sokolov

Assuming that is so, it doesn't change the fact that the irritation doesn't depend on the helping person's creed, colour, or what class their ticket is issued for. The irritation, if any, would be the same.

Personally, I would be a lot more irritated by an elder in discomfort or distress than by someone making that elder comfortable, ensuring they don't spill food or bodily fluids into the cabin.

malgudi

She had a paid business class ticket and had no problems on the outbound flight.

stevendorechester

Not going to condemn the flight crew or United on this one. Also, I don' t think flight crews are allowed to provide what could be interpreted as medical assistance or special assistance beyond boarding and de-planing, for liability issues. It' s the responsibility of the passenger to make sure they can travel un-assisted or pay for another person to travel in their cabin.

However, there is always the common sense involved too. I see nothing wrong with the rule being written in a way that would allow a person from a lower cabin to briefly come up to check-up on an elderly relative, if the captain or the crew deem it safe and appropriate, at their absolute discretion.

desi

Never understood those fathers.

Everytime "Home Alone" is playing I wonder what kind of parents put kids in Y and put themselves in F/C?

Premier Owl

Airline should have known about the passengers ailments and insisted she had a companion with her in her class of travel.

s0ssos

I was flying CX first, and a grandchild came up to talk to his granddad. He was not shooed away.
And unlike UA CX has a real first-class (and class too, apparently)

STS-134

I don't see why we need a rule for every situation though. In fact, even if we wrote a rule for every situation that has already occurred, a new one will probably occur in the near future that hasn't been seen before. Then what? Why not just have people use their common sense?

Did you read the post you quoted? That poster said the parent or parents were upgraded but kids were not.

desi

BTW, such scenario of elderlly paraent who are able to fly longhaul in expensive business or first lie-flat seats only and family not being able to afford additional expensive seat for companion is not that unusual. I hear about it routinely twice or thrice every year. Almost all airlines deal with it in inconsistent manner. So cant fault United on this. There are many cases where FA simply can not offer assistance (communication barrier).

Based on limited sample size, it seems that the best course of action is not demand anything. Have a preflight conversation with busines/first cabin crew politely requesting (again not demanding) to keep an eye on the elderly and then politely slide in that "please feel free to call me if I could be of help".

When the call to come to business/first is initiated by FA, it is never a problem.

(I have bigger problems with unruly disruptive brats of rich parentrs)

Beckles

At the risk of sounding heartless, if a person is incapable of reclining their seat without assistance, then they shouldn't be sitting by themselves without someone to assist them, and obviously that person should be seated in the same cabin as them.

desi

Yes, I read the post perfectly fine. Thank you for the tone. (Apologize if I pressed a nerve)

No airlines puts a gun at your head and forces an upgrade you. Whether parents got free upgrade or paid for tickets has no bearing for the point mentioned.

(BTW, this used to happen to me all the time. When kids were younger, I used to thank and decline the upgrade. When they got older and mature, I let one of them enjoy the experience (with FA permission))

Guess, different cultures have different parenting values.

txflyer77

My family used to do this routinely for my grandfather on UA (well, CO) flights. Never had any issues.

Since the UA rules state that FAs will assist passengers reach the lavatory and open food containers, I think it was perfectly reasonable for the family to come forward to do that if the FA wouldn't.

desi

Dont know if that mindframe is limited to USA but this particular issue has been around for over a centuary from the days of train travel and ship travel (in Asia, Africa and Europe). Carriers used to offer half price "nanny/butler/maid/sericeperson" fare.

What is better for airline? Having to deal with ability challanged person themselves or take help of companion from cheaper cabin?

(They can always like to institute some rules such as you cant fly with us if you cant rip the plastic off butter cup or if you cant speak language of our FA or if you need assitance to walk to bathroom but ... usually there are laws preventing them from instituting those rules)

You are absolutely right.

It is not possible to write rules about every situation but that does not preclude one to write rules about commonly anticipated outliers. (which while outliers, do happen with some frequency)

Leaving to common sense of not-so-highly-educated and not-so-highly-paid crew can increase the wide-spead anti-minority discrimination that unfortunately exist in post 9/11 era. Rules while increasing bureaucracy do help with consistency.

Most of the "disturbances" I have encountered on overnight flights in front cabins are usually from misbehaving brat kids who are valid pax in the cabin (purchase or award or upfrade).

BullishGS

I share sincere compassion for her mother, however, the had an option on the reservations page to make a special request, but it didn't seem like she did or even the page exists. Also, as the mother is 'disabled" she would have access to early boarding, in which she would have had time to describe in advanced to multiple employees of her needs and also refer to her reservation request (if she made one).

But Yes, I agree, that was quite harsh of the United FAs to put the family in that situation.

Artpen100

First, that is about a 15 hour flight, and it is borderline abusive to put a 94 year old on it even in business class. But if the passenger is disabled and needs a family member to assist them, the family member should purchase a seat in the same class. There shouldn't even be much of a question about this.

s0ssos

Corrected: "it is abusive to put a 94 year old on United even in business class"