Last week I had a poor customer service experience with a SWA gate agent. I'm only posting it here because I considered her behavior not only rude but offensive and not representative of SWA's high standards.

I don't fly for SWA, but a regional airline and I regularly commute on SW aircraft. I also fly for the military and recently have been on military leave frequently. My company removes me from CASS every time I go on MIL leave, basically from the second they receive the paperwork to several days, sometimes weeks after I return. This hasn't been a problem at SWA or any other airline, I just ride in the back when out of CASS.

Last week I was heading back to domicile/home and did as I always have done, went to the SWA counter (not a busy day at all, I was the only one there), and politely asked the agent if there were any seats left to DEN. She joked a bit, was polite, and began looking up the flight. While she was doing this I told her I wasn't in CASS due to MIL leave, at which her tone changed, and she said "well if you're not, there's gonna be BIG trouble". I actually laughed because I thought she was joking...nope. I didn't come up in CASS and the tirade began. She asked me who I was, what airline I worked for, where I was based, and "why I was trying to get on this aircraft". I told her I was back from MIL leave, but my company hadn't put me back in CASS yet, and it usually isn't a problem, I just ride "cabin only". She then accused me of not being who I said I was, stating my ID was "probably fake". I offered her my military ID, ATP license, medical, government and civilian passports, and drivers license, but she didn't want to see any of these. According to her, they could all be forgeries. What really got under my skin and forced me to bite my lip was her accusation that I was, in fact, a terrorist, attempting to get on "her" aircraft. She also asked me if I had seen the movie Catch Me if You Can, and informed me, "that guy was slick, just like your story", while she was nearly poking me with her index finger.

She called her supervisor, who also berated me, but offered to call her supervisor in Dallas (I think?) who would "get to the bottom of this". I offered my name, airline, employee #, and domicile. Meanwhile, waiting for the return call, I endured more insults from the gate agent, and sat and watched as she talked herself into thinking it would be a good idea to call the police and have me arrested (not sure how...). It never came to that, the Dallas supervisor called and within a second or two the agent who had just minutes before denied me access to the flight because I was apparently Osama bin Laden was printing a ticket. As she was doing this she said I should have a letter from my company stating I could jumpseat even when not in CASS. I didn't want to stir up a hornets' nest so I just said "ok" and left.

So my question is; am I doing something wrong/illegal by riding "cabin only" when not in CASS? I have never had any problems before, the gate agent always just says "Oh, you didn't come up in CASS, here's a cabin-only ticket". Are there any others who have had CASS problems?

Also, although this experience was bad at best, the agent did raise a question I wasn't able to answer...how do airlines verify people who aren't in CASS? Gate agents, FA's, employees, retirees all non-rev and are not part of CASS, what about mil leave employees? I always assumed the ID was enough, but is there some document required as the agent suggested?

I should also say in my years of jumpseating this was the ONLY bad experience on SWA. They usually go out of their way to help out employees of other airlines and are friendly even during the busiest times. So thank you to all the gate & ground agents, and flight crews who have helped me get home over the years.