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Overzealous AirTran Boots 9 Passengers Off

An anonymous readerwrites "On Friday the wonderfully customer centric AirTran decided to remove a family of 9 US born Muslims after a comment between two family members regarding how close to the Jet engine they had been seated. The wonderful part is that after the FBI cleared the family 2 hours later, AirTran refused to fly the family, and refused to rebook them on their way from Washington to Orlando, Florida. The family purchased additional tickets on US Airways later that day, after AirTran requested that the irate father be escorted from their booking podiums by security. This whole story highlights the pathetic customer service we are getting from the Airlines these days — they actually treat us like criminals first and ask questions later. Just don't get me started on Delta." It's nice to see that stupidity still knows no bounds.

7 of 1,002 comments (clear)

  1. They got a refund by Linker3000 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Apparently, they have now received a refund:

    Linky

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    AT&ROFLMAO
    1. Re:They got a refund by LWATCDR · · Score: 4, Informative

      On a good note the FBI even tried to get them back on the plane when they found out it was just silliness.
      A combination of a few silly passengers, dumb rent a cops, and a REALLY STUPID AIRLINE.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  2. Re:"bomb" by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, you misread. The article at CNN explicitly stated: "The conversation did not contain the words "bomb," "explosion," "terror" or other words that might have aroused suspicion, Atif Irfan said."
    See linky: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/02/family.grounded/index.html

    Not to mention that merely saying the word bomb and attack is not cause for concern. Are we really less capable than the various chat bots for understanding context?

    --
    Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
  3. Re:Everyone should know by rcw-home · · Score: 4, Informative

    Be careful what you say at airports and on planes. Never get irate or argue at airports and on planes.

    That's correct. In fact, it's important to remember the cardinal rule of the airline business: The customer is always wrong.

  4. Re:The title is overzealous by whoever57 · · Score: 4, Informative

    The airline already apologized, refunded the money, and paid for the other flight the family took that trip. Just get over it.

    The article does not say that the airline paid for the other flight. It says that the airline offered to pay for the other flight. I'm guessing that the offer requires the family to release the airline of all liability.

    Also, other reports stated that the airline was refusing to pay the family's extra cost of taking the other flight, which implies that the offer only came after this became a national news issue. In other words, the offer of a refund only came about because people did not get over it.

    --
    The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
  5. Re:Discrimination by Chyeld · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've not read a more ignorant, mis-informed, and downright stupid account of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, than yours.

    It did not end because the free market got tired of losing money. It ended because the Federal Government came in (in the form of the Supreme Court) and smacked them upside the head. Said:"Idiots, we already told you to stop that, do it. Now!"

    There had been two previous cases where someone did the exact same thing as Rosa Parks and the legal decision had been in their favor.

    What the 'free' market did was attempt to use the civic governments to crack down on the boycott. They tried to force insurance companys to drop the policies of the folk carpooling. They attempted to fine the taxi drivers who were charging fares the same amount as the normal bus fare. They then firebombed two people's houses (including MLK's) and four black churches. They physically attacked the boycotters.

    Not ONCE did they say "Oh dear, we are losing money, we should stop this crazy thing and act like human beings"

  6. Re:Mulsim... by egor045 · · Score: 5, Informative

    As I understand it, the Irish problem largely went away with 9/11. Suddenly a lot of "well meaning" (?) Irish Americans sympathetic to terrorism discovered that ... um ... terrorism is bad, and funding ceased.

    I'm assuming that the specific Irish problem you refer to is the IRA (and others) campaign to reunite Northern Ireland with the rest of Ireland. We do have other issues ...

    9/11 had nothing to do with the IRA's cessation of hostilities: they realised a long time ago that violence wasn't going to achieve their objectives and decided to take the democratic route. I am in no way a fan of the IRA or Sinn Fein (their political wing), but I give them credit for realising that democracy and negotiation was the way to go.

    UK border installations (watch towers, armoured checkpoints on roads) were being dismantled in the early 1990s. I remember crossing the border in 1987 or thereabouts and seeing bunkers and machine gun posts. 5 years later, no installations at all.