Good Goes Around Some More- Like Napoleon Dynamite Playing that Stupid Ball on a Rope Game

Ready for more Delta saga? This goes with my letter and response from my post on 5/25/06. I'll paste it all in.

I'm attaching the following story that I saw in the New York Post regarding the "extenuating circumstances" that allowed a flight to be held at the gate for Katie Courics producer. I understand all about delays for security reasons and reasons that are beyond a passengers control, things such as broken trains and the ability to get to ones concourse on foot. My original letter is at the bottonm of this e mail. The train at Hartsfield Jackson was disabled. I was at the gate, but was denied boarding because the flight was overbooked and the ticketing agent released my seats. What extenuating circumstances did her producer have that I didn't? My plane was still sitting at the gate. It sat there for 10 more minutes. I believe that I was discriminated against. I also agree with the passenger from the article who said " If you or I attempted something like this, we'd be cooling our heels at Guantanamo." Raising a strenouous objection at a ticket counter regaring poor customer service and lack of discretion on the airlines part is a no win situation for the passenger. That is no longer acceptable. However, in light of the lukewarm response that I was given by Delta Airlines in regards to my original complaint, I feel the need to point out yet again, that Deltas own spokesman acknowledges that unusual situations happen every day. Why was I summarily dismissed at the ticket counter, directed to a phone and forced to sit in an airport for 9.5 hours? I'd like a true answer.

July 29, 2006 -- KATIE Couric had fellow passengers aboard a New York-bound jet on the warpath this week when, as their plane was about to taxi to the runway, she got out of her seat and begged the pilot to allow one of her late-arriving producers to board.
"It was like, 'Who the hell does she think she is?' " fumed one passenger who observed Couric's diva-like antics. "If you or I attempted something like this, we'd be cooling our heels at Guantanamo."
The witness told Page Six that attendants on Wednesday's 6:30 p.m. Delta Shuttle flight out of Washington, D.C., had already closed the door and passengers were buckled in, when the soon-to-be CBS News anchor raced up the aisle with a cellphone to her ear and told an attendant she had to speak to the pilot right away. Couric was then allowed into the cockpit and convinced the pilot to delay the flight and reopen the door for her producer, Nicola Hewitt.
"One flight attendant rolled her eyes and told me, 'This is only the second time I've ever seen this happen - the other time was a sick passenger,' " the witness said.
A spokesman for Couric confirmed the perky newsgal intervened, but insisted, "Katie only spoke to the pilot after receiving permission from the flight attendant." He said Hewitt had been delayed from getting on the shuttle behind Couric because of an extended security check. Then, trying to put a positive spin on the tale of Couric's chutzpah, the flack added that another late passenger who was also about to be stranded was also able to make the flight.
Delta spokesman Anthony Black said Couric got no special treatment. "The airlines get unusual situations that happen every day, and the crew is trained to make decisions on a case-by-case basis," he said.
Black added that when Couric made her request, the pilot determined that favorable tailwinds would not delay the hourlong flight - and even with the brief delay taking off, the flight arrived at La Guardia 10 minutes ahead of schedule.
Still, our witness - a high-powered public-relations executive who rides the shuttle regularly - said he and fellow passengers were not impressed at the behavior of TV's top news personality, who got a whopping $60 million contract to jump from NBC's "Today" show to CBS.
"Using your celebrity in the post-9/11 age to stop a flight is diabolical," he raged.

Who gives a crap about Katie Couric. Can't she fly private? Surely CBS has enough money to haul her around the country as she feels she should be. Why inconvenience the passenger? Regardless. It is about principle. " A game of horeseshoes!!!"