Indelaware

The mainstream media, both in the US and aboard are horrible reporters, IMO, of aviation news.

If that's the case, make sure you book those AA flights to arrive at least 24 - if not 36 or 48 hours - in advance. All airlines are prone to have stuff (and even multiple stuff) happening.

By breakfast, I meant breakfast at 9am. I wouldn't expect to be fed at midnight; that's six hours past dinner. A fine time to sleep, but not a good time to eat.

aCavalierInCoach

Is anyone truly surprised by UA's inability to deliver effective communication here?

I don't know - very little of my experience with the Company over the past 3 years has suggested anything beyond the minimum level of competence at any non technical (pilot/mech) level, and sometimes they're short of that. The idea that they have a corporate culture and structure that would empower someone to go speak for the airline - a situation in which no one had a clue what was going on - in this situation is ludicrous to me. They SHOULD but they don't, and that's not surprising given their broader track record. The idea that absent that structure someone would take the risk of stepping into the breach and tell the passenger's what's actually going on (a case in which a passenger "revolt" in response to the news would be possible) is likewise just as silly. Better to just keep them in the dark and hope the situation doesn't get any worse than it is (which is already pretty bad).

That's a really long-winded way of saying: if someone asked someone about this kind of situation as a hypothetical, and that person had been a customer of this disaster of an airline over the last few years, they probably would have described exactly what transpired. Truly disappointing, but pretty much par for the course.

halls120

Over the last several weeks, AA has had a better record of completing flights and being on time. I'm pretty confident my choice is the correct one.

kettle1

UA and Goose Bay Canada seem to know each other pretty well with 150 flts a year diverting there. It seems mainly for medial emergencies or fuel.

Since this is the case - UA should (like I said up-thread) do the same thing cruise lines do. Have a "local" from Goose Bay handle things. This person would be in contact with HQ in Chicago and give the PAX real time info. They would also have Skype, WI-FI hot spots, food access, etc available for the PAX.

The Canadian Military really deserve praise on this event, which UA could have "fixed" in about six hours by sending another AC to Goose Bay and flying everyone to LONDON ENGLAND.

Instead, UA got a replacement plane there in 20 hours and flew the PAX to EWR. Simply brilliant, mate.

UA screwed this one up. The media sure thinks so, and it has been broadcast everywhere. Right or wrong 99.99% of the people that heard about this from the media now think UA sucks on handling problems.

UA under this current management team could care less about bad PR, doing the right thing, and taking care of the PAX that paid good money to fly to LONDON not backwards to The Garden State.

I was not on this flt, but I would like to thank the people in Goose Bay Canada for stepping up to the plate and helping the PAX that were on this UA flt. ^ to the Canadian Military, as well. to United Continental Holdings, Inc. on this one.

If I ran my business like the "new UA" management team, I would be out of business.

nautical

sitting in the LHR lounge now, ready to head back to ORD. it's a new bird this time, so fingers crossed we don't end up in Goose Bay again.

Jane42

Absolutely! Simply letting their customers know what the situation was, on a regular basis, would have given the passengers the feeling that they being taken care of to the best of United's abilities.

The crew were the ONLY United representatives available at the time. If the Union rules do not allow the crew to fraternize with the passengers during an emergency situation, that would concern me. I realize that the passengers were in a safe situation and being taken care of, but having a United rep checking in with them in that 20 hour span should have happened. Have we forgotten that they, too, had been through a rough situation and some reassurance would have been welcomed. As far as the crew needing rest - United could have decided that their job at that time was to take care of THEIR passengers and send a new crew with the next plane. I could be totally off with this, though - I certainly am no expert when it comes to the crews limitations.

LarryJ

There is no such union rule. There is a FAA rule which requires an undisturbed rest period prior to flight during which the crew member can not even be required to answer the phone if the employer calls.

The original plan was for the original crew to go into rest while a recovery airplane was flown in. Once the recovery airplane arrived the passengers and bags were to be transferred to the new airplane and the original crew would continue to flight to the original destination. This ultimately didn't work out because the recovery airplane had its own mechanical issues.

Fredd

This article about UA's most recent (?) diversion leads me to infer that:

1) individuals in this crew were more proactive in terms of addressing passenger concerns, and/or

2) UA management has sent out directives after the Goose Bay PR disaster requesting or authorizing that crew act proactively in such situations.

Not that there still weren't passenger complaints...

Aventine

Good luck nautical! Hope not to hear about another Goose Bay adventure!

TomMM

Were any of the original crew working this flight?

BearX220

Good luck. Your decision to try another UA TATL after what you've endured defines the triumph of hope over experience. Let us know if you make it back.

cfischer

this is insane. When I read their press statements I sure believes they would fly all pax r/t TATL for free. Just refunding this one leg is unbelievably cheap. 25k miles is also an insult.
I sure hope this will get UA some additional bad publicity; they deserve it.

luckypierre

Alternative 2 would surprise me no end. These PR disasters seem to have Zero effect on the course of current United management, which of course supports the observation that they really don't care.

Jane42

Thank you, LarryJ, for clearing that up for me.

Fredd

Agreed - I put them in order of likelihood IMHO.