Couple removed from flight to Costa Rica
Apr 17, 2017, 4:29 pm
#181
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 957
As soon as I heard this one I thought- 1) these kids are idiots and/or drunk 2) I am going with UA on this one 3) I hope they eventually get shamed for wanting their 15 minutes of fame through a lie.
Apr 17, 2017, 4:33 pm
#182
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,423
NEVER. In over 2M miles flown (over 1M with UA). Again, I call BS. Self entitled, self upgraders. Glad they were booted off. I also find it odd that nobody else on that plane has any video of the "Marshall" After all that happened with Dr Dao, pax would be all over social media with video of the "poor, cute couple" who were so innocent and got kicked off by a Marshall. Color me skeptical.
Apr 17, 2017, 4:35 pm
#183
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: LIT
Programs: Blinged Out
Posts: 716
More details from Business Insider:
http://www.businessinsider.com/unite...ta-rica-2017-4
Summary:
http://www.businessinsider.com/unite...ta-rica-2017-4
Summary:
- The couple moved from E- to E+
- Declined to pay and refused to move back
- No air marshall or LEO involved
Apr 17, 2017, 4:36 pm
#184
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: fwp blood diamond, dykwia uranium
Posts: 7,251
This honestly brings an interesting question as to why planes don't have CCTVs in the cabin. I mean, buses and subway trains have them and no one complains. Why not airplanes as well?
If a pax gets kicked off for any reason, I want a copy of that tape and the incident to be reviewed. It should easily settle any he-said-she-said situations.
If a pax gets kicked off for any reason, I want a copy of that tape and the incident to be reviewed. It should easily settle any he-said-she-said situations.
Apr 17, 2017, 4:40 pm
#185
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: New York, New York
Programs: AA Gold, Alaska MVP; Free Agent Super Duper Diamond Treasure Chest ;)
Posts: 4,682
UA's current woes are of their own making.
Apr 17, 2017, 4:50 pm
#186
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA *G 1MM LT United Club & Global Entry
Posts: 2,756
I am guessing this couple looked at the seat map before boarding, saw empty E+ seats, and took a chance. When the flight attendant noticed the poaching (the manifest shows pax w/ assigned seats) they came up with the cover story. And WTH United is on it's heels with the other incidents, so why not give it a try.
SL
SL
Apr 17, 2017, 5:12 pm
#187
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,866
The alleged sleeping passenger appears to have been assigned seat 24A. I wonder what that passenger has to say about this.
Has anyone seen any comments from other people on this flight?
And they just so happen to poach the emergency exit row 21B & 21C.
Has anyone seen any comments from other people on this flight?
And they just so happen to poach the emergency exit row 21B & 21C.
Apr 17, 2017, 5:17 pm
#188
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I am guessing this couple looked at the seat map before boarding, saw empty E+ seats, and took a chance. When the flight attendant noticed the poaching (the manifest shows pax w/ assigned seats) they came up with the cover story. And WTH United is on it's heels with the other incidents, so why not give it a try.
SL
SL
Apr 17, 2017, 5:32 pm
#189
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: UA-1K, MM, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Titanium
Posts: 4,423
If they were the last to board -- as they claimed -- looking at the seatmaps online would be unnecessary so as to know which seats were empty. If they were waiting to be the last to board for economy class seat selection reasons, perhaps they know more than most infrequent travelers about how to get better seats in the same cabin as booked.
Until some one proves me wrong I am with UA on this one.
Apr 17, 2017, 6:03 pm
#190
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: BUR
Programs: UA 1MM, DL former Gold, AA, SPG, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 884
United as a company needs to develop people skills overall. Being in the right doesn't make you right. Especially if the general public is your customer base. You have to accept that people don't understand the rules and don't care about them as much as you do. Yet, you are taking their money so you have treat them well if you want to keep taking their money. It may not be fair, but it is the reality. I'd be surprised if United is still around as an airline in five years from now unless they make some major efforts in training their employees and management alike in soft skills.
Apr 17, 2017, 6:30 pm
#191
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: AA, UA lowly commoner
Posts: 780
Now, you can call this couple liars if you like. And claim they so aggressively refused to move back that they had to be removed for safety reasons per the crew report. Considering the accuracy of recent UA crew incident reports, I'm more apt to call it pumping up the story to justify crew actions. Which I would characterize as overreaction since the cabin was half empty.
I'm willing to bet that we've never seen a single one of those passengers ejected from the flight if they just moved back to their assigned seats when asked.
Not to say that FAs are perfect, but the pax's version (we obediently moved when asked and were then thrown off) is highly implausible.
Apr 17, 2017, 6:44 pm
#192
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA *G 1MM LT United Club & Global Entry
Posts: 2,756
I agree though; they probably read a travel blog somewhere that advocated the wait and poach strategy.
SL
Apr 17, 2017, 6:57 pm
#193
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
You are making unwarranted assumptions about their financial situation. Plenty of people getting married don't have the money for things like upgraded tickets and plenty of people who could afford them do not consider them worth it. My wife liked it the one time we were op-upped into business class--but there's no way in the world she would spend the money for it.
Apr 17, 2017, 6:58 pm
#194
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BNA
Programs: HH Gold. (Former) UA PP, DL PM, PC Plat
Posts: 8,178
I asked one of the F/As on my crew the other day and it's relatively rare for someone to buy the E+ seat on the airplane. Most who are willing to pay the fee have already done so.
Apr 17, 2017, 7:05 pm
#195
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
On the other hand at SFO I was flying on United to Maui and I went up to the gate agent to ask for a better seat towards the front and she assigned me a whole row of Economy Plus for no extra charge. We were talking about United operations at SFO and then I showed her my boarding pass and asked if there was better seats.