since today is my day to vent on the old c2000 UA, this recalls one of my classic stories about the "old bad" UA.

in 2000 i had a morning meeting in DEN I had schedualed with about 20 folks flying in, and I needed to leave that am for DEN from SFO, so I went to book myself on the 6a flight which at the time was a 757. Sold out, but they would let me buy a F seat, which I did. Anyway, crew did not show (2000 remember) and they had an oversold plane not going anywhere, and I had to get to DEN, so I went over to the next flight's gate, which was a 733 and it was already oversold before the spill over and I was told I could go Y- if they had a seat, but I was no 95 or so on the WL.... Next flight the same thing...

Its about 7:30 by now and the 200+ passangers on SFO-DEN are about to riot, so they announce they are doing a metal substitution. So in pulls this 744 at 8 a.m., total chaos. I get a C boarding pass eventually and then the gate agent tells me I can't take on my roll-away as I have it, my top bag and my computer bag (remember c2000) tells me how stupid I am and should just check my baggage, and that UA will not let me on with three bags - first i've heard this in 100K miles with the same luggage and he tells me I can't board unless he tags my bag. So he tags my bag, I rip it off on the jet way, and of course in lower deck C you can put my bag and an entire family traveling in Y overhead...

Anyway we leave three hours late with no one in F, about 30 in C, and everyone else in Y. No meal as no food got loaded. I still think it was cheesy for them not to fill up F given the circimstances, and UA never answered my complaint letter.

that and a NW 332 in place of the usual 752 DTW to SFO last summer when they were having their pilot issues are my ownly "upgrades" in a lot of flying.