American Airlines has revised its policy on removing passengers from planes, potentially making it harder for flyers to “jump in.”
“We strive to foster a sense of community and provide a travel experience where everyone feels welcome,” the airline said in a revised in-flight manual. “A View From The Wing” reported.
The rule change comes after AA filed a lawsuit over the summer after eight African-American passengers were removed from a flight from Phoenix to New York after complaining of body odor.
According to the new policy, flight attendants can only remove passengers if there is a “risk to safety and security.”
Additionally, if there is a problem, the passenger, not the crew, should resolve it first.
On the other hand, this problem needs to be addressed by two Flight attendants should try to resolve the issue without removing the offending flyer.
The airline wrote that in “unusual events” where resolving a “non-safety or non-safety concern” is unlikely, captains should contact a complaint resolution officer (CRO).
If these are not enough hurdles, all flight attendants are required to submit a Customer Event Unsafe/Non-Security (CERS) form within 24 hours of the incident.
“Our obligation to all of our team members is to lead with respect, thoughtfulness, consideration and empathy, no matter the circumstances,” American Airlines wrote. “Discrimination against customers or team members based on race, gender, color, sexual orientation or national origin is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at American Airlines.”
The rules state that the final decision on whether to remove a passenger due to safety concerns rests with the captain, and only after a “thorough evaluation” of the issue.
However, under AA's current contract of carriage; Airplane passengers could still be jettisoned The latest changes will only make it more difficult to jump from plane to plane over unpleasant body odor.
According to A View From The Wing, the change also means that firing for “inappropriate” clothing will no longer be at the discretion of a single flight attendant.
The airline has come under fire in the past from passengers who were furious after being removed from a flight for wearing scantily clad clothing.
