IAH pax has violin "wrestled" before boarding

Regarding the comments about the lawyer trying to incite a social media storm, I think there's another element to this as a PR nightmare: traditional media running with the story. Remember, the news media themselves fly far more often than Ma and Pa Kettle. They have seen enough instances where they've been ticked by airline staff and policies, and want to use their bandwidth to try to shame the airlines into providing better service. After some recent incidents and the general downward trend of service culture across the entire US industry (save maybe the UA GS/AA CK/DL 360 types), I don't blame them.

That said, after the Dao incident and everything Munoz committed to after his initial lousy response/proverbial PR beating-into-submission, you'd think UA would have enough control over their own staff to get the memo out (and followed) about being on absolute best behavior right now to regain public trust. Even if every bin on the plane was already full and given this pax was on a BE ticket, if what we're hearing about the agent is even half true, there's a lot the agent should have done differently in communicating with the pax.

Because they're typically nearly irreplaceable? I also travel with delicate equipment sometimes, and my company does quite a lot, and it's usually one of a kind and either nearly impossible to replace or would cause major schedule & cost issues to some larger project. Stuff that can be carried on in a cabin generally will be, and will get its own seat. Stuff that has to be shipped gets very expensive shipping treatment, often with escort. Musicians likely can't really afford that kind of shipping.

Aha! Now it makes more sense--the GA was enforcing the BE rules. I would think no overhead means no musical instruments in the overhead, either. And she couldn't upgrade her ticket when the problem came up because BE has no upgrades.

Yes - except UA has a specific policy for this: "In the case of customers wh purchased a Basic Economy ticket, a small musical instrument may be carried on instead of a small personal item, subject to the same conditions below." [The item must fit in the overhead bin and there is space in the overhead when the passenger boards.]

I just also saw the interview where the pax repeatedly referred to her suitcase. There's a world of difference between a violin case and a suitcase. I doubt the exception extends to instruments inside anything other than their standard case, which would have easily fit under her seat.

My understanding from piecing together several news reports; the traveller had a suitcase, backpack (personal item), and violin in hard shell case. Three items of luggage; one hold luggage and 2 carry on items.

The musician was travelling for a summer gig with the STL symphony, so probably had a lot of luggage.

The final rule from the US govt is musical instruments have first come first serve and pari passu with other carryons. Unfortunately musicians seem to think they are entitled to priority status to the overhead compartment.

This discussion is amusing in the way that FT analyses usually are. People are focusing on what kind of fare and how many carry-on items the customer may or may not have had.

Unfortunately the rest depends on the actual behavior of the agent. If the accusations are true, such as grabbing bags and passengers and yelling, that's a major customer service failure and then some. The reality is that something can always be done to manage these situations.

It's not a customer service failure if the customer deserved it. That's what the first set of questions are trying to get at.

Personally, I appreciate quick, decisive and authoritative action from staff when passengers are being unreasonable and simply delaying everyone else because of their ignorance.

It doesn't seem unreasonable for a customer to ask what her options are, but it is unreasonable for an employee to respond by screaming, grabbing, and threatening to call the police.

The article I read said the passenger was the one that was doing the screaming.

If the passenger's account is true, the GA committed battery. Are you seriously suggesting that customers can, under any circumstances, "deserve" to be the victim of a battery?

The articles I have seen are based on the claims made by the pax and her attorney. At least some details seem "bizarre":

http://www.click2houston.com/news/mu...uring-check-in. (link seems dead now; I picked it and the quote below from an earlier post in this thread)

I have a hard time picturing a situation where an airline employee throws herself onto a suitcase in an attempt to get a passenger's name. (If this happened at the checkin desk, did she not just check in and present ID?)

So I at least am not ready to pass judgement on this case.

I'm not, either, which is why I said "assuming the passenger's story is true." One of the worst aspects of FT is the knee-jerk reflex of so many posters to blame naive pax, unless its the FT poster who is complaining, at which time the rest will say, "I don't believe it."

Personally, I've never had any trouble at all with UA, either PMUA or Unitenental. However, I'd add that I am religious about showing up at the gate early, and I consider it a great flight with excellent service if I'm just left alone, except for bringing me a drink every now and then. I have, however, on very rare occasions, and over a period of decades, run into incredibly hostile and aggressive GAs and FAs on other carriers, including PMCO. The article cited a few other instances in which United had damaged expensive musical instruments. I googled them and discovered that they had actually occurred (there were pictures of the instruments) and were the result of either not following its own procedures or out of sheer negligence. I'm not willing to simply dismiss the allegations out of hand.

FT is also highly critical of passengers' failure to understand the airlines' tangled web of rules, policies and procedures - Rules that appear to change almost monthly.

Layer on top of that TSA rules and CBP rules and it's no wonder passengers are clueless.

In the past decade, my parents (no travel background for work, no airline loyalty, they're not flyertalk forum lurkers) have flown once a year. Sometimes once every two years. They understand the tickets they buy: Nonrefundable. No free checked bags. What size a bag must be to qualify as a 'carry-on'. How many pieces of carry on luggage they can have per person. How to qualify for pre-boarding if necessary. How boarding groups work / when to board. How Basic economy works. How E+ is different than E-. They understand what can go through TSA security and what can't. And on the one time that they get Pre Check randomly, they understand what can stay in the bag and what can't after reading the pre-check sign for about a minute. My mom is the one usually understanding and comprehending this.

And to top it all off, English is not my mom's first language. She's proficient, but not completely fluent.

So, forgive me, if I'm skeptical on why the average American can't seem to figure this out. I assure you my mom doesn't sit on the internet all day Googling UA baggage policies, boarding procedures, wheelchair policy, how to travel with a medical necessity, etc.