When a commuting pilot faced off with a Karen who demanded he give her his first class ticket, things escalated very quickly. But once the acting pilot jumps in, he gives the Karen just what she deserves.
The narrator of our story is a commuting pilot, meaning he is not actively working at the moment, but needs to get to his next location to fly his plane. He offers some background to start.
“Background: Airline Captain, commuting to work, purchased a full fare First Class ticket to get there. Lived in Atlanta at the time, domiciled in Houston and commuted. Normally you could get a jump seat in the cockpit, but on this auspicious day, that was already taken. Pass riding wasn’t an option because there were no seats in coach and only one in First. Pass riders can be bumped for fare paying passengers. And I needed to get to work, so I plunked down my credit card and bought the last seat in First.”
So normally he could ride in the cockpit or hitch a ride for free. But neither of these options were available for this particular flight so he decided to swipe his own credit card on a first class ticket, the only seat left.
“Boarding has occurred and I am peacefully in my seat, waiting for pushback.
Cast of Characters:
Me: Commuting pilot EW: Entitled woman FA: Flight Attendant CPT: Captain of the flight I’m on.”
And as soon as our story starts, things get juicy.
“EW: You are sitting in my seat. You’ll need to move right now.
Me: (Checks boarding pass) Nope. This is my seat. Not going to happen. Sorry.”
First of all, why does Karen automatically exert herself into the situation with so much aggression? Didn’t her mom ever teach her some manners?
“EW: You’re an employee. You’re sitting in my seat. Move now.
Me: May I see your boarding pass? Clearly there’s been some mistake.”
I’m being generous but I can see where she is a little confused. I’m guessing the pilot is in his uniform, so he does appear to be an employee. But geez, again with the hostility.
“EW: You may not see my boarding pass. I showed that when I boarded. I’ve upgraded to First Class. Now move.
Me: You’ll need to resolve this with the flight crew. I’m a passenger.
EW stomps off, resembling an irritated Delores Umbridge and returns with FA”
So here is where things get suspicious. Why wouldn’t the Karen just show her boarding pass? It would clear this mess up right away. Is it because she doesn’t in fact have a first class boarding pass? I have been upgrading one time (from economy to premium economy woooo) and they gave me a new boarding pass with my new seat assignment. So if she was upgraded like she claims, she would have a new boarding pass.
Warner Bros.
“FA: Good morning Captain! May I see your boarding pass?
Me: Sure thing. (Shows boarding pass)
FA: Ma’am that’s his seat. He paid for it.”
Karen drags the flight attendant into this barbaric madness, but to her dismay, the flight attendant just confirms the captain’s correct seat.
“EW: Well then throw him off dear. I’ve upgraded to First Class and that is now my seat.
FA: I’ll need to see your boarding pass, ma’am.
EW: You will not! I showed it when I boarded. I’ve upgraded to First Class.
FA: How did you upgrade to First Class?
EW: I upgraded to First Class. I’m more important than an employee. Now get him out of my seat.”
Karen’s storyline about how she upgraded to first class is getting more and more suspicious. Just show us the ticket, Karen!
“(Someone has called the cockpit and the Captain has left the flight deck to deal with this)
CPT: Ma’am I’m Captain Wallaby (not his real name). I’ve just spoken with the Gate Agent. We certainly apologize for this awkward situation. The Agent has corrected your paperwork, and has a voucher for future travel for you as well. Please go fetch your new boarding pass and your voucher and we’ll be on our way.
EW: (Departs up the jetway, a triumphant smile on her face)”
Wow, definitely not what I was expecting, but at least the Captain got everything cleared up.
“The Captain turns to the FA and says, prepare the doors for departure. The doors close. The Captain returns to the cockpit and as we push back from the gate I can see the EW pounding on the glass next to jetway.
It was a nice ride to Houston. The coffee was wonderful.”
What a sneaky power move! I did NOT see that coming. Captain Wallaby basically kicked Karen off the plane in the most peaceful, satisfying way. I would have loved to see her panicked face once she realized the plane was leaving without her and there was never a voucher for her.