Kevin Smith 'slams Virgin America airlines'

Kevin Smith has slammed Virgin America airlines for allegedly causing him to miss a flight at New York's JFK International airport, despite having a first class ticket which included an airline liaison and plane escort service.

Posting on his official blog, the Jay and Silent Bob creator lashed out against the company's employees for being "unfriendly" after he, his wife and actor friend Jason Mewes were denied entry to the plane because they arrived less than ten minutes before departure.

"We pleaded with Manny (the unfriendly face of Virgin America JFK working the gate), pointing out the remaining time (there were still 8 minutes before scheduled departure), and pointing out that the jetway was still attached to the plane," he wrote.

"Flying as much as I do (usually up at the front of the plane), I know that the jetway only gets pulled back ONCE THE PLANE DOOR IS SECURELY CLOSED (sic). As we tried to get Manny to realise our bags were under the plane and we'd been checked in for an hour, the jetway stayed in place.

"They didn't even TRY to call someone about getting the bags off. And still, the plane sat right there at the jetway still attached. Our bags could've EASILY been removed."

He added: "The plane wouldn't pull back from the gate for another 15 minutes (if you want, I can show you the picture we took of the jetway still attached, with Mewes' phone displaying the time in the foreground; yes, I took that picture; sadly, that's the world we live in now)."

Smith later contacted the airline to voice his complaint and was apparently pleased, adding the update: "[Virgin Atlantic] seems to care: lovely, apologetic email, full refund for flight, free tix offer - all before I've landed. I appreciate the gesture/effort."

The director was infamously told he was "too fat to fly" when trying to travel with Southwest Air in February.