[yabadabajudith]

On July 20, 2008, I was in line to check in for Mexicana Airlines flight number 146 from Zacatecas, Mexico to Oakland. It was immediately apparent to me that the situation at check in was extremely chaotic. There were long lines and only 2 attendants helping out. It took me close to 2 hours to get from the back of the line to the counter. When I arrived at the counter I was helped by employee number 37712 Marco Antonio Reyes de Santiago. He proceeded to inform me that the seats that I originally booked were given to someone else and that my child and I would have to be split up. I immediately expressed my discontent and told him that this airline was a complete disappointment so far. I then informed him that I had never had this happened at other airlines. I had actually booked the tickets through American Airlines. The employee then did something inconceivable. HE TORE UP THE BOARDING PASSES RIGHT IN MY FACE . He then told me that if I thought it was an utter disappointment, I did not have to fly with them and went on to help the next person in line. After he finished helping them he then asked me if I would retract my statement, if I didn’t he would refuse to help me. I told him I wanted to speak to a supervisor and he told me I was speaking to him. He said that if I didn’t retract my statement, he would not help me. He left me standing there for a while and right before my flight was about to leave, he gave me my boarding passes. He did this because he knew there was no other airline or flight I could take back home to the Bay Area.

I am absolutely astonished that Mexicana would have an employee with such little customer service etiquette as the face of their airline. I have never in my life been so humiliated. My 11 year old son is extremely affected by the ordeal of seeing his mother treated that way and of almost missing our flight.

The attendant obviously doesn’t understand that everyone is entitled to their opinion. If I felt that Mexicana airlines was a disappointment, it is my opinion and the correct course of action would have been to offer his apologies and provide me with a number where I could open a complaint. Instead he got aggressive, intimidating and right down rude.

I've written an email to Mexicana and have faxed them a letter. I have also written American Airlines to make them aware of what happened at one of their partner airlines.