• A Story to be Re-told Again and Again

Dear Sir,

An award should go to a young female airline gate agent at a US airport for making her point when confronted with a prospective passenger who really should have been travelling as cargo. A very busy flight had been cancelled due to technical problems. As luck would have it the airline had left the single customer service agent with the monumental task of rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travellers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way passed everyone else in line to the front of the counter. He slapped his ticket down and said. "I HAVE TO BE ON THIS FLIGHT AND IT HAS TO BE FIRST CLASS!"

The agent replied, "I'm sorry sir. I'll be happy to help you but I've got to help these folks first, then I'm sure we'll be able to work something out." The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the other passengers could hear. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM???" Without hesitation the gate agent smiled and grabbed her public address microphone. "May I have your attention please…." her voice echoing throughout the terminal. "We have a passenger here who does not know who he is. If anybody can help this lost soul recover his identity we would be most grateful."

With the queue now in hysterics the man glared at the agent. " (expletive) YOU!!!" Without flinching she smiled and said, "I'm sorry sir, but you will have to stand in line for that too." As the man retreated spontaneous applause broke out throughout the terminal. The flight may have been cancelled but it certainly left its mark.

Sent in by our Correspondent - David Bremner