Narrative:

During the boarding process, I noticed the purser and the gate agent involved in a conversation with a passenger seated. The passenger seemed upset and agitated. When I asked the purser about the nature of the problem, she indicated the passenger was upset because there was no room in the overhead bin for his carry-on luggage. I introduced myself to the passenger as the captain of the flight and asked him to describe the problem. The passenger told me that he was a high mileage flyer and that he had a close connection, san francisco, and did not want to fight his way back to row X in order to retrieve his bag during the disembarkation. Furthermore, he was highly disappointed that the flight attendants did not display a friendly and cooperative attitude. I listened to the passenger's concern and expressed my apologies. I told him that I will personally retrieve his bag and find a place for it in the cockpit. The passenger told me that he, himself, was going to retrieve the bag. The purser asked me not to get involved as the passenger was very rude to her and she did not want to reward bad behavior and she had to deal with the passenger during the flight. I told her that there was no rule that I was aware of that prohibited me from storing a bag in the cockpit. In my judgement, there was no compromise in safety of the flight. Sometime during the flight the purser called me on the interphone and told me that she would like to have a debrief in sfo. After all the passenger disembarked, the 3 flight attendants in a very confrontational manner, expressed their opposition to my decision. They informed me that they will be making an official report. It is noteworthy that the other 2 flight attendants had no involvement in the matter, yet they seemed more agitated than the purser. Their angry reaction caught me by surprise. I immediately called the flight office and informed them about the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW AND CABIN ATTENDANTS HAVE DISAGREEMENT OVER PAX MISCONDUCT DURING BOARDING AT RNO.

Narrative: DURING THE BOARDING PROCESS, I NOTICED THE PURSER AND THE GATE AGENT INVOLVED IN A CONVERSATION WITH A PAX SEATED. THE PAX SEEMED UPSET AND AGITATED. WHEN I ASKED THE PURSER ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE PROB, SHE INDICATED THE PAX WAS UPSET BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ROOM IN THE OVERHEAD BIN FOR HIS CARRY-ON LUGGAGE. I INTRODUCED MYSELF TO THE PAX AS THE CAPT OF THE FLT AND ASKED HIM TO DESCRIBE THE PROB. THE PAX TOLD ME THAT HE WAS A HIGH MILEAGE FLYER AND THAT HE HAD A CLOSE CONNECTION, SAN FRANCISCO, AND DID NOT WANT TO FIGHT HIS WAY BACK TO ROW X IN ORDER TO RETRIEVE HIS BAG DURING THE DISEMBARKATION. FURTHERMORE, HE WAS HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT DISPLAY A FRIENDLY AND COOPERATIVE ATTITUDE. I LISTENED TO THE PAX'S CONCERN AND EXPRESSED MY APOLOGIES. I TOLD HIM THAT I WILL PERSONALLY RETRIEVE HIS BAG AND FIND A PLACE FOR IT IN THE COCKPIT. THE PAX TOLD ME THAT HE, HIMSELF, WAS GOING TO RETRIEVE THE BAG. THE PURSER ASKED ME NOT TO GET INVOLVED AS THE PAX WAS VERY RUDE TO HER AND SHE DID NOT WANT TO REWARD BAD BEHAVIOR AND SHE HAD TO DEAL WITH THE PAX DURING THE FLT. I TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS NO RULE THAT I WAS AWARE OF THAT PROHIBITED ME FROM STORING A BAG IN THE COCKPIT. IN MY JUDGEMENT, THERE WAS NO COMPROMISE IN SAFETY OF THE FLT. SOMETIME DURING THE FLT THE PURSER CALLED ME ON THE INTERPHONE AND TOLD ME THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DEBRIEF IN SFO. AFTER ALL THE PAX DISEMBARKED, THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS IN A VERY CONFRONTATIONAL MANNER, EXPRESSED THEIR OPPOSITION TO MY DECISION. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL BE MAKING AN OFFICIAL RPT. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT THE OTHER 2 FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NO INVOLVEMENT IN THE MATTER, YET THEY SEEMED MORE AGITATED THAN THE PURSER. THEIR ANGRY REACTION CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE FLT OFFICE AND INFORMED THEM ABOUT THE INCIDENT.

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.