[Independent] Two women travelling on an American Airlines flight have claimed members of staff were "racist" towards one of them.Rane Baldwin, who is African American, was flying with friend Janet Novack, who is white, from Kentucky to Charlotte when the incident occurred on 2 May.
Baldwin - an AAdvantage Platinum Select/World Elite cardholder - had purchased the two tickets and decided to upgrade them both to first class. However, when they were issued their boarding passes, she was instructed to go to the back of the plane despite her frequent flyer status, while Novack, who holds no status with the airline, was directed to first class. Baldwin was told her seat had been reassigned because there weren’t enough first class seats available.
The behaviour of American Airlines flight attendants from there added up to "the most blatantly racist thing that’s ever happened to me," according to Baldwin. "I’ve never felt so unimportant in my entire life," she told The Root.
| She's Platinum? Pull out your phone, dear, and call that private customer service number on the back of your card to complain that you are being mistreated right now this minute, and would they please talk to the stew standing in the aisle about fixing it? No? I need to talk to your supervisor right now -- this is a problem. Yes, thank you, I'll hold. But do hurry, as we are due to take off, and they've got me sitting by the lavatory at the back of Coach, while they seated my companion in First Class. I can't imagine what they were thinking. |