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On the heels of United's heavy-handed removal of a booked passenger comes another wonderful piece of news from United:
Fearns needed to return early so he paid about $1,000 for a full-fare, first-class ticket to Los Angeles. He boarded the aircraft at Lihue Airport on the island of Kauai, took his seat and enjoyed a complimentary glass of orange juice while awaiting takeoff.
Then, as Fearns tells it, a United employee rushed onto the aircraft and informed him that he had to get off the plane.
"I asked why," he told me. "They said the flight was overfull."
Apparently, due to technical problems, a different plane was used that had slightly fewer seats. So fewer first class seats. So why bump off a first class passenger?
"That's when they told me they needed the seat for somebody more important who came at the last minute," Fearns said.
Seriously, United?
This ended up with Fearns being bumped down to economy class. With no recompensation offered. When contacting them to demand a refund and $25k for a charity of his choice, the reply was no on both accounts. But he was offered the difference between a first class ticket and the seat he was forced to occupy - between a couple that had a fight, refused to sit next to each other and spent the 6hrs of flight fighting. Oh, and $500 in United credit.
I realise this is just one side of the story, but still: this news surfacing the next day and these two events happening in the same week?
"I understand you might bump people because a flight is full," Fearns said. "But they didn't say anything at the gate. I was already in the seat. And now they were telling me I had no choice. They said they'd put me in cuffs if they had to."
You couldn't make this up if you tried.
Indeed, I could not.
For shame, United. For shame.
takyon: United Airlines' Own Contract Denied it any Right to Remove Passenger
N.J. doctor saves woman on United flight where medical supplies were 'lacking'
(a completely different story)
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @06:12AM (4 children)
The fatcats can pass whatever policy best fits their for-profit agenda and the poor employees are the ones who must enforce the policy or be fired. I think it is about time corporations got a serious smackdown and broken up into conglomerations of small business partners. The vertical integration needs to stop, we are seeing the first indications of what corporate states will be like and it is starting to be as bad as the sci-fi / cyberpunk dystopias predicted.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @06:43AM (1 child)
Seems their slimy drones are on a historical revisionism sweep too. Catch.. it can still be read [wikipedia.org] and one can find out who removed it [wikipedia.org].
However in 2016 John Wayne Airport officials in Santa Ana, California threatened United's contract to serve the airport. Perhaps something to pursue now?
And of course write about their shit service so no one misses how they treat customers. The stock market can also need a heads up. Corporate travel services can get the feedback that booking with UA is not appreciated.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @06:49AM
OHare is UAL's nexus hub. As such, no way will OHare ever sanction UAL. It's CHICAGO
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @06:57AM (1 child)
It's human nature. Ever lived in a small town? Liked things that "normal" people don't approve of? non-Morman, beer-loving, smoking and cursing heathen living in Provo? Ayheist living in Bible belt or Hasidic neighborhood in NYC?
Big companies like policies & procedures. Keep employee thinking & discretion to minimum, as thwy should be grateful for their jobs.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @07:18AM
Which is why you avoid small towns and their people..