I was flying a MIA JFK flight. We were buttoned up and waiting for a tug at least 5 minutes before D-0. The only tug available was connected to a 757 next to us. The 757 was closed up, beacon on, waiting for ramp to approve their pushback request.

At that time, I looked up and saw a man pounding on the glass window in the concourse. He was hitting it so hard, the vibrations and reflection from the sun is what caught my attention. The CA said to the ground guy downstairs "Boy that guy is really upset about something." The ground guy tells us, "Yeah, he missed your flight and he's been yelling at the gate agent to let him on. We can hear him yelling down here."

The CA gets on Ops Radio and we find out he is a First Class passenger going to Paris. The CA relates that we can get him on because no tugs are available and the 757 has yet to push. Ops calls the Gate Agent. The GA is furious and WILL NOT let him on. Ops relays back to the CA that the passenger isn't getting on. Then the CA says "I'm setting the parking brake and I'm not leaving until he's on the flight. He's paid thousands of dollars to fly first class, and we're not even close to pushing back yet. Put him on or I'm not leaving." 5 minutes go by. Then I see the GA talking to someone on the phone. Now the tug is up to the aircraft and they're ready to push us. The gate agent appears at the end of the jetway. CA and her exchange words and she REFUSES to put him on. CA is defiant and tells her that he's not leaving. GA leaves in a rant. 5 minutes later (now we're like 20 minutes late at this point), the GA moves the jetway over to the aircraft and they put the first class passenger on. He gets on the jet, thanks the CA over and over. We leave. We made up most of the delay in flight.

Had some common sense been used by the GA and Ops, we could have put him on the plane well within the time it took to push the 757 and rest the tug. Ridiculous. I was embarrassed for the passengers even though everything worked out in the end.