Alaska Airlines removed a man from a plane after he heckled a female flight attendant, calling out “sexy!” as she demonstrated how to use a life vest.
The incident occurred Sunday before a flight from Seattle to Burbank, California, Alaska spokeswoman Ann Zaninovich said Wednesday.
Zaninovich provided few details other than to say that the airline stood behind the decision of the crew to remove the man from the flight. She also said an account of the incident posted on Facebook was accurate.
In that post, Amber D. Nelson of suburban Los Angeles said a man in the row behind her began calling out to the flight attendant demonstrating the life vest. After the attendant asked the man to be respectful, he answered “C’mon, I’m just playing with you!” Nelson wrote.
As the man was escorted off the plane, he objected that he hadn’t done anything wrong, according to Nelson, who did not immediately respond to an attempt to contact her.
Nelson praised Alaska for supporting the crew “and those of us on board who were demeaned by another passenger’s juvenile and exceedingly disrespectful behavior.”
Airline employees have broad latitude to remove passengers, who are often allowed to board a later flight. Alaska did not identify the passenger or say whether he took a later flight.
People who commented on Nelson’s post took both sides, with some applauding the airline and others saying the crew overreacted.
