Got angry at another passenger, FA reported me to pilots. Now what?
Jan 17, 2018, 5:23 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: United 1.9MM
Posts: 168
Got angry at another passenger, FA reported me to pilots. Now what?
I couldn't help it. I got mad at the mother of a baby that squealed the entirety of a 10-hour flight. She complained to the FA. The FA told me he had reported me to the pilots, "because United takes harassment very seriously." Now I am waiting for the other shoe to drop: Banned from UA and lose everything? Or some sort of warning or investigation? Or ...
Jan 17, 2018, 5:25 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North America
Posts: 2,265
Are you still in-flight?
Popcorn
Popcorn
Jan 17, 2018, 5:32 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: United 1.9MM
Posts: 168
Not that particular flight, no. Transferred to *G partner.
Jan 17, 2018, 5:37 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: UA GS 1MM / Hilton Diamond / Bonvoy Gold / Hertz PC
Posts: 396
Could have just been a ploy to ensure things didn’t escalate further, but that’s pure speculation on my part. How bad was it? What did you say?
Jan 17, 2018, 5:42 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: United 1.9MM
Posts: 168
I was pretty mean. No swear words, but ... The FA got real prissy, as they tend to do.
Jan 17, 2018, 5:42 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
Since you are out of the flight, I think that nothing will happen. Next time, preempt the whole thing and complain to the FA about the mother not taking care of the baby.
Jan 17, 2018, 5:44 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,395
Agree that if nothing happened at the end of the flight you're fine. The captain has better things to do than file complaints about pax - was probably a scare tactic to get you to sit down and shut up. Lesson learned, maybe?
Jan 17, 2018, 5:47 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Morris County, NJ
Programs: UA 1K/*G, Avis Pres, Marriott Plat
Posts: 2,305
Do you have a child? I suspect not; if you did, you’d understand.
Jan 17, 2018, 5:47 pm
#9
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SFO
Programs: UA GS 1MM / Hilton Diamond / Bonvoy Gold / Hertz PC
Posts: 396
I tend to agree here. Once removed from the moment I doubt anyone wants to do a forensic analysis of “he said, she said.” Either that or UA is simply going to seat you next to a lap child for all your future flights 
I’m sure others will weigh in.
I’m sure others will weigh in.
Jan 17, 2018, 6:08 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YEG
Programs: UA 1K, AC SE, WJ Gold
Posts: 352
Not a fair assumptions. I have raised 6 and I still get miffed when I see parents with kids who are not even attempting anything, or are just letting their kids run amuck on a flight.
I feel that having had kids is no excuse for needing to just tolerate anything. IMHO a flight is a time to do whatever possible as a parent to keep kids behaving. I am SUPER patient when it’s clear a parent is trying and nothing is working, in fact, I even feel badly for them. I get frustrated when the parent is checked out (eg watching a movie) and the kid is being a nuisance; or baby is crying and they are not even attempting to soothe it.
I was recently on a hop SEA-YEG. Parent of a kid just under 2 (was a lap infant but not really a small baby anymore) had ZERO plan for the kid - no snacks, no games, nothing. Kid screamed the whole flight and the dad did nothing and the mom tried nothing. Poor FA tried to help, but mom was a disaster. It was a painful 90 minutes for most of the Q400 pax within screaming distance.
I feel that having had kids is no excuse for needing to just tolerate anything. IMHO a flight is a time to do whatever possible as a parent to keep kids behaving. I am SUPER patient when it’s clear a parent is trying and nothing is working, in fact, I even feel badly for them. I get frustrated when the parent is checked out (eg watching a movie) and the kid is being a nuisance; or baby is crying and they are not even attempting to soothe it.
I was recently on a hop SEA-YEG. Parent of a kid just under 2 (was a lap infant but not really a small baby anymore) had ZERO plan for the kid - no snacks, no games, nothing. Kid screamed the whole flight and the dad did nothing and the mom tried nothing. Poor FA tried to help, but mom was a disaster. It was a painful 90 minutes for most of the Q400 pax within screaming distance.
Jan 17, 2018, 6:13 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: United 1.9MM
Posts: 168
This lady was right near business class. I felt bad for the guys in there. It was all very Larry David. Anyway, I should have bit my tongue, but I was just so sleep-deprived.
Jan 17, 2018, 6:21 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: UA 1K MM, AGR SE, SPG Platinum, HH Gold, MR Gold
Posts: 504
But every kid is different. Some are low maintenance, and others are high maintenance. Sometimes even when parents come prepared with snacks, games, everything, the kid can still not cooperate. What's a parent to do if you have to go from point A to point B? It is an incredibly stressful situation for the parents and last thing they need is passengers yelling at them. I understand it's frustrating and even unfair to other pax, but best thing to do imho is to put on headphones (hopefully noise cancelling) and turn up the music or movie to block it out.
Jan 17, 2018, 6:29 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 6,483
Jan 17, 2018, 6:44 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2006
Programs: UA, Starwood, Priority Club, Hertz, Starbucks Gold Card
Posts: 3,952
Last week I was seated in the mini J cabin of a very empty AA 788 transpac flight, right next to the Y bulkhead. During boarding, the FA told me that an infant was seated there, and suggested that there were plenty seats in front to move to. I declined, because I am used to dealing with infants. Sure enough, the baby had 4 or 5 episodes of tantrums during the flight. I feel bad for those seated around that poor dad in Y, as I do for you, but I'm also glad that you acknowledge that holding your peace is probably the right thing to do, regardless of how good or poor of a job the mother was doing.