Baldwin is contrite, to a point, about airplane incident

Is Alec Baldwin really sorry for getting tossed off a flight bound for New York?

The "30 Rock" star issued an apology on Wednesday posted on the Huffington Post. In it, Baldwin, 53, apologized to his fellow passengers on an American Airlines flight that was delayed by the actor's refusal to stop playing a word game on his cellphone.

"It was never my intention to inconvenience anyone with my ‘issue' with a certain flight attendant," Baldwin wrote.

The flight attendant in question, however, and American Airlines received no words of apology from Baldwin.

Instead, Baldwin used this post to tell the world how travelling has devolved into an "inelegant" experience since 9/11.

After describing himself as a brand loyal American Airlines flyer for more than two decades, Baldwin shared his observations about the state of the airlines in the United States today.

"It's no secret that the level of service on US carriers has deteriorated to a point that would make Howard Hughes red-faced," Baldwin wrote.

Part of the problem, according to Baldwin, lies with fuel costs, labour costs and bankruptcies.

The terrible events of 9/11 have also contributed to this decline.

According to Baldwin, carriers and airports have used 9-11 "as an excuse to make the air travel experience as inelegant as possible."

Baldwin did, however, take three paragraphs to tell his version of what happened on the American Airlines flight bound for New York.

According to Baldwin, the flight was already half an hour behind schedule at Los Angeles International Airport.

"We proceeded to sit at the gate for another fifteen minutes," Baldwin wrote.

Baldwin did what "I nearly always have done," he said. He pulled out his phone, as did other passengers -- an act which had never been questioned by any attendants on previous American Airlines. Yet on this occasion, Baldwin claimed he was singled out by a female flight attendant "in the most unpleasant of tones."

"The lesson I've learned is to keep my phone off when the 1950's gym teacher is on duty," Baldwin wrote.

Still, the state of air travel today -- rather that his contrition -- seemed to the bigger concern for Baldwin.

Today, Baldwin wrote, some flight attendants "still have some remnant of the old idea of service."

The rest "walk the aisles of an airplane with a whistle around their neck and a clipboard in their hands and they have made flying a Greyhound bus experience," Baldwin lamented.

On Tuesday, Baldwin directed a heated Twitter tirade at the flight attendant for removing him from the New York-bound flight.

Baldwin, a prolific Twitter user, took to the social media site to vent, saying a "flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing Words With Friends while we sat at the gate, not moving."

On Wednesday, American Airlines issued a statement on Facebook but did not mention Baldwin by name.

The company explained the Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

"Cell phones and electronic devices are allowed to be used while the aircraft is at the gate and the door is open for boarding. When the door is closed for departure and the seat belt is turned on, all cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off for taxi-out and taxi-off," American Airlines wrote.

The company also said that "the passenger" in question refused to comply.

The airline added "the passenger" was "extremely rude" to the flight crew, calling people "inappropriate names" and using offensive language.

Baldwin's spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik, responded on Wednesday by saying other people on the plane were violating the regulation and that Baldwin was singled out.

"The plane was already delayed half an hour at the gate when Alec was playing 'Words with Friends,"' Hiltzik told The Associated Press. "Other passengers who tweeted flagrantly violated these rules without any repercussions -- proving that they were obviously selectively enforced."

Baldwin made no reply on Twitter Wednesday. His account had been deactivated and all of his previous tweets removed.

According to Hiltzik, the actor was setting aside his Twitter activity to concentrate on "30 Rock."

Still, some passengers who were on the flight were clearly unimpressed with the actor's actions, telling reporters later that Baldwin was inconsiderate and delayed the flight.

Those passengers may be more inclined to believe that's true after reading Baldwin's apology.