On a layover Saturday night after an idyllic cruise vacation to Alaska, a Hamilton social worker noticed her luggage had been damaged on the first flight. She went to talk to an airline rep in the Calgary airport about a remedy.

That run-of-the-mill task turned unexpectedly violent for Laura Ricker when, she said, an Air Canada employee at a nearby counter interrupted, yelled at and hit her.

He reached his hand in my face, hit me across the top of my head and knocked my hat off. - Laura Ricker

She eventually called the police, who made an arrest and laid a common assault charge. None of the allegations against the worker have been proven in court.

The whole interaction and the way Ricker said she was treated while she waited for the police to come left her feeling unprotected, unsafe and vulnerable in a place — an airport — she expected to feel safe. And at the hand of an employee of a company — Air Canada — that she expects to embody what she calls Canadian values of kindness and respect.

Calgary Police would not say who the employee worked for. But Air Canada said it's treating the complaint seriously and has suspended the employee while it conducts an investigation.

'I'm sick of hearing you talk'

Though Ricker, 37, and her partner were flying that first leg with an American airline, the agent's counter was within earshot of the Air Canada worker.

"He piped up and said 'I'm sick of hearing you talk,'" Ricker said.

Startled, Ricker looked over at him and suggested he mind his own business since she wasn't flying with his airline.

Laura Ricker, left, and her partner, Jessica Drennan, were on their way home to Hamilton from a cruise to Alaska when Ricker said she was assaulted in the Calgary airport by an Air Canada worker. (Laura Ricker) The worker kept talking, Ricker said, and began insulting her.

"It was just all not nice and aggressive," she said. "He was just talking and talking and talking."

'Bolted out from his booth and lunged at me'

Things grew more tense from there.

She asked for his name. He covered his name tag.

"At which point I took out my phone and took a photo," she said.

The agent "bolted out from his booth and lunged at me," she said.

"He reached his hand in my face, hit me across the top of my head and knocked my hat off," she said.

He was "screaming in my face and putting his face in my face," she said.

Her partner, Jessica Drennan, tried to step between the middle-aged man and Ricker.

"I was absolutely terrified and, to be honest with you, totally shocked," Drennan said. "I would consider the airport a safe place to be. That was really shocking."

Help! Help! Security!

"Help! Help! Security!" Ricker said she screamed.

Airport customs or security officers came over but "did nothing for my safety," Ricker said, and "did not restrain the man." The airport declined to comment on the incident.

Finally, the man went back to work, loading luggage and helping other customers, but he kept taunting the pair, Ricker said.

"The guy hit me in the face and is still allowed to be everywhere," Ricker said.

A man getting into a woman's face is absolutely ludicrous in itself. I didn't know what was going to happen. - Jessica Drennan, Laura Ricker's partner

She finally called 9-1-1 and stayed on the phone for 18 minutes while she waited for police.

A Calgary Police Service spokeswoman confirmed that an officer came to the scene, interviewed the victim and witnesses about the conversation that had "escalated" to the point of "physical contact" and made an arrest.

The accused is expected to face the charge of common assault in court sometime next month, according to Calgary Police.

"He was yelling and he was right in her face," Drennan said. "A man getting into a woman's face is absolutely ludicrous in itself. I didn't know what was going to happen."

Air Canada responds

Air Canada said the employee has been suspended while the company investigates. The company said the court process is underway now that the incident has become a police and legal matter and limits what they can say.

But a spokesman for the company said the airline is taking what Ricker has said seriously.

"This is an allegation which we are addressing very seriously since the actions described are contrary to our expectations of our employees, and do not reflect our values," said Peter Fitzpatrick, Air Canada spokesman.

"We do not yet have all the details, but clearly, what this individual is alleging is unacceptable," he said. "Since the matter will be before the courts we are not able to comment further, but we are committed to resolving it soon for all involved."

'I'm stuck on the moment of my assault'

Ricker and Drennan missed their scheduled flight. While they waited for the next one, Ricker wrote to Air Canada to complain about the incident.

She wants Air Canada to apologize, compensate her for her delay and emotional distress and to pay for any expenses she might incur if the charges go further legally.

Laura Ricker said her bags were damaged on the first leg of a flight home from an Alaskan cruise, and she was trying to get the airline to address it when an Air Canada worker attacked her. (Laura Ricker) While she said she is "grateful and relieved" to hear the worker was suspended, she still wants to hear a full apology from the airline and to see the company offer some compensation.

Ricker used to be a travel agent and said her initial interaction with the airline rep for her bag damage was cordial.

"I was being assertive because I knew what I wanted," she said. But she said the interaction was pleasant enough until the Air Canada worker got involved.

Ricker said she and Drennan both work stressful jobs in social work and mental health fields and had left Alaska feeling rejuvenated.

That's been lost, for now.

"We just had the most incredible vacation, a serene, beautiful vacation and I can't remember the details of my vacation because I'm stuck on the moment of my assault," she said.

kelly.bennett@cbc.ca | @kellyrbennett