Narrative:

There were severe storms in msp last night. When we arrived; I asked the captain to check to see if we were going to be delayed at all before we started the boarding process. I was informed that we would board as normal. Boarding stated at XA40. We sat at the gate with the jetway attached to the aircraft for 2 hours. At XC25; the jetway was pulled. We continued to situation at the gate. We had multiple connections downline in ord and the passenger knew that they would not make it. Passenger asked that the jetway be brought back as they would like to deplane and go home. We were told that this was going to happen. 1 hour later; we were told that the jetway would not be coming back. After insisting to the captain that the jetway come back; I was told 'there is a ramp closure and we would not get the jetway until the ramp opens.' we sat there for yet another hour. By this time the passenger started becoming irate and wanted off the aircraft. I was asked by the captain; 'if we bring the jetway back; will you flight attendants be walking; because we know you are illegal to work this trip?' I asked him; 'what kind of question is that?' he then said; 'the jetway will not be coming back under any circumstances because once it does; you are illegal to work this trip.' the station operations along with the captain decided to put 4000 pounds more fuel on the aircraft and we were going to ord. We brought people to ord who didn't want to come to ord and left them stranded with no recourse. I understand that we would have been illegal to work if they brought the jetway back; but why bring people to a city that they don't want to be in? Flight attendants were backed into a corner with our hands tied behind our backs with no say in what we wanted to do. The passenger attitudes started to escalate into threat levels; none was declared; and we as flight attendants had to deal with all the recourse as the pilots refused to come out of the cockpit or even truly explain to the passenger what the true story was (crew legalities). There was a major lack in support for the flight attendants and the CRM chain broke down to nothing -- all to save a flight from canceling. We arrived in ord without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER LONG GND DELAY; CAPT REFUSES TO BRING JETWAY BACK TO ACFT TO OFFLOAD PAX WHOSE TRAVEL PLANS WERE NOW MOOT; DUE TO FEAR FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD BE ILLEGAL TO CONTINUE AND THE FLT WOULD BE CANCELED.

Narrative: THERE WERE SEVERE STORMS IN MSP LAST NIGHT. WHEN WE ARRIVED; I ASKED THE CAPT TO CHK TO SEE IF WE WERE GOING TO BE DELAYED AT ALL BEFORE WE STARTED THE BOARDING PROCESS. I WAS INFORMED THAT WE WOULD BOARD AS NORMAL. BOARDING STATED AT XA40. WE SAT AT THE GATE WITH THE JETWAY ATTACHED TO THE ACFT FOR 2 HRS. AT XC25; THE JETWAY WAS PULLED. WE CONTINUED TO SIT AT THE GATE. WE HAD MULTIPLE CONNECTIONS DOWNLINE IN ORD AND THE PAX KNEW THAT THEY WOULD NOT MAKE IT. PAX ASKED THAT THE JETWAY BE BROUGHT BACK AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO DEPLANE AND GO HOME. WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. 1 HR LATER; WE WERE TOLD THAT THE JETWAY WOULD NOT BE COMING BACK. AFTER INSISTING TO THE CAPT THAT THE JETWAY COME BACK; I WAS TOLD 'THERE IS A RAMP CLOSURE AND WE WOULD NOT GET THE JETWAY UNTIL THE RAMP OPENS.' WE SAT THERE FOR YET ANOTHER HR. BY THIS TIME THE PAX STARTED BECOMING IRATE AND WANTED OFF THE ACFT. I WAS ASKED BY THE CAPT; 'IF WE BRING THE JETWAY BACK; WILL YOU FLT ATTENDANTS BE WALKING; BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU ARE ILLEGAL TO WORK THIS TRIP?' I ASKED HIM; 'WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?' HE THEN SAID; 'THE JETWAY WILL NOT BE COMING BACK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE ONCE IT DOES; YOU ARE ILLEGAL TO WORK THIS TRIP.' THE STATION OPS ALONG WITH THE CAPT DECIDED TO PUT 4000 LBS MORE FUEL ON THE ACFT AND WE WERE GOING TO ORD. WE BROUGHT PEOPLE TO ORD WHO DIDN'T WANT TO COME TO ORD AND LEFT THEM STRANDED WITH NO RECOURSE. I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ILLEGAL TO WORK IF THEY BROUGHT THE JETWAY BACK; BUT WHY BRING PEOPLE TO A CITY THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN? FLT ATTENDANTS WERE BACKED INTO A CORNER WITH OUR HANDS TIED BEHIND OUR BACKS WITH NO SAY IN WHAT WE WANTED TO DO. THE PAX ATTITUDES STARTED TO ESCALATE INTO THREAT LEVELS; NONE WAS DECLARED; AND WE AS FLT ATTENDANTS HAD TO DEAL WITH ALL THE RECOURSE AS THE PLTS REFUSED TO COME OUT OF THE COCKPIT OR EVEN TRULY EXPLAIN TO THE PAX WHAT THE TRUE STORY WAS (CREW LEGALITIES). THERE WAS A MAJOR LACK IN SUPPORT FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE CRM CHAIN BROKE DOWN TO NOTHING -- ALL TO SAVE A FLT FROM CANCELING. WE ARRIVED IN ORD WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.