东北大学《大学英语》课件-第9讲.pdf

Text C Make the Best of Getting Bumped Corona Williams,a passenger of Atlantic Southeast Airlines,was irritated by what they did to her.She wrote to an airline columnist to complain.What happened exactly?What would the columnist tell her?Read the letters and find out.Dear Editor,In November,I took a trip to Providenciales with my brother on Atlantic Southeast Airlines(ASA).We arrived at the airport and checked in for our 10:05 am flight by 7:35.We were at the departure gate by 8:50.While we waited,the airline staff repeatedly announced that they needed 5 volunteers to give up their seats.Each would be given$200 and flown to Providenciales via Miami,arriving around 8:30 pm.I did not see any passenger give up a seat.When it was our turn to board the plane,an agent told us,No one else is getting on this plane because we are overweight.Text C We each received a check for just$200 in the mail.I do not think that was appropriate.Why did not they take luggage off instead?I also think there should be a better way of turning people away.Why did not they choose the last five people who bought their tickets or the last five people who checked in?Corona Williams,Red Wing,Minn.Dear Ms.Williams,You are quite right:You followed the rules and should not have been bumped from the flight.ASA made mistakes,and you ended up inconvenienced and improperly compensated.The aircraft you were to take that day was weight restricted because weather and wind conditions affect its fuel needs.Because of this restriction,the airline had to carefully monitor the weight of passengers and their luggage.The big challenge in this type of situation is carry-on luggage,according to ASA representative Gina Pesko.ASA agents knew how much the checked luggage weighed since that was recorded at check-in.However,carry-on bags are another variable because they are stowed in the cargo hold and not the overhead bins on this small plane.In cases like this,airline ramp crews call the gate with an estimate of how much weight they can take.The gate agents then let a group of passengers board the aircraft,weighing and loading their carry-on bags.From your description,Pesko says,the maximum weight limit was reached just as you were about to board.Simply taking a few suitcases off the flight instead would not have solved the problem,at least not efficiently.ASA says that seven to ten suitcases must be removed to equal the weight of one passenger.That does not make sense from a customer-service standpoint:To get one more passenger on board,they must risk complaints from up to ten others who are unhappy that their luggage is delayed.It is not a pleasant choice either way,so the airline tries to inconvenience as few passengers as possible.That means someone had to get bumped.Text C Text C That someone was not supposed to be you and your companion.The gate staff made a mistake,Pesko said,because ASAs written policy states that the last people to check in for a flight are the first in line to get bumped from it.The airline also says it did not give you the correct amount of compensation for this failure.You arrived at your international destination more than eight hours after your original scheduled flight.Under US Department of Transportation rules,that means you were entitled to 200%of the fare for the Atlanta-Providenciales segment,up to a maximum of$400.ASA apologized for the inconvenience you experienced and quickly sent each of you an additional check for$200.The carrier also said it would review the incident with its customer-service department and training team.Text C How can you avoid trouble?Mistakes happen,and in your case,you did everything by the book.However,in general,try to get a specific seat assignment when you book flights.If you cannot,that may be a sign that the flight is full.If a flight is oversold,passengers without seat assignments are usually at the greatest risk of being denied boarding.Always check in and show up at the gate well within the specified times.If you do not,you are not entitled to compensation.Finally,familiarize yourself with the rules and restrictions of denied-boarding compensation,including passenger responsibilities,at www.dot.gov/airconsumer.Busy airline representatives do not always volunteer everything you are entitled to;it helps to know what to ask for.(705 words)bump v.refuse a passenger to board the plane because of the weight limit 挤掉某人的座位 The Smiths got bumped at the airport because the plane they planned to take was overweight.Measures must be taken to avoid being bumped in the tourist season.irritate v.make angry or excite in an unpleasant way 激怒；刺激；使急躁 The father was irritated by his sons obvious contempt.The more intrusive advertisements become,the more they irritate Web users.columnist n.person who writes a regular article for a newspaper or magazine 专栏作家 The newspaper invited a famous writer to be one of their columnists.A good columnist would attract many readers for the newspaper or magazine he works pla