Game addiction costs Alec Baldwin his airline seat

[Hatu]

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Alec Baldwin's addiction to the cell phone game "Words with Friends" got him booted from an American Airlines plane parked at a Los Angeles International Airport gate Tuesday afternoon, the actor's spokesman said.

"He loves WWF so much that he was willing to leave a plane for it, but he has already boarded another AA flight," spokesman Matthew Hiltzik said in an e-mail to CNN.

One tweet took aim at the crew, saying he would never again fly on American Airlines, "where retired Catholic school gym teachers from the 1950's find jobs as flight attendants."

A posting on the airline's Twitter account showed the company was trying to reach Baldwin. "Mr. Baldwin, we are looking into this. Please DM us contact information," the company tweeted.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/06/showbiz/alec-baldwin-flight/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[FWAAA]

The Flyertalk crowd isn't giving him much support:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-aadvantage/1288340-alec-baldwin-apparently-kicked-off-aa-flight-lax.html

 

[Mach85ER]

A recent day at LAX

Ding Ding. FA:"Captain, I've made several PA's, but we have many including FC that won't turn off there electronic devices"

CA: "Try again, let me know what the response is."

FA: "Captain, I've tried and they still won't comply"

CA: (On PA. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, we are ready to push back for departure to NY, however due to FAA regulations we cannot depart until all personal electronic devices are off. Now everyone is anxious to depart to NY, however until your seatmates turn off their devices, this aircraft sits a the gate. If you look about the cabin, you can personally thank them for the delay. For those of you who can't seem to live without your devices, the airline provides areas in the terminal for unrestricted use of electronics, and I can provided instant accomadation for any passengers who would like to exit to there.")

FA: "That worked, let's go"

 

[Frank Szabo]

The Flyertalk crowd isn't giving him much support:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-aadvantage/1288340-alec-baldwin-apparently-kicked-off-aa-flight-lax.html

Besides being a "celebrity", he's an ####, also. I thought the SOB was going to move to Canada some time ago.

 

[nbmcg01]

Besides being a "celebrity", he's an ####, also. I thought the SOB was going to move to Canada some time ago.

Welcome to bk... the f/as really tend to get clobbered by self entitled pax who don't get their way or perceive that their service expectations have not been met. "No wonder you're in bk" "Don't you think it is time to retire...oh yes your retirement is part of the bk" "WHAT no ..........., no ............, no...............? What next? I guess I'll just start flying UAL or USAir or whomever" (of course the complaints will continue on the other carriers too...

 

[eolesen]

I suppose those types of comments were never uttered before last week, right?....

Twitter is a great mechanism to let celebrities make asses out of themselves without the help of the media or paparazzi.

 

[jimntx]

Another one..."I am Executive Platinum and I have NEVER been told (fill in the blank)." My response, "Sure you have. I just did." (Said with a smile)

 

[Hatu]

A bit of an update:

"The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language," the company said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

After Baldwin refused to turn off his cell phone, with the seat belt light on for departure, he walked into the toilet with his phone, the airline said.

"He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked," the airline said. "They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation."

"Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding," the company said.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/06/showbiz/alec-baldwin-flight/index.html

 

[FA Mikey]

Good luck United.

 

[eolesen]

Interesting,,, did anyone else notice that the statement above appears to be fully supportive of the crew???

I think FA's should boycott playing "30 Rock" until he apologizes.

 

[gasman]

Interesting,,, did anyone else notice that the statement above appears to be fully supportive of the crew???

I think FA's should boycott playing "30 Rock" until he apologizes.

If the plane was pushing back or had already pushed back, then he should have remained seated. Too bad FAA can't fine him for going into the lav after push back! That would shut him up. He claims that he will never fly AA again. Perhaps a few Hundred Thousand airline workers twitter or email his hollywood agents and advise them that any future films, ads, tv shows with Mr. Baldwin will be boycotted.....Maybe then the jerk would take notice. Hitting him in his wallet and image!

 

[OgieJFK]

http://www.hulu.com/watch/309553/saturday-night-live-weekend-update-capt-steve-rogers

All righty then

 

[Ms Tree]

That was hilarious. I loved the line about the Kindle.

'Would you really get on a plane flying 30,000 feet in the air if a Kindle switch could take it down?'

 

[jimntx]

Would you want someone across the aisle to keep his phone/Kindle/laptop on in violation of Federal law if there was any chance at all that it would bring the plane down? The point everyone (including Baldwin) seems to be missing is that keeping an electronic device on after the door is closed is a violation of Federal law. Doesn't matter whether or not it will interfere with the a/c. It's against the law. I don't think they hurt anything myself, but the FAA and FCC happen to disagree. End of discussion.

The speedometer on my BMW says it will go up to 168 mph. That doesn't mean I have a right to drive it that fast.

P.S. Passengers like to play the game of turning their phones on during not after landing to see how close to the ground we have to get before they get a signal. A pilot told me that they can hear the clicking in their headphones when people start doing that. Now, are you willing to risk your life that the interference might be more than that?

 

[Ms Tree]

Jim, I understand your point but I am just as willing to risk my life as the FAA is. Given that no on inspects my phone and that I have left my phone on countless times in the overhead because I forgot to turn it off (and I know I am not the only one) it seems no one else thinks it is a risk either. Were it a legitimate risk, it would be taken much more seriously by the crew and FAA.