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I've posted here before about being polite when dealing with gate agents. Here is an article that gives some good examples as to why. This article came out pre 9/11 but with tensions even higher now I'm sure it still applies.

Be kind to gatekeepers
April 5, 1999

James Panto went from first to worst on a trip to Los Angeles.

A gate agent kicked him out of his confirmed seat in the forward cabin and sent him packing to economy class. His crime? He complained about a mechanical delay that forced passengers into a smaller aircraft and backed up his schedule.

"The gate agent claimed there were no more seats available in first class," remembers the Albuquerque, N.M., sales executive. "But the angering part was that there were two uniformed crew members sitting in the front cabin."

It pays to be nice to gate agents. Perhaps more than any other airline employees, the folks at check-in have broad powers to make your flight miserable - or magnificent.

Jeffrey Siegal, a graphic artist from Los Angeles, knows the other side. When he arrived at the gate recently with a broken arm, the agent asked if he needed an empty seat next to him.

"My obvious answer was 'yes,'" he says. Since then, he's flown on flights that were "booked solid" except for the seat next to him, where he could relax his plastered limb thanks to a kind gate agent.

In the frantic hour or so between check-in and boarding, gate agents are practically all-powerful.

They can upgrade you, downgrade you and even remove you from a flight, often at their whim. But don't worry, they won't abuse their position … unless you force them.

"The loud guy who throws the briefcase gets the minimum, no matter how many 'Rule 240s, Rule 75s' or other 'inside information thingys' he presents," says former airline supervisor Steven Moore. "If ever I had to go get my boss to deal with a customer, I was always quizzed as to 'is this guy a jerk or is he nice?' It is only a two-way street with the ticket agent after the customer makes the first move of kindness."

Not all gate agents are so understanding. "When someone rubs you the wrong way, you stick them in the back of the plane between Big Bertha and Andre the Giant," admits former gate agent Tim Rivers.

Ex-agent Glen Wade remembers one confrontation when a traveler lost his patience with a gate agent who was busy checking in an entire family. After repeated requests to hurry it up, the agent finally snapped.

"She said, 'Sir, I can only do 15 things at once. And you're number 16.'"

Are gate agents allowed to punish passengers they don't like and reward the ones they do? Not really.

At US Airways, for example, gate agents are trained to "treat every passenger equally," says spokesman David Castelveter. "Every employee goes through training that tells them how to treat a passenger professionally, regardless of the circumstances. It precludes any emotional response."

The US Airways gate agents are also represented by the Communications Workers Of America, which frowns on any power-tripping behavior.

"It's not as though someone would say, 'Ha, I don't like you,' and then move you to the back of the plane," says union spokeswoman Candice Johnson.

But she and Castelveter concede that despite all the rules and regulations, it's possible for some agents to abuse their power. "After all, employees are people," Castelveter points out.

My cousin, who is a gate agent for American Airlines, likes to regale me with tales from the front lines. By hanging out with her friends from work, I've come to appreciate how they feel about their job.

The passengers who get upgraded really deserve the better seat; the ones that are sent to a middle seat in sardine class have it coming to them, too.

But try explaining that to someone like Panto, who lost his choice seat to a crew member. I can't.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of my cousin, I think the system as we know it casts agents as omnipotent gatekeepers and travelers as powerless pawns. It may seem fair, but it's not right.

Interesting!

If I were Pantos of course, I'd presume compensation was due me, because the coach seat costs less than the forward seats.

But the point of the story is well-taken. My most recent flight from Pensacola to Minneapolis is a prime illustration.

In Atlanta between planes I approached the gate agent (Karen, Air Tran, thank you!). She politely explained that she was busy closing out the previous incoming flight, so I smiled, nodded and returned to my seat in the boarding lounge. When she finally had time to talk, I politely asked her if I could be moved forward in the cabin. At no time did I use the phrases "first class" or "business class." She smiled and informed my that sadly, the flight was full.

Shortly thereafter a guy came up to the podium and asked to be put on standby, stating his need to return to Minneapolis was urgent. After he had been put on the list and had left, I quietly remarked to the gate agent that I would be perfectly willing to give up my coach seat for the standby passenger, if some compensation was offered. She said that would not be necessary.

Five minutes before the boarding process began, Karen walked over to me and slipped a new boarding pass into my shirt pocket. "I've reassigned your seat. You're now in 1-D." She gave me a conspiratorial "sh-h-h!" before returning to the podium. The standby passenger did indeed get my coach seat, and before you could say Rule 240, I was enjoying a complimentary Jack and Coke in a big, wide, comfy seat.

As Grandma used to say, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. This seems to especially apply to airport and airline personnel.

_________________
Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

Hey Wit,

I like the thread, Being a front line airline employee I have to tell you it makes me happy that some people understand that being an a$$ and treating people (gate agents, grocery store clerks, bank tellers, cab drivers, flight attendants, putas, anybody in customer service) like $hit gets you no where, not just gate agents.

The best people to deal with are those that fly over 100k miles a year, and the ones who hardley ever fly, the ones in between is the ones that make problems. Most don't understand delays and why they happen no matter what. The thing is gate agents do have empowerment. Front line employees is what they are called and belive me they handle there job very defensively like if it was war.

Most 1st class passengers purchased a coach seat and upgraded with miles or with certificates and during irregular opperations (delays) we can move those passengers where ever we can and 1st may not be available. If you're mean I guarantee you it won't be available.

Which is why if you are nice and to the point you will get the same response, most agents are pretty cool and understanding, for one thing they have to be or they'll get canned but if someone acts up or gives attitude even the supervisor will back up the agent. In most cases they where gate agents at some point.

Have you ever seen Airport on A&E about Southwest Airlines?? The show centers mostly on the desk agents and customer service reps. You get to see the issues and confrontations these folks go through on a day-to-day basis. Most of the problems center on alcohol or missed announcements, but every once in awhile there’s a happy scenario that demonstrates how being nice can payoff (although no first class n SWA). Funny thing is I hate the airport, but like the show (but I also like ketchup and hate tomatoes).

Thanks again Wit for all the inside info on the airline industry and other useful posts. I appreciate the intel.

Lance

Think the name of the show is actually "Airline". It's interesting, especially because it doesn't always portray the airline in the most positive light.

True enough...the vast majority of people who freak out on that show have little to no cause to do so, IMO. I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of air travel in the world, but why over react like they do in some cases?

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