Narrative:

This very lightly booked flight had 5 passenger in first class and 5 in coach. Shortly before departure, the captain requested that all passenger be seated in first class for the entire flight, due to weight and balance. All passenger promptly complied, except 1 male passenger (the one involved in this incident) who argued that he wanted to stay in coach class so that he could sleep. The #1 flight attendant repeated the explanation for the request and the passenger reluctantly moved to a first class seat. 2 flight attendants, including myself and the #1 flight attendant, remained in the first class cabin and galley, while the 2 remaining flight attendants stayed in the rear of the aircraft, near their jump seats, during the duration of the flight. (We did not need their assistance for 10 mostly sleeping passenger!) the #1 flight attendant and I each took 10-15 min breaks in the rear of the aircraft at separate times. While doing safety compliance checks in preparation for landing, we discovered the male passenger, who had resisted moving to first class, lying down in coach class seats. The #1 flight attendant patiently and respectfully requested that the passenger move back to his seat in first class. (I should emphasize that he was never scolding or pedantic.) the passenger became verbally aggressive, raising his voice and accusing the flight attendants of arbitrarily moving all the passenger to first class so that we could '...spend the flight hanging out together in the back.' the #1 flight attendant patiently explained that this directive came from the captain, who received it from the tower, not from the flight attendants. The passenger continued to argue and then demanded the full name of the #1 flight attendant and the captain's name. He was told that if he desired, he could speak with the captain after landing, but at this point we were descending and that it was important for the safety of all that he return to his first class seat. He finally did. On landing, he resumed his argument with both the #1 flight attendant, who tried again to calm the passenger with non defensive explanations, and the captain. The captain showed the passenger the computer printout from the tower with the directive to seat all passenger in first class. The passenger remained verbally aggressive and unreasonable, threatening to '....write a letter to someone about this,' and finally deplaned in okc. I should also mention that the captain remained very calm, non defensive and non authoritative -- which probably would have only escalated the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, LAS-OKC, HAD 10 PAX TOTAL. LOAD PLANNING HAD ALL PAX SIT IN FIRST CLASS FOR TKOF, CRUISE, LNDG. ONE REFUSED, DURING CRUISE LAID IN EMPTY SEATS IN COACH CLASS, FORCED TO GO TO FIRST CLASS FOR LNDG. UPSET WITH CAPT. THREATENED ACTION.

Narrative: THIS VERY LIGHTLY BOOKED FLT HAD 5 PAX IN FIRST CLASS AND 5 IN COACH. SHORTLY BEFORE DEP, THE CAPT REQUESTED THAT ALL PAX BE SEATED IN FIRST CLASS FOR THE ENTIRE FLT, DUE TO WT AND BAL. ALL PAX PROMPTLY COMPLIED, EXCEPT 1 MALE PAX (THE ONE INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT) WHO ARGUED THAT HE WANTED TO STAY IN COACH CLASS SO THAT HE COULD SLEEP. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT REPEATED THE EXPLANATION FOR THE REQUEST AND THE PAX RELUCTANTLY MOVED TO A FIRST CLASS SEAT. 2 FLT ATTENDANTS, INCLUDING MYSELF AND THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT, REMAINED IN THE FIRST CLASS CABIN AND GALLEY, WHILE THE 2 REMAINING FLT ATTENDANTS STAYED IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT, NEAR THEIR JUMP SEATS, DURING THE DURATION OF THE FLT. (WE DID NOT NEED THEIR ASSISTANCE FOR 10 MOSTLY SLEEPING PAX!) THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND I EACH TOOK 10-15 MIN BREAKS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT AT SEPARATE TIMES. WHILE DOING SAFETY COMPLIANCE CHKS IN PREPARATION FOR LNDG, WE DISCOVERED THE MALE PAX, WHO HAD RESISTED MOVING TO FIRST CLASS, LYING DOWN IN COACH CLASS SEATS. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT PATIENTLY AND RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED THAT THE PAX MOVE BACK TO HIS SEAT IN FIRST CLASS. (I SHOULD EMPHASIZE THAT HE WAS NEVER SCOLDING OR PEDANTIC.) THE PAX BECAME VERBALLY AGGRESSIVE, RAISING HIS VOICE AND ACCUSING THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF ARBITRARILY MOVING ALL THE PAX TO FIRST CLASS SO THAT WE COULD '...SPEND THE FLT HANGING OUT TOGETHER IN THE BACK.' THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT PATIENTLY EXPLAINED THAT THIS DIRECTIVE CAME FROM THE CAPT, WHO RECEIVED IT FROM THE TWR, NOT FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THE PAX CONTINUED TO ARGUE AND THEN DEMANDED THE FULL NAME OF THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND THE CAPT'S NAME. HE WAS TOLD THAT IF HE DESIRED, HE COULD SPEAK WITH THE CAPT AFTER LNDG, BUT AT THIS POINT WE WERE DSNDING AND THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL THAT HE RETURN TO HIS FIRST CLASS SEAT. HE FINALLY DID. ON LNDG, HE RESUMED HIS ARGUMENT WITH BOTH THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT, WHO TRIED AGAIN TO CALM THE PAX WITH NON DEFENSIVE EXPLANATIONS, AND THE CAPT. THE CAPT SHOWED THE PAX THE COMPUTER PRINTOUT FROM THE TWR WITH THE DIRECTIVE TO SEAT ALL PAX IN FIRST CLASS. THE PAX REMAINED VERBALLY AGGRESSIVE AND UNREASONABLE, THREATENING TO '....WRITE A LETTER TO SOMEONE ABOUT THIS,' AND FINALLY DEPLANED IN OKC. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT THE CAPT REMAINED VERY CALM, NON DEFENSIVE AND NON AUTHORITATIVE -- WHICH PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ONLY ESCALATED THE SIT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.