Gate Agent Denied Boarding for NonRev Women Wearing Leggings
Mar 30, 2017, 2:34 pm
#376
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 14
Stand by your rules!
It looks like Shannon Watts wanted another 15 minutes of fame to have to start this tweet! The fault lies with the person who gave the non-rev tickets to the girls, by not making it clear what is expected by way of dress, decorum, etc. I hope United does not back down in any manner. When will people learn that you cannot just bend the rules to suit your fancy. Stay strong.
Mar 30, 2017, 2:43 pm
#377
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton ♦ , Hyatt Carbonado, Wyndham ♦, Marriott PE, "Stinking Bum" elsewhere.
Posts: 5,000
On my flight today, the FAs were talking about this and are really PO'd about Shannon Watts making trouble for them.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 30, 2017 at 4:38 pm Reason: OT content removed
Mar 30, 2017, 3:50 pm
#378
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,847
The real issue here isn't 'fake news', it's how UA dealt with a complaint about an employee enforcing a stale rule. However you slice it, there's TONS of consensus on this point...
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 30, 2017 at 4:37 pm Reason: Quote updated to reflect Moderator edit
Mar 30, 2017, 4:05 pm
#380
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BNA
Programs: HH Gold. (Former) UA PP, DL PM, PC Plat
Posts: 8,185
People make mistakes. That doesn't mean that they weren't told the rules. It's not usually a bid deal. The agent points it out and the pass rider goes and changes. That's usually the end of it.
Mar 30, 2017, 4:16 pm
#381
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,575
I can see it now - travelers in your second group trying to make a purchase decision: "well, UA has the best price and/or the only nonstop to where I'm going, but since they aren't hip and they are mean to their employees and won't let them wear leggings, I'll pay more/have a less convenient trip."
Right.
Right.
Of course I don't really expect this situation to cause serious financial woes for United. It's possible that by tomorrow, some other story about someone being treated poorly on AA or DL will emerge. Airlines stories trend to the negative, and even Southwest has mostly abandoned its former position as a unique brand that tried to be different.
(Not that this justifies United harassing teenagers about leggings.)
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 30, 2017 at 4:59 pm Reason: Using symbols, spaces or other methods to mask vulgarities is not allowed.
Mar 30, 2017, 5:04 pm
#382
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: YVR TLS
Programs: Air France Flying Blue, Altitude SE-100k, AAdvantage, United Mileage Plus, WS rewards, BonVoy Titan
Posts: 913
when you leave it up to the GA discretion, it can turn ugly fast, they have been on a long shift, been harassed by pax on previous flight, missed coffee break due flight IROPS, then this young 10 year old shows up with leggins, ah...she's not boarding come hell or high water, besides Im cranky today
...just sayin'
...just sayin'
Mar 30, 2017, 5:18 pm
#383
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BNA
Programs: HH Gold. (Former) UA PP, DL PM, PC Plat
Posts: 8,185
The 10-yr old was a revenue passenger who was just fine with what she was wearing. Her parents apparently overhead, and misunderstood, the conversation between the agent and the two pass riders who were teenagers.
Mar 30, 2017, 5:35 pm
#384
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: YVR TLS
Programs: Air France Flying Blue, Altitude SE-100k, AAdvantage, United Mileage Plus, WS rewards, BonVoy Titan
Posts: 913
OK, well then it must have been such a dust-up rather than done discretely even rev pax were freaking, Im sure UA wished the GA would have just booked off for this flight...
Mar 30, 2017, 6:22 pm
#385
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,613
I understand the angst when we are discussing how UA sticks it to its customers, because sometimes, I have some of that angst. Why a UA policy that has no impact whatsoever on the UA customer base has so many people up in arms is simply amazing.
Mar 30, 2017, 7:28 pm
#386
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
Programs: FOTSG Tangerine Ex E35k (AC)
Posts: 5,612
At this point, I'm not sure the facts matter to some people here.
I understand the angst when we are discussing how UA sticks it to its customers, because sometimes, I have some of that angst. Why a UA policy that has no impact whatsoever on the UA customer base has so many people up in arms is simply amazing.
I understand the angst when we are discussing how UA sticks it to its customers, because sometimes, I have some of that angst. Why a UA policy that has no impact whatsoever on the UA customer base has so many people up in arms is simply amazing.
That said, it would have been good for UA to mention this at check-in
Assuming they DID some sort of check-in, I'm assuming even without checked baggage one has to see an agent to get a BP without actually paying. No experience of this.
Mar 30, 2017, 8:17 pm
#387
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,358
Wow, this thread and story REALLY took off! 
+1 Exactly!
Not sure if this was already posted, but this Op-Ed on CNN.com gets it pretty much right in my opinion:
"United Airlines was right to bar leggings"
To answer your question - media sensationalism. I've seen this appear on the national news (in Canada) not to mention all the online sites. It's been completely blown out of proportion imho, people focus on the fact they were denied boarding, the fact that they weren't paying much if anything (taxes?) for the ticket seem to be glossed over.
Not sure if this was already posted, but this Op-Ed on CNN.com gets it pretty much right in my opinion:
"United Airlines was right to bar leggings"
Mar 31, 2017, 2:07 am
#388
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,712
Instead they tried to beat their customers into submission with an obscure CoC provision, which, if interpreted as United's original tweet would let any rational person believe, means any random GA can suddenly decide to ruin your vacation if they don't like what you're wearing.
Mar 31, 2017, 7:27 am
#389
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,092
The team running that Twitter account likely at that point in time had no access to specifics of the situation but is instructed to respond within a narrow time window. Twitter is kind of a trap for companies because of how quick and decisive your response must be. You can't fine tune your response the way you would have in the days where your primary means of communicating the company's position would have been via press release or comments made by a spokesperson to a reporter.
Mar 31, 2017, 8:09 am
#390
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
The team running that Twitter account likely at that point in time had no access to specifics of the situation but is instructed to respond within a narrow time window. Twitter is kind of a trap for companies because of how quick and decisive your response must be. You can't fine tune your response the way you would have in the days where your primary means of communicating the company's position would have been via press release or comments made by a spokesperson to a reporter.