Originally Posted by
fastair
Really, Inhumane treatment? Really, revolting food? Really, fraudulent biz practices. I do appreciate your humor.
As for the inhuman (my word, not "inhumane", which you used, perhaps fittingly) treatment, revolting food and fraudulent business practices, these are all a matter of public record. UA didn't rack up all those DOT complaints because of their awesome service. They weren't hauled into court to hear judges call them on their consumer fraud because they were operating in an above board manner. Photographic evidence of the revolting food has been repeatedly posted on this thread.
Treating these as "humor" could be one of the reasons for UA's dead last ranking for consumer satisfaction. And maybe even those DOT complaints. And the declining traffic numbers. And repeated bludgeoning in the press by outraged passengers. It's just conjecture, of course, but it's worth a thought.
Originally Posted by
fastair
And I've flown premium intl long haul other than UA. LH and AA. It was AA that I experienced food poisoning symptoms on the 3rd leg [...]. Are you trying to tell me that it was AA's food instead? Now I don't feel so bad for projectile vomiting across their gate room for 30 min.
The additional detail helps here. While violently ill, you remained in a public area, emitting contaminated bodily fluids for 30 minutes. Had I been there, I might have called for medics to help you and so that you would stop emitting bodily fluids in a public area. While I sympathize with you plight, I would think twice about remaining in a crowded public area under such circumstances.
My points were two: First, you seem to confuse food poisoning and illness caused by food contamination. This distinction is likely too subtle for most people, but given your lengthy discourse on food preparation technology and its impact on in-flight food safety, I thought it might be helpful to point out this distinction. It is key to food safety when handling pre-cooked food.
Second, you ought to reserve judgment about other airlines until you've experienced them. You said you had not, which would help explain why you were unaware of the vastly better service ("pampering", if you like) available in the "sub $15K" price range on so many other airlines. In the absence of first hand experience, one might also go on reports from others, many of them posted here. But that's another issue.
I've also been ill from airline food, so I can sympathize. Seeing photos of that awful meal UA serves ex ICN, I'm reminded of how I was unable to eat for 10 hours after doing nothing more than seeing and smelling that food.