Last week a passenger flew American Airlines from Miami to Atlanta. When they boarded flight 2290 on Friday they were told by a flight attendant that someone had urinated in seat 15C on the 12-year old Boeing 737 registered as N890NN.
- They didn’t replace the seat cushion during the time between flights
- And they didn’t handle seat reassignment at the gate
- But fortunately there were open seats on the flight so they could be moved.
So the passenger just moved one row behind, to 16C. But since that’s an exit row – with extra legroom and entitled to free booze – they were told they wouldn’t be allowed to sit there, “Well other paying customers would be upset if I got an “upgrade” while they had to pay.”
This is a policy, not sure what you’d want us to do?
They could either:
- Take an aisle seat like they’d had that was “14 rows back”
- Or accept a middle seat closer to the front
American Airlines was being proactive in telling the passenger their seat had urine on it. I’ve arrived at a seat to find that out myself! (Not as proactive as dealing with this prior to boarding, or fixing the problem, of course. And they were on a maintenance delay at a hub so this should have been possible.) And the passenger still had their choice of seats. Ultimately a family moved around to accommodate the man,
Thankfully, a family in the row ahead gave me the aisle seat, while the dad and mom took 14A and 14B, respectively. I have never been more appreciative of a stranger’s kindness, and it’s bonkers they were nicer than the crew? More on that family below…
Why is someone urinating in my seat not an extenuating circumstance that a human can process?
When the passenger complained later, they say they were told to fill out the online form “to request a seat refund and 50K points for the treatment.” There is no universe in which they’ll be given 50,000 miles for this.
To be fair to the flight attendant on board, they would have had to do the safety briefing for the passenger moving into that seat, and they might have already done it for the rest of the passengers seated there. It sounds like there was time for this (due to the maintenance delay) but it doesn’t surprise me that they didn’t want to do their work twice while battles over their contract continue.
I understand that another Main Cabin Extra aisle seat was available that wasn’t an exit row, so the issue may really have just been an unwillingness to make the passenger more comfortable after being inconvenienced by urine.
Years ago I walked into a room at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples. The bed was unmade and there was a used condom in it. The hotel didn’t say “we only have a room over the HVAC, or you can just stay here.” They suddenly had a lovely upgrade available. Frankly they should have done more, but Ritz-Carlton isn’t as good as their branding… so it shouldn’t be surprising that American isn’t, either.
What is wrong with you? Your click bait header is misleading – and you know it.
If this really happened the way you are reporting it .Then shame on the FA who did not let the passenger move to the exit row.. yes we have our “policies”. But as FA’s we are also trained to use common sense and make sound decisions based on the situation that arises . Again , if this story is as reported. i find it a bit hard to believe it happened the way it did. But I wasn’t there. As far as the safety briefing goes. We can do an individual one to the passenger that was moved.
Current AA PlatPro and DL Plat. A lot of people say there really isn’t much difference between the US3, but when you fly a lot you definitely notice. And AA has definitely been underperforming.
Thats reason number one why cloth seats are nasty. Shall I explain reason “number two” why cloth seats are gross?
@DWT … +1 .
Nothing that occurs on American surprises me. They do not have high standards for hiring staff, and, for many years now, having been royally screwed by some of them, I’ve steadfastly refused to book them, no matter how much lower the fare.
Not allowing the inconvenienced passenger move to the exit row, unless he appeared unfit is bonkers. Offering free drinks as a perk of buying an exit row seat is also bonkers.
Yes that’s what we need in our excit rows people who’ve been enjoying free drinks all flight
Ok – the hard part for me is the fact that AA didn’t remove the seat cushion . Aren’t bodily fluids considered a biohazard ???? At the very least , the seat cushion should have been removed and the seat itself disinfected . To allow the plane to fly without any sort of decontamination seems a bit off . Maybe more to the story ?
Maybe they’re just waiting for the urine to dry so that they can then just ignore it….
@Scott. I see what you did there…. 🙂
OMG
It takes 30 seconds to swap a seat cushion ! They are just attached with velcro. Pull a dry middle seat cushion, put the nasty one in a trash bag and the pax can keep his original seat
Wait, they booze up passengers seated in exit rows? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?
I love the smell of urine said nobody
Geee whiz, this passenger was pissed about the situation but felt a sigh of relief when the strangers helped.
“Well other paying customers would be upset if I got an “upgrade” while they had to pay.”
Were the other “paying customers” sitting in urine soaked seats too?
It would be interesting to see the reaction of the airline’s Board of Directors if they were given a urine-soaked seat at the next BoD meeting..
1. No responsible airline would ever allow alcoholic drinks to those sitting in the exit row.
2. Q: Why didn’t the guy just move 14 rows back to an aisle seat like his original seat was?
A: He saw his window of opporrunity to try to blackmail flight miles from the airline.
Conclusion: The FA was right in this case. The passenger was wrong. This is not an opinion, this is a fact.
If only foreign airlines could start flying domestic routes within the U.S.
U.S. airlines would be forced to start treating us like humans or risk going out of business!!
Why are people sitting in the exit rows, and thus responsible for the opening of the exit doors in an emergency given free booze? I don’t want a drunk, unable to function idiot making it impossible for me to exit the plane safely!
I’ve never quite understood why the emergency row is given free drinks?
-“Are you able and willing to assist us with helping others to exit in the event of an emergency”?
-“I am, but after 4 scotches I might not be”.
Flying AA gives you credit against purgatory.
“it doesn’t surprise me that they didn’t want to do their work twice while battles over their contract continue.”
Is this a joke? A man boarded a plane and found urine in his seat. But I guess that’s his problem because union negotiations are ongoing.
I carry some plastic bags and large paper bags to use as seat covers in case I get the sense that a seat is obviously soiled and likely to cause me discomfort from a basic hygiene perspective. Unfortunately, as a ticketed passenger I have found some very gross seats on some planes and trains. And the issue seems to be worse the more likely the seat or an adjacent one has been occupied by a pet owner/transporter.
Was it human or dog piss?
This happened to us on a trip on British Airways (same group as American) from Miami to London. The A380 was 3 hours late. When we finally boarded and approached our seats only to discover a fresh pillow and blanket on his seat placed over a pool of bodily fluids and even more fluids spilled on the floor. It was visibly still wet.
We were shocked that British Airways did not attempt to thoroughly cross check the seats since the seats were fabric. The flight was already 3 hours late so what was 20 minutes more to make certain the seats were clean and ready for the next passengers? Or at least, change the seat cushion?
We paid extra to be on the second floor economy next to the window, my husband is a plane enthusiast and it was our first time on an A380.
We alerted a nearby flight attendant and instead of upgrading us for their ‘gross’ negligence, we were DOWNGRADED to 4 CRAMMED middle seats downstairs, away from the window, for a flight that took over 8 hours.
Their first solution 3 weeks after our trip? A refund of 20£. No that is not a typo.
Way to start celebrating our anniversary…
I’m taking a side road here. Why exactly are you giving booze to the people who have such important things to do that they get their own safety brief. These are the people who are going to be opening the emergency exit and helping people out. Do you really want them to be drinking? Pee on a seat sucks for the person sitting there, but hopefully is a one time issue. Having people capable of helping in an emergency is something that they have to ensure that they have every flight. I actually hope that if someone has an emergency exit seat that they are looked at to make sure they didn’t spend the last 3 hours in the airport bar and are capable of helping.
> Why are people sitting in the exit rows, and thus responsible for the opening of the exit doors in an emergency given free booze? I don’t want a drunk, unable to function idiot making it impossible for me to exit the plane safely!
If you are thinking using the exit door or slid is “exit the plane safely” you should probably go sit next to that drunk asshat and ask for a swig of his drink. You won’t die any slower.
I have had many bad customer service experiences on American for decades. They have the most ignorant responses. Responses that I would be immediately terminated for on my job.
I am currently dealing with a complaint to LH about vomit covering 2 seats on flight FRA-STL. They initially gave me a disposable antibiotic wipe and expected me and my fellow passenger to clean it up. It covered the walls, both tables, both seats.. it was everywhere. Have photos. Let me know if you want more details on the story.
Moving anyway, eff them if they don’t like it. If it gets me deplaned, oh well. Right to the press and social media.
I’m buying a black light flashlight that makes body fluids fluoresce! Now I can prove my theory about how filthy those seats really are.
Well, this is how AA distinguishes themselves from the competition. If we revoke the right of FAs to be surly and unreasonable, how would the airline even attempt to build brand identity?
In fairness, and as an EP for the past 6 years, I’ve had mostly okay experiences with American’s FAs, but I assume that’s only because I have status. Stories like this are nauseating and all too frequent. And AA wonders why they get a bad wrap.
Wait a moment. Free booze for those sitting in exit rows? Safety first I guess.
Typical of VFW to put the blame on the FA instead of on management ( they are great friends after all) policies about upgrades and accomodating passengers. Yes the FAs are in contract talks ( negotiating requires BOTH sides to try to come to an agreement) and management is looking for every excuse to harass the FAs, but that is not an issue. They would rather move the passenger than listen to the whining and follow up from management when the passenger complains.
Its funny, because if the FA let the passenger in exit row people that paid for it would have bitched, so they cant win.
I’m going to say there’s more to the story. Maybe the attitude of the passenger? Being hateful and entitled doesn’t usually go very far with airline workers.
AA is to expensive for what you get and the nickel and dime game for stupid upgrades is even worse. Might not be the fanciest but Southwest is consistent and usually the only way I fly.
I am not understanding the issue. The passenger was not forced to sit in a urine soaked seat.
The passenger decided to reseat himself in a seat that AA markets as Main Cabin Extra and for which there is an upcharge (whether the upcharge is justified or not, that’s another debate). The FA said that is not allowed. VFW posted a memo from AA management that FAs essentially are not to provide any service above what the passenger paid for, so the FA was following company policy and telling him he had to sit in a “Main Cabin” seat (misguided as it might be).
Am I missing something?
I would be pissed off.
I remember back in the day, if we were short on cushions, instead of blocking the seat, we’d just remove the seat cover and slide a plastic bag over the cushion then put on a clean seat cover…easy peasy!
other customers get upgrades when something goes wrong.You change the cushion.Either ĝive them upgrade or free airline miles.on next flight.Luckily other people had ore compassion than the airlines.Give them a lousy seat and such it up not good
The only conceivable experienced traveler that can’t believe this story as written is a FA somewhere other than AA.
As a meaningless Lifetime Gold, this certainly comports with the last 15 years on American.
It’s American. Need any more be said?
@me….grow up!
Gary where do you get your ideas to write crap?
Barely saw a recent article you wrote….Check your facts. Isn’t that what a good reporter does? Enough said.
The woman occupying a jumpseat? was a Flight Attendant that was occupying a back jumpseat in the galley for taxi, takeoff and landing. She moved to the jumpseat in the cabin to give the crew space and seats in the back galley. Tight quarters back there with an extra person.
That’s how they get to work often, or somewhere they have to be. They aren’t always in uniform. Usually do have an ID on, but might have been put on last minute and her ID was in her bag.
Stop and think before you attack your keyboard with another idiotic story.
@Babs – are you ok?
You’re the only one talking about a jumpseat.
People say American these American that they don’t care about anything is all about bonus to the ceos ,the rest of the workers are trying to survive with minimum wages ,what do you expect from that ??singapura airlines customer service ????
“To be fair to the flight attendant on board, they would have had to do the safety briefing for the passenger moving into that seat, and they might have already done it for the rest of the passengers seated there. It sounds like there was time for this (due to the maintenance delay) but it doesn’t surprise me that they didn’t want to do their work twice while battles over their contract continue.”
C’mon man…the “safety briefing” takes about 15 seconds. The implication that repeating a couple of sentences and asking a question represents an imposition or any kind of increase to the FA workload is absurd.
I love American. They’re the only airline I fly
But this is just plain ridiculous
I ALWAYS pay the extra for that row. Usually about $150. And the reading from the FA takes about 30 seconds.
So she should and could have spent the time on it so the poor man could sit there
Sorry for him that she didn’t. And for her that she’s so lazy. Good grief
Oh…you allllmmmost made it through without sounding like a whiney, entitled petulant child, but that last part that you didn’t think the Ritz still didn’t do “enough” proved it’s really you!