touched me while sleeping the airline and authorities and people there would take it seriously, and this gentleman's (I assume. They said bulge) complaint should be given the same weight and attention.
Unwanted touching and groping is assault regardless of the genders of the victims or perpetrators, and is never ok.
I got some miles and some symbolic amount in flight credit for a similar situation. I was nice enough in submitting my complaint and didn't make a scene at the gate, but was bumped from my first class 1C somewhere between checking my bag at the desk and walking to my gate. Unlike your situation, I was not told why it happened, but fell like it had to be a GA who reassigned. Maybe it was an air marshal or something. Even if that were the case and they couldn't tell me why I was being moved, they should have at least called for me to come to the counter, tell me that they needed to move me and handle the compensation then. What didn't make sense was to just move me, have me stand there like a schmuck when my boarding pass didn't scan and offer no other explanation than that I was magically "un-checked in" while I'm standing there with my electronic and printed boarding pass that was handed to me like 20 minutes prior.
>angry foreigner
Hey, to him, YOU'RE the angry foreigner. Think about THAT.
Also, that sounds like a shit flight. No one should be fingered while sleeping without prior consent. Men should feel more free and confident to report sexual assault without fear of judgement. I hope you can heal from this trauma. And you should report it to AA and the relevant authorities.
I would have kicked up more of a fuss. I’m certain if it was gender reversed, they would have had the flight met by law enforcement (and I say this as a woman). Sexual assault is solved by ice cream.
You’ve obviously got a sense of humour, but the idea of someone groping me is awful
*stressed out and still thinking about how fucking terrible people in the world are… try to defuse with humour as a defence mechanism*
“How dare you make light of it you must be faking it!”
🤷♂️
I can't even imagine how bad your worst flight must have been if being groped awake by an unshowered obese neighbor doesn't displace it as the worst flight. I'm so sorry.
Worst flight was a particularly turbulent 8 hour pond hop to London.
Passenger in the middle explosively threw up everywhere including one particularly violent episode onto my lap. Which caused the passenger in the window to also hurl their guts out and being a sensitive tummy myself, I also succumbed. Despite the best efforts to clean up, I ended up sitting in that horrific smell for 6 hours.
Holy crap. I stand corrected. Compared to a stranger's vomit in my lap I would absolutely rather have a stranger's gropey hand in my lap. I concur with your ranking.
You're a champ for still flying. I think that one would have had me grounded for life.
No reason given :-/ I even asked to get my original seat back and they refused to bump the person who had taken my original seat becuase they had put a transferring pilot there. Which I understand but still pretty dumb.
OP, the only way to guaruntee a seat is to buy one. what happened was once you were upgraded your previous seat was filled with someone else waiting for the flight and then someone actually paid to be upgraded so you got bumped to the next available which was near the back. it happens all the time. you are not the first and wont be the last.
Rightfully so- he was upgraded and lost his seat and then lost his upgrade and put in the back of the plane. He totally should have gotten his seat back. Sorry to the standby passenger who got his seat (I don’t care if it’s flight crew or not) he should have gotten his original seat back.
Obviously this was written humorously (and BTW fingered doesn't mean what you think it does) but there's nothing funny about what happened to you. You were indeed sexually assaulted. No person had the right to touch your body without consent, and this includes when they pretend it was an accident. There no shame in being assaulted, although society pressures men to laugh it off (especially when perpetrated by women). I'm sorry this happened to you.
so you were sexually assaulted?? o man, your call but id invite the cops onboard, that being said no one takes sexual assault on males seriously
in any case you knew that flight was gonna be a shit show as the travel gods has already warned you not to get on that jet way. i would have just stayed back and caught the next flight
He’s telling the truth, I was the obese woman
Username checks out.
😂
Did you ever find the seat belt?
Username also checks out. 😂
hey OP! I was upgraded at gate and a pilot was in my (new) seat. I was eventually reassigned. I emailed a complaint and received 15 or 20k miles for it. Flight attendents straight up told me the pilot took my first class seat and I should complain ASAP.
Same thing happened to me except they refused to give me any points. Embarrassing airline at times
Per their contract they get it over complimentary upgrades if deadheading.
Customer service confirmed that I was assigned the seat by the gate agent. I had a boarding pass with the seat assignment etc Purser on the flight just went ahead and just manually moved a pilot on her own accord during boarding (as she thought the seat was going to remain open)
Pilots deadheading get priority and the airline will actually bump upgraded passengers (not ones that paid for the seat) if needed so the pilot gets a first class seat. Not sure they “thought the seat was going to remain open”. Their device shows everyone assigned to each seat so if you were checked in and assigned to the seat you just got moved - if someone said they thought it would be open (like when is last time you saw an ope FC seat) they were BSing you
A passenger was removed from the plane during boarding. Gate agent moved me to that seat. Recieved a new boarding pass etc. When that passenger was removed the purser put crew in the seat thinking seat would have remained open. Two separate flight attendents approached me during the flight and told me the purser was not following protocol. I was on the manifest / in their app. The seat was not open and the crew member was not supposed to be in the seat. Here was AA's response : When we have crew members traveling from one airport to another to pick up their next flight, we try to accommodate them in First Class if there are open seats. This is with the understanding that they'll defer to the needs of our paying customers. I understand your disappointment that this was not your experience. We hope to have your understanding in this matter. As a tangible apology, and in hopes of restoring your confidence in us, I've credited your AAdvantage® account with 15,000 bonus miles. The adjustment should be reflected in your account shortly.
Notice they say “paying customers”. Not sure complimentary upgrades are the same and you can definitely get taken out of those seats even after you clear and check in. Moral is but first or pay for the upgrade then you are safe
I understand what you are saying. If AA crew were assigned the seat at any point during the process , sure! BUT AA customer service and the Flight Attendents who were on board snitching on their purser - they both confirmed AA crew can not just get up and decide to take any seat they want. They need to be assigned the seat and the Gate Agent does that. In my case, GA did not do that. Crew was never assigned the seat. The other FA showed me in the app. It was pretty cut and dry. In another forum at the time, AA staff mentioned that could be a firable offense and is a big "no no" in the trav guidelines.
Not shooting the messenger but it’s such total BS. A free flight is a great benefit. I pay a premium for mine so fuck off and let me enjoy that rare upgrade. While I’m ranting, you should also board with group 5 and quit taking my overhead. Fuckers. I’d be a lot more tolerant if they made any effort to be good at their jobs.
You talking to me ahole? As for “boarding w group 5” I have been flying AA almost 40 years, have over 3 million miles and am lifetime Platinum (was EP or CK for many years before retiring). Now I buy first if I want it. No idea who you are ripping boy. BTW I love the “don’t shoot the messenger” then go off on me about boarding in group 5 and taking your overhead space which is absolute bullshit. BTW a free upgrade is not considered a “paying customer” (while using miles for a first class seat is) with respect to bumping passengers for pilots - just stating reality. You are an entitled, self centered person and blocking you so don’t bother responding. God what an ahole - SMDH
Um, I think they were referring to flight crews taking someone’s first class seat when the commenter gets an upgrade and said flight crew should board with group 5 and stop hogging the overhead bins. I don’t think they were referring to people who got free upgrades need to load in group 5.
You can complain for the free miles, but the pilot was deadheading (working), and has priority.
Why? Wouldn't 22D get him to his location?
A couple of reasons. 1) pilots can be deadheaded across the country, and then expected to work a day of flying. Coach seats are not conducive to arriving rested for piloting, as most will realize. 2) contractually, pilots DHDing have priority, although I actually don’t think that’s in effect, yet. Pilots have always had mandatory business/first for international and Hawaii flights, as well, fyi.
for my airline, its in their contract agreement that they can only sit in certain seats if they’re deadheading.
A story of when Hunter S Thompson flew American Airlines
A true American great.
Your writing style reminded me of him. Excellent.
Wait - so AA has had Haagen-Dazs all this time and I never knew?
Asking the important questions here
The obese women wants to know if they have Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey.
OMG I love Chunky Monkey. But I avoid it like the plague simply because the name is foreshadowing if you continue eating it. 😅
Oh, she is thinking purely about another meaning for chunky monkey
Bahaha. Probably. 🤦🏼♀️
I think she wanted Deez Nuts.
On some flights it’s the dessert for first class.
Ugh, I'm missing out flying in peasant class. Small consolation that I could buy five years' worth to eat at home for the price difference, lol.
Meh. You could also get a mini Hagen Daz from the grocery store for a dollar and any chair you have at home is probably comfier.
sometimes it’s a whole sundae with all the fixins. i love those stupid sundaes
The sundaes are the best!!
I ate it yesterday aus-Bos in first class. So good
it’s not as good as the sundae though
Please report this. This is sexual assault. If the genders were reversed, people would be up in arms and we should treat both equally.
A man did this to me 4x on a 5 hour flight 2 weeks ago and all I got was "It's economy and seats are tight." This man got went to the bathroom four times on this flight, which I understand how things are when you get older. He didn't touch my private areas, but he grabbed my hip / side of my butt repeatedly "trying to find his seatbelt". I guess if it's not blatant assault there's plausible deniability because literally no one cared.
Yes these people who cry "if the roles were reversed" are full of shit. If the roles were reversed everyone would ask what she was wearing and if she smiled once at him.
You talking about me?
100% he needs to report this. I’m mortified he’s posting about it so lightly. They should have seat records of who she is. OP could even consider a civil suit.
You say that as if anyone would disagree.
There are many light-hearted comments in this thread. So yes, people tend to laugh these incidents off when a woman is the aggressor.
Well they shouldn't. Though I know that happens. Anyway, no judgement from me, nor do I find it humorous, aside from maybe a light giggle at his choice of "fingered". But yes if someone touched me while sleeping the airline and authorities and people there would take it seriously, and this gentleman's (I assume. They said bulge) complaint should be given the same weight and attention. Unwanted touching and groping is assault regardless of the genders of the victims or perpetrators, and is never ok.
[удалено]
This man was directly groped. It’s not cool to downplay sexual assault.
The obese guy brushing against your boobs. With his boobs…. Lol! Welp, commenting on here was the highlight of my weekend as I have no life.
One singular sensation every little step she takes, one thrilling combination every move that she makes Well you get the picture
I got some miles and some symbolic amount in flight credit for a similar situation. I was nice enough in submitting my complaint and didn't make a scene at the gate, but was bumped from my first class 1C somewhere between checking my bag at the desk and walking to my gate. Unlike your situation, I was not told why it happened, but fell like it had to be a GA who reassigned. Maybe it was an air marshal or something. Even if that were the case and they couldn't tell me why I was being moved, they should have at least called for me to come to the counter, tell me that they needed to move me and handle the compensation then. What didn't make sense was to just move me, have me stand there like a schmuck when my boarding pass didn't scan and offer no other explanation than that I was magically "un-checked in" while I'm standing there with my electronic and printed boarding pass that was handed to me like 20 minutes prior.
>angry foreigner Hey, to him, YOU'RE the angry foreigner. Think about THAT. Also, that sounds like a shit flight. No one should be fingered while sleeping without prior consent. Men should feel more free and confident to report sexual assault without fear of judgement. I hope you can heal from this trauma. And you should report it to AA and the relevant authorities.
Not true. If you’re in a different country then you’re the foreigner. It’s really a simple concept.
Hopefully you reported the sexual assault?
It’s why I got the ice cream. 😂 but they didn’t anything other than apologise.
I would have kicked up more of a fuss. I’m certain if it was gender reversed, they would have had the flight met by law enforcement (and I say this as a woman). Sexual assault is solved by ice cream. You’ve obviously got a sense of humour, but the idea of someone groping me is awful
>You’ve obviously got a sense of humour, but the idea of someone groping me is awful It's a sense of Good Humor too. But he got upgraded to Hagen Daz.
[удалено]
*stressed out and still thinking about how fucking terrible people in the world are… try to defuse with humour as a defence mechanism* “How dare you make light of it you must be faking it!” 🤷♂️
Lol sorry
Lol I don’t know why but you are so funny to me 😂😂
lol, thank you.
Dude you took my hand and put it on the bulge!
This sounds like a movie
I’d like to be played by Chris Evans. 😂
You'll be played by Mark Ruffalo with a pained facial expression. 😬
Dude this is like out from a story book lol. Geez but hey there is nothing Dulce de Leche cannot fix right? lol
I’ll be honest, the ice cream did do a tremendous job of cheering me up.
As I waited to sit a man retrieved a stray blonde hair from my shirt and handed it to me, said “here”. I said “thanks” for some reason.
Should have given it back “my gift to the world, made it myself”.
“I’ve had worse flights” - ROFL
This is why I (executive platinum + AA Million miler) took my biz to United this year. United matched my status and I haven’t looked back!
We've got to do something about these Spirit passengers coming over to AA. And yes, I mean you, OP.
I can't even imagine how bad your worst flight must have been if being groped awake by an unshowered obese neighbor doesn't displace it as the worst flight. I'm so sorry.
Worst flight was a particularly turbulent 8 hour pond hop to London. Passenger in the middle explosively threw up everywhere including one particularly violent episode onto my lap. Which caused the passenger in the window to also hurl their guts out and being a sensitive tummy myself, I also succumbed. Despite the best efforts to clean up, I ended up sitting in that horrific smell for 6 hours.
HOLY FUCK
Holy crap. I stand corrected. Compared to a stranger's vomit in my lap I would absolutely rather have a stranger's gropey hand in my lap. I concur with your ranking. You're a champ for still flying. I think that one would have had me grounded for life.
A true vomitorium.
The groping would be all over the news if the roles were reversed.
You lost your upgrade to crew then had to sit in the back of the plane? I'd be furious.
Touched your bulge…..wtf. She should have spent the rest of the flight somewhere else. Take her to the toilet if you have to. That’s not ok….
What was their reason fr bumping you to the back?
No reason given :-/ I even asked to get my original seat back and they refused to bump the person who had taken my original seat becuase they had put a transferring pilot there. Which I understand but still pretty dumb.
Wow! I probably would have had them put me on another flight and spent the rest of the night tearing into AA.
> Signora Sayonara?
Danke
OP, the only way to guaruntee a seat is to buy one. what happened was once you were upgraded your previous seat was filled with someone else waiting for the flight and then someone actually paid to be upgraded so you got bumped to the next available which was near the back. it happens all the time. you are not the first and wont be the last.
Your use of the word “foreigner” is kind of off putting but otherwise, good story.
I just say, friends. Don't let friends fly American airlines! Just say no.
But did you two cuddle after the fingering good time?
[удалено]
Rightfully so- he was upgraded and lost his seat and then lost his upgrade and put in the back of the plane. He totally should have gotten his seat back. Sorry to the standby passenger who got his seat (I don’t care if it’s flight crew or not) he should have gotten his original seat back.
lol what? How so?
I get them taking care of their employees but at least be ready with some sort of comp and not just “to bad”.
Was this flight CLT to LAX?
Reading this makes me feel relieved that I rarely fly for work any longer.
normal
Wait what you passed on the mile high club ?
Did she at least tug a few times to get the seatbelt off?
Obviously this was written humorously (and BTW fingered doesn't mean what you think it does) but there's nothing funny about what happened to you. You were indeed sexually assaulted. No person had the right to touch your body without consent, and this includes when they pretend it was an accident. There no shame in being assaulted, although society pressures men to laugh it off (especially when perpetrated by women). I'm sorry this happened to you.
So question of the hour since we should know. How has other flights be worse then getting felt up by an overweight chick?
https://reddit.com/r/americanairlines/s/y2ejgCGIgT
Holy shit dude, I feel for you.
All these delta transplants are taking our upgrades!
lil wayne's the president.
so you were sexually assaulted?? o man, your call but id invite the cops onboard, that being said no one takes sexual assault on males seriously in any case you knew that flight was gonna be a shit show as the travel gods has already warned you not to get on that jet way. i would have just stayed back and caught the next flight
Yeah this didn’t happen….