Biggest Whopper you've heard from a UA Pilot, Flight Attendant, Gate or Ticket Agent?
#16
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, UA Mileage Plus 1K, AA Executive Plat, Marriott Ambassador Elite
Posts: 2,344
"yes, sir. we are still going to have an on-time departure to FRA"
...........this past Sunday at C18 ORD-FRA on a fully loaded 747. And this was told to me and another passenger at 6:01pm for a 6:25pm departure. With the 747 still at the hangar!!
I felt bad that a co-worker would actually make a comment like this.
...........this past Sunday at C18 ORD-FRA on a fully loaded 747. And this was told to me and another passenger at 6:01pm for a 6:25pm departure. With the 747 still at the hangar!!
I felt bad that a co-worker would actually make a comment like this.
#17
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Bloomfield, MI, USA
Programs: DL Gold
Posts: 694
Best I ever encountered was many years ago (probably early 80's). I was flying NW DTW-PHL on a flight that originated in MSP. Fog in the Twin Cities kept MSP closed, so I called my family (who were going to meet me at PHL), and told them to hold tight until I called back with an ETA in PHL. Many hours later the GA announced the flight had left MSP, and should be into DTW at x:yz, with departure at a:bc, so I called the folks. Dad answered and said Mom and sister had left for PHL a couple of hours earlier on the basis of a call to the reservation number, during which the agent said the flight already had left DTW (at a time when it was a couple of hours from even leaving MSP).
#18
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
Not to ruin the fun, but the subject line for this thread is an ugly one. I hope someone starts a corresponding "Biggest whopper you've ever heard from a UA passenger" thread in the interest of fair play.
"DYKWIA?"
"I was told I had club access with this ticket"
"I've flown XX miles with this airline, I'm entitled to [insert perk here]"
And so on.
I'm not saying whoppers aren't told by employees -- or passengers. But that subject line strikes me as abusive toward the UACO employees whose posts in this forum are so valuable.
"DYKWIA?"
"I was told I had club access with this ticket"
"I've flown XX miles with this airline, I'm entitled to [insert perk here]"
And so on.
I'm not saying whoppers aren't told by employees -- or passengers. But that subject line strikes me as abusive toward the UACO employees whose posts in this forum are so valuable.
Last edited by iluv2fly; May 11, 2012 at 5:43 am Reason: merge
#20
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold75K
Posts: 850
The FA did the same thing for some of the passengers on my YVR-ORD flight on May 3, when we were held on the tarmac for 2 hours before we could get a gate.
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA
Programs: DL SM Plat, B6 TrueBlue, UA MP, AAdvantage
Posts: 10,008
(January 4, 2010)
Continental Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek told employees Monday that he won't accept his annual salary or bonus until the company is profitable for a full year.
(April 26 , 2012)
United Continental Holdings, Inc. reported a first-quarter 2012 net loss of $286 million or $0.87 loss per share, excluding $162 million of net special charges consisting primarily of integration-related costs. Including special charges, UAL reported a first-quarter 2012 net loss of $448 million or $1.36 loss per share.
Smisek's compensation package now totals $13.4 million annually...
Continental Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek told employees Monday that he won't accept his annual salary or bonus until the company is profitable for a full year.
(April 26 , 2012)
United Continental Holdings, Inc. reported a first-quarter 2012 net loss of $286 million or $0.87 loss per share, excluding $162 million of net special charges consisting primarily of integration-related costs. Including special charges, UAL reported a first-quarter 2012 net loss of $448 million or $1.36 loss per share.
Smisek's compensation package now totals $13.4 million annually...
#22
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: DAL
Programs: UA 1K AA EXP
Posts: 632
In PHX many years ago at a CO gate, a confused looking Captain and First Officer came running up to the gate then stood at the window looking at the plane. Then they walked back and looked at the gate monitor, then the paper work, and then the plane. Of course we were all looking at this point wondering what they are doing. Finally the Captian said that is not a 737. The First officer said, I can't believe they swapped aircraft out on us again, we are not rated to fly that aircraft! Several of us heard the exchange and looked at them with bewilderment. They stood there looking confused at the plane and paper work and talking.
#23
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond
Posts: 173
Even ignoring that, I don't blame the gate agent for a rote response. 99.5% of the time they are asked that it will be someone other than a GS on a Y fare. Checking the fare class just takes time they probably don't have at that moment.
#24
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: LHR
Programs: CO Silver, TACA GOLD, HHonors Silver, A-Club Gold
Posts: 147
About a month ago after landing on an IAH-EWR on a 753.
Cap turns off the seatbelt sign, door doesn't open for a few minutes.
"Ladies and gentleman, this is the captain from the flight deck. Apparently the ground crew though this was a 737 and they didn't match the jetway with the door. Give us a few minutes to find someone who knows what they are doing"
Seatbelt sign back on
Cap turns off the seatbelt sign, door doesn't open for a few minutes.
"Ladies and gentleman, this is the captain from the flight deck. Apparently the ground crew though this was a 737 and they didn't match the jetway with the door. Give us a few minutes to find someone who knows what they are doing"
Seatbelt sign back on
#25
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9B179 Safari/7534.48.3)
"I see you have been upgraded on your return leg (JFK-SFO). I'm actually really surprised you got upgraded- wow! The cross country flights are hard and you're only a 1K. Lucky you!" Phone agents response to me trying to get reticketed.
"As you know, we switched to a more user friendly reservations system. United's was really old.." PMCO agent
"I see you have been upgraded on your return leg (JFK-SFO). I'm actually really surprised you got upgraded- wow! The cross country flights are hard and you're only a 1K. Lucky you!" Phone agents response to me trying to get reticketed.
"As you know, we switched to a more user friendly reservations system. United's was really old.." PMCO agent
#26
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 172
My 'favorite' was when a ORD-LHR flight was delayed for about seven hours on a mechanical issue--first a couple hours on the tarmac and then back inside at the gate. Finally, the GA announced that they hadn't been able to fix the plane but that they'd gotten a new plane for us instead. So we boarded again, and I reached into the seat pocket to do the puzzles, only to find the magazine with all the puzzles already done--by me!!
In the end, that flight got delayed and cancelled to, and we didn't leave for LHR for about twenty eight hours after scheduled departure.
In the end, that flight got delayed and cancelled to, and we didn't leave for LHR for about twenty eight hours after scheduled departure.
#27
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: YVR
Programs: Non-status bottomfeeder
Posts: 827
About a month ago after landing on an IAH-EWR on a 753.
Cap turns off the seatbelt sign, door doesn't open for a few minutes.
"Ladies and gentleman, this is the captain from the flight deck. Apparently the ground crew though this was a 737 and they didn't match the jetway with the door. Give us a few minutes to find someone who knows what they are doing"
Seatbelt sign back on
Cap turns off the seatbelt sign, door doesn't open for a few minutes.
"Ladies and gentleman, this is the captain from the flight deck. Apparently the ground crew though this was a 737 and they didn't match the jetway with the door. Give us a few minutes to find someone who knows what they are doing"
Seatbelt sign back on
#28
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA EVP, United 1K and 2MM, Starwood Lifetime Platinum, Delta
Posts: 219
(January 4, 2010)
Continental Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek told employees Monday that he won't accept his annual salary or bonus until the company is profitable for a full year.
(April 26 , 2012)
United Continental Holdings, Inc. reported a first-quarter 2012 net loss of $286 million or $0.87 loss per share, excluding $162 million of net special charges consisting primarily of integration-related costs. Including special charges, UAL reported a first-quarter 2012 net loss of $448 million or $1.36 loss per share.
Smisek's compensation package now totals $13.4 million annually...
Continental Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek told employees Monday that he won't accept his annual salary or bonus until the company is profitable for a full year.
(April 26 , 2012)
United Continental Holdings, Inc. reported a first-quarter 2012 net loss of $286 million or $0.87 loss per share, excluding $162 million of net special charges consisting primarily of integration-related costs. Including special charges, UAL reported a first-quarter 2012 net loss of $448 million or $1.36 loss per share.
Smisek's compensation package now totals $13.4 million annually...
^^^
#29
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: New England
Programs: UA 1K / HH Diamond
Posts: 239
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPad; U; CPU OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)
Wanting to do the same puzzles one have just completed a few hours ago? Or who was the whopper? -
Originally Posted by flitcraft
My 'favorite' was when a ORD-LHR flight was delayed for about seven hours on a mechanical issue--first a couple hours on the tarmac and then back inside at the gate. Finally, the GA announced that they hadn't been able to fix the plane but that they'd gotten a new plane for us instead. So we boarded again, and I reached into the seat pocket to do the puzzles, only to find the magazine with all the puzzles already done--by me!!
In the end, that flight got delayed and cancelled to, and we didn't leave for LHR for about twenty eight hours after scheduled departure.
In the end, that flight got delayed and cancelled to, and we didn't leave for LHR for about twenty eight hours after scheduled departure.
#30
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: OOL
Programs: VA Plat, QF LTS, UA MM, Hilton Diamond, Rydges Black, ,Le-Club Gold
Posts: 3,659
From a non-English speaker at the UA ICC: "Hello my name is Bob"
From the SIN departures display: "Now Boarding"
Everything on the ghastly Smisek video
From every single cabin-crew announcement to Y class: "Sit back, relax..."
"This will all be sorted out at the other end"
"Welcome to Dulles airport" (nowhere are customers less welcome)
Whatever the announcer said at SFO airport, or was it LAX or EWR, anyway no-one could understand a word of it as they seem to select announcers on the basis of their poor command of the English language.
From the SIN departures display: "Now Boarding"
Everything on the ghastly Smisek video
From every single cabin-crew announcement to Y class: "Sit back, relax..."
"This will all be sorted out at the other end"
"Welcome to Dulles airport" (nowhere are customers less welcome)
Whatever the announcer said at SFO airport, or was it LAX or EWR, anyway no-one could understand a word of it as they seem to select announcers on the basis of their poor command of the English language.