Thread: Pulled off after boarding?

We were pulled off flying across the country - we made it GEG/MSP fine then MSP/MCO were pulled off at the very last minute. We were not sitting together and it was my husbands first time flying nonrev! (we were actually headed to a cruise for our honeymoon). As we walked off the plane 2 people running past us were saying sorry. The agent at the gate was really nice and said she hated when that happened to people and that we were on the next flight no matter what - and we were and sitting together!

Another time I was upgraded to first and at the last minute moved back. I think it was on United and at the time you walked onto the aircraft you took a lunch out of a refrigerator - but if you were in first you didn't need to do that - so I didn't and so had nothing since I was moved.

Oh well - I have been moved into first quite a few times and it is such a treat that I just enjoy it when I get it and don't worry about getting pulled.

My husband and I were traveling to Paris for a friend's wedding (in June!) - so we went on separate flights.

As he was seated in the last coach seat, he was paged by the FA to bring his belongings. Everyone around him assumed he was being "upgraded" - and, in fact, the person sitting next to him pretty much congratulated him My husband just knew he was being taken off the flight.

But, much to his surprise - he WAS upgraded and put in First. Meanwhile, I flew coach DFW-MIA and Coach MIA-CDG! But we made it, so what am I complaining about

We have both been taken off of flights before - but the story of having to take your two little ones off after getting settled sends shivers up my spine! I have a 2 and 6 year old and can't imagine. The first time we were ever even split up, my husband took the baby on the last seat from MSP to ORD and my older child and I stayed behind. We had taken IDs with us, so they were on a UA flight (I work for AA). So, on top of screaming at the top of her lungs in the airport "I don't understand WHY Daddy and Jessie are going without us!", she also started screaming "And WHY are they NOT on AMERICAN AIRLINES!" (Score one for the good guys ).

And one last story - we got the last two seats on an ABQ-DFW flight once because a pair of armed robbers (pre 9/11) had boarded our flight and were caught by our crack staff. They had flown from ICT to DFW and then bought tickets on the spot for ABQ. The police arrested them on the jet bridge after pulling them off the flight in DFW. The person sitting next to my husband was irate that they were delayed by taking those pax off - of course, he had no idea why they were removed.

-L

Her Ladyship and I were seated in coach on a US Airways flight from PHL to Roma. As we nestled into our seats, an in flight came by and enquired: "Are you two our non-revs?"

"Damn," I thought. "They are going to chuck us off."

I thought about lying. Then I realized, of course, that they had paperwork that would reveal my mendacity. So I fessed up.

And the in flight said: "Oh good. When we are in the air, we'd like you to come up and sit in first class."

Life is, as someone observed earlier in this thread, good. The downside of such treatment is that Her Ladyship expects to fly first class every time now. I fail her mostly, of course. </span>

I work in an outstation, so we are cross-trained. When I am at the ticket counter, I refuse to give out standby passes to anyone unless I know I can fit everyone for the rest of the day on that one plane. I have been in the position too many times of having to take away boarding passes from standbys, both rev and non when another agent has prematurely given out the passes. (due to weight restrictions, cancellations, etc., not because I&#39;m a mean person. ) Most of the rev passengers I&#39;ve had to take bps away from were never really informed they were on standby anyway, they thought they had been confirmed on the earlier flight, because they were offered an earlier flight and the standby process wasn&#39;t explained properly.

I actually had a supervisor hand out two bps to a couple of non revs almost an hour prior to departure. When I got to the gate to work the flight, they were numbers 14&15 and I would have had to deny boarding to an elite passenger who the same supervisor put on the list at the last minute, when he knew there were 13 seats open. Thankfully, the nonrevs were gracious, but I felt absolutely horrible.

Also, with positive space, it shouldn&#39;t matter what the reason for positive space, at that point, it is the passenger&#39;s option to volunteer, they should not be forced, or that&#39;s the way I understand it.