SFO flight 'rerouted' after passengers brawl over 'elbow placement' on armrests

[Demovictory9]

Two passengers on a flight departing from San Francisco International Airport were escorted off the plane after an alleged disagreement over armrests devolved into fighting.

The incident took place on a United Airlines flight Friday at around 1:30 p.m., and was initially shared on Twitter by Google product director Jack Krawczyk, who said this incident took place on his “first flight in 15 months.” It is unclear where the flight was headed.


“Of course we were rerouted back to the gate because two passengers got into a physical altercation over elbow placement upon arm rests,” he said in a tweet. (Krawczyk did not respond to a request for comment from SFGATE.)

A San Francisco police spokesman told SFGATE that both men — who were not identified by police — were detained when an officer arrived on the scene.

Link to tweet

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/sfo-flight-passengers-fight-delays-police-16248923.php

[DURHAM D]

1. I get that.

Hate it when the person beside me thinks the arm rest is all theirs.

[jimfields33]

5. Me too. Selfish jerks.

[Demovictory9]

8. etiquette person said that middle person gets both armrests. Aisle and window person get one

[FoxNewsSucks]

18. That's how I see it

Middle seat sucks the worst.

[Blue_true]

49. I hate it when people shoved big assed suitcases under the seats.

That is why I no longer fly coach.

[Blue_true]

52. That never bothered me when I flew Coach.

The thing that DID bother me was people sticking a big assed suitcase under my seat so that I could not recline it. I didn’t make an issue of it though. I believe that if people are coming into a flight with anything larger than a shoulder carryon, they should be forced to check it in baggage.

[Ocelot II]

2. People are going crazy these days.

Some passengers are always dickish about the arm rests, but FFS....

[Kali]

3. people that never grew up

going on a road trip with Dad.

"he's touching me!" "she's on my side" = or left on the side of a dirt road in the middle of nowhere while the car drives off. that will get you begging and promising to behave

[Ms. Toad]

45. I remember the quarter mile walk well. . .

Of course, now a days, either the kids might get taken or the parents reported for abuse.

[Kali]

46. Indeed

Same with letting them run around naked or in their underwear. Or pretty much anything not scheduled and parentally hovered over.

[hlthe2b]

4. How can we find out if an Air Marshall is on a flight...

--and arrange to sit next to them? This has just gotten ridiculous.

[MerryHolidays]

6. There's one good way

...and that's to assume there are no marshalls on any given flight. Just before the pandemic hit, I heard estimates that no more than 1% of US domestic flights had a marshall on board.

And it is indeed ridiculous in terms of air rage frequency.

[jmbar2]

7. Related to "manspreading"?

I have noticed on past flights that men tend to sit with their elbows pointing out, which can intrude into the next seat space. TBH, it always pissed me off. Women generally tuck their elbows in.

Overweight passengers may have little choice in the matter.

[beaglelover]

17. If one is that overweight they should pay for 2 seats.

[alphafemale]

23. So agree with this.

If your flesh spills onto two seats you pay for two seats.

I really don't want sweaty flesh on me.

[Dream Girl]

29. You seem nice.

[alphafemale]

31. I am nice until someone who should have paid for two seats raises the arm rest

And their entire body is spilling on me for 5 hours of hell.

You think that is OK?

Seriously?

[Dream Girl]

33. Not really but just the disdain in the language you

Used. “Sweaty flesh spilling over”. I feel sorry for people who are so fat. Few people are puke opt to be that way if they have a choice. I’ve known people who’ve purchased the adjacent seat b cause they know how disgusted some people are. Others like my extremely obese sister just don’t fly. The airlines know how large the average American is but they continue to make seats smaller and squeezed in together to maximize profit.

[alphafemale]

36. There is a test for oversize carry on luggage.

Make there be a seat..

It is not your fault you can't fit in the seat?

You still have to buy two.

Because it is absolutely not MY fault.

And you have n right to ANY of my seat.

And it a sweaty naked flesh touching me for 5 hours.

Sorry if saying that happened to me triggers you.

[Blue_true]

54. You make a good point about airline seat sizes.

The seat sizes in First Class are what they used to be in Coach. When I first started flying domestically, there were two Coach sets to a row. I am a pretty fit but muscular guy and have been my adult life, but I filled only something like 70% of the coach seats when I first started flying. Of course then Coach seats cost $500+ and you got warm meals and full drinks. Unless a person is flying Business or First Class, flying today is like being on a flying Greyhound bus.

[csziggy]

61. Greyhound bus seats are much bigger than airline seats these days

That's why I don't enjoy flying anymore. Packed in like sardines is no way to travel.

[Blue_true]

63. I no longer fly Coach.

That is how I get around it.

You are right. If Coach is the only option, flying today is not worth the pain in the behind that it causes.

[csziggy]

66. Yeah, when we were planning our trip to the UK, I priced First Class seats

$6000 each one way. I didn't think to price Business Class, but by then I had found that a transatlantic cruise on the Queen Elizabeth was only $4800 each for a balcony room. Plus we got to stop a several interesting places along the way. We took a Royal Caribbean cruise back which was not as nice, but it stopped some interesting places, too.

Of course, each cruise was two weeks long so they added a month to the trip, but since it was the trip of a lifetime, we just went with it.

Time away from home is what would get me back in an airplane, if I can afford to fly First or Business Class.

[Blue_true]

67. If you book long enough in advance, the higher class seats are not

as pricey as you think. I am a planner, that $4,000 flight surely is not the norm for me, it was booked the day before the flight. If you look at the price of late booked Coach seats, they cost almost as much as long booked Business Class seats. I remember when my Mom passed away, I had to book two Coach seats with a couple days notice, each was $850 dollars.

[csziggy]

68. I was originally looking over a year in advance

But not shopping seriously. When I found the Cunard cruise, the chance to stop twice in Canada and twice in Iceland knocked out the idea of flying. In retrospect, I probably should have looked for flights back - the Royal Caribbean cruise was pretty boring, though the islands it stopped at were fun. We used the time to rest up from the two and a half months we spent in the UK, LOL.

I was geographically close enough to my family that driving made more sense than flying so I didn't have that stress when my parents died, though once I took the Red Bus from here to Tampa - it's a bus line mainly aimed at college students with great seats and movies, plus really cheap. It was too soon after one of my surgeries for me to try driving the 350 miles down state.

Our next big trip will be to the Pacific Northwest, but we want to stop at some places in between. Flying or the train would make the most sense, given the distances. But it's several hours drive to anywhere we could get the train from here, so that messes that up.

[Blue_true]

74. If you are going to the Pacific Northwest and you have enough time, take the train.

There will be a lot passing by outside the train windows.

You may be able to put your vehicle in storage near the train station, I have done that twice on long business stays and it worked out well. Some places just offer covered storage but don’t otherwise touch the vehicle. Other places will start the vehicle up and let it run for a few minutes to keep the battery and other things up. You can also try self-storage, but once you lock your vehicle in, the battery will go down if you are away for a while, if it is less than a month, you should be ok storing your vehicle near the train station after driving there. You can call the place that the train station is in and find out about vehicle storage choices.

[DenaliDemocrat]

38. I am 6 ft 1 and 245 lbs

Ex linebacker and bodybuilder. My shoulders are spilling onto your seat. Sorry, but I’m not buying two seats.

[Hortensis]

41. :) Lol, really? If you were sitting next to me you'd be offered the forward half

of the common armrest, small me the back and demonstrating what I mean with elbow on it. As for the rest of the excess bulk, it can be slopped into the aisle or crammed into the builkhead, but not into my seat.

I'm little old 5'2 lady and learned the hard way a long time ago that when people with excess bulk show up I need to establish the limits of the space I purchased for them from the beginning. Nicely of course, preferably only silently, but as firmly as necessary. Your post demonstrates why.

Lol, it also reminds me of when two large businessmen came on and found me in the aisle seat I was assigned and one authoritatively told me I should take the middle seat. Of all the amazing nerve, but it was funny. Btw, I'm happy to say that, somewhat to my surprise, the middle guy managed to never encroach. It can be done.

[Generic Brad]

42. You get a pass since you have toned flesh

But for those with sweaty flash spilling over - 10 demerits and no flight miles!

[DenaliDemocrat]

44. Actually that was my point

I am BIG. Like xxl hands and I wear a size 8 hat and size 13 shoe. I do NOT fit into those little assed seats. I get a pass though because I’m not fat, just thick. Stupid seats are small

[Blue_true]

55. Buy a Business Class or First Class Seat.

They actually cost LESS now adjusted for inflation than Coach seats used to cost. When I started flying I paid around $600 for a Coach seat, in mid-1980 dollars.

[Pas-de-Calais]

56. Ditto here Denali

I’ve never been small by any means. Over 10 lb at birth. Now with an 8 head, xxl hands, 14/4e feet.
Damn seats shrunk over the years!
I’ve been stuck in middle seats before AND etiquette be damned had NO arm rests for over 3 hour flights. This was years ago.

[JCMach1]

72. People who pull these tricks should all be put on those 16hr plus

International flights together.

Jeesh people! Most domestic flights barely qualify as flightsand the are still acting up!

[Kali]

48. What about dry flesh?

[Generic Brad]

50. Jerky?

[Kali]

47. They actually discourage it.

I'm kind of hefty and tried to get two seats on a flight to Germany because I didn't want to crowd anybody or have anybody crowd me. (And 2 coach were cheaper 1
than fancy class) They wouldn't sell them to me. And another thing if you do manage to get two seats for one body they won't let you carry double luggage that seems unfair.

[beaglelover]

53. Interesting. Did not know that. Thanks!

[moonscape]

64. I have pain issues that get severe enough

that often I’m not able to sit for more than 30 min. I was bi-coastal, caring for my mom. When we flew cross-country together, I bought 3 seats for the 2 of us, would throw up the armrests, and take the flight with my feet in Mom’s lap. Bless her.

When she had to stay in assisted living, I rented a house on the other coast to be close to her 7 months of the year. Only way I could travel to and fro was to buy 3 seats for the long flight, throw up the armrests and take the flight horizontally. Last time was in 2012 so I don’t know if things changed since then domestically.

One flight was jammed, every seat taken, and I admit to being a smidge self conscious as I spread out like a princess while everyone else was sardined and eying me. The steward, before takeoff, waved his arm across my seats as I was spreading out and said “what’s this?” I answered, “I paid for the seats.” He said “must be nice to be rich” which really pissed me off and I shot back “must be nice to have your health.” He became rather solicitous after we took off.

[Silent3]

9. We need to get parachute pods...

...so unruly passengers can be ejected mid-air without inconveniencing anyone else.

Subdual by tranquilizer dart first, of course.

[Dan]

10. Not fair,

He/she doesn’t get the full experience…

[CloudWatcher]

16. parachute

I'll second that. Though I'd prefer the "parachute" was just painted on the side of the ejection mechanism. No need for a real one.

[alphafemale]

32. Well....and an O2 mask. nt

[ProfessorGAC]

34. And A Hot Hands Pack!

It's COLD(!!!!) up there!

[radicalleft]

11. Well...maybe if passengers weren't

stuffed in like cattle on a rail car, this wouldn't be such an issue...

[A HERETIC I AM]

12. Just as an aside.....

Cattle haven’t been shipped by rail for decades.

[radicalleft]

13. it's the analogy that came to mind...

lol

[zeusdogmom]

14. I flew Southwest out of Chicago Midway yesterday

Every seat on the plane sold - even the 2 broken ones. Oops. Can you see where the story might go? Last three people to board had no place to sit. One of those three was me. Cabin staff person flying back home gave up her seat for me and sat on a jump seat in the galley. Not sure how the two others fared because they were up front and I was waaay in the back of the plane. My guess some arrangement was made for them to catch the next flight out. But no one raised voices, hit some one, or otherwise acted like a jerk. I suppose it could have gotten nasty but everyone acted like an adult, the plane took off and we all arrived safe, sound, and on time.

My only “excitement” was sitting next to a true tRump believer while waiting for my flight. I normally don’t start conversations and didn’t in this case. I was knitting. The yarn is beautiful and does draw comments - usually a simple passing “really pretty” type remark. This person was a little more inquisitive, and me thinking her a fellow knitter, responded. My bad. In about a minute I realized where she was going. I kept it low key but most certainly let her know I thought the man had caused our country great harm and Biden was indeed our president. It was a quiet conversation, two older women talking about politics in a very public place, agreeing to disagree. I was however quite happy when her flight was called. Back to my peaceful knitting. 😄

[Demovictory9]

43. good for you...letting her quietly know her political views are crap

[malaise]

15. A few years ago I was sitting in a pre-booked window seat

and the guy in the middle seat asked me if I'd switch. I said no and he said some crap laced with expletives. I simply pressed the buzzer and told the flight attendant. She spoke with him and I assumed that was that. After we took off and settled down, she came and moved me to first class. I did laugh.

[Demovictory9]

19. I got to my aisle seat and person who booked middle seat was sitting in it

went through a game of moving to let me sit in MY middle seat. I had to let it be known that I booked the aisle... they slowly moved over to the middle seat. they had been hoping to game me into taking the middle seat.

[malaise]

21. The bullies are everywhere

[tblue37]

60. I always book the aisle seat because I have to use the restroom at least once or twice, and I don't

want to climb over people--nor should they want me to be climbing over them.

[Demovictory9]

69. the aisle seat is my go-to. some downsides such as getting hit with the drink cart over and over

[Tree Lady]

37. Opposite experience for me with United

I booked aisle seat because I have back problems and need leg room and to get up. Couple next to me wanted me to take a middle seat different row so their mom could sit with them. I had booked long flight to hawaii 9 months before and they only a few weeks before.

I said sorry no they caused a fuss and were brought free drinks while stewardess spilled ice all over me and treated me like scum for not moving.

I for first time ever wrote long letter to United, got nothing but a form letter back, not even a free drink.

This was 15 years ago and I have never flown with them since.

I paid good money and booked well in advance. I was polite on the plane.

[malaise]

39. I am so glad you never flew with them again

What a horrible experience and you paid for your seat in advance. I too would have been polite on the flight, but they'd have heard from me when we were deplaning.
People used to be way more polite before they started packing us in like cattle.

[Dave says]

62. I've been asked similar over the years

Makes me laugh. I’m a kind, gentle person, but not that kind.

[malaise]

70. Same here - lots of guys think all women will defer to their wishes

[Initech]

20. I was on a Southwest to Denver one time.

And the people in the row in front of me attempted to have someone with a broken leg sit in the emergency exit row, which is a big no no (FAA rules say a person sitting in the exit row *MUST* be able to lift the door). Anyway, flight attendant comes over, expletive shouting occurs, they're forced to move and I stole the seat and had the whole exit row to myself, that was pretty sweet.

[FoxNewsSucks]

22. Flying sucks.

I would rather take the time to drive even if it is 2-3 days each way. There are too many people crammed too close together, you can't take much with you, and it's just miserable.

About 10 years ago, I drove straight home from Charlote NC to Kansas City. It took about 13 hours. Transit time with "security", waiting, transfer and collecting my bag would have been about 8-9 hours for the available flights. All of it uncomfortable. And I would have had to get rides to and from the airport .

I decided then to just stop flying. I don't often do that much distance in one day, but even that would be preferable to the airline's torturous experience.

[smirkymonkey]

26. I agree.

I hate flying for many reasons and this is just one of them. And it has been gettting worse.

There are just way too many unhinged people out there and when you force them to wear a mask (there are still so many people that resent being made to wear one) and cram them all into a narrow, tightly packed metal tube all hell can break loose.

[malaise]

40. I used to love it

Now not so much - all the security shit and then we're packed in like sardines and they no longer office a decent food service. I refuse to cross the Atlantic these days.

[smirkymonkey]

65. Hey malaise!

How are you doing?

Air travel is a nightmare and has been for a while. If I can't take a train or a boat, I'm not going.

[malaise]

71. I am well

Looking forward to heading to the beaches now that they have reopened and we have had two jabs.

[Blue_true]

57. I only fly Business or First Class. Actually cost less adjusted

for inflation than Coach used to cost.

I really don’t care about in flight meals and often I turn down the drinks offered. I just want to get from Point A to Point B without it being a pain in the ass. I can only drive for 3 hours before having to stop, so it is easier to fly for me.

Coach today is like flying on a Greyhound bus.

[Phentex]

73. I am there now. It's gotta be for something really great or I'm not flying...

I am planning a trip west and luckily I have the car and the time. I think I will enjoy it far more than putting up with everything that involves flying.

Even 20 years ago, I still couldn't figure out the behavior of some people on a flight. Just deplorable.

[Sanity Claws]

24. Isn't that first class?

There seem to be only 2 seats across. I also doubt that the Google executive flew coach.

I wonder how those two jerks would have handled the smaller space in coach.

[MissB]

28. Most first class seats have generous arm rests

Although I suppose that depends on the carrier and the size of the airplane.

I hate having strangers touch me. I book first class. I get plenty of room to curl up in my seat and have a nice separation between me and the next person. I don’t fly often though so it’s not a huge hit to my budget.

[Treefrog]

35. It is really the only way to fly.

I don’t think I could fly coach again.

[Blue_true]

59. The best flight that I ever had was First Class International.

The seat cost over $4,000 because it was a last minute booking, but the service was excellent. Because I was flying through many times zones and needed to get started with my activities the morning after I arrived, I slept through most of the flight. I remember waking up over the Alps and having the flight attendant tell me that I missed my meal, she went and got a warm meal and drink, I was the only person eating at that time. After she picked up the after meal trays, I promptly went right back to sleep. The business trip was excellent, when I landed, I was ready to go.

[Blue_true]

58. It was either Business Class or First Class.

You can see the cabin partitions in the picture.

[A HERETIC I AM]

25. I have at least 30 one-way trips in the last 18 months and I've been pretty lucky so far

I flew at least once a month out and back to JAX all last year and have at least 10 so far this year (I’ve lost count, as they seem to run together!), all of those consisting of 2 flight segments, minimum. So I have been on 80 separate flights in the last year and a half and have not had one single incident of any kind happen on any of them.

So I think I might be a bit lucky, but it’s also a statistically low chance of having a violent or disruptive incident happen I suppose, even with over 2500 so far this year.

Way too many people feel they are entitled to leave any manners they have at the curb, it seems.

[MineralMan]

27. My personal rule is to keep my elbows off any armrest

with another person sitting next to it. I almost always book a window seat, so I get one. The other person can have the other one. I don't care. If I'm in the center seat, i don't use either armrest, unless the person next to me says it's OK voluntarily. It's stupid thing to dispute about.

[DFW]

30. I'm not surprised.

The air line companies build their seats so small and narrow that only a school of sardines could sit comfortably in the coach section.

I get this all the time. I have pity for the people in the middle seat (especially when it's me!!), as they often have elbows intruding on both sides of them. I HATE flying domestically in the USA.

And after what happened with me in American Airlines last month, I will avoid them like the plague (not easy if your US base is Dallas, but I will try--Delta picked up many of American's Dallas routes when the 737MAX8 fiasco grounded dozens of American's new planes).

[Red Mountain]

51. What?

No video?

I expect more from airplane brawl threads.