Date: 201810
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Security; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Passenger Misconduct
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Pre-flight
Contributing factors: Procedure; Human Factors; Company Policy
Primary problem: Procedure

Narrative: Passenger deplaned without acknowledging me at door 2. Several passengers concerned that he stowed his bags and exited immediately (especially [passenger at specified seat]; who actually wrote a report of his own). I got off the plane called the agent she had him in her sight said he needed WiFi. I told her he just exited a secure area and can't just exit for WiFi. She tells me; (he's an [airline code for passenger awards]) and she had him in sight. To my understanding [passenger award customers] follow the same security protocols. She put him in the jetway. He took a seat on an aisle chair opened his laptop; set up a makeshift work station in the jetway; made phone calls and etc. and refused to come in when we tried waved him down. Meanwhile the Captain boards in street clothes/no briefing. Just gives his name. Passenger questions his identity. I ask the agent about him boarding in street clothes and she said she checked his badge. He proceeded to change in the cockpit. I tell him my concerns; I have never been on this plane and it doesn't have a key pad; what's the door access procedure. He tells me he's also never been on this plane he flies [another model]. We decided on calling and knocking. As far as the passenger who breached security; he says; can you live with him on the jetway for 10 minutes. I thought it was dismissive. Later the passenger boards; I explain that what he did was a breach of security and he can't run off a plane without acknowledging the crew. He boldly tells me I'm wrong several times. He tells me secure area is anything after security. He can then do whatever after that and often does as he flies often. No sir; the plane is the prize and this is the secure area. He continues to tell me I'm wrong; meanwhile the airplane door was shut by the agent without acknowledging me or my crew. I asked the Captain to address the situation with the passenger. Again he seemed to be put out. Told me I was right. Asked me if it mattered. I said yes; it matters to me. He asked me the seat number. He got up went to his seat and told the man in XXF that he was wrong and I was right. I let him know seat E is the middle seat. I was out of ear shot but the passenger in XYE and several others were very happy to see the Captain address the situation. There was no response from the passenger in XXE to the Captain as he said his piece and left; he didn't wait for a response.




Synopsis: Air carrier Flight Attendant reported a passenger disembarked the aircraft during boarding without permission and violated security protocol.