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Galley Gossip: Lindsay Lohan throws a fit when she's denied a first class seat!
Lindsay Lohan caused "chaos" at the airport in Tampa, Florida on Saturday morning when she was denied a first class seat on an overbooked flight, reports The Huffington Post. Chaos, their word, not mine, is a word that makes me wonder, just what kind of chaos could little old Lindsay create at the airport surrounded by hundreds of passengers?
Do they mean that she stood hovering over the ticket agent until the agent solved her problem, not allowing other passengers to check in? I see passengers do that all the time. Do they mean that she got upset when she didn't get a seat in the cabin she bought a ticket in? Well she spent a lot of money on that ticket! Wouldn't you get upset if you purchased something you did not receieve? Why should Lindsay be judged more harshly than we judge each other just because she's a celebrity?
Trust me when I tell you that quite a few passengers, and I'm talking about the non-celebrity kind, complain about things that are even more ridiculous than not getting the first class seat they bought. A few months ago a passenger threw a fit because he was seated in the last row of coach. I'm sorry, I know it's not a good seat, but SOMEONE has to sit there, maybe even you. I mean why not you? Am I wrong?
Was Lindsay wrong when she stomped her feet and told a friend traveling with her that they better come back to coach and visit her in case she dies?
You do see where I'm going with this, don't you? Passengers can be a bit melodramtic, even celebrity passengers, when they walk on board a flight and things don't go their way. Does that mean we have the right to criticize? I don't know, you decide.
Maybe Lindsay behaved a little childish. Then again, maybe not. Lindsay is a celebrity and people do hound celebrities. A few years ago I had to practically stand between first class and coach the entire flight to keep passengers from bothering Magic Johnson, who, I must say, was one of the nicest passengers (celebrity or not) I've ever met. And last week I saw Toni Collette run through the John F. Kennedy airport holding Sage, her beautiful baby girl. The only reason I recognized her was because of the swarm of paparazzi following fast behind her to the first class check-in counter. Then a few days later I saw Jeff Goldblum placing a backpack on the conveyor belt and walking in striped socks through the security check point at the Los Angeles International Airport. The only reason I noticed him was because of all the flash bulbs going off behind me and passengers pointing their cell phones at him - click click! People have a thing for celebrities. And I'll admit I'm one of them.
Remember that passenger I mentioned above, the one who didn't want to sit in the last row, he also stomped his feet and threw a fit, and then he demanded that I find another passenger to sit in his seat, that I move him up to the front of the aircraft, but only an aisle seat would do! No one was swarming him. In fact, just the opposite was happening aboard that flight.
"But Sir," I said, glancing around the cabin at all the passengers sitting in front of him who were shaking their heads no at me. "The flight is full. I can't make someone sit in your seat just because you don't want to sit there."
"You're a professional, do your job!" he demanded.
Even though we are professionals, there's only so much a flight attendant can do on a full flight. If I have time, meaning I am not busy doing my inflight duties that need to be done before the aircraft can back away from the gate, I will ask people if they're willing to move, but I can not make anyone move. Oh I'll do my best, especially if children are involved, but you can't get picky when it comes to the seat.
Now my question to Linds is why didn't her friend in first class switch seats with her? I bet if she'd arrived to the airport and checked in a little bit earlier, she wouldn't have had this problem. Then again, I wasn't there and I do not know all the details. Who knows what really happened that day?
What I do know is eventually Lindsay was moved up to first class. I'm glad that she got her seat. She paid for it. She deserved it. Anyway, It's not that she doesn't want to sit in coach, or that coach is beneath her, it's just who wants to be surrounded by 200 passengers analyzing her every move, like the Huffington Post did? Like we're doing right now. That's why I'm siding with Lindsay on this one!
| been given the seat she bought - it's her seat! | |
|---|---|
| should have had to sit in coach - who cares if she's a celebrity! |
Photo courtesy of (Lindsay Lohan) The Curse of Brian, (Magic Johnson) Malingering - flickr.com
Filed under: Galley Gossip
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
frank96 Feb 5th 2009 10:34AM
I like to start my day early. I do morning flights. About a year ago, I was boarding a flight, observing all the passengers getting settled. At my exit row, I observed several passengers staring over and reaching for their cellphones. I looked. Looked again.
Wondering why everyone is so excited. Who ever it is, they're in COACH. As I took my jumpseat for take-off, this person was several feet away. I looked over and finally realized who it was. I never thought I would have to chance to say, "Good Morning, Mr Trump."
It was Donald Trump Junior. (in coach)
And, yes, he's a nice guy!
Heather Poole Feb 5th 2009 3:45PM
Donald Trump in coach! Wow, that must have been strange to see.
TexAngel Feb 6th 2009 12:51PM
I would simply like to say that ANY person that pays for a certain seat should receive that seat.
Having said that, I also note that the rest of us DO NOT USUALLY GET IT once this kind of situation crops up. (I noticed Miss Throw-a-Tantrum did!) Most of us are told that there is nothing the airline employees can do. So we QUIETLY go sit in the very back of the plane. And WE VOTE WITH OUR TICKETS by not using that airline again. So I say, "Suck it up, Lindsay. That's life!"
And what's with this juvenile obsession with celebrities? They put their pants on the same as everybody else. They are just HUMANs not demi-gods!! They deserve the same respect and privacy that we all deserve --and no more.
Bo Feb 6th 2009 3:03PM
Iwouldn't know Lindsy L. if she bit me on the butt and I would say most people outside of Calf. don't. As far as Donald t. He likes to be recognized. Do you have any doubt with that hair doo of his...lol....it makes his day. But he also made his money the old fashion way. He screwed somebody else...lol
Jordan Feb 6th 2009 6:21PM
Bo... Im sure that Lindsay and Donald have a few things in common. For instance, I bet Lindsay made a lot of her money the old-fashioned way too! By screwing lots of people.
jonquil alexia Feb 5th 2009 12:20PM
might i also add, that for other passengers in coach class, having fellow passengers act the fool when a celebrity is around makes the stress of flying that much worse. lindsey bought the seat--let her have it--please:)
Craig Feb 5th 2009 12:19PM
Yes, someone has to sit in the back row middle seats, but having done it once from NYC to Athens I really hope I'm "blacklisted" from ever having to sit there again. I've served my time.
Heather Poole Feb 5th 2009 3:46PM
I agree, you've served your time, and I hope you never get stuck there again! :)
bill Feb 5th 2009 8:15PM
I have worked for the airlines at the ticket counter the gate the ramp, and customer complaints. there will always be people who are unhappy with there lot in life. that can't be helped. No airline that I know of will oversell first class. We used to do that and found that there were schemers who took advantage to rack up frequent flyer miles and free tickets. Its always easier to sell a full fare coach ticket, and upgrade the person to 1st than to have to refund and give stuff away.
susan Feb 8th 2009 5:06PM
I agree. I too have served my time in the back row seat..I give your credit, from Athens..I just did mine to Ft. Lauderdale and it was 3 hours too long! It is a tough row to sit in!!!
An Earthling Feb 5th 2009 12:33PM
I was at LAX and saw Eva Longoria-Parker come towrds the gate with an airline handler attending to her needs (carrying her carry-ons). After a quick whisper to the Gate agent from the airline handler, Eva blew past the gate lice that were waiting for the boarding and boarded first, much to their chagrin. Most didn't know who she was and why she was getting more attention than she was. When I boarded she was up front in the cockpit chatting with the pilots.
SAL Feb 7th 2009 2:32PM
ANOTHER PIG.
Phil Fiumano Feb 6th 2009 9:26PM
They think cause they are stars they are better then regular humans
Bailey Feb 5th 2009 1:05PM
I'm not a fan of her. I think most are used to being catered to and don't know how to handle it when something doesn't go their way. I've had many dramatic flights when "celebritites go wild." This is why I tend to fly galley on widebodies. Less passenger involvement.
Heather Poole Feb 5th 2009 3:47PM
Oh I don't think so, Bailey. You can't tease us like that. Who went wild! Give us a hint
Lumpy Feb 5th 2009 2:44PM
I happen to know a very high ranking US Senator. (My son-in-law used to work for him.) Unless he has to travel on special government trips, on their aircraft, he will always fly coach. He flies coach for a couple of reasons. He doesn't think he is special, and he doesn't like to waste taxpayer money. Too bad all the politicians are not like him!
Kent Feb 5th 2009 3:42PM
I was listening to a radio station in Chicago, and a caller told that she was flying from O'Hare to Washington-National on a Sunday evening. She was seated between then-Congressman Rod Blagojevich and the late Congressman Henry Hyde.
She asked them if members of Congress got to fly first. They both said that they could, but they felt that O'Hare-National wasn't a long enough flight to justify having the taxpayers spend extra for first class.
At the time, Henry Hyde was a committee chairman, and he was a large man, having played basketball at Georgetown. So, he obviously understood that working for the taxpayers meant being frugal with tax money.
Heather Poole Feb 5th 2009 3:51PM
I once saw Elijah Wood, star of Lord of the Rings, sitting in coach with his sister from CA to NY. On this particular flight the entire cabin was full of high school students who were thrilled to see him. It's nice when celebrities act like normal people, but then again, what's normal about constantly giving out autographs during a flight.
Denis Feb 5th 2009 10:32PM
Members of Congress get a lump sum of money based on a formula and if they don't spend it one way, they can use it to spend in other areas of their office management budget. If they use it towards the more expensive first flight tickets then they just have less money to spend on other office expenses.
Kent Feb 5th 2009 3:29PM
Sometimes, people get huffy for a good reason. Years ago, I was meeting a friend at O'Hare, and lines of thunderstorms had been coming through Chicago all day. I had been told by a gate agent that American had thrown the schedule out the window and was simply trying to get everyone to their destinations before the end of the day.
I saw one man running and start in on a gate agent. He had a thick German accent, but I could understand what he was saying. He had a business-class ticket for the Dusseldorf flight and had been told to wait in the Admiral's Club, and that an agent would advise him when he should head go to the gate for boarding. He just happened to look up at the monitor and saw the flight was listed as "Boarding." I know enough about AA's operation to know that meant that the coach cabin was open for boarding.
If he hadn't looked at the monitor, he could have missed his flight.
Knowing the cost of a business-class seat to Europe, he probably was entitled to blow off some steam.
But while I shake my head at people who berate agents, I wound up doing the same.
I was on an AA flight from Miami to O'Hare. The plane had to return to the gate for a maintance issue. So, the 12:55 departure slowly became a 5:30 departure. For various reasons, including freezing rain being predicted for Chicago, I got on the 4:30 flight.
The senior F/A on my original flight said that anyone getting off the plane should go to baggage services immediately upon arriving at their final destination, because no bags would be pulled from the cargo hold, unless there was a change of aircraft.
So when I went to baggage services and explained the sitution, I was told that AA woudn't deliver the bags to my house, because I had voluntarily gotten off the first plane. After I demanded a supervisor, she changed that position. The 4:30 flight got into O'Hare at 7pm. The original flight was due in at 8:15, 5 hours late.
Now for the kicker. I couldn't file a missing bag report until 30 minutes after arrival of the 4:30 flight. The bag wasn't missing. It was in the cargo hold of a 767 that was about 400 miles southeast of O'Hare. This wasn't a case of watching a number of bags on the carousel and wondering where mine was.
That's when I lost it. I showed the agents my gold AAdvantage card, with the 1-million-mile notation, and told them that I was willing to cash in some miles to attend the AMR shareholder meeting to ask Gerard Arpey, the CEO, why he has such uncooperative agents working at baggage services at O'Hare.
I wound up taking off my watch, setting it on the counter, and waiting until 30 minutes ticked off.