Late Passenger Attacks Gate Agent. Want to Guess What Happens Next?

Originally shared by @comz90 a woman turned up at her gate at London Stansted airport late and the boarding door was already closed — so she attacked the gate agent.

He caught the incident on video:

Now I’ve managed to get a gate agent to open a door for me after it had already closed. I haven’t often needed this, and they haven’t always been willing to do it. It’s complicated, and of course if the aircraft door is also closed it’s more complicated. But I can guarantee that attacking the gate agent is not the best way to do this.

The flight was Ryanair 15 to Athens:

I find the best approach with gate agents is also to be pleasant, to thank them, and even to commiserate with them. When they’re unhelpful it’s usually because they’re frustrated. Passengers blame them for whatever has gone wrong, though it’s rarely their fault. And if you can’t get them on your site to help, go talk to someone else who may be more amenable to assist.

Here a Swissport employee isn’t going to open the door for this late passenger. The passenger was late. No matter how frustrated, and no matter whether it was the passenger’s fault or someone else’s at the airport, it isn’t the fault of the agent. Do not assault the agent. Because your day will only get even worse.

Fortunately for her she wasn’t arrested but she was removed from the airport.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. STN is the worst airport ever. I once missed my flight there when I was in fast track (!) security with 3-4 people ahead of me. It took them half an hour to check 3-4 people. It was absolutely ridiculous. They were working in slow motion, openly enjoying the power they had given (it looked like a welfare project, as these people didn’t exactly seem to be the brightest candles on the cake, to put it mildly).
    All over the airport there are signs warning you of insulting or assaulting staff. After missing my flight, I actually asked a cop how open people assault agents and he said: “Oh, it happens all the time, every day.”
    Not surprising.
    All the agents at STN are really good at is threatening passengers with calling the cops.
    Of course it’s absolutely unacceptable to assault airline employees, but that airport truly is a nightmare.

  2. Why wasn’t she arrested? She committed a full-on assault in front of a camera. Are violent crimes given a pass there? Next thing you know they’ll have a Prime Minister Trump.

  3. The flight was already leaving an hour late. I wonder why she was late to board IF THE FLIGHT WAS LEAVING LATE.

  4. So if she hits someone else for not getting her way, there’s no record of a prior assault. She should be banned from that airline. Then at least something would be on record.

  5. +1 Greg! I thought this was what prisons were/are for! BTW, do they call ’em “Correctional Institutions” in the UK? Because this Px needs to be corrected!

  6. What is wrong with Trump ? First get rid of that Sad Dick London Muzzrat before you talk ill of our President ! Left garbage even in this blog. Take a donkey next time.

  7. What is wrong with Trump ? First get rid of that Sad Dick London Muzzrat before you talk ill of our President ! Left garbage even in this blog. Take a donkey next time. out of this pitiful blog.

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