A&E's TV Show "Airline"

[Cruise Dragon]

I'm watching A&E's "Airline", there are a number of Carnival passengers who were bumped off their Southwest Airlines flight. They had to be rerouted and then when they finished the first leg of the reroute they were told that for security reasons that everyone had to get off the plane and they were not allowed back on (I think the flight was cancelled). They were bused back to the original airport. Not sure what happened after that, I was distracted because I was making dinner.

 

This is why my wife always go to the port city at least a day in advance, anything can happen!!!!

 

On a side note, are any of those passengers on CC? If not, does anyone know them? Does anyone know if they missed the sailing?

 

Walter

[kristy]

I don't know what happened to those pax, but they were MAD!!! I would have been too though! I can't imagine being in that situation, but we always get to the port at least one day but most of the time 2 days prior.

 

Love that show! Saw it for the 1st time about a month ago and that was the episode that was playing. It's pretty interesting to watch and now is on my Tivo Season Pass!;)

[Cruising89143]

I was watching that also. Not sure how an airline could overbook a plane by 53. This is another reason that one does NOT fly in the day of a cruise. Who needs the stress that is involved.

 

I now have a new respect for the airline employee's that have to deal with passengers. Some of these people are just unreal. I like the lady that arrived too late for her flight and then tried to blame the airline.

[halos]

YEA...my husband was watching that too.

Overbooking a plane by 53 passengers!!!

Je-ZUS!

Next time there is a debate over travel insurance, I'll toss that little tidbit out there!!

[hstrybuf]

I saw that episode too when it ran a few weeks ago. I thought it was interesting to see what goes on up front and behind the scenes as well. There's nothing like flying to port the day of the cruise and finding your flight overbooked. That number amazed me! We only did that for our first cruise and that was because I didn't find this board until I was researching our second cruise. You had to wonder if they were first time cruisers or limited on vacation time or both. :rolleyes:

[atonal1]

I'm a seasoned cruiser and only once (Hawaii) have I arrived a day or 2 early. Even with what those Southwest passengers went through, I cannot arrive early. Needless to say, I arrive at the airport early enough that I don't get bumped, or have to live through a horrendous overbooking experience on departure day. I HAVE voluntarily been bumped off the RETURN flight, and was rewarded with 2 non-stop first class seats (same day) and 2 free tickets anywhere in the continental US AND Caribbean. Used those free tickets to fly to St. Thomas. :D

[Mike A]

Airlines routinely overbook by 30% due to the number of cancellations they receive. Unfortunately when not enough people cancel, you have the overbooking problem. When making reservations getting an assigned seat is the key to not be being bumped. Unfortunately, Southwest DOES NOT assign seats. They are first come first served. It is for that reason I would never use them for a cruise. However, I do use them all the time for business. They are a very good and efficient airline. All of the Southwest planes are 737's which only hold about 140 people. They assign everyone into groups. A,B or C. Group A is the 1st 40. Group B is the second 40 and C is the third. The key with Southwest is getting to the Airport 1-1/2 to 2 hours ahead of time to get a Group A boarding pass.

[Cotton]

Yesterday was the first time I had seen "Airline", and I won't miss any future episodes! What an amazing inside look!:eek:

 

I stumbled upon it around 4pm, and watched till 7. (Looked at the tv listing, and it had been on since 7AM!) Is Southwest the only airline that's filmed?

 

.....I have a friend who's been a Delta flight attendant for over 25 years, and she has told the most astonishing stories! I told her she really should write a book.:)

[dfwkeith]

Southwest is a discount airline so you pay for what you get. I hate to tell you this but most scenes in Airline are set up(not real). This was told on cnn . If Southwest is always that rude to customers I will never fly them even if most of the show is staged.

[halos]

You thought they were rude??? After watching a few installments of that show, I thought they were SAINTS!!!!

[Cotton]

Gotta agree with you Halos. For the most part, I thought the employees were tactful, and sincerely tried to solve the problems. (Maybe having been in the hospitality field (hotels) for so long, I KNOW the customer is NOT always right.) I thought they did a great job of solving MOST of the problems.

However, overbooking by 53 passengers was a little over the top, and although I could understand the frustration exhibited by the passengers, some of them were unnecessarily rude and crude.:eek: Notice how many times the word "sue" came up? Geez.

[echo]

I watched that episode yesterday and all the Cruisers made it except one who choose to not get on the plane at the last minute, even though her son was already on a plane headed down there. She kept wanting to call the cruise line before she boarded and they had to let the plane go. Now whether they made the ship or not, I don't know.

[tracey980]

Okay now I am intrigued. I need to know more about the show? Is is a series? When is it on?

 

I will go look on the A&E site if no response.

[cantwait2cruise]

That is a great show...have you all also seen "Family Plots"...the show about the family funeral home on A&E. Love the more "real" reality shows! Of course, I must admit I'm looking forward to "Big Brother" tonight...I'm a reality tv junkie.

:p

[halos]

Cotton!!

So right!

Didn't you love the woman who showed up 20 minutes before boarding time, missed the flight because of the check in line being long and wanted to sue SW for her inconvenience??

How about the guy who lost his father, was going to fly out for the funeral, went to the airport bar, got drunk, missed his flight and got pissed that they left without him??? (boy did that man need a dentist!!)....Or the guy who lost his daughter's tickets (who uses paper tickets anymore?) and didn't understand why he needed to buy a new one for her? How about the woman who wanted to stick her mother on the plane without oxygen even though she was taken from the hospital AMA and the doctor didn't release her???

One thing that I didn't agree with was the one where they decided that the baby a couple was bringing on board was over the age of 2 and needed a ticket, when in fact the baby was mearly 16 months old. Those poor folks had to go nuts finding a way to prove their baby's age...which they did by calling the hospital and having records faxed over to the airport...that would have ticked me off!!

 

What a show!!

[Arlene F]

The overbooking by 53 passengers was an error according to the SW spokesperson. According to same SW rep, they do overbook but not by such a large percentage .

 

I have to say though that I know I too would be pretty pissed if I found myself not able to fly because the airline oversold the flight.

 

There is the arguement that you have to check in early. But what constitutes early enough when a plane is overbooked by 40% (according to Mike A). If Mike's numbers are correct that means any given flight can be overbooked by 40 people. Perhaps the number of over-sold seats dosn't really matter. If a flight is oversold it is simply oversold. It doesn't matter if it is by 5 or 40.

 

Suppose (and I know this is unlikely to happen but lets pretend) everyone shows up at the recommeded time to check in. It becomes a cattle call to see who gets on the plane and only the first 140 people in line will get a seat on the plane. What do you say to the person who can't get on the plane. "Sorry but since you were not at the front of the line you can't get on this flight"? Not a good thing.

 

I have nothing against SW. Personally have never had a problem when using SW. We fly Continental most of the time and I have to say that SW does not always beat Continental in airfare. In fact of the last 6 flights I have priced with SW and Continental. Continental has beaten SW's fares. So to say SW is a cheaper airline and that is the reason for the way they operated may not be the whole truth.

 

Another thing, I wonder if passengers who are featured on show receive compensation for allowing themselves to be filmed. Or do they behave like huge butts for free? Just wondering.

 

Arlene

[halos]

 

Another thing, I wonder if passengers who are featured on show receive compensation for allowing themselves to be filmed. Or do they behave like huge butts for free? Just wondering.

 

Arlene

 

 

GREAT question!!!!

 

 

What I like about SW is that I was just able to get a one way ticket for my daughter from Manchester, NH to Philly with no penalty. The ticket cost me $37.60.

It would cost me more in gas to drive it!!

[Arlene F]

Halos,

That is a pretty good fare even for just one way.

Arlene

[kellyccz]

I watch the show too and find it really interesting.

 

In regards to the compensation, I don't believe the passengers are compensated. One of the airports they film at is Chicago-Midway. I use this airport a lot, most recently when taking my son to the airport for his summer visit with his father. When going through security at that terminal where Southwest is located, there are several signs alerting you to the fact that the show "Airline" is being filmed there and that while in the Southwest Terminal, you could be filmed. If you do not want to be filmed, you have to let them know.

[dansize]

Another thing, I wonder if passengers who are featured on show receive compensation for allowing themselves to be filmed. Or do they behave like huge butts for free? Just wondering.

 

Arlene

 

Here is an article from last week's Washington Post detailing how A&E shoots the series. In answer to previous comments:

 

No, it's not staged - It's just the best of a lot of time spent at the airport.

 

No, there is no compensation. I'm amazed the subjects sign the waivers to be on the show after they appear to make fools of themselves. The article hits on that as well.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A22276-2004Jul1?language=printer

[halos]

Goes to show you what butt-heads some people are.

[dolfinmusic]

I was watching some of this show yesterday too - missed the Carnival one but did anyone see the guy who was wearing the Kilt and apparently nothing underneath it? That was funny!

[tjevans]

 

I stumbled upon it around 4pm, and watched till 7. (Looked at the tv listing, and it had been on since 7AM!) Is Southwest the only airline that's filmed?

 

Yep. I've seen every episode so far, and love it.

 

There was a UK version that A&E was showing immediately after the 9:00 (central time) Airline. It featured Easy Jet, which is basically the UK version of Southwest.

[1stimekruiser]

I saw that too yesterday. How can an airline be allowed to intentinally overbook a flight in the first place? If people paid for a seat, what right does an airline have to tell them it's overbooked and they can't fly? I never used Southwest and I don't think I ever will. It's worth paying some extra money especially if I can't go a day early.

[Lilylady]

That is a great show...have you all also seen "Family Plots"...the show about the family funeral home on A&E. Love the more "real" reality shows! Of course, I must admit I'm looking forward to "Big Brother" tonight...I'm a reality tv junkie.

:p

Both shows are great! There was a mini marathon of Family Plots this past weekend.