You Shall Not Boarding Pass!
(My husband, daughters, and I are preparing to leave for our first trip to Disney World, so we’re all very excited. I have a somewhat unusual name. For clarity’s sake, let’s say that my full legal name is “Penelope Piggott-Montmorency,” but I always go by “Penny.” We’re Canadian, so we need passports to fly.)
Employee: *checking my boarding pass and passport* “Did you know that your boarding pass says, ‘Penny,’ but your passport says, ‘Penelope’?”
Me: “Oh, I always go by ‘Penny,’ so that’s what I put when I was booking our flights. Is that a problem?”
Employee: “Um, yes. Don’t you remember the airline website telling you that you have to use the same name as the one on your passport?”
Me: “Oh, boy, you’re right. I totally forgot.”
Employee: *continues to hang on to my documents* “I’m thinking seriously about not letting you get on the plane.”
Me: “What?!” *my kids start to cry* “But we’re going to Disney World! Is there anything I can do? I didn’t mean to use the wrong name! And you can see that the photo in the passport is definitely me.”
Employee: *smirks* “Rules are there for a reason, ma’am.”
(Just then, another airport employee joins us.)
Employee #2: “What’s the problem here?”
Employee: “She’s trying to board with a boarding pass that has a different name from her passport.”
Employee #2: *glances at documents* “You must be kidding. How many ‘Penny/Penelope Piggott-Montmorencys’ do you think the world has? Especially ones whose pictures match the woman standing in front of you? Let her and her family on the d*** plane.” *to me* “Enjoy your trip, ma’am. But next time, make sure you book your flight with the name ‘Penelope,’ just to avoid this kind of hassle again.” *glares at colleague*
(Ever since then, I’ve used my full legal name every time I fly, even when it’s domestic.)
Question of the Week
Have you ever served a bad customer who got what they deserved?