NORTHWEST AIRLINES SEATTLE AIRPORT HAS THE RACIST UNPROFESSIONAL STAFF EVER! IF YOU'RE NOT JAPANESE AND YOUR FLYING TO JAPAN OUT OF GATE S9 ON YOUR BENIFITS GOOD LUCK BUDDY!

Dear Sir or Madam:

I recently attempted to travel on Northwest on a vacation trip to Japan. I am an employee from a different airline traveling on my benefits so I have a firm understanding of what's required of you when you're traveling and I also know the customer service hand book like the back of my hand. Rather than boarding, the flight I found my self-being treated with total disrespect and racist comments by their staff.

When I got to the gate and kindly asked the agent if he could please assign me a seat for the flight he looked at me and begun to mumble under his breath which didn't offend me because sadly I run across a lot of agent who just hate when employee's from other airlines travel on them at a reduced rate. So I patiently wait for my seat assignment, when waiting he came around the counter and looked at what I was wearing and I asked him is everything ok or is there something wrong? He said yea we got seats but I'm not letting you on because you have a whole in your jeans!

I told the agent the inch hole was due to TSA agent who ripped my jeans trying to rush by the check point with a wheel chair and he could call down to TSA if he would like them to verify my story. The agent got upset and said in a rude tone I don't care how they got a whole in them your not getting on this flight like that!.

I then asked if I could speak with a supervisor about the matter; when the supervisor came to the counter before I could ask her if she could make an exception due to the fact that my jeans were ripped because of a TSA agent the guy at the counter begun to speak to her in another language. I waited for them to finish saying god knows what about me before I spoke to her. Before I could get one word out of my mother she says no no no you not getting on flight with whole in jeans I don't care what happened I'm not letting you on.

I then asked her is she had some type of tape I could place over the whole since the flight was leaving in 15 min? Again, she responds NO! Therefore, I asked her did I have any other options and she give me a nasty look and just walked off as if I wasn't even present. Now I'm stuck to deal with Mr. polite once again, who told me the only way I'm getting on if I chance my pants. So I rush to the bathroom behind S11/12 run back to the gate and ask are these ok?

The guy says you're a LIAR! YOU LIE, YOU'RE A LIAR ! I respond what are you talking about! I would appreciate if you stop calling me a liar ! Well you lie! You said you TSA said you could get on flight and I called down and they said they never told you that! I replied no I never told you they said the whole would allow or deny me boarding so please stop saying that; could you just please issue me a seat so I can board the flight. Well you a liar!

at this point I'm just fed up with the name calling an ask if I could please have his employee number and name, out of no where all three agents at the desk began to jump on me. We don't have to give you anything were not required to give you our employee numbers or anything thing else we just have to give our first name and that's it. I say ok that's fine what is your first names? A.R.I ! I say your name is A.R.I or Ari ? it's A.R.I. I say ok Ari you guys have a nice day and proceed to walk over to S9 and board the flight while leaving the gate he and the other agent say you know what give me your employee number since you want to report people you show me ID I said I showed you my passport and that's all I have to show you any other information dosen't matter the moment but thank you for everything.

When I get to the gate who is waiting for me other then the stupid supervisor who takes my ticket from the agent I hands it to and say YOU NOT GETTING ON FLIGHT!! I ask her what are you talking about? Why can't I board? Cause you have whole in jeans.. I tell her that problem have already been solved and is no longer an issue so may I board now ? NO! I don't like your attitude so you're not going period and close the doors and walk off. So I'm just sitting there with my carry on looking for help so I ask the other agents if they could call a manager several times, and they look at me if I'm speaking a foreign language so I say HELLO DO EITHER ONE YOU HEAR ME ???? COULD YOU PAGE A MANAGER!

After rolling her eyes, she calls a manager cause at the point I'm getting very loud and other passengers becoming interested in what's going on. Once the manager arrives once again the supervisor doesn't allow me to speak with him and try to solve the issue, she unlock the door to get on the flight and takes the manager in with her talking about who knows what but all while I'm watching the time go by before the flight departs.

After 10min or so, the manager comes out and I ask can I get on the flight! No cause it's to late. How in the hell is it to late when I been here for 3 hours and everything was fine up till 30min before I'm suppose to get on the flight? Well because the agent says that, you were very rude and you scared her with your body language. How in the hell did I scare her! He says well look at you! I say what the hell is that suppose to mean? do I need to remind you that some one that looks identical to her just killed 33 people at VT so don't you dare sit here and say she has a right to be scared if anyone should be concerned its me ! Therefore, after sitting there telling this guy the story and watching the flight take off his gone to tell me oh well I didn't know all of that happened!

If I would have known that I would have allowed you on the flight! well you didn't give me chance to explain anything you just came up here listened to what she had to say. What ever happened to the customer being right? His response was well let's remember your flight as a NR so you can't do what you want to do your skating on thin ice when you're traveling on us.

I ask him are serious dude! My family and I traveling at least 100,000 miles on your airline per year going back and forth to Japan so don't sit here and assume I don't spend money with this company. your telling me if your wife decides to use your benefits the ones you work your a*s off for and some gate agent decides to get rude with her and deny her boarding simply because their a incompetent agent ? He says no I would be highly upset and would do something about it!

I say exactly so let me fill out a report against your agent! No I'm not gone to allow you to do that it's not necessary how in the hell isn't it necessary! you were the one being called out your name and being treated rudely were you so don't tell me its nothing well ill talk to him what in hell is that gone to do ! If I decide to take the same flight tomorrow, I have to see the same agents from today so what's going to change. You guys are a joke!

Customer service! right.. Well we don't take these types of things lightly well what's going to happen other than you giving him a talk? And that's what you're telling me! Nothing is going to happen to these agents but you know it just reelects on senior management, you guys accept this type of BS in your company and it just rolls right on down hun? well I'm not saying that but you know.. No, I don't know but I do know I will never fly your airline again bye.

IF YOU'RE AN EMPLOYEE FOR ANOTHER AIRLINE AND NORTHWEST IS ONE OF YOUR PARTNERS PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO USE THEIR AIRLINE!! THEY HAVE THE MOST DISRESPCETFUL GATE AGENTS IVE EVER HAD CONTACT WITH! AND IF YOU'RE A NWA EXEXUTIVE OR AGENT JERKING PEOPLE AROUND CAUSE I WOULNDT DARE CALL IT WORKING OR CUSTOMER SERVICE PLEASE GET IT TOGETHER BEFORE YOUR COMPANY END UP IN A LAW SUIT!

JAMES

SEATTLE, Washington
U.S.A.

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5 Updates & Rebuttals

Juliet

Birmingham,
Alabama,
U.S.A.

I have GOT to set the record straight FOR ME!

#2Consumer Comment

Thu, May 10, 2007

I don't know if anyone took offense at my posting about my friends experiences with Northwest's rules regarding proper dress when traveling on buddy passes, or whatever the term might be for employees using airline fringe benefits for travel. If I did so, I surely did not mean to. I wanted to just say "hey, James, I know other people who have fallen under the same sword", more or less. I was not saying I agree regarding a dress code, or that the people at the boarding gate were right for how they behaved with James. James was treated poorly indeed, and sadly, I am not surprised. That he is another airlines employee, well - this is just typical airport personnel behavior, period, in my jaded perception. Believe me, I am not a world-class traveler by any means, but I've seen far more airports, airplanes, boarding gates, etc., than I ever cared to! So, I could go on for about four feet of text with all my complaints about Northwest, alone, and others, too!! I have more sympathy and compassion for anyone dealing with airlines than you'd believe!

Harry

Tempe,
Arizona,
U.S.A.

SHAWANGUNK

#3Author of original report

Thu, May 10, 2007

Shawangunk, I apologize for using the incorrect spelling, it was 2:30am. The -inch HOLE in my jeans was located on the right seam just above the knee. Far as having a very disheveled/unclean appearance, I was wearing a pair of classic True Religion jeans, Tommy Bahama shirt and Louis Vuitton sneakers. If that's considered disheveled/unclean then I guess I was in the wrong. You're correct about agents having the right to deny boarding, but only if your appearance is totally unacceptable and what you're wearing is only usually an issue when you're traveling first class. I said they were RACIST because one of the manager excesses for not letting on the flight was because she was intimidated just by looking at me. I didn't raise my voice or become irate with her to give her a reason to make such a statement. the manager and I were similar in height and weight. And as far as being a RIPOFF ! THEY ARE. Shawangunk I'm not sure what line of work your in however working as a part time airline employee you get paid next to nothing unless you're an executive all because they think your going to get them back in the end by allowing you to fly at a discounted rate. 99% of airline employees work there so that their families can travel period! There are no other perks for working for an airline. When you work your behind off for those benefits like any other human, you would like to use them with out having to go through a bunch of BS. It's very sad when someone working in the same field as you, under the same horrible conditions treat you so harsh. It doesn't matter if your traveling as an employee, on a buddy pass, or as a paying customer the agents at the airport are suppose to do their job! And their job is customer service.

Chris

Santa Maria,
California,
U.S.A.

Is Everyone Insane?

#4Consumer Comment

Thu, May 10, 2007

This is the most ridiculous situation I've ever seen! I didn't realize, but now I understand, that airline employees can travel on other airlines' flights under certain rules. (Having a DRESS CODE is kinda ridiculous; I mean, how are the other passengers to know who's who anyway?) And a "dress code" as Draconian as that seems WAY over the top!) The childish little bullsh!t that transpired with this OP's trip is just TOO TIGHTA$$ to be believed! What happened to human decency & comraderie? The Northwest Airlines employees were SO out of line to make such a BIG DEAL about what was essentially NOTHING. They should have just given the guy a piece of tape or something (or better yet, just OVERLOOKED such a stupid thing)! I've never seen employees behave in such a stupid, juvenile, tighta$$, mountain-out-of-a-molehill, tempest-in-a-teapot, did I say STUPID, manner! What should have taken all of 5 minutes turned into a big, ludicrous "situation." Those NW employees should get a grip, learn how to get along with people & most importantly, think on their feet! They totally mishandled it!

Juliet

Birmingham,
Alabama,
U.S.A.

Holes in jeans CAN cause an employee-sponsored fare to be denied boarding

#5Consumer Comment

Wed, May 09, 2007

I sure wondered how racism played into this as well, very mystifying, but didn't bother to ask. As for the issue of the hole in the jeans, I know this much. A friend of mine worked for Northwest as a baggage handler and thus she was able to use buddy passes. On a trip to see me with 2 other friends, they used the buddy passes. It was then that I found out the many, many rules the airlines have for employees using these passes and that they users must conform to, or they may be denied passage onto the flight. One was definitely no holes in jeans, and jeans themselves were extremely discouraged. One friend was wearing a denim SKIRT, no holes, and this was evidently a 50/50 proposition as to whether she would be allowed to fly on the flight wearing a denim skirt. It was decided in her favor, for what reason I don't know, but she did squeak by. The employee and employee-associated passengers don't have to be messy and disheveled to be denied boarding, they can just be wearing JEANS, with or without a hole, depending on the flight crews determination. Then there are also OTHER reasons they can be denied boarding, although I can't remember what all they are, this was a few years ago. It does sound like there were absolutely some types of personality conflicts going on, whether it was because James is from a competitor's airline, or because of him being a race OTHER THAN the race of the people manning the counter. Seriously, how many conflicts between merchants of any kind and customers AREN'T personality-conflict based, one way or another? Something was going on since James had a legitimate reason for the hole in his jeans - being roughly treated by TSA - and that should have been accounted for. But since it wasn't, and he did change, and STILL was treated so disrespectfully, there was definitely something more to the story that James truly may have no way of ever finding out the truth about. But as for the cry of 'racism', that's pretty inflammatory and shouldn't have been just stated without any kind of supporting information, no matter what races are involved.

Shawangunk

Middletown,
New York,
U.S.A.

So how were they RACIST???

#6Consumer Comment

Wed, May 09, 2007

So how were they RACIST??? Your report fails to clarify this. Also, by the way, the correct spelling is HOLE, not "whole." Where exactly was this HOLE in your jeans? Was it in a rather private area? At any rate, you must have had a very disheveled/unclean appearance at the time if it prevented you from getting on the flight. Flight attendants CAN and WILL deny boarding for this reason, as you should already know if you work for an airline. I reall don't see how you were ripped off, and I certainly don't see any evidence of racism unless you can PROVE otherwise.

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