Imstevek

Bolded is mine - I just don't understand these baseless accusations of "targeting people who are asian" on FT. Is that what we're coming to? Race card comes out every time a conflict resolution is discussed on social media?

Mary2e

Recently, a GA told my husband he had too many carryons. He had on very small rolling case, his backpack, and was carrying a 11x14 print in his hands because it wouldn't fit in our carryons. We each had a rolling case - mine was a standard 21" rollaboard, and as I said, he had one that was less than half that size. We were traveling in F.

She said we had too many carryons. Uh, really? It's a picture, not a box, and would have easily fit on top of my case without taking any additional room.

At boarding, she looked up at us when we boarded in Group 1 and "thanked" us, with a big smile, for putting the picture in my tote bag. She didn't say a word to anyone else who was boarding.

While technically we were over by one item, let's face it, the GA should have used some common sense and seen that the overage wasn't going to cause anyone any issue at all.

Kmxu

The picture with UA sizers does not show that the total length (L+W+D) of the tennis bag was exceeded. If this was true, the GA did not enforce the UA policy. She made up her own policy. The GA should be retrained, to put it mildly.

goodeats21

The tennis player also wrote that the Gate Agent expanded out the bag to its full possible size to take the picture, and it was much smaller when compressed.

I would be ticked to have a Gate Agent rummaging through my bags. Do people really think this is appropriate?

Collierkr

Agreed. And I literally saw a pax in the gate area last week with not one but TWO guitar cases and another large duffle. Please!!!!Don't know if he got on his plane with all of that stuff.

Duke787

UA just can't seem to get out of their own way.

This seems like an unnecessary overreaction by the GA. Tennis bags are oddly shaped due to tennis racquets but certainly don't come close to pushing the bounds of carry-ons the way that many rollerboards do. And give me a break, counting tennis racquets as individual luggage? That's just the GA trying to spite the customer because she could (which is a ridiculous way to treat any of your customers and especially a 1K).

On the racism comments - I hope racism didn't play a role but it doesn't matter, perception is much more important than reality. Especially given the damage the Dao incident did to UA in China this further damages UA's continued desire to push further into the Chinese market.

laxmillenial

Let's put the race jokes to rest. I'm Asian. I fly United weekly. I have NEVER been discriminated against nor even 'looked at the wrong way' for being Asian. NEVER. Not by any GA, FA, pilot, copilot, no one.

And trust. If I thought UA was targeting Asians, I would be the first to stand up. Simply put, United isn't targeting Asians. Let's stop trying to pretend like they are.

MSPeconomist

Your claim in bold may be true, but the fact that you (one person) has never perceived any discrimination does not prove anything.

NH_Clark

Passenger doesn't think rules apply to them and then feign outrage on social media.

freshairborne

A while back, while NON-REVING (cue up the hisses now) I put my Martin guitar, a relitavely expensive (on par with the Taylors that United BREAKS!!!!) in....the cargo pit. Any expensive, fragile instrument comes with, or should come with a hard case.

It it was fine.

if anyone would raise a ruckus and be disruptive and disrespectful, wouldn't it be a NON-REV?😜🎼.✈️

FAB

Sabai

Agree; UA mistreats all its passengers equally regardless of race, creed, religion, or sexual orientation.

FlyngSvyr

As a UA flyer that has always been treated with dignity and respect, I find your claim to be false.

NH_Clark

+1 .. biased slander.

5khours

I get it. Had a similar experience in Denver earlier this year. 400k miles a year with exactly the same luggage (completely legal) and for some reason, there was a nutball GA who didn't want to let me on the plane. "I think you're going to take things out of your bag during the flight so it counts as 3 bags. Your bag doesn't slide into the measuring rack smoothly enough." Etc. Etc. All the other agents were rolling their eyes. I don't really blame UA for this, but they do need to make an effort to weed out these crackpot misanthropes.

And BTW - I find the vast majority of UA staff to be very professional and pleasant and some are just outstanding.

zymm

I've never seen a tennis racket that comes with a hard case. Most tennis bags are nylon and while they probably exist, I've never personally seen a hard case for tennis rackets.

Just a backpack and a tennis bag should be fine for carry-on. It seems like there's fault on both sides here, with the passenger trying to push the limits of the carry-on rules, and the GA being overzealous in enforcing those rules. It's absurd to count each racket as a piece of luggage, if a piece of luggage inside another piece of luggage still counts as 2 pieces, why do they make those announcements about consolidating items?