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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 Dec 18, 2018, 7:44 pm
  #2131  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: UA GS ,QF Plat
Posts: 686
Red face

Originally Posted by LIH
I have both showed up to the wrong airport as well as on the wrong day (or conversely having booked the wrong day without noticing it) and I found that a healthy dose of self-deprecation in those moments is the only path to a positive resolution. Same goes for the handful of times in my life I have woken up in a hotel room several hours past my ETD.
I have booked a number of flights over the years ...in my head but forgot to inform UA of the arrangements..........never felt they were accountable for that ,seems like a situation for grovelling not yelling at someone
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Old Dec 18, 2018, 7:55 pm
  #2132  
 
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Originally Posted by wanderingkev
I have booked a number of flights over the years ...in my head but forgot to inform UA
Never done that for a flight, but did do that for a hotel one time. Hotels.com saved me when I realized it a day before I left.

That being said, I have also mixed up DCA and IAD
I have a fear of doing that, but havent yet.
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Old Dec 18, 2018, 9:06 pm
  #2133  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
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Posts: 7,058
What about booking a round trip flights but the wrong direction?
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Old Dec 18, 2018, 9:57 pm
  #2134  
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Originally Posted by LIH
I have both showed up to the wrong airport as well as on the wrong day (or conversely having booked the wrong day without noticing it) and I found that a healthy dose of self-deprecation in those moments is the only path to a positive resolution. Same goes for the handful of times in my life I have woken up in a hotel room several hours past my ETD.
^

This is right up there with "HUACA" on the list of best FT advice ever.

I'm thinking of the time I left my rollaboard in the overhead on HKG-SFO, didn't realize until I was already at baggage claim. Pleaded mercy, they called the gate, and one of the FAs brought it through immigration for me.
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Old Dec 18, 2018, 11:37 pm
  #2135  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
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At EWR Enterprise rental car booth a few weeks ago:

Enterprise agent: "Hello. Do you have a reservation?"

Me: ....pause.....eventually: "I don't know. I can't remember."
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 2:42 am
  #2136  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
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Originally Posted by big V
This is going back several years, but I've never forgotten the incident.

Checking bag at DCA for an international itin. Guy saunters up to the premiere lane, wife and kid in stroller hanging back. The guy says, "We are checking in for the flight to Denver." The Agent looks at him, a bit puzzled, and says, "We don't have any flights to Denver, sir. Perhaps you have a connection?"

Guy immediately gets huffy, saying he knows where he's going, etc. So the agent asks for his itin, looks at it, and then says, "Sir, you're at the wrong airport. Your flight leaves from Dulles."

Guy proceeds to go ballistic, starts yelling at the agent, telling her that he's elite, their best customer, gives them hundreds of thousands in business every year, and by God she better get him to Denver." His wife looked like she wanted to get swallowed up by a giant crack in the earth, but this DYKWIA was not going to be deterred and continued his ranting and demands. I left before I could see the resolution.

I felt awful for the agent and was thisclose to saying, "Sir, you're the one who showed up at the wrong airport. Perhaps you should be a bit nicer." But was reminded of the incident a colleague had recently told me about. She was checking in in the Elite lane and a similarly entitled DYKWIA showed up super-late for an international itin, yelling for everyone to get out of their way and for the agents at the check-in desk to hold the plane for them. When my little old lady colleague (truly a little old lady, about 5 ft tall and so kind and mild mannered) looked at him and said "Perhaps you should have strived to arrive to the airport on time for your flight," this DYKWIA made a fist, cocked his hand, and barely refrained from belting her.

I truly feel for UA staff who not only have to deal with entitled DYKWIAs, but those who become enraged enough to be dangerous.
In fairness, did United tell him the right airport to be at?

United sells tickets with hidden airport transfers...
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 3:01 am
  #2137  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
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Originally Posted by raehl311
In fairness, did United tell him the right airport to be at?

United sells tickets with hidden airport transfers...
Im confused, you buy a ticket from a specific airport to a different specific airport. Many cities have more than one airport. Example: EWR, JFK, LGA, not sure how someone gets confused. If youre so clueless as to not know what airport youre departing from, its difficult to feel too much sympathy, particularly if you then start attacking the GA. To me its simply about personal responsibility and its not incumbent on any airline to compensate for someone not showing up at the correct airport at the right day and time.
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 5:25 am
  #2138  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
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Originally Posted by narvik
At EWR Enterprise rental car booth a few weeks ago:

Enterprise agent: "Hello. Do you have a reservation?"

Me: ....pause.....eventually: "I don't know. I can't remember."
(More than once...)

Cheerful Hertz check-in guy: "So where you flying today ?"

Me: Umm, not sure - let me check

That was a bit of a crazy time in my life
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 5:52 am
  #2139  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
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Originally Posted by OverTheHorizon
(More than once...)

Cheerful Hertz check-in guy: "So where you flying today ?"

Me: Umm, not sure - let me check

That was a bit of a crazy time in my life
Must be a Lancashire thing I took my Hertz car back to Avis a couple of weeks ago
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Old Dec 19, 2018, 6:41 am
  #2140  
 
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Originally Posted by wanderingkev
Must be a Lancashire thing I took my Hertz car back to Avis a couple of weeks ago
LOL more of an age thing - last month I took my Heathrow-rented car back to Gatwick
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 7:30 pm
  #2141  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Boarded IAH-SYD, my favourite seat 6D on 787-9. Lady in 6E wants me to swap with her husband, I quickly refuse, suggesting that she could swap with her husbands seatmate instead. Immediate tantrum calling me rude. Not a millennial, at least in 50s. Her husband manages to switch up to 6B, and sits there & calls me a tool many times. I then hear that they have children back in coach+ who have trouble with the AVOD & need personal attention. She made sure to tell me she was GS. I fear for the future.
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 7:52 pm
  #2142  
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Originally Posted by kirkwoodj
Boarded IAH-SYD, my favourite seat 6D on 787-9. Lady in 6E wants me to swap with her husband, I quickly refuse, suggesting that she could swap with her husbands seatmate instead. Immediate tantrum calling me rude. Not a millennial, at least in 50s. Her husband manages to switch up to 6B, and sits there & calls me a tool many times. I then hear that they have children back in coach+ who have trouble with the AVOD & need personal attention. She made sure to tell me she was GS. I fear for the future.
What did you say? I certainly would have spoken my mind if someone kept calling me rude and a tool.
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 7:58 pm
  #2143  
 
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Originally Posted by LIH
I have both showed up to the wrong airport as well as on the wrong day (or conversely having booked the wrong day without noticing it) and I found that a healthy dose of self-deprecation in those moments is the only path to a positive resolution. Same goes for the handful of times in my life I have woken up in a hotel room several hours past my ETD.
I totally agree: I go through phases where once a year I will initially sit in the wrong seat maybe 3 times in a month and then revert to double-checking my seat 3-4 times after I sit down to make sure it is correct. Self-deperecation and a sense of humor is key. So far (fingers crossed) people have been very understanding!
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 8:28 pm
  #2144  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Originally Posted by kirkwoodj
Boarded IAH-SYD, my favourite seat 6D on 787-9. Lady in 6E wants me to swap with her husband, I quickly refuse, suggesting that she could swap with her husbands seatmate instead. Immediate tantrum calling me rude. Not a millennial, at least in 50s. Her husband manages to switch up to 6B, and sits there & calls me a tool many times. I then hear that they have children back in coach+ who have trouble with the AVOD & need personal attention. She made sure to tell me she was GS. I fear for the future.
GS? So presumably flies a fair bit and is incapable of sitting beside a stranger? No harm in asking and you replied. Should have been the end of the conversation.

I too would not swap from 6D or 6E, especially as those middle seats are made for people not travelling together.

if in her 50s, then unless IVF babies or surrogate pregnancy, children should have been perfectly capable of working the technology. Also, interesting she could not sit without her husband (who switched into a good seat!) but she did not feel the need for a parent to sit with one of the "children".

Sure she was GS and not GE?

I am not sure how I would respond if someone kept calling me a tool, but guess headphones would go a long way.
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Old Dec 21, 2018, 9:07 pm
  #2145  
 
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Originally Posted by enviroian
What did you say? I certainly would have spoken my mind if someone kept calling me rude and a tool.
"You would know!" is often a good response for such situations.

Seriously, perhaps that's not the best of ideas. With someone talking and behaving that way, you already know that they're at least a big unhinged. Do you really want to escalate the situation, where you're going to be confined in a small space with them for 17+ hours, just to "stand your ground?" The way I look at such situations is that with that sort of attitude, they probably live a fairly miserable life, often being upset about whatever situation they're in. My revenge is knowing that I'm living a life well lived, not constantly being upset about things like that.

Last edited by Steve M; Dec 21, 2018 at 9:55 pm
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