Victor's office replied that station managers were responsible for using the tool appropriately.
Another complaint showed that certain passengers were receiving insufficient compensation after involuntary changes.
The commercial division recommended additional training.
But the override process remained unchanged.
A third report raised concerns about the way employees were rewarded for protecting premium accounts.
That report never reached the board's risk committee.
I looked toward Nora.
"Why?"
She shook her head.
"We're investigating."
I stared at the folder.
For a moment, I remembered Caroline's words.
My husband has spent millions with this airline.
I thought about the gate supervisor.
The way Marianne looked toward Caroline before answering my questions.
And the speed with which my seat assignment had been changed.
Then I looked back at Nora.
"How much did Victor know?"
She took a breath.
"We don't have a complete answer yet."
I nodded.
For several seconds, I remained quiet.
Then I said, "We need one."
Caroline Prescott learned about the investigation from her attorney.
By then, the video of the confrontation had circulated widely online.
One of the passengers had posted a short clip showing her grabbing my hoodie, striking the coffee cup, and taking the seat while I stood in the aisle with wet jeans.
The video wasn't perfect.
It didn't capture every conversation.
But it showed enough to contradict her public claim that the coffee spilled because I jumped up aggressively.
Caroline's attorney advised her to stop discussing the incident publicly.
She wasn't pleased.
She believed the airline had embarrassed her.
She believed I had deliberately made her look cruel.
And she couldn't understand why Crestline was treating one disrupted boarding experience as a major corporate issue.
For years, Caroline had traveled in premium cabins where employees greeted her by name and adjusted arrangements whenever she complained.
She rarely asked how those adjustments affected other people.
If she wanted a window seat and someone else occupied it, she assumed the airline would move the other person.
If a reservation wasn't ideal, she called her concierge.
If a gate employee hesitated, she asked for a supervisor.
The system had taught her that persistence and financial influence could turn preferences into obligations.
But this time, her behavior had been recorded.
And the passenger she'd displaced wasn't going to accept a quiet voucher and disappear.
Caroline sat in the library of her large suburban home while her attorney reviewed the airline's notification.
The company was examining whether she violated its passenger conduct rules.
Her travel privileges could be restricted.
The incident might also be reviewed by law enforcement through the appropriate process.
Caroline frowned.
"This is absurd."
Her attorney looked up.