An American Airlines flight attendant was recorded slapping the phone out of the hands of a father recording a dispute between his party (which included a first-grade teacher with a 7-week old baby) and the flight crew. They have subsequently booted off the flight.
The lengthy video, which features a lot of audio parts only because the phone was on the floor of the plane, picks up after some sort of incident during the boarding process. A female flight attendant is engaged in a calm discussion with the seated family – a woman, a man and a baby who is said to be 7 weeks old. The female flight attendant is informing the couple that the captain has requested they be removed from the flight. The couple is incredulous, but also calm and measured in their initial responses – almost bewildered in our opinion.
Later, a different American Airlines flight attendant arrives and immediately escalates the situation which appeared to be under control. The male FA demands the camera stop recording and then in an instant, the phone is slapped out of the patron’s hands. The confrontation continues, with audio picking up much of the interaction before the phone is picked back up.
After the couple stands up, the man starts to get far more agitated, bellowing to the plane about the unfairness of the incident, and how they are both educated with master’s degrees. The woman, who was later stated to be a first-grade teacher, tears up but remains calm as she swaddled the child.
As the passengers start to deplane, one passenger comes to their defense regarding the incident, but the flight crew is unmoved and proceeds to remove them from the flight without further incident.
The incident which precipitated the event remains unclear but appears to possibly have been about either an accidental bumping of another passenger or flight crew by the mother or perhaps someone being asked to move for the family. The captain, which asked for their removal stays hidden within the flight deck, instead counting on the flight crew to do his bidding.
Readers should note that we do not yet fully understand the full scope of this incident and have only presented an opinion on what we saw and heard in the video and not those events which preceded the incident.
32 comments
Whenever a person is to be removed from a flight, I feel the captain should be at least present. S/he is in command and has final authority. As a commercial flight, removing your customer is a pretty serious act and the final decision normally rests with him. So his presence should be warranted.
What happened here should never have happened. The flight attendant (s) were wrong. This is a pure example of how people should never be treated. It is sad how world has just gone wrong. Fly Delta or United.
I have flown American Airlines and they are horrible and getting worse and worse the one with the short hair I have seen many of times and have not once but three times I have seen her three the pandemic do this with the guy behind me and a women two seats in front of me the one he showed at the end I just was on a flight with her last week I believe it was and either tired it because Xmas week was ignorant and rude so I believe 100 % had full responsibility of it it’s such a shame whoever knocked that phone out if his hands are lucky they didn’t hit that babies head or that would of been horrible not one person has said that I don’t know we’re American Airlines thin they have all this authority it’s almost because there about the only airlines flying constantly threw this whole thing!!! I’ve been on flights with the pandemic started in a April flight and the entire flight was full not even separated or masks and as I asked for a bottle of water fir my 2 year old that short hair lady told me no because he was a lap child and the two American Airlines workers sitting next to me asked and not only did they give them water but I think the biggest bottle of water and I kniw it was on purpose and it was so nice of them next to me to give me the bottle of water winder what tge captain thinks of that!!! Good going American Airlines and you owe me to tickets for trying to say I booked flights for January 30 3022 when it was Dec 26 2021 let’s see what’s done about what the ignorant customer service on the phones you have to!! Jennifer schiedel Donnelly and Travis Schiedel yes 2 tickets owed!!
Are you insane. Do you really want to stress out a pilot before he has to fly the jet?
Watch the video, the flight attendant does not touch the phone, a passenger in front of him knocks the phone out of his hand, supposedly mother in law …reportedly, it was approved by the captain.
I am soooo tired of crewmembers being looked at as villains. They do not go to work looking to piss people off at 30k feet. Or during boarding. People, regardless of color, just be right, do right, comply, and there is NO PROBLEM!
Final authority does not mean you have to carry it out – In that case most things would never be done.
e.g., I think when Congress declares war, they should be present at the front lines as they have final decision.
“ I think when Congress declares war, they should be present at the front lines” – that works for me. We probably would not sent troops to fight anywhere since WWII.
From what I can tell this was so wrong! I just can’t believe they would kick off a mother with a 7 week old. Obviously, they paid for the ticket to be on the plane just like everyone else. I know this new mother is already dealing with hormones and this is wrong!!!
Are you a dope? A very simplistic one at that.
And why the”slapping” of the phone???
An incredibly one sided report that neglects to say why the family was booted from the flight in the first place. This is something that doesn’t happen lightly.
Seeing to much of this happening on American Airlines. Respect should always be an option. Lord have mercy.
Utterly RIDICULIUS,I hour they sue the hell put of American Airlines
Where in the hell are the Specially trained, Legal liability, conflict mitigation and resolution Red Coats personel? I don’t blame the father being angry. The poor mother having to endure that treatment. The lack on empathy in that situation was stifling.
Need to change the rule for the flight attendees. I think thise flight attendees have gone too far in ever flight. Then what is there problem. They been rude, attacking people that they don’t like, and throw them off the flight. This need to be stop. WENT TOO FAR.
Sounds like the flight attendant needs to be criminally charged with assault,
Civil suit to follow against AA,
“ I think when Congress declares war, they should be present at the front lines” – that sounds good to me. America would get involved in a lot fewer wars.
Stewardess. Needs Reprimanded !!!
Why can’t we I’ve in a CIVILIZED WORLD??
Treat people as you want to be Treated !
It isn’t that hard. Think before you speak!!
More info needs to be given regarding why the couple and baby are ordered to off the plane. Just bumping into someone accidently does not constitute a good reason. Unless it was done purposely and and maliciously. Which there is no evidence given that it was. Testimony needs to be provided from the airline workers including Captain. And everyone on the plane who witnessed the incident. On the surface it appears an unjust act and my sympathies are with the family.
Simple solution – make all flight attendants wear body cams and all videos of confrontations have to be turned over to the FAA.
Yes!!!!!!!!
Yep. It’s about time for cameras, the flight attendants have too much power and too much to lose. I would think they would lobby for cameras.
It would have been better for the pilot to come out and taken care of it. There’s no way to give a accurate account for the disagreement. There’s plane personnel wanting to remove the occupants and they were not clear as to why along with the people there.
Easy solution. Both parties should always be asked to leave the plane.
No assumptions please we don’t need any more of that. Enough harm has been done as a result of that. I am sure there is a whole lot more to the story than blaming a flight attendant for slapping someones phone out of someone’s hand. The Captain should have been present, that’s a coward. However I do get the sense that some flight attendants are getting a bit carried away with their new “authority”regarding mandates. AKA Chinese regime. When the flight starts with the warning about being removed if you don’t wear a mask – is intimidating and makes me not want to fly. So will they throw us off in mid air. Do they think we want to get Covid? And are they so unintelligent that they don’t see us sitting on top of each other. The masks really won’t help. And is it a 10 second rule for eating and drinking? SOL. But I have seen this from black and white flight attendants. quite sure there was a whole lot more to the story. I fly often and I’ve seen flight attendants go too far. I saw one be very threatening to a mother with her 2 year old who cried about wearing the mask. The delta flight attendant asked the mother and her baby “are we going to have a problem? Real sweetheart there. Made me physically sick. Time to return to serving drinks and showing us safety measures. That’s their job
Flying has become a horrible experience
Not only do you get berated by TSA want to be cops but then you get a overwhelmed person at the gate But then comes the great part. You’re locked in a tube with a stressful FA who has been dealing with A hole passengers all day. And you a decent person pays the price it’s a no win situation
Was on the flight. The mother of the baby was rude and cursed at the flight attendant when told she needed to get up. The couple wasn’t even in their correct seats to begin with even after 2 announcements that we needed to be in our seats.
Thank you. There is ALWAYS another side.
Liar straight up…. you are a LIAR, because she was so soft spoken and calm the entire time a persons character is their character all the time. To just randomly cuss at someone after being calm the ENTIRE VIDEO even wanting her husband to just let it go… and 3 witnesses from the video were coming to her defense the flight attendant didn’t even say anything about her cussing out anyone, the dispute wasn’t even about changing seats. THAT WAS A FULL FLIGHT, so you’re telling me they were in the wrong seats… go find another post to lie on… or simply make it make sense you think the wouldn’t have mentioned you were cussing out the staff no one in the video said their was derogatory language used… but you… you’re just being an antagonist, I bet you go around on post and just add comments like they did it I WAS THERE just to get gullible comments like I KNEW THEY WERE THE CULPRITS….. Send me your ticket….. RACIST DUMMY!
Oh what a better place this world would be with me of you in it. And I know you hit the nail in the head look how it jumped in to fight someone eles battle but fades to black when being called a lie a antagonist period point blank a sh?*t starter. There should be a law passed and jail built specifically for people just like you.
I have to agree with not believing you. The Mother was in control throughout the entire recording. Now if you said “the Father” was confrontational – I may believe it. And as far as being in the wrong seats – how can that happen on a full flight? If that was the case, the disagreement should have been about THAT. Are you sure you were there???