FileTitle: Prose239.html
Category: Humor
Type: Prose
Description: Dealing With Angry Airline Customers
Fly the Friendly Skies
An award should go to the United Airlines gate agent in Denver
for being smart and funny, and making her point, when confronted a
passenger who probably deserved to fly as cargo.
During the final days at Denver's old Stapleton airport, a
crowded United fligh was canceled.
A single agent was rebooking a long line of inconvenienced
travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk.
He slapped his ticket down on the counter and said, "I HAVE to be on
this flight and it has to be FIRST CLASS."
The agent replied, "I'm sorry sir. I'll be happy to try to help
you, but I've got to help these folks first, and I'm sure we'll be
able to work something out."
The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the
passengers behind him could hear, "Do you have any idea who I am?"
Without hesitating, the gate agent smiled and grabbed her public
address microphone.
"May I have your attention please?" she began, her voice
bellowing throughout the terminal. "We have a passenger here at
the gate WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find
his identity, please come to the gate."
With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man
glared at the United agent, gritted his teeth and swore "(Expletive)
you."
Without flinching, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, sir, but
you'll have to stand in line for that, too."
The man retreated as the people in the terminal applauded loudly.
Although the flight was canceled and people were late, they were no
longer angry at United.