Sept. 2016: Another passenger "ripped" from her Business Seat
#31
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: LAX/FAO
Posts: 354
Yes, it referenced a "new" lawsuit. The article has been updated extensively since I read it, but I still have it open to compare. I see that "new lawsuit" is now removed - is it not new? If it was just filed, this incident happened last year. Why wait until now to file suit if she has a case? And not even take the time to get the facts correct? She has resources available to her that most don't.
#32
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: ROC/NYC/MSP/LAX/HKG/SIN
Posts: 3,212
It's just getting worse for UA. Conceivably, the seat was needed for a FM, but she said there were empty seats that she could have been moved to. And to give her a $750 voucher is adding to the insult.
http://nypost.com/2017/04/24/united-...-of-the-plane/
http://nypost.com/2017/04/24/united-...-of-the-plane/
Fellas, it is possible that she's upgrading both ways, and the return is not necessarily LHR-EWR. But boy, it has got to be one of the worst redemption case I have ever heard along with 60k AMex points.
#35
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,361
On the first point, I did not claim any post "United beats up Chinese Passenger" events, just noting that it is open season on United. I would assume competent management would have made this clear to line employees, and told them in no uncertain terms to use their common sense to avoid escalating CS issues. But given that such a communication would likely have leaked by now, hard to say.
Dragging up old issues in an effort to make a quick buck has no bearing on the current state of United customer service.
#36
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA MM Plat, UA 1MM, Hilton Lifetime Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold, CLEAR, AS MVP Gold
Posts: 3,606
Not surprising, I watch UA employees treat folks with zero respect daily. 52 segments already this year, 120+ last 17 years - every year gets worse
Since 9-11 they have become unbelievably cocky and aggressive as they know they can get away with it
Many times I have had to bite my tongue...
Since 9-11 they have become unbelievably cocky and aggressive as they know they can get away with it
Many times I have had to bite my tongue...
#38
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Crystal City, VA
Programs: United Mileage Plus 1K 2 MM, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,627
From what I can glean from the details, one has a young passenger ("socialite", no less), who upgraded during check-in from E+ to BF.
10 minutes prior to departure, they down-graded her. The alleged "empty" biz seats may still have been awaiting arriving pax, deadheading crew, or FAMs.
So they down-graded her. That's happened to me and many on this board (although in my case, it happened before boarding, but I have colleagues that had to relinquish seats in forward cabins). Yes, usually last upgraded is the first to be downgraded. I don't know of anyone that was forcibly "clawed" from their seat...people usually understand that they have to move back. No one likes this...
She should have had her upgrade fee returned, and possibly given a downgrade kit, and a voucher isn't bad, either.
Perhaps, given her background, there might have been a little bit of "DYKWIA" going on here? Really hard to tell from just this story.
10 minutes prior to departure, they down-graded her. The alleged "empty" biz seats may still have been awaiting arriving pax, deadheading crew, or FAMs.
So they down-graded her. That's happened to me and many on this board (although in my case, it happened before boarding, but I have colleagues that had to relinquish seats in forward cabins). Yes, usually last upgraded is the first to be downgraded. I don't know of anyone that was forcibly "clawed" from their seat...people usually understand that they have to move back. No one likes this...
She should have had her upgrade fee returned, and possibly given a downgrade kit, and a voucher isn't bad, either.
Perhaps, given her background, there might have been a little bit of "DYKWIA" going on here? Really hard to tell from just this story.
#39
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,092
The fact that it is alleged the FA called the complainant a 'c-nt' is probably the part that makes me really doubt the story. A downgrade and FA rudeness all certainly sound like realistic scenarios but that word gets me to raise my eyebrow. I've seen a fair few UA FAs act in a less than pleasant way toward passengers and others but never seen them resort to extremely crude insults when they go on their officious power trips.
Even as far as insults go it seems like an odd one given how it's considered so very off-limits in an American context. I know it's now a bit more commonly used due to recent hipster Anglophilia, but that is more likely to be the complainant's social set..
Even as far as insults go it seems like an odd one given how it's considered so very off-limits in an American context. I know it's now a bit more commonly used due to recent hipster Anglophilia, but that is more likely to be the complainant's social set..
#40
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
#41
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA *G 1MM LT United Club & Global Entry
Posts: 2,756
Nonsense is a bonanza
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
Yes, it referenced a "new" lawsuit. The article has been updated extensively since I read it, but I still have it open to compare. I see that "new lawsuit" is now removed - is it not new? If it was just filed, this incident happened last year. Why wait until now to file suit if she has a case?
Why would you think a lawsuit has to be filed right away? Unless someone is seeking injunctive relief, there's no rush to get it filed, as long as you're within the statute of limitations.
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: New York NY
Programs: UA Gold, CO Plat, CO Million Miler
Posts: 2,611
I'd demand the immediate refund ($1150) plus that GG OVS downgrade eVoucher plus all the damages that have caused her. Not even sure if she pursued the upgrade refund yet.
Fellas, it is possible that she's upgrading both ways, and the return is not necessarily LHR-EWR. But boy, it has got to be one of the worst redemption case I have ever heard along with 60k AMex points.
Fellas, it is possible that she's upgrading both ways, and the return is not necessarily LHR-EWR. But boy, it has got to be one of the worst redemption case I have ever heard along with 60k AMex points.
#44
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 807
a F/A. Sloppy journalism is bad enough... reading comprehension is worse. The agents name is mentioned, so where is the outrage from others saying getting employee names is next to impossible ? I know fa's who have been harrased/stalked on layovers by seedy type pax who somehow got crew member names.
#45
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: EWR
Posts: 679
Amex points are a terrible waste to use for air fares or upgrades of one sort or another. But people do it, including my brother-in-law. They never get transferred to an airline that's not a partner such as UA. Basically UA sells an airfare at whatever the market price is and you pay for it with some combination of cash and/or points which typically have a value of from $0.005 to $0.01. So if it cost say, $1000 for an airfare, you could buy it from AMEX for 100,000 points.