Narrative:

I did not witness this incident, but I was later told by the purser (the crew member directly involved) what transpired during the boarding of this flight. I understand verbal abuse toward the purser by a female passenger occurred, when she didn't get her entree preference. The captain authority/authorized removing the passenger prior to leaving the gate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that they had a ground delay, so the purser had time to take breakfast orders in first class. The woman became irate when she didn't get her choice of entrees for breakfast, an omelette. The woman had caused quite a scene at the check-in counter, because she couldn't get upgraded to first class. The airline normally upgrades to business class, but not first class, so the woman paid the extra money. Her husband sat in coach and was not involved in the shouting match. The captain backed the purser's decision to remove the woman. Her husband came forward, handed his wife her tickets and went back to his seat in coach without saying a word. The woman was removed by a passenger service supervisor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT,SFO-JFK. BOARDING PROC. IRATE WOMAN VERBALLY ABUSED THE PURSER OVER MEAL CHOICE. CAPT BACKED PURSER, HAD WOMAN REMOVED.

Narrative: I DID NOT WITNESS THIS INCIDENT, BUT I WAS LATER TOLD BY THE PURSER (THE CREW MEMBER DIRECTLY INVOLVED) WHAT TRANSPIRED DURING THE BOARDING OF THIS FLT. I UNDERSTAND VERBAL ABUSE TOWARD THE PURSER BY A FEMALE PAX OCCURRED, WHEN SHE DIDN'T GET HER ENTREE PREFERENCE. THE CAPT AUTH REMOVING THE PAX PRIOR TO LEAVING THE GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THEY HAD A GND DELAY, SO THE PURSER HAD TIME TO TAKE BREAKFAST ORDERS IN FIRST CLASS. THE WOMAN BECAME IRATE WHEN SHE DIDN'T GET HER CHOICE OF ENTREES FOR BREAKFAST, AN OMELETTE. THE WOMAN HAD CAUSED QUITE A SCENE AT THE CHK-IN COUNTER, BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T GET UPGRADED TO FIRST CLASS. THE AIRLINE NORMALLY UPGRADES TO BUSINESS CLASS, BUT NOT FIRST CLASS, SO THE WOMAN PAID THE EXTRA MONEY. HER HUSBAND SAT IN COACH AND WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE SHOUTING MATCH. THE CAPT BACKED THE PURSER'S DECISION TO REMOVE THE WOMAN. HER HUSBAND CAME FORWARD, HANDED HIS WIFE HER TICKETS AND WENT BACK TO HIS SEAT IN COACH WITHOUT SAYING A WORD. THE WOMAN WAS REMOVED BY A PAX SVC SUPVR.

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.