Narrative:

We were traveling from yow to ord on an F100 aircraft. Normally there are only 2 flight attendants on this plane, but on shorter flts and heavier loads, a third flight attendant assists on the plane. I was in the first class galley and my extra (third flight attendant) was standing by the boarding door. All of the passenger except 2, had boarded. They both came on significantly well after the other passenger. (Due to the smaller size of the aircraft, there is a limited amount of baggage space on board the aircraft. We also priority board: first class board first, frequent flyers board second, and main cabin starting from the rear of the aircraft toward the front board third.) both passenger had roller boards (suitcases). When my extra flight attendant explained that there was no more overhead bin space and that we would have to gate check their baggage, one of the passenger agreed and the other one proceeded to complain in a most boisterous way. He was a first class passenger and he complained that he paid too much money for his ticket to have to gate check his bag. He wanted us to take off someone else's bag in order to accommodate his bag. My extra flight attendant explained that wasn't our policy and apologized profusely. The passenger wouldn't calm down, was causing a spectacle and was just shy of threatening my extra flight attendant. I explained to him that next time he might board with the other first class passenger in order to ensure room for his luggage. He quickly turned towards me in a way he thought would threaten me (looking me up and down, at my name tag and standing close) and agreed to my statement, but said he thought I was being facetious. I told him that he needed to calm down and situation down, because we needed to take off. I asked my extra flight attendant if he would like the passenger removed, but he said 'no.' I informed the captain of the situation and told him I'd keep him informed. We gate checked the passenger bag, which unbeknownst to us contained his connecting ticket. During the flight, he was rude to my extra flight attendant and threatened him. He behaved when I was in the vicinity. When we landed, he was rude to the gate agent, the captain and my extra flight attendant. He continued causing a commotion. He was eventually sent on to his next flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the man did not threaten to harm the male flight attendant physically, but threatened to get him fired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, F100, YOW-ORD. LATE FIRST CLASS PAX THREW TEMPER TANTRUM, NO ROOM FOR ROLLER BOARD SUITCASE, HAD TO GATE CHK IT. THREATENED MALE CABIN ATTENDANT.

Narrative: WE WERE TRAVELING FROM YOW TO ORD ON AN F100 ACFT. NORMALLY THERE ARE ONLY 2 FLT ATTENDANTS ON THIS PLANE, BUT ON SHORTER FLTS AND HEAVIER LOADS, A THIRD FLT ATTENDANT ASSISTS ON THE PLANE. I WAS IN THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY AND MY EXTRA (THIRD FLT ATTENDANT) WAS STANDING BY THE BOARDING DOOR. ALL OF THE PAX EXCEPT 2, HAD BOARDED. THEY BOTH CAME ON SIGNIFICANTLY WELL AFTER THE OTHER PAX. (DUE TO THE SMALLER SIZE OF THE ACFT, THERE IS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF BAGGAGE SPACE ON BOARD THE ACFT. WE ALSO PRIORITY BOARD: FIRST CLASS BOARD FIRST, FREQUENT FLYERS BOARD SECOND, AND MAIN CABIN STARTING FROM THE REAR OF THE ACFT TOWARD THE FRONT BOARD THIRD.) BOTH PAX HAD ROLLER BOARDS (SUITCASES). WHEN MY EXTRA FLT ATTENDANT EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS NO MORE OVERHEAD BIN SPACE AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GATE CHK THEIR BAGGAGE, ONE OF THE PAX AGREED AND THE OTHER ONE PROCEEDED TO COMPLAIN IN A MOST BOISTEROUS WAY. HE WAS A FIRST CLASS PAX AND HE COMPLAINED THAT HE PAID TOO MUCH MONEY FOR HIS TICKET TO HAVE TO GATE CHK HIS BAG. HE WANTED US TO TAKE OFF SOMEONE ELSE'S BAG IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE HIS BAG. MY EXTRA FLT ATTENDANT EXPLAINED THAT WASN'T OUR POLICY AND APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY. THE PAX WOULDN'T CALM DOWN, WAS CAUSING A SPECTACLE AND WAS JUST SHY OF THREATENING MY EXTRA FLT ATTENDANT. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT NEXT TIME HE MIGHT BOARD WITH THE OTHER FIRST CLASS PAX IN ORDER TO ENSURE ROOM FOR HIS LUGGAGE. HE QUICKLY TURNED TOWARDS ME IN A WAY HE THOUGHT WOULD THREATEN ME (LOOKING ME UP AND DOWN, AT MY NAME TAG AND STANDING CLOSE) AND AGREED TO MY STATEMENT, BUT SAID HE THOUGHT I WAS BEING FACETIOUS. I TOLD HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO CALM DOWN AND SIT DOWN, BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO TAKE OFF. I ASKED MY EXTRA FLT ATTENDANT IF HE WOULD LIKE THE PAX REMOVED, BUT HE SAID 'NO.' I INFORMED THE CAPT OF THE SIT AND TOLD HIM I'D KEEP HIM INFORMED. WE GATE CHKED THE PAX BAG, WHICH UNBEKNOWNST TO US CONTAINED HIS CONNECTING TICKET. DURING THE FLT, HE WAS RUDE TO MY EXTRA FLT ATTENDANT AND THREATENED HIM. HE BEHAVED WHEN I WAS IN THE VICINITY. WHEN WE LANDED, HE WAS RUDE TO THE GATE AGENT, THE CAPT AND MY EXTRA FLT ATTENDANT. HE CONTINUED CAUSING A COMMOTION. HE WAS EVENTUALLY SENT ON TO HIS NEXT FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE MAN DID NOT THREATEN TO HARM THE MALE FLT ATTENDANT PHYSICALLY, BUT THREATENED TO GET HIM FIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.