Saw this article the other day and have to say that the person is “spot on”.  I have learned over the years that a little courtesy and “niceness” with gate agents goes a long way to having a pleasant flight experience. 

Of course, rudeness with a gate agent will always backfire, no matter how passionate you are about your problem.  For example:

“Payback For Rude Passengers
If someone has really been irate and almost to the point where they’re vulgar and mean, agents — myself, included — will sometimes take it upon themselves to place that passenger in a position where we can ensure that they’re uncomfortable for the next several hours.

Perhaps there are two large people seated on the aisle and window, we can seat the disagreeable passenger right between them. Or if there’s a family with children of active ages on the flight, we can ensure that the rude passenger is seated in the middle seat in front of them. Payback situations like that happen frequently.

Most customers are pretty pleasant, but there are passengers who are pretty demanding. They think the world revolves around them — those type A personalities — and there’s nothing you can say or do to satisfy them.
In the check in process, if someone’s being rude or mean, or just not cooperating with the necessary procedures, we can send them through an additional screening process which will require them to open every piece of luggage and have it inspected, thoroughly.

And I can recall situations where bags have ended up in different destinations on purpose when a passenger has been difficult — they might be going to South Bend, but their bag will get tagged to Singapore because they were really rude. Or Manchester, England, instead of Madison, Wisconsin. Yes, it happens.”

Now, I didn’t say it was totally ethical actions by the agents, but, nonetheless, I can understand their desires to make it difficult for someone.

Moral of this story – Be Nice!  Or, in other words, practice the Golden Rule!

Confessions of an Airline Ticket Agent