Narrative:

During boarding, a group of young men boarded the aircraft appearing intoxicated (made jokes about being able to walk down the aisle straight). They smelled heavily of alcohol. As flight attendant #1 (the one directly involved) was in first class galley bent down to straighten up beer and wine on beverage cart, a passenger (the reported problem passenger) bent down next to her and said something. I did not hear his comment, but flight attendant #1 directed him in the direction of main cabin. I had mentioned to her that the group of men smelled of alcohol. When the boarding process was nearly complete, she went to the back to see where they were seated. I was still at main cabin entry door the majority of time, so I don't know everything that was said. I did go back to the main cabin after she said they were not staying. I heard a passenger saying 'you are the problem blondie.' the passenger refused to leave. Flight attendant #1 then got the captain to remove them. He was reluctant to do so. Flight attendant #1 said she heard captain apologize to the removed (2) passenger for their inconvenience, while he spoke with them on jetbridge. This was my first flight, I just graduated from flight attendant training. I hope the other experiences will be better. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the lead flight attendant saw and smelled the group of men boarding from her position in the galley. After going back and checking them out, she decided only 2 of them were in bad enough shape and should be removed. She said that only the purser overheard the captain apologizing to the 2 men and was quite upset about him undermining her authority/authorized and judgement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, LAX-DEN. GROUP OF INTOXICATED PAX WERE BOARDED. PURSER GOT RELUCTANT CAPT TO REMOVE ONLY 2.

Narrative: DURING BOARDING, A GROUP OF YOUNG MEN BOARDED THE ACFT APPEARING INTOXICATED (MADE JOKES ABOUT BEING ABLE TO WALK DOWN THE AISLE STRAIGHT). THEY SMELLED HEAVILY OF ALCOHOL. AS FLT ATTENDANT #1 (THE ONE DIRECTLY INVOLVED) WAS IN FIRST CLASS GALLEY BENT DOWN TO STRAIGHTEN UP BEER AND WINE ON BEVERAGE CART, A PAX (THE RPTED PROB PAX) BENT DOWN NEXT TO HER AND SAID SOMETHING. I DID NOT HEAR HIS COMMENT, BUT FLT ATTENDANT #1 DIRECTED HIM IN THE DIRECTION OF MAIN CABIN. I HAD MENTIONED TO HER THAT THE GROUP OF MEN SMELLED OF ALCOHOL. WHEN THE BOARDING PROCESS WAS NEARLY COMPLETE, SHE WENT TO THE BACK TO SEE WHERE THEY WERE SEATED. I WAS STILL AT MAIN CABIN ENTRY DOOR THE MAJORITY OF TIME, SO I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID. I DID GO BACK TO THE MAIN CABIN AFTER SHE SAID THEY WERE NOT STAYING. I HEARD A PAX SAYING 'YOU ARE THE PROB BLONDIE.' THE PAX REFUSED TO LEAVE. FLT ATTENDANT #1 THEN GOT THE CAPT TO REMOVE THEM. HE WAS RELUCTANT TO DO SO. FLT ATTENDANT #1 SAID SHE HEARD CAPT APOLOGIZE TO THE REMOVED (2) PAX FOR THEIR INCONVENIENCE, WHILE HE SPOKE WITH THEM ON JETBRIDGE. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT, I JUST GRADUATED FROM FLT ATTENDANT TRAINING. I HOPE THE OTHER EXPERIENCES WILL BE BETTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT SAW AND SMELLED THE GROUP OF MEN BOARDING FROM HER POS IN THE GALLEY. AFTER GOING BACK AND CHKING THEM OUT, SHE DECIDED ONLY 2 OF THEM WERE IN BAD ENOUGH SHAPE AND SHOULD BE REMOVED. SHE SAID THAT ONLY THE PURSER OVERHEARD THE CAPT APOLOGIZING TO THE 2 MEN AND WAS QUITE UPSET ABOUT HIM UNDERMINING HER AUTH AND JUDGEMENT.

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.