cbn42

I don't see any indication that the religion of the FA had anything to do with it. She may have simply not wanted someone else's finger to touch the top of the can, regardless of their religion.

No, we are talking about racially insensitive comments. The underlying issue is not important.

It's not unfair at all. United is contracting with Shuttle America to fly planes on their behalf. This service is marketed under the United brand. The company whose brand is being used is responsible for the service. This is similar to McDonald's being responsible for how their franchisees run their restaurants. United could specify standards in their contract about this type of thing if they wanted to.

saizai

FWIW, I usually get unopened cans when I ask for just a can of soda (no ice no cup), including on UA. I store them, unopened, in the seat pocket until I want to drink it. If I have extra when leaving, then that's more liquids for afterwards, which is good.

On weaponry: a hard-sided water bottle (among many other perfectly legal things) would be a better weapon than a soda can, at least as a bludgeon. I find it hard to imagine using one as an IED that would cause more than damage than a stain, but maybe someone more creative than I can show otherwise.

I'd like to know whether there is any actual policy about this. I'd guess the only real policy is that they open things so that you don't intentionally get extra to take with you because that would cost them more than just giving you free drinks on the flight. (Basically, the "all you can eat buffet" rule of "no takeouts".)

DesertNomad

I flew FRA-SFO yesterday and without asking for the can, was given an unopened can of Coke twice during the flight... along with a plastic cup of ice. The two german ladies sitting next to me also received unopened cans of drinks. This was on a 100% full 747.

warreng24

+1

At a minimum I hope this causes UA to rethink its current trend of outsourcing to subcontractors. These.subs are representing the brand and UA has little control over how the brand is represented.

I expect more stories like this as more outstations are being outsourced.

wolf72

What is wrong with this airline? It's in the news every friggin week!

hughw

If that's the issue...sorry, A passenger can buy unopened cans after security and bring them on a plane with no problem....maybe UA has a general policy of opening cans as sometimes a can can get shaken up and spray around. But I can't see any reason for REFUSING to give someone an unopened can...I can recall several times that I've purchased a drink in a can from a vendor where I've felt it prudent to wipe the top of the can before opening....big deal. If a passenger has a religious reason, a cleanliness fetish, or whatever; they should be able to do it....period. And for those that didn't read the article carefully, the man next to her was given an unopened can of beer. There's little doubt in my mind that for some reason, the FA had a thing about this woman, even saying that SHE could use it as a weapon, rather than saying that SOMEONE could use it as a weapon.

And this wasn't just anyone everyday muslim. This was a woman that was a Muslim chaplain and director of interfaith engagement at Northwestern University, was born India but grew up in the US, had worked to promote engagement between Israeli and Palestinian youth, and had sparked outrage among Islamic conservatives when she became the first woman to recite the Quran at the Islamic Society of North America convention.

United should issue a prompt and public apology and take concrete steps with their employees and with UnitedEX carriers that wear the UA uniform to prevent acts like this from happening again.

The guy across the aisle? A jerk, but it's too bad that other passengers and UA didn't upbraid him for his comments.

ani90

Many airports do not sell canned drinks beyond security. But of course you could buy a solid heavy bottle of whisky instead

LilAbner

I feel sorry for a lot of people in the world, but shedding a tear for a dumb f/a that made an a$$ out of herself, and by her own admission needs to work on her attitude towards her customers, isn't one of them.

Before I retired, the company that I worked for would fire you in a N.Y. minute if you brought any (I mean ANY) discredit or embarrassment to them. I.e. - Front page CNN story about not giving a can of soda to a passenger, especially a Muslim, that paid for her ticket and only wanted something that everyone else could have. If this employee is that stupid, all of the "cover your a$$" excuses ain't gonna mean much when "UNITED AIRLINES causes a Muslim woman to cry because she can't have a soda can weapon on a flight" is flashing in your face on cnn.com on a Sunday morning.

This story will be played out, probably for years, because she has some major pol clout in D.C, where ironically she was headed, and she's gonna use it.


Again, BOTTOM LINE --- as Base has indicated over and over, it's a subed-out UA company and their employee that made this into a major issue. UA has the power to put their foot down on these wanna-bee BIG airline f/a's that make them look terrible on a weekly basis, as of late, and have caused them mucho bad ink, over and over.

EXAMPLE TIME for other employees to observe --- Immediate "Pink Slips" for "Stupid, Slip of the Tongue" remarks to customers!!!

GUWonder

Yours would be a fabricated story, for there is no claim by any of the involved parties that the FA's religion had anything to do with it.

As Muslim bigotry against Muslims of the same or other ethnicities/denominations/practices exists too, how do you know the FA wasn't Muslim? Either way, the religion of the FA doesn't matter, as the offended passenger was offended regardless of the FA's religion (if any).

The FA denying an unopened can to one passenger while giving a near-equally-heavy unopened can to a neighboring passenger and claiming it's being done because the can is more of a weapon when used by the female passenger than when used by the male passenger is a sign that the FA is nuts, bigoted or, more likely, both nutty and bigoted.

Perhaps the FA will be canned over the can practice. I wouldn't want the FA caned, Singapore-style, over a can; but if the employer cans the FA, I'm not sure why it should bother me.

CO_Nonrev_elite

It's not just the express Employees, I've seen this crap plenty on mainline with both PMUA and PMCO crews.

CDKing

Diet coke is a weapon but mainly harms the person consuming the numerous chemicals it contains.

Upgraded!

My initial thought on the soda vs. beer discrepancy was that UA/partners only gives a full soda on request (since it's free), and therefore FAs are trained to open and pour, while beer is paid for on a per-can basis and the passenger is entitled to the entire can regardless.

There's also the possibility that UA doesn't like giving out unopened cans of carbonated beverages (especially dark) since it would be the FAs who have to deal with the complaints of an aisle and window pax when the middle pax gets the unopened can, drops it, then promptly opens it, spewing soda everywhere.

steaminer

I almost always get unopened drinks, so this is definitely a FA making things up

Widgets

^

People blame "United" when contracted United baggage handlers (Skywest, Simplicity, etc.) misload a bag.

People blame "United" when a Skywest-employed gate agent is rude.

People should then blame "United" for rude flight attendants on "United" flights.

mduell

Hmm, I don't see that on UAX, could you link to a photo of that?

So many obvious failings of this "logic", from alliance liveries to retro liveries.