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DYKWIA stories (Travelling on United Airlines) (Archive)

Old Jan 30, 2024, 12:22 am
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DYKWIA stories (Travelling on United Airlines) (Archive)

Old Jun 11, 2018, 11:26 pm
  #2026  
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Originally Posted by 1120
I'm not exactly sure if this is DYKWIA, but it was crazy.

UA321 yesterday (MCO-IAH) boarding yesterday. There's an older woman in a wheelchair for preboarding. She had nine people with her to "assist" and that's got to be a record. I and the other folks in Group 1 started laughing when we saw the number of people with her. I'd have no problem with two or three people, but nine? Due to ugly IRROPS, I actually got to see this three times.

This was followed by another passenger that tried to preboard with a kid that was at least eight years old. At least the GAs stopped that one.
My husband recently was hit by a car and was wheelchair bound for a while. I will never raise my eyebrows again at the realization that it truly can take a village. How wonderful that this lady had so many people able to help!
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Old Jun 12, 2018, 12:37 am
  #2027  
 
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Originally Posted by zrs70


My husband recently was hit by a car and was wheelchair bound for a while. I will never raise my eyebrows again at the realization that it truly can take a village. How wonderful that this lady had so many people able to help!
I wish your husband the best and I agree that there’s no such thing as too much help after a serious injury.

However, what I saw was a transparent scam to generate multiple preboards. That said, it was actually kind of funny.

I was less amused a couple weeks ago when some joker tried to jump in front of Mrs. 1120 and me on a LX ORD-ZRH flight since he was “in business class.” I made my point fairly clearly that we were also in J.

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Old Jun 12, 2018, 1:14 am
  #2028  
 
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Originally Posted by 1120
I'm not exactly sure if this is DYKWIA, but it was crazy.

UA321 yesterday (MCO-IAH) boarding yesterday. There's an older woman in a wheelchair for preboarding. She had nine people with her to "assist" and that's got to be a record. I and the other folks in Group 1 started laughing when we saw the number of people with her. I'd have no problem with two or three people, but nine? Due to ugly IRROPS, I actually got to see this three times.

This was followed by another passenger that tried to preboard with a kid that was at least eight years old. At least the GAs stopped that one.
Southwest limits the number of helpers. Perhaps United could as well to avoid abuse? This is probably not a big deal though and I can see the humor in their boldness.
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Old Jun 12, 2018, 5:54 am
  #2029  
 
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Originally Posted by 1120
I'm not exactly sure if this is DYKWIA, but it was crazy.

UA321 yesterday (MCO-IAH) boarding yesterday. There's an older woman in a wheelchair for preboarding. She had nine people with her to "assist" and that's got to be a record. I and the other folks in Group 1 started laughing when we saw the number of people with her. I'd have no problem with two or three people, but nine? Due to ugly IRROPS, I actually got to see this three times.

This was followed by another passenger that tried to preboard with a kid that was at least eight years old. At least the GAs stopped that one.
Saw this flying from MSP-ORD on Sunday 7 helpers for 1 lady in a wheelchair. Also a pre-boarder was in row 3 [front row of plane] and I was in row 4, of course once we landed he got up and deplaned then we all had to wait 5 mins while he got settled in his wheelchair on the ramp. Then we could not get around him while they sat in the lane everyone departs from and checked his next BP.

Once flying fro LAX-CLT I saw a pre-boarder with get this 14 people behind her and she was a younger girl on crutches. I think they should be limited to 2 helpers.
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Old Jun 12, 2018, 8:20 am
  #2030  
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Originally Posted by zrs70


My husband recently was hit by a car and was wheelchair bound for a while. I will never raise my eyebrows again at the realization that it truly can take a village. How wonderful that this lady had so many people able to help!
Hope your husband is doing better. On a recent trip, I had to get wheelchair assistance for mother and it was an eye opener into what really is involved. There was no jumping of lines. In fact, we first had to wait an hour for a wheelchair. Then security would only allow two wheelchairs through at a time, so we had to wait another 30 minutes for the wheelchair to get through. And that was just to get through security. And believe me anyone that didn't have to be behind her walking up the jetway was glad she had wheelchair assistance.
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 1:44 pm
  #2031  
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I finally have one I can share...

I'm at the grocery store at home this morning after coming in from a redeye. I needed a few things so I went straight there from the airport, in uniform. At the express checkout lines, a guy cuts in front of me, flashes a MP card and says "I'm a United 1K, surely you don't mind if I go in front of you, right?"

Yes. Yes I do mind.
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 1:49 pm
  #2032  
 
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Originally Posted by fezzington
I finally have one I can share...

I'm at the grocery store at home this morning after coming in from a redeye. I needed a few things so I went straight there from the airport, in uniform. At the express checkout lines, a guy cuts in front of me, flashes a MP card and says "I'm a United 1K, surely you don't mind if I go in front of you, right?"

Yes. Yes I do mind.
You should have requested a drink chit, or miles, in return.
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 1:55 pm
  #2033  
 
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Originally Posted by fezzington
I finally have one I can share...

I'm at the grocery store at home this morning after coming in from a redeye. I needed a few things so I went straight there from the airport, in uniform. At the express checkout lines, a guy cuts in front of me, flashes a MP card and says "I'm a United 1K, surely you don't mind if I go in front of you, right?"

Yes. Yes I do mind.
UN-believable.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jul 14, 2018 at 4:46 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 2:03 pm
  #2034  
 
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Originally Posted by fezzington
I finally have one I can share...

I'm at the grocery store at home this morning after coming in from a redeye. I needed a few things so I went straight there from the airport, in uniform. At the express checkout lines, a guy cuts in front of me, flashes a MP card and says "I'm a United 1K, surely you don't mind if I go in front of you, right?"

Yes. Yes I do mind.
Wait, he wasn't kidding?? Tell me he ended up saying, "Just kidding, I was pulling a DYKWIA" and laughed. For someone to think that that whole elite thing appliesa in a grocery store is beyond the pale.
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 2:17 pm
  #2035  
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Originally Posted by fezzington
I finally have one I can share...

I'm at the grocery store at home this morning after coming in from a redeye. I needed a few things so I went straight there from the airport, in uniform. At the express checkout lines, a guy cuts in front of me, flashes a MP card and says "I'm a United 1K, surely you don't mind if I go in front of you, right?"

Yes. Yes I do mind.
As a 1K with surely plenty of experience at TSA, he should know that crew goes first.

(Seriously, that is unbelievable conduct.)
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 3:41 pm
  #2036  
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Originally Posted by fezzington
I'm at the grocery store at home this morning after coming in from a redeye. I needed a few things so I went straight there from the airport, in uniform. At the express checkout lines, a guy cuts in front of me, flashes a MP card and says "I'm a United 1K, surely you don't mind if I go in front of you, right?"
Please allow me to apologize on behalf of 1Ks everywhere
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 4:35 pm
  #2037  
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This has got to be a joke… right? Riiiiiight?
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Old Jul 15, 2018, 11:12 am
  #2038  
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I wish it had been a joke...

And no, he did not get to cut in front of me

Originally Posted by fumje
As a 1K with surely plenty of experience at TSA, he should know that crew goes first.
Except at like three airports domestically, much to the chagrin of some of my coworkers
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Old Jul 26, 2018, 10:25 am
  #2039  
 
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My seatmate:
I prefer to travel in business class since the people there are more in need of my ministry.

My headphones went on immediately, but I later learned that he was a prominent televangelist.
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Old Jul 30, 2018, 1:44 pm
  #2040  
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Originally Posted by Resonant Programmer
My seatmate:
I prefer to travel in business class since the people there are more in need of my ministry.

My headphones went on immediately, but I later learned that he was a prominent televangelist.
I think I saw this same guy in action on my way ORD > DFW a few weeks ago. I was in 2E and he was in 1F but the poor guy in 1E had to endure the wheels-up-to-wheels-down hard sell. 1E ordered 3 vodka sodas on the relatively short flight to cope.
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