Alec Baldwin apologizes to passengers, not airline after he was KICKED OFF an AA flight for not turning off his phone

OS ANGELES (AP) -- Alec Baldwin issued an apology Wednesday to fellow passengers on an American Airlines flight that was delayed by his refusal to stop playing a cellphone game. The "30 Rock" actor's note, posted to the Huffington Post, didn't apologize to the airline or the flight attendant involved in the Tuesday incident. Instead, Baldwin said he's aware that airlines struggle financially but the result is that air travel has devolved into an inelegant experience post-9/11. Baldwin's dustup with American Airlines continued for a second day Wednesday, with the airline taking to social media to maintain it was following federal regulations when it booted an "extremely vocal customer" from a flight for refusing to shut off his cellphone. The airline, which earlier cited passenger privacy in declining to discuss the matter, said on its Facebook page it decided "to provide the actual facts of the matter" after Baldwin stated publicly he had gotten kicked off the flight. The company never cited the "30 Rock" TV star by name. Baldwin took to Twitter after Tuesday's incident at Los Angeles International Airport, saying he was asked to leave a New York-bound plane after a "flight attendant on American reamed me out" for playing a game on his cellphone. Baldwin said he was playing "Words With Friends" while the plane sat at a gate. American said on Facebook Wednesday that Federal Aviation Administration regulations require that cellphones and other electronic devices be turned off as soon as the airliner's door has been closed. The company said Baldwin refused to comply. "The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane's lavatory," American Airlines said. "He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked. They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation." The airline added that Baldwin was "extremely rude" to the flight crew, calling people "inappropriate names" and using offensive language