teeceedee

Flight: 8/4 LAX to IAH

First interaction:
Boarding with G1, see a uniformed employee cut directly in front of me and scan a boarding pass. She's carrying a purse, a carry on, a roller bag, and a pillow. Proceeds to the back of the plane. This seems to violate the two carry on rule, but I brush it off.

Second interaction:
I settle into my seat (E+). A different person asks for my boarding pass. He is not in uniform, but he is wearing a United lanyard with a "Known Crewmember" badge. I show him my seat and he confirms it is correct. He then goes on and says 'that's odd, I was promised an empty row'. Sits down with his SO in the middle seat (I am window).

For the entire 3.5 hour flight, they were nuzzling, kissing, and being BEDROOM level affectionate. There were times I was almost certain his tongue was in her ear. I could even hear the kissing / suction sounds every once in awhile over the engine noise as I was trying to read.

This was extremely distracting - I don't mind PDA, but to be stuck in a window seat next to this for 3.5 hours had my blood boiling. I even stared long enough for them to notice, and I think they got the hint - only to return to their behavior 5 minutes later. It only stopped after the lights came on and we landed.

There will be some who say I should've addressed it up front. Perhaps.

My question is - should I be upset about this? Does the fact that it was a United employee matter?

zrs70

Not sure what to make of the first issue. I don't think it's a big deal.

The second issue? I think in a few weeks you'll look back on it and laugh. Think if it as free ife!

warakorn

If the person has no uniform on (UA FA or UA gate agent) and that person is not claiming your seat, why would you show him your boarding pass?

garykung

No for #1. Yes for #2.

Yes.

IIRC, the #1 employee is either NRSP or active flight crew for your flight. Active and NRSP crews are not subject to typical carry-on rule. Due to their statuses, they are usually given special treatments.

On the other hand, the #2 employee traveled as NRSA. The KCM (Known Crewmember) barcode crews from regular screening. However, as a NRSA traveler, the employee must adhere the UA's policies at all time or otherwise subjects to disciplinary actions.

Attempt to join the MHC is not one of the UA's policies.

PTahCha

I ask for a BP when I suspect someone is not in the right seat (namely, mine). And I'm not even an employee, although I've been accused of being one.

teeceedee

Helpful information. I guess the combination of being asked for my BP (which I showed without thinking) and the realization of WHY he wanted a row to himself, coupled with the 3 hrs of sitting there awkwardly started to upset me.

teeceedee

Saw the badge and didn't think, just reflex. His BP was for the aisle seat of the same row

CHOPCHOP767

#1 - brush off.

#2 - my oh my!

My SO usually pops a Xanax or something else from the lazy-susan before flying, so this would never be an issue for us; and we're not airline employees. While, I can't imagine a smooch session on an airplane, seeing how the trend seems to be to treat airplanes like your living room, I can't say I'm surprised by this; though I too would be uncomfortable.

There must be something in UA's Policy that proscribes conduct while traveling on passes. In my past FF days with UA, I seem to recall that there was even a dress code for NRSA flyers because there would always be a swarm of khaki and polo-shirt clad individuals nervously hovering around the gate near departure, often with UA credentials displayed. Not sure if that's the case any-more. Still, there must be something in there about PDA/professional appearance/conduct, etc.

BearX220

I'm familiar with the Delta code of conduct for NRSA employees and families, etc. flying on buddy passes. It is explicit and pretty fierce, on everything from dress code, to how you behave in the gate area while watching the standby list, to allowable eating and drinking inflight. I would be surprised if UA's is much different, and I am sure a 2000-mile makeout session would be in flagrant violation.

MSPeconomist

Even demanding to see a revenue passenger's boarding pass and then commenting to the effect that they're disappointed to find a customer in their row is at least borderline inappropriate. In fact, I'm not sure nonrevs are supposed to display their airline IDs in public after getting past airport security.

I know that on DL, nonrevs aren't allowed to ask revenue passengers to swap seats and they're also not supposed to criticize their own seating assignments.

The overriding most important principle is not to disturb, annoy, or inconvenience the airline's paying passengers.

teeceedee

He didn't demand, in his defense, just asked. I assumed he was a confused passenger until I saw the badge after the fact.

I just wanted to make sure I baselined with FT or understand if my annoyance was justified

Kacee

I would already have written to 1kvoice (making clear I was not seeking compensation).

catocony

Did you say anything to the two who were kissing, or brought it up to an FA? If not, then you should be upset with yourself for not doing so.

CHOPCHOP767

I'm sure OP didn't want to put themselves in the position of policing other pax behavior, especially from a window seat on a 2K mile ride. FA probably should have said something, but that's OBE. OP should just drop a note to UA and as Kacee suggested stating in no uncertain terms that compensation is not sought.

mherdeg

I will admit to having done the first half of this as a revenue passenger — my wife and I once flew EuroBiz on a transcon (21AC with no one assigned to 21B) and a passenger happily settled herself in 21B. When queried ("Yes, I'm in 21B" "Are you suuure?"), she produced a boarding pass for 21B for her prior flight then noticed that her onward boarding pass was 20B and re-seated herself.

In fact, come to think of it, as a revenue pax I have even done #2! My wife and I once flew in 21AC another time with 21B unassigned and -- (a) the pax in 21E demanded any aisle seat, while the FA brushed her off and said that none were available but she would let her know if any became available; then -- (b) just before takeoff, a pax came up from 26D to 21B, saying that they had told a FA they were claustrophobic and had demanded a seat with more room and had been told to take 21B. This baffled us and we asked the FA to confirm; the FA said, yes, this was what they had done. We flew in 21ABC with some confusion, definitely having asked to see a boarding pass and expressed our surprise at seeing someone in the middle (which I see here is bad manners coming from an NRSA?).

Still not sure why in that latter case the FA didn't swap the pax in 21E with the pax in 26D -- seemed like they both had what the other wanted?.