SWA Gate Agent Sues BNA Singer for Tweets
A singer from Nashville is being sued by a Southwest Airlines employee for firing off a series of tweets blasting the company's customer service. Singer Natalie Grant had taken to Twitter to vent her frustrations after Southwest employee Jennifer Patterson barred her from boarding a plane early with her children, according to the lawsuit (via Consumerist).
Grant had purchased Business Select tickets for herself and one child, but not for her other children and her husband, who were traveling with her, Nashville Scene reports. When she tried to board early with her entire family, she was told that only those passengers with Business Select tickets could come along, according to Patterson's lawsuit.
Grant, upset that her four-year-old child could not board the plane early with her, vented to her 187,000 Twitter followers
Patterson sued Grant for defamation and putting her in a false light for the March 2011 incident.
The charges were dropped by a trial court but a Tennessee appeals court recently upheld the false light charge, according to Nashville Scene.
Tweets: Gracie is 4. FOUR! she wanted her to board by herself or make us wait Till A34. Even though I was business select!”
“I fly @southwestair at least 75x/year. just had WORST experience.
Me; A1, Sadie: A3 Gracie A34. Woman refused 2 let Gracie board w/ me.”
“Nashville. Gate A25. Flight to Denver. Her name is Jennifer. She said “get over it. Follow the rules. Or don’t fly.”
She has done this to me before. She has the WORST customer service. My daughter is FOUR.:huh::(
