Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Airplane

I am sure you've all heard about, or seen, the United Airlines "incident" from yesterday.

I mean, W.T.F. ?????

You all seemed to comment, back in the day when I was a road worrier warrior, that you didn't know how I did it. Looking back on it, I'm not sure how I did either.

Parts of me really misses the travel. Most of me does not.

Even seeing the diagram of the plane with its available seating just made my stomach tighten up. I was the guy who knew my flight was at 06:23, so at 06:23 the morning before, I was checking into my flight and securing or changing my seat.............and then checking my status for upgrades. I was the obsessed business traveler.

Still, while the video - and the entire scenario are disturbing, at best - in a way it doesn't surprise me that much. Airline travel has devolved, much like US politics........think of United as the Dump of airways.

I see no PR way for United to get out of this unscathed. I mean, they already haven't, but I have to believe it will get worse. It's bad enough to be on end of  being bumped.......and worse if you're already on the plane (which is practically unheard of). But how do you recover when you got dragged off the fucking plane so one of your own employees can take the seat???

I'll assume it was a pilot who had to get to a location where they had none that were able to fly due to having met or exceeded their hours in air. Still.........it don't look good.

I love United saying they're 'trying to locate the passenger'.  Oh, they'd be finding me pretty easily, I suspect. And they won't be off the hook for less than 4 all you can fly for the rest of your life for free passes.............on Delta.





Song by: Widespread Panic

5 comments:

Travel said...

This is a PR disaster for United. Even if the airline had a legal right to "bump" the passenger (can you deny boarding to someone who has already boarded?) or the airline can claim that the passenger had to follow crew member instructions, unless the passenger is a threat the safe operation of the airplane (he was sitting defiantly in his seat saying, I HAVE TO GET HOME), it is hard to justify the assault and battery of dragging him off the plane. Deeper down, there is an issue with fewer seats, and chronic overbooking. With non-refundable fares, airlines can fly with more than 100% of the seats paid for.

anne marie in philly said...

I hope united is sued to infinity and beyond! arrogant bastards!

the guy who travels for our company will NEVER fly united; only delta and american.

Bob said...

The CEO's statement was also a disaster, seemingly condoning what happened.

Plus, United bumped these paying passengers so some of their employees could make it to Louisville to work a flight there!

Oh United, buh-bye.

Fearsome Beard said...

Their tag line is "Friendly". Good English lesson in the meaning of irony.
I'm on track to fly 100k with Ironic Airlines this year and
Karnak foresees some fabulous discounted airfares ahead.

Jeffrey said...

The really horrible thing is that the employees were employees of another airline, not United.