Originally Posted by
450knotOffice
At AE (and therefore AA, I imagine), we do not have the authority to force a gate agent to board anybody. The company has made it very clear that not only will the gate agent win the battle, but we will be held accountable by the chief pilot's office if we attempt that battle and cause a flight to be late. Written up. Letter put into your file, etc.
. . . Commuting can be perilous sometimes. It is what it is.
It is what it is - and what it is is voluntarily allowing PIC authority to be undermined.
Try this next time:
Originally Posted by
Denny Crane
I flew with a Captain along time ago who never, I mean never, got upset/angry at any one. In DFW one time there were pax waving at us from the terminal when the agent came down to close the door. The Captain asked him to go get those pax and put them on. The agent refused and said "This is my airplane at the gate and I'm closing the door." Very calmly the Captain said okay. The agent closed the door and pulled the jetway away. The Captain then opened his window and very calmly said "Now it's my airplane and we aren't moving until you put those people on." The agent finally saw the error of his ways and put the people on. I told the Capt. I'd have been PO'd and he said "Why bother getting angry when you KNOW you're going to win!"
As a Captain, I've tried to live by that philosophy. But sometimes it is difficult!
Denny
If every AE Captain lives by this philosophy too, commuting might be more pleasant, and less 'perilous'. So might your Chief Pilot's office.