UA Pilot Diverts to Remove Autistic Child From Plane for Safety Reasons
May 11, 2015, 6:18 pm
#151
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,691
PR disaster for United, here's one headline:
Passengers Shout "Leave Her Alone!" As United Airlines Removes Girl With Autism From Flight
Passengers Shout "Leave Her Alone!" As United Airlines Removes Girl With Autism From Flight
w that's a bad article, failing even the most basic details of the story:"an Oregon family was forced to evacuate a United Airlines flight during a layover in Houston"
May 11, 2015, 6:41 pm
#152
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: DL Diamond and MM, UA 1K, Marriott LTT
Posts: 133
The FA's primary responsibility is the safety of the passengers. I do not care of the FA did not cater to the mother in a manner acceptable to her or other ignorant passengers.
I am pleased the FA focused on the needs of the many over the selfish mother.
The mother's lack of planning should not become anyone's emergency.
I am pleased the FA focused on the needs of the many over the selfish mother.
The mother's lack of planning should not become anyone's emergency.
May 11, 2015, 7:02 pm
#153
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 5,662
For all those angrily and absolutely defending UA, I'm curious about something: Suppose the family had been thoroughly prepared with a hot meal in an insulated bag, and some terrible thief had surreptitiously stolen it from them prior to boarding. If all the other facts alleged by Mom were the same (i.e. family notices no meal, panics, asks to buy hot meal, gets cold sandwich, asks to buy hot F meal, gets rejected, then tells FA daughter might scratch if doesn't get hot meal, gets meal, everyone is calm and happy, plane diverts to SLC), would UA still be justified in diverting?
Again, look at what she said she said, in her own words. Because, with what she did, she didn't "tell FA daughter might scratch" - she threatened a "meltdown" with scratching and other violence.
May 11, 2015, 7:11 pm
#154
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 5,662
I had suggested cup-of-soup earlier. All they would have needed was hot water. It doesn't go bad. Given what they know (kid gets cranky when blood sugar is low, requires hot food) I don't see how her parents wouldn't have that stuff in their bags at all times.
May 11, 2015, 7:16 pm
#155
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,691
Do you really want to give a cup of hot noodles/water to someone threatening a meltdown in a confined area? Do we know if ramen was part of the kid's regular diet?
May 11, 2015, 7:23 pm
#156
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 67
I didn't partake, and cannot entirely trust my the palate of my then 10 and 13 year olds. But JAL's Ramen de Sky looked like the standard dry kind (which we limited at home because they are hazardous to your health). Yes, of course, the mom should have had her own noodles or instant rice bowls. But she didn't and the FA could have stepped up with empathic customer service and averted the drama - and the horrendous publicity.
May 11, 2015, 7:28 pm
#157
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 67
Last edited by dutyfree; May 11, 2015 at 8:04 pm
May 11, 2015, 7:42 pm
#158
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: DL Diamond and MM, UA 1K, Marriott LTT
Posts: 133
I didn't partake, and cannot entirely trust my the palate of my then 10 and 13 year olds. But JAL's Ramen de Sky looked like the standard dry kind (which we limited at home because they are hazardous to your health). Yes, of course, the mom should have had her own noodles or instant rice bowls. But she didn't and the FA could have stepped up with empathic customer service and averted the drama - and the horrendous publicity.
It is the mother's responsibility to understand the needs of her child, especially on during travel.
May 11, 2015, 7:55 pm
#159
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: Delta skymiles DM + 1MM
Posts: 8,144
it seems that UA's answer is always to divert and let someone else deal with the issue at hand. UA needs to better train its flight attendants and pilots. Apparently Delta had no problem flying the young girl and her family back home, shame on UA. United definitely could have done more to comfort this family and to ensure they made it home...with this, they epically failed. Shame on this UA flight crew.
May 11, 2015, 7:59 pm
#160
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 67
According to the passengers on the plane (including one on this thread), the girl never was a threat to anyone. What happened, in fact, was a miscommunication between the FA and the pilot. This was apparent when the paramedics boarded the plane and asked who had been scratched. A over-the-top reaction according to multiple witnesses.
Last edited by dutyfree; May 11, 2015 at 8:31 pm
May 11, 2015, 8:20 pm
#161
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: BOS
Posts: 814
Diverting the plane in this case was unneeded and wasted time of every passenger onboard.
May 11, 2015, 8:21 pm
#162
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 5,662
According to the passengers on the plane (including one on this thread), the girl never threatened anyone. What happened, in fact, was a miscommunication between the FA and the pilot. This was apparent when the paramedics boarded the plane and asked who had been scratched. A over-the-top reaction according to multiple witnesses.
May 11, 2015, 8:28 pm
#163
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Newport Coast, CA
Posts: 498
I have been amazed over the last couple of days watching network news coverage of this, and presenting only the family's version of events. ABC was the worst, all family whining and no opinions from other passengers I saw on other newscasts supporting the actions of United. I guess that wouldn't make it so interesting.
May 11, 2015, 8:28 pm
#164
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Stockholm, Sweden + Austin, Tx
Programs: "But, I'm a GLOBALIST guest...."
Posts: 2,848
In high school there was the short bus, does this not exist for commercial airlines? Seems like events like this are constantly coming up in the news.
May 11, 2015, 8:31 pm
#165
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,691
Hmm....this was meant to be tongue in cheek, especially because it's doubtful that UA will adopt JAL's in-flight cuisine. But the answer to your question, from a parent who has succumbed and let young kids eat noodles, is that you wait for them to cool off, and pour off the liquid, if necessary. (Of course we exclusively served the healthy ones.)
it seems that UA's answer is always to divert and let someone else deal with the issue at hand. UA needs to better train its flight attendants and pilots. Apparently Delta had no problem flying the young girl and her family back home, shame on UA. United definitely could have done more to comfort this family and to ensure they made it home...with this, they epically failed. Shame on this UA flight crew.
The mother did, according to her own statements.