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United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

latimes.com

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Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#251

Post by wbl »

Klathmon wrote: post #71
jghn wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was me for a long time, but then I got precheck. It is such a night and day difference that I'm back to flying

Even with precheck (which i got as well), it didn't really change anything. I still need to show up just as early (as my local airport often has a longer line for precheck!), i still can't pack more than some stupid amount of liquid, or have my shit thrown out because I used a X-oz plastic bag which is too big!!! I still can't check bags as they just won't ever show up, or will show up damaged, have items stolen, or…

I fly approximately 3-4 times a year, possibly more, and have for the past 8 years. I've never had a checked bag go missing. Chances a check bag is lost (not just delayed) are vanishingly small.

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#252

Post by krull10 »

whack wrote: post #223

I've traveled on flights frequently for over a decade, and I've never had an airline refuse to seat me for a flight I had a ticket for. I don't use frequent-flyer, and just buy the cheapest tickets available on Expedia. The only saving grace I can think of is that I always get to the airport way before anyone else does. Have I just been getting lucky all this time? Short of being a frequent flyer or buying expensive…

Not with United. I had two flights in a row that I was all checked in with boarding passes on my phone, and then they bumped me due to an "equipment" change the night before my flight. In one case I was able to get a new seat immediately and re-checkin, in the other I had to show up at the airport four hours before my flight and beg for one of the few unassigned seats. Then I got to watch hysteria at the gate from all the people that got bumped... I've never had any other airline try to bump me at all, let alone after checking in.

(Just to add, I think the "changing" equipment claim is a common excuse they make up. It allows them to overbook and bump people without having to pay the US mandated fees to each person who gets bumped. In at least one of these cases they replaced the original plane with a plane of the same exact type, but claimed "it might have a different seat layout so it counts as an equipment change".)

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#253

Post by douche »

driverdan wrote: post #247
douche wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your door-to-door time with those two trips is probably not that far apart, when you factor in time getting to and from the airport, waiting for security, waiting for luggage, and delays. Plus driving is cheaper and less stressful...

A 3h flight is going to be much faster than a 12h drive. It may be cheaper if you fill the car with people but will cost more if you do it alone. That's assuming you consider your time to be worth nothing.

Unless I'm flying a RyanAir flight that's under $100, a tank and a half of gas to go 700-800 miles is going to be cheaper, if we're sticking in the 12-hour drive frame. And that's driving a not-particularly fuel efficient pickup truck. Gas is only $2.09 this week.

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#254

Post by tyingq »

natch wrote: post #238
tyingq wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not exactly. It's a federal crime to interfere with a flight crew. https://www.justice.gov/usam/criminal-resource-manual-1411-i... There's a lot of room in between a contractual dispute and interference.

Are the rules the same before boarding? See discussion above about United's screwey definition of boarding.

Apparently, the interference with a flight crew has the same definition...only after the doors are closed.

It applies only in the "Special Aircraft Jurisdiction of the United States":

"An individual on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States who, by assaulting or intimidating a flight crew member or flight attendant of the aircraft, interferes with the performance of the duties of the member or attendant..." [1]

An aircraft is in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States only while the aircraft is "in flight." [2]

"An aircraft is "in flight" from the moment when all external doors are closed following embarkation until the moment when one such door is opened for disembarkation, or in the case of a forced landing, until competent authorities take responsibility for the aircraft"

IANAL, but it would seem difficult to charge anyone with "interfering with a flight crew" if the door hasn't been shut. The language doesn't seem ambiguous.

[1] https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2009-title49/html/USCOD... (scroll down to the 46504 section)

[2] https://www.justice.gov/usam/criminal-resource-manual-1405-s...

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#255

Post by owenversteeg »

colmvp wrote: post #170
Gracana wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like being arrested for resisting arrest.

Anytime someone mentions that, I'm reminded of the SFPD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qhzdxYnwhg

God, that makes my blood boil. That's insane.

Looks like the officer, Sgt. Brian Stansbury, got off with nothing:

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160313/12001133892/compl...

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#256

Post by inopinatus »

tici_88 wrote: post #17

Travelling in the US or with US airlines is not looking very good right now. Not just the United incident(s) but also TSA, Trump travel restrictions, flights constantly overbooked, massively late etc. I wonder if it will start impacting traveller and tourism numbers at some point. I think anyone who doesn't really need to be in the US and/or is planning travelling with kids is likely to have some second thoughts at t…

United have always stunk. I'm thinking back about two decades on what was practically my first long-haul international trip. The return leg BOS-AMS on UAL was delayed due to equipment, then cancelled, then the replacement also delayed & cancelled, and so on, always with limited information and brusque, disinterested customer service. No apology, no compensation, and rerouting requests consistently denied. This continued for three days, and after three days of wandering the dreary halls of Boston Logan Airport my fellow detainees were on first-name terms.

Being a wet-behind-the-ears youth I had little idea of how abnormal this was, or how to properly and successfully complain to a gigantic company, and was also secretly enjoying my extra time in the US exploring the hidden places in and around an airport.

But some of the other passengers were frantic. Three days stuck at '90s-era Logan, because United couldn't get their act together and compounded their engineering & operational failures with dismally bad customer service. Some of them were missing major life events as a result.

Twentyish years on I have Legendary frequent flyer status, and exactly no dollars whatsoever were spent towards it with United. I choose to spend extra on friends and family routing with other airlines simply that they may avoid UAL. "Never again". Vote with your wallet.

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#257

Post by mrbill »

Klathmon wrote: post #63
tici_88 wrote: post #17

Travelling in the US or with US airlines is not looking very good right now. Not just the United incident(s) but also TSA, Trump travel restrictions, flights constantly overbooked, massively late etc. I wonder if it will start impacting traveller and tourism numbers at some point. I think anyone who doesn't really need to be in the US and/or is planning travelling with kids is likely to have some second thoughts at t…

Anecdotally I've noticed that for like 5 years now my friends and family have a pretty severe aversion to flying anywhere for anything. From needing to show up hours before the flight, to the invasive screenings, the insane restrictions on what you can and cannot bring, the sentiment that if you check any baggage it's basically as good as gone, the ever increasing cost, the delays, and even things like the worry abou…

The last time I flew was in 2009 when I had to go to Chattanooga for my wife's funeral (we buried her next to her mom). Before that was 2001 when we got married in the same city and then honeymooned in Baltimore & DC.

I don't plan on flying again any time soon.

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#258

Post by davidf18 »

barking wrote: post #221
davidf18 wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I'm very sorry your employees missed out on visiting NYC. As a NYC resident and as someone who has been to Paris many times, Paris is very nice. But people that come to NYC have a much greater experience. In the past month I met both an Italian who came here for the first time and an Israeli and both of them were so happy to be here. I think your employer should schedule a trip to NYC for these 70 employees --…

A recent story in Europe was that travellers entering the US could be forced to reveal social network passwords. No idea if that is true or not but it was a headline.

What do they call it now? Fake news?

But here is a real story. I'm American and "member of the tribe" who has been to Israel many times as shown by the passport stamps, speaks Hebrew and I didn't arrive at Ben-Gurion airport in Tel Aviv to a Turkish Air flight to Istanbul 3 hours in advance of the flight. My take-on was packed away and I was strip searched down to my underwear.

I was amused and happy for the security, but some people might be bothered by that.

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#259

Post by foepys »

manyxcxi wrote: post #232
Klathmon wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotally I've noticed that for like 5 years now my friends and family have a pretty severe aversion to flying anywhere for anything. From needing to show up hours before the flight, to the invasive screenings, the insane restrictions on what you can and cannot bring, the sentiment that if you check any baggage it's basically as good as gone, the ever increasing cost, the delays, and even things like the worry abou…

Man, I'm not sure if your home airport is not very good, you don't travel that often, or if you just have a higher base level of anxiety or what- but any drive over 4 hours and I'm on the lookout to see if I can fly there. I frequently go from Portland to San Jose and back in the same day- I get meetings done and am home in time to put my kids to bed. I also just generally fly pretty frequently. I've got an Arab name…

Maybe they are just not white and have to endure a lot of "random" searches every flight.

Re: United removes first-class passenger to make room for 'higher-priority' traveler

#260

Post by SSLy »

microtonal wrote: post #220
wazoox wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Contrast that to my flight to Edinburgh on Air France last year; we arrived slightly late and were directed to the wrong line, getting us to miss the plane, arguably partly because we were late, and partly because the wrong instructions. We were offered access to the lounge for the many hours wainting for the next flight, without paying anything for food, drinks and internet, while having only paid for economy class.

Same here with Lufthansa, economy class. We missed the connection due to a delay on the first leg. We were booked to the next flight two hours later (IIRC). We asked if they could accommodate our prolonged stay. They gave us a good amount in vouchers to spend at the airport, which we used to have a nice dinner (Munich airport has some proper restaurants). The two hours fly by in no time. Despite the delay, we were ha…

Hello, mind sharing the good places at MUC? I think I'll be having frequent layovers there in the next few years.

Even better if they have good beer ;)

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