Air Marshalls Bumping Revenue Customers

[tadjr]

What do you think about Air Marshalls bumping First Class passengers out of their seat? This week we have had many many people who 1) bought FC tickets 2) Used miles to upgrade 3) were upgraded due to status, who were bumped by Air Marshalls being booked on the flights at the last minute when FC was already sold out. What are the FF feelings about this? Most of the downgrades I had to deal with were understanding that "The government request of seats" bumped you out of your seat, but its still not a nice thing to do. Why should they get to book on flights that are already sold out in FC and why couldnt they book them in coach and seat them accordingly if needed? How much ill will (even though its beyond US control) is this causing our customers (some who actually PAID F/C for their seats). Thoughts?


Please do not get into specific security issues in this thread, I merely am looking for everyones opinion on the general topic of them being allowed to bump out revenue customers when they are booked last minute and the flight is already full. Thanks.

 

[SpinDoc]

What do you think about Air Marshalls bumping First Class passengers out of their seat?

Airlines are required to provide a seat for
government officials such as air marshalls.
US Airways should distribute a one-way
upgrade voucher to each customer who is
bumped, and then submit a claim to the TSA
for reimbursement for the approximate cost
of each voucher. I'm sure some type of
arrangement could be made with the TSA
to accomplish this. Right now, US is losing
customer goodwill by not having a tool to
recoup the goodwill besides re-depositing
mileage or adjusting the customer's ticket
to a Full Y fare.

 

[longing4piedmont]

What do you think about Air Marshalls bumping First Class passengers out of their seat?

[post="260318"][/post]​

I'm fairly sure that this happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Our flight was two hours late, and the natives were giving the gate agents a hard time. The passengers for the later flight out of our gate were now overcrowding the gate area as their flight was delayed as well. When the agent told me, you could see it her eyes that she really dreaded telling me about the "mistake" with my seat assignment.

I just hugged her and told her she was handling a difficult situation very well and I certainly wasn't going to make it any worse on her. I thought she was going to start crying.

It is an upgrade folks, not the end of the world.

Now it really does tick me off the government can get away with this, but it certainly is beyond the control of the gate agent and she didn't deserve a hard time.

 

[Winglet]

Now it really does tick me off the government can get away with this, but it certainly is beyond the control of the gate agent and she didn't deserve a hard time.

[post="260325"][/post]​

Should a highjacking happen, you'd probably be the first one in front of a news microphone (assuming you lived through it) complaining why the government didn't provide an air marshall on your flight. If it was an air marshall on that flight, you ought to be glad to be bumped from your seat.

 

[longing4piedmont]

Should a highjacking happen, you'd probably be the first one in front of a news microphone (assuming you lived through it) complaining why the government didn't provide an air marshall on your flight. If it was an air marshall on that flight, you ought to be glad to be bumped from your seat.

[post="260332"][/post]​

Guess that depends on whether you think they are worthless ballast or not.

My guess row 4 aisle works just as well as 3D. Row four or what ever row is the first row in coach is gate released and assigned anyway, so in most cases no one would get bumped.

And I'm also fairly sure that this is not the point of this thread, so how about we let it go back to it's original intent

 

[trvlr64]

Since they travel in pairs why aren't they required to sit in coach too? 1 in FC and 1 in coach. Then switch places on the next flight. Why do they both have to be in FC? I highly doubt that a terrorist is going to be sitting next to me in FC. And since we all know they are both in FC wouldn't it make sense that a terrorist would try someting in the back of the cabin too? I've recognized the same air marshalls on my flights over the past 2 years. It's become a game to see how many times we're on the same flights.

 

[LGA / 037]

Most Upgrades are comp so a few drink coupons should remedy the bump along with a Emergency Exit Row if available. However, in my opinion, a full fare F shoild not be bumped. Lets face it, everyone will become an Airmarshall on board once they see someone trying to crash the cock-pit door ! I am sure now what know after
9 / 11, a terrorist is sure to catch some ass - beatin by about the 2nd bounce off the cockpit door !

 

[RumorS]

This topic should be closed..... No reason we need to be talking about Specific's on seat assignments, location, and how many Air marshalls are on an aircraft. JMO

 

[ClueByFour]

This topic should be closed..... No reason we need to be talking about Specific's on seat assignments, location, and how many Air marshalls are on an aircraft. JMO

[post="260349"][/post]​

Security by obscurity does not work. Given the current dress code that the air marshalls are subject to, it's a moot point--you can spot them a mile away.

That having been said, if you gather a group of 10 frequent flyers, and put them on a flight, you have a roughly %100 of having them point out the AMs. It's that bad.

Perhaps, if the Air Marshall's management started taking their jobs seriously, and letting these guy and gals try to blend in, it would be a different matter. In the absence of that, let's call a spade a spade and move on.

 

[EightySix]

Upgrade or not there are two specific seat assignments anyone in first class should avoid. Otherwise you are taking your chances of getting it switched or bumped back to first.

 

[specialed]

Discussing some of these details is completely inappropriate and irresponsible.
Moderators: recommend you close this off.

 

[PSA1979]

For safety reasons, I would like to have Federal Air Marshalls on every single flight. The closer to the flight deck they sit, the better they can protect it. Has Sept. 11, 2001 gone so quickly from our minds?

If you get bumped out of F/C, sorry, the safety of the American public is much more important than your over inflated since of self!

 

[pitflyer]

For safety reasons, I would like to have Federal Air Marshalls on every single flight. The closer to the flight deck they sit, the better they can protect it. Has Sept. 11, 2001 gone so quickly from our minds?

If you get bumped out of F/C, sorry, the safety of the American public is much more important than your over inflated since of self!

[post="260381"][/post]​

Well it seems me and PineyBob don't disagree on everything. The air marshall program is a complete waste of money. It was before 9/11 and is still now. No one is getting through to the cockpit with or without an air marshall. Having another bored guy on board with a gun just itching to use it is just adding another available gun to the hijackers.

I don't think they should sit in first, I don't think they should sit in coach, I think they should become police officers and protect the peace on the ground, where we could use more police.

To answer the original question, tadjr, I think most FFs are against the air marshal program, period.

Just to add this last point: I would not blame any airline, USAirways or others, if I am bumped for an air marshal. It's not their fault. I wish that they could be up front and say it, rather than have to hide it for a false sense of security for Grandma Ethel.

 

[PSA1979]

To answer the original question, tadjr, I think most FFs are against the air marshal program, period.

[post="260387"][/post]​

FF are against anything that takes away their precious F/C seats. What do you bet if you do a survey, all pilots and f/a's are for the FAM program!

 

[pitflyer]

Even if you restricted FAMs to coach only I would still be against the program.
But you're right to some extent, I'm against any program giving away ANY airline seats when USAirways has 90% LF+ and so does everyone else, and they need EVERY seat they can occupied to make money!