Narrative:

This incident occurred on oct/xa/00, on flight from new york jfk to los angeles (lax) ca. I came out from aircraft about 10 mins before departure time and notified the agent and the boarding flight attendant that carry on luggage was limited to 'under seat' luggage. As I informed the flight attendant, a woman came to board and had her 'roll-aboard' and a computer bag. The boarding flight attendant told the customer that we would need to check her roll-aboard. The woman proceeded to walk past her and came by me. I, too, told the woman that we would need to check her roll-aboard. She stopped and asked me why. I told her it was because the cabin was full. We were unable to accommodate her roll-aboard in the cabin. She said to me 'per FAA regulation I am allowed 2 carry-on items.' I said that I understand, but that our cabin was full and we would have to check the bag. She went on to tell me about, our airlines losing her luggage and that she was changed over to our flight from our airline and that they had told her that we would be responsible for her lost luggage. I said that I was sorry for her misfortune and that I would make sure that this roll-aboard would get on the airplane. She relented and I checked the bag. When I came back onboard the aircraft, the 'directing' flight attendant told me that some woman had come down the jetbridge and as she entered the aircraft she exclaimed 'where the *uck is my seat? The boarding flight attendant asked to see her boarding pass and told her where the seat was located. It was the same woman who had initially refused to check her bag. Neither one of us felt threatened by this exclamation, but were taken aback. I attributed the anger to her misfortune earlier in the day and the fact that we had to check her bag. After takeoff, I was called back by another flight attendant that a customer in seat ya, ms Y, wished to speak with me. She told me that each time she attempted to recline her seat back, the woman behind her wouldn't allow her to and would push it forward again. When I went back to speak with the woman in xa, it was the same woman who I had the encounter with earlier. I believe her name is ms X. When I spoke with ms X she said that she 'couldn't get any work done,' because the seat was reclining onto her computer. We were completely full and I was unable to move either customer to another seat. I told ms X that ms Y had purchased the seat and was allowed to recline at her discretion. Ms X said that I should inform ms Y that she should keep her seat forward. I couldn't do anything more than inform ms X that there were no other seats available for either of them. I was sorry for the inconvenience. Ms X was uncooperative and didn't like my response. I left and informed the captain of the situation. He asked me to keep him informed. Another 20 or so mins later, I was called back to the main cabin. Ms Y was still unable to recline her seat. The gentleman seated next to ms X offered to switch seats, but ms X refused, because she wanted the window seat. I again told ms X that her behavior was inappropriate and that I had informed the captain of the situation. Ms X asked who my supervisor was and I told her that my supervisor was in new york. I did give her my name when she asked for it. She then told me that she wouldn't speak to me again, because I had made a 'hostile environment' for her. She said she wished to speak to the captain. I told her I would inform the captain of her request but couldn't guarantee if he would be able to come and speak with her. She then said that I probably hadn't even informed the captain and that I was lying. I then went back to the captain and told him what she said and asked if he would speak with her. The captain did speak with ms X later in-flight. He told me that he had said to her that we couldn't do anything about the inconvenience at the time and that ms Y was able to recline her seat. He also informed her that she was interfering with the crew and that she would need to stop. Upon landing, we asked for assistance from ground staff. The operational manager was available for us at the door upon deplaning. We told him the situation and he asked each of the customers to explain what had happened during the flight. I stayed until both had told their stories. I did hear ms Y say that she only wanted an apology for her behavior and ms X said that she didn't deserve one. Ms Y said she felt threatened during the flight and was unhappy with the whole situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B767-200, JFK-LAX. BELLIGERENT WOMAN BOARDED, CONFRONTATION OVER CARRY-ON, FOUGHT WITH WOMAN SITTING IN FRONT OF HER. CAPT INTERVENTION.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON OCT/XA/00, ON FLT FROM NEW YORK JFK TO LOS ANGELES (LAX) CA. I CAME OUT FROM ACFT ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE DEP TIME AND NOTIFIED THE AGENT AND THE BOARDING FLT ATTENDANT THAT CARRY ON LUGGAGE WAS LIMITED TO 'UNDER SEAT' LUGGAGE. AS I INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANT, A WOMAN CAME TO BOARD AND HAD HER 'ROLL-ABOARD' AND A COMPUTER BAG. THE BOARDING FLT ATTENDANT TOLD THE CUSTOMER THAT WE WOULD NEED TO CHK HER ROLL-ABOARD. THE WOMAN PROCEEDED TO WALK PAST HER AND CAME BY ME. I, TOO, TOLD THE WOMAN THAT WE WOULD NEED TO CHK HER ROLL-ABOARD. SHE STOPPED AND ASKED ME WHY. I TOLD HER IT WAS BECAUSE THE CABIN WAS FULL. WE WERE UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE HER ROLL-ABOARD IN THE CABIN. SHE SAID TO ME 'PER FAA REG I AM ALLOWED 2 CARRY-ON ITEMS.' I SAID THAT I UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT OUR CABIN WAS FULL AND WE WOULD HAVE TO CHK THE BAG. SHE WENT ON TO TELL ME ABOUT, OUR AIRLINES LOSING HER LUGGAGE AND THAT SHE WAS CHANGED OVER TO OUR FLT FROM OUR AIRLINE AND THAT THEY HAD TOLD HER THAT WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HER LOST LUGGAGE. I SAID THAT I WAS SORRY FOR HER MISFORTUNE AND THAT I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THIS ROLL-ABOARD WOULD GET ON THE AIRPLANE. SHE RELENTED AND I CHKED THE BAG. WHEN I CAME BACK ONBOARD THE ACFT, THE 'DIRECTING' FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT SOME WOMAN HAD COME DOWN THE JETBRIDGE AND AS SHE ENTERED THE ACFT SHE EXCLAIMED 'WHERE THE *UCK IS MY SEAT? THE BOARDING FLT ATTENDANT ASKED TO SEE HER BOARDING PASS AND TOLD HER WHERE THE SEAT WAS LOCATED. IT WAS THE SAME WOMAN WHO HAD INITIALLY REFUSED TO CHK HER BAG. NEITHER ONE OF US FELT THREATENED BY THIS EXCLAMATION, BUT WERE TAKEN ABACK. I ATTRIBUTED THE ANGER TO HER MISFORTUNE EARLIER IN THE DAY AND THE FACT THAT WE HAD TO CHK HER BAG. AFTER TKOF, I WAS CALLED BACK BY ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT THAT A CUSTOMER IN SEAT YA, MS Y, WISHED TO SPEAK WITH ME. SHE TOLD ME THAT EACH TIME SHE ATTEMPTED TO RECLINE HER SEAT BACK, THE WOMAN BEHIND HER WOULDN'T ALLOW HER TO AND WOULD PUSH IT FORWARD AGAIN. WHEN I WENT BACK TO SPEAK WITH THE WOMAN IN XA, IT WAS THE SAME WOMAN WHO I HAD THE ENCOUNTER WITH EARLIER. I BELIEVE HER NAME IS MS X. WHEN I SPOKE WITH MS X SHE SAID THAT SHE 'COULDN'T GET ANY WORK DONE,' BECAUSE THE SEAT WAS RECLINING ONTO HER COMPUTER. WE WERE COMPLETELY FULL AND I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE EITHER CUSTOMER TO ANOTHER SEAT. I TOLD MS X THAT MS Y HAD PURCHASED THE SEAT AND WAS ALLOWED TO RECLINE AT HER DISCRETION. MS X SAID THAT I SHOULD INFORM MS Y THAT SHE SHOULD KEEP HER SEAT FORWARD. I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING MORE THAN INFORM MS X THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER SEATS AVAILABLE FOR EITHER OF THEM. I WAS SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. MS X WAS UNCOOPERATIVE AND DIDN'T LIKE MY RESPONSE. I LEFT AND INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE SIT. HE ASKED ME TO KEEP HIM INFORMED. ANOTHER 20 OR SO MINS LATER, I WAS CALLED BACK TO THE MAIN CABIN. MS Y WAS STILL UNABLE TO RECLINE HER SEAT. THE GENTLEMAN SEATED NEXT TO MS X OFFERED TO SWITCH SEATS, BUT MS X REFUSED, BECAUSE SHE WANTED THE WINDOW SEAT. I AGAIN TOLD MS X THAT HER BEHAVIOR WAS INAPPROPRIATE AND THAT I HAD INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE SIT. MS X ASKED WHO MY SUPVR WAS AND I TOLD HER THAT MY SUPVR WAS IN NEW YORK. I DID GIVE HER MY NAME WHEN SHE ASKED FOR IT. SHE THEN TOLD ME THAT SHE WOULDN'T SPEAK TO ME AGAIN, BECAUSE I HAD MADE A 'HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT' FOR HER. SHE SAID SHE WISHED TO SPEAK TO THE CAPT. I TOLD HER I WOULD INFORM THE CAPT OF HER REQUEST BUT COULDN'T GUARANTEE IF HE WOULD BE ABLE TO COME AND SPEAK WITH HER. SHE THEN SAID THAT I PROBABLY HADN'T EVEN INFORMED THE CAPT AND THAT I WAS LYING. I THEN WENT BACK TO THE CAPT AND TOLD HIM WHAT SHE SAID AND ASKED IF HE WOULD SPEAK WITH HER. THE CAPT DID SPEAK WITH MS X LATER INFLT. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD SAID TO HER THAT WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE INCONVENIENCE AT THE TIME AND THAT MS Y WAS ABLE TO RECLINE HER SEAT. HE ALSO INFORMED HER THAT SHE WAS INTERFERING WITH THE CREW AND THAT SHE WOULD NEED TO STOP. UPON LNDG, WE ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM GND STAFF. THE OPERATIONAL MGR WAS AVAILABLE FOR US AT THE DOOR UPON DEPLANING. WE TOLD HIM THE SIT AND HE ASKED EACH OF THE CUSTOMERS TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING THE FLT. I STAYED UNTIL BOTH HAD TOLD THEIR STORIES. I DID HEAR MS Y SAY THAT SHE ONLY WANTED AN APOLOGY FOR HER BEHAVIOR AND MS X SAID THAT SHE DIDN'T DESERVE ONE. MS Y SAID SHE FELT THREATENED DURING THE FLT AND WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE WHOLE 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.