FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Two UA pilots arrested for suspected intoxication prior to GLA-EWR; flight canceled
Old Aug 4, 2019, 11:51 am
  #21  
GreigM
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Scotland / New York City
Programs: United 1K, United 1MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 31
I was on the EWR->GLA flight last night. Keep in mind this was the first flight to GLA since the arrests, so the crew needed to fly the plane home were suddenly brought in and of course they needed seats in BF - and there weren't enough.

A call was put out at boarding time if any of the BF passengers voluteered to fly coach then they would receive a $5000 travel certificate. Also keep in mind this is a hugely overpriced route (oftern priced at $10,000+ for a return from the UA website) then what seems like a very generous offer might not be so generous. No passengers came forward. The gate agent didn't wait around and 2 minutes later a name was called. From that point an extremely heated discussion took place as a paying passenger ot bumped from first into a middle economy seat. Even worse - it was to perform a ferry flight on the plane, so it wasn't waiting for passengers.

From a PR point of view I thought that bumping BF passengers for such an obvious and negative reason was a poor decision - let the plane wait a few more hours.
GreigM is offline