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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: 4, Informative) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @06:24AM (9 children)
Seriously, one can almost not make up this shit. This latest of United Abuses [wikipedia.org] haven't even reached wikipedia [wikipedia.org] yet. Any takers? ;)
Any regular travelers will perhaps now put them on their air corporation shitlist. Where any booking results in the employer getting billed a good extra or loose people to competitors.
Seems this will be a popcorn candidate with a crappy corporation that is morally bankrupt and topped of with top management that lack any enough insight on possible shitstorms. One billion US dollar share dip and they want more? Let's give it to them. Rub it in deeply. Trigger their drones to make even more mishandling and let their management suffer it through on the world stage judgement.
It's not like it's the first time:
* 2009 Breaking guitars for profit and indifference [wikipedia.org]
* 2012 Personnel asked Iraq veteran if he was "retarded" and kicked his service dog.
* 2015 Removed an autistic teen girl and her family from a flight without apparent justification.
* 2016 Forced a female passenger to change seats because two male passengers stated that it was against their religious beliefs to be seated next to a woman.
* 2017 Refused boarding to three girls accompanied by their parents (who were employees of the airline), on the grounds that their leggings violated the company's dress code.
* 2017 Dragging paying doctor with patient bookings from plane with force.
(Score: 3, Informative) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @07:11AM
Canada's transport minister: UA incident won't be tolerated [nzherald.co.nz] (yesterday!) The Canadian transportation minister "Marc Garneau sent a letter to the heads of every airline flying in and out of Canada to warn them that an incident like the one that injured an American doctor earlier this week cannot happen in Canada."
Will UA succeed in upsetting the transportation minister before their new passengers' bill of rights in Canada is voted on? ;->
Or if corporation drones picks a fight with a MMA fighter....
(Score: 1) by anubi on Friday April 14 2017, @09:56AM (5 children)
That link you gave about United Airlines breaking a guy's guitar was hilarious!
The frustrated owner took his woes to YouTube and posted a song about his experience.
Here's the song/video on YouTube [youtube.com]
Well done, and hilarious!
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @03:13PM (2 children)
I actually took and viewed "United Breaks Guitars". He actually can sing and play. To top if of the music video is actually funny!
17 180 634 views now.
Can't someone contact " Sons of Maxwell" and ask for another song this time "United Breaks Bones"....?
(Score: 2) by edIII on Friday April 14 2017, @08:50PM (1 child)
There's a video response to people asking him that question. He says the answer is probably no, but he reserves the right to change his mind.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @10:08PM
Exciting times ;)
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 14 2017, @04:18PM (1 child)
United Airline memes..
Top 10 United Airlines Funniest Memes [youtube.com]
1) Can't overbook flights if nobody flies @United
2) Let me check your United Airlines stock today.. aaaandd its gone!
3) Thank you for flying United Airlines *shaking up*
4) 4 out of 5 doctors recommend United Airlines, except..
5) Welcome to united flight 3411, We still need three more "volunteers"
6) Walking dead: Eeny, meeny, miny, moe... Which passenger has to go?
7) Pepsi: We just made the worst PR decision, United Airlines: Hold my beer
8) First class, business class and.. Fight class!
9) Southwest, We beat the competition not you.
10) Rocky, I made it on the plane bloody
Trump sends Kim Jong [wp.com] free airline ticket to discuss his nuclear weapon program.
Assad vs United Airlines [wp.com] "Uh-oh".
United, Where you're treated like a king, Rodney King [wp.com]
Even more memes [bookwormroom.com]
Even more.. [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @08:37PM
my favorite:
United Airlines: Get on the plane as a doctor, get off the plane as a patient.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday April 14 2017, @04:44PM (1 child)
People need to stop bitching about United. So they re-accommodate people from the plane to the hospital.
At least they are not re-accommodating passengers off the plane once it is in flight.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @06:41PM
Yet.