Update on Nasty AA/US Airways Flight Attendant – Compensation Offered by American…

In their article titled “Shame on American!“, the Washington Post provides further details on the incident that occurred earlier this week when a flight attendant threw a passenger off a plane for apparently no reason (see – Nasty AA/US Airways Flight Attendant Kicks Passenger Off for No Reason – Passengers Boo w/ Video).  Well, it seems like the passengers were right to boo…it does not sound like there was any reason to boot her off the flight.  Here’s what we learn from the article:

• The passenger was 27 year old Tiana Fough, mother of two toddlers and it was her first time flying American
• Tiana claims that she was chatting with other passengers during boarding and did not hear a flight attendant ask her to make space in the aisle for another passenger. She claims that a few minutes later the flight attendant approached her and told her he was kicking her off the plane
• The flight attendant refused to give his name and was not wearing the standard uniform or name tag according to Fough
• A group of passengers spoke to the pilot upon landing in Portland.  The pilot told them that the passenger also called another flight attendant a derogatory term and that’s why she was kicked off – this is something that Tiana and the other passengers on the plane dispute – “now they’re making up all this stuff”
• Fough says that AA offered her a $250 voucher which she turned down because she won’t be flying with them in the future. American then offered her cash which she also rejected. She is now seeking legal counsel
• AA sent the following response to the Post: “We are in contact with the passenger and have apologized. We have addressed the issue with our team members to ensure we provide a consistent, quality travel experience for our customers in the future”