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So if you haven’t heard, Alec Baldwin got kicked off an American Airlines flight for playing Words With Friends while sitting at the gate. The plane was not moving. The crew felt he got rude with them and kicked him off the flight.

I’ve flown all the airlines and the only ones worth your money are Virgin and Jet Blue. People say they cost more, but it’s not much, and it’s worth every penny. I often find flights on Jet Blue that are cheaper than the other airlines so I don’t personally find them to be more expensive.

American released this statement via their Facebook page today:

“Since an extremely vocal customer has publicly identified himself as being removed from an American Airlines flight on Tuesday, Dec. 6, we have elected to provide the actual facts of the matter as well as the FAA regulations which American, and all airlines, must enforce. Cell phones and electronic devices are allowed to be used while the aircraft is at the gate and the door is open for boarding. When the door is closed for departure and the seat belt light is turned on, all cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off for taxi-out and take-off. This passenger declined to turn off his cell phone when asked to do so at the appropriate time. The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane’s lavatory. He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked. They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation. The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language. Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding.”

Sounds like Alec treated the American Airlines crew the way their crews have always treated me in the past. I doubt that when they initially asked him to put the phone away it was in a polite and respectful manner to begin with. I speak from my personal experience on American Airlines in the past. Their flight attendants have always treated me like I’m stupid. When they ask me to do something, or I didn’t hear something…instead of coming over and asking politely and respectfully, I have always been scolded as if I’m a child – loudly, so that all around me can hear the scolding. I assume that is to show everyone else what they will get if they don’t comply immediately with the demands of the crew. Even an intelligent adult sometimes misses an instruction. Sometimes I’m nervous about flying and get up in my head a little bit, or have my headphones on, or a fellow passenger is making noise, or a baby is crying, or I simply don’t hear something, or I’m distracted by a smart phone app. I’m not trying to be a rebel, I’m just human.

As a paying customer their staff has treated me like a nuisance just about every time I’ve ever been unfortunate enough to fly their unfriendly skies. At this point, the only reason I fly American is when someone gives me a free ticket or airline miles and EVEN THEN I have still declined the offer and paid my own way so that I don’t have to deal with the stress of flying American. I have had similar experiences on United as well.

So I’m not buying this American Airlines press release thingie they are putting out there.

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