HoustonConsultant

Any chance the dude was an air marshal needing to be in an aisle seat and not really explaining why? Could that explain the relatively easy access to the pilot and getting the decision made without a sniff test from the United crew?

I'm a bit amused by the reaction here. If the defendant had been an FTer who had their seat poached and then kicked off a plane, there would be an absolute riot in this corner of the internet.

I'm all for kicking folks off who smell bad, but smelling bad is crazy subjective, and any number of folks' beer farts on domestic flights and 15 hour normal body smells on trans-ocean flights would easily rise to the level of offense for many people.

My wife's beagle-like nose (cold and wet) would likely not want any of you people on the plane if you've eaten garlic in the past two days.

I obviously know nothing about this case, but based on what we've read, I'd go with the seat poacher being an asshat, and United doing bad with kicking the family off (and I would normally get labelled a "united apologist" in most situations).

spin88

If air marshals are tossing people off flights for smelling bad, well that is a good claim against the US for discrimination too. I doubt that is what happened. My guess is GS flyer, with a little bit (or lot of) of prejudice did not like how the woman smelled, made a stink, UA kicked her off.

Depending on where she came from she may have been traveling for 12 hours before her flight out of Legos, and while UA USED TO HAVE SHOWERS AT IAH - they are now gone. After a 15 hour flight, with 10 hours before than in a tropical climate I would not be smelling good either.

I might only add that regardless about how I personally feel about smelly fliers, and I have run into a lot of them.... UA is getting killed with this story. E.g. look at the comments to https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.ad521796e04b they are nearly all negative to UA. Top comment is " The white guy passenger wasn't pungent - he was repugnant - as was United Airlines."

This is another self inflicted wound. Unless this woman was NOT kicked off her flight with her kids (which I seriously doubt) United was really stupid to allow a story which can be distilled down into "united airlines is racist against black people" to gain any traction.

Yet, more really bad brand management going on here. Contrast with with Starbucks response to calling the cops on two folks in a story in Phili.

FlyngSvyr

I will have to disagree with you on the "nearly all" part of the negative comments. There is a spirited debate for sure with MANY comments questioning the validity of the lawsuit.

But I guess you can "spin" the numbers any way you want, depending on your position

theddo

I disagree with you, and actually, think United have made this woman seem ridiculous.

So far there has been zero evidence the pilot who made the decision in any form even knew she was a black, Nigerian woman, and she isn't disputing that she did in-fact smell bad. Even if the person complaining did so because she was a black, Nigerian woman I don't think UA is guilty of discrimination if they threw her off because the complaint was legitimate.

More to the point I think a lot of people that have ever set foot on a plane, or for that matter, a Bus, are grateful for the limits of acceptable smell.

deniah

You honestly take that article at face value that that was all that transpired?

You don't think it was mistaken seating (I've been guilty of that) and she immediately threw a huge sissy fit? Or he did? Or both?

spin88

How pray tell is that? Has UA issued a statement? Has UA disputed any of the details? Has UA said ANYTHING as this story has gotten more and more press.... Now it may be that there is really nothing UA CAN say - perhaps they did not do an investigation, perhaps she was (as I think we all expect) booted from the flight as described, the only issue is if she really did smell bad....

United is a very large corporation, it has a large (and IMHO incompetent) CS/PR unit, and its rather interesting that they have not said anything so far....

But hey, if you know of some what United has disproved these claims, please link to it.

GDL

What a way for former White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest to start on the job, right? Straight into the mosh pit. Still don't think they'll publicly respond to this particular case and most likely will recite the usual "we don't comment on pending litigation" line. We'll see I guess.

Ditka

This happens on every airline and HAS happened on every airline...literally. Southwest, Air Canada, Delta etc.
This happened two years ago, and I truly believe these stories make big news ONLY because it is United.

Everyone is stating "facts" but we are all really only guessing at the truth. Nobody knows. But like always, a story with about 30% of the information is put out there, and all us experts chime in with our "facts".

Things we know: a lady was kicked off a plane for smelling bad and is suing.

Things we do not know: everything else that has been speculated here so far.

Howste

Lack of proofreading bothers me too. You're missing three apostrophes and one question mark. You're welcome.

onthesam

This has veered WAAAAYY off into the land of made-up stuff. Please go back to my Post #29 where I attached a copy of the Complaint and read it - and then you will be better equipped to comment.

The lawsuit has NOTHING to do with whether or not a man was in the wrong seat or blocking the aisle. In the Complaint she alleges that she agreed to take the alternate seat and she alleges that she got past the man in the aisle. Both moot points.

She is suing United for kicking her off of the plane alleging that it was done because of her race and national origin. That is all. Here's the text from her 4th and final cause of action which sums up the only relevant issue:




EDIT: for those of you not familiar with reading court peadings - skip to Section V, Statement of Facts (PDF Page 3) for the allegations.

FlyngSvyr

I guess I deserved that, but the difference here is that my "mistakes" were made on an internet forum where I would hope my HS English teacher isn't lurking around waiting to pounce.

My comments were relevant to the thread & the associated legal filing, which I would expect to be held to a higher standard as "words matter". But maybe that's too much to ask.

Howste

Sorry, I was just trying to have a little fun with you. I agree that legal documents should have proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Unfortunately most of them that I have seen in the last 10 years or so look like they've been written by High School dropouts (hired by the high-paid lawyers because it's beneath them to write their own pleadings).

spin88

I would unfortunately concur. The truth is that most "trial lawyers" (aka the type of people who would take this case) are not the greatest writers in the world. Even highly successful litigators often don't write so great, and more to the point can't hire people who can either. See e.g. Micheal Avenatti, whose various pleadings have not been - how shall I put this - not quite as crisp as his media exposure would indicate. OTOH I have had some folks from Harvard/Yale/Stanford, etc who were great writers, really smart folks, on the other side of cases from me, and I would not want them fixing a parking ticket for me, let along get anywhere near a Jury.

The reality though is that the gravamen of the claim is that Nigerian was denied her seat in the font - business class - cabin as an African, because of the claim by a white UA customer that she was odoriferous. At this point, UA's lack of a response says that the basic facts - she was booted from the front cabin, with her kids, for smelling bad after a 15 hour flight from Lagos, Nigeria, is true. What role race played in the decision to remove her is the legal issue....

And none of us know anything about that issue, we can only speculate...

jsloan

Actually, no it doesn't. UA's lack of response says that UA hasn't responded.

Sure, it suggests that the basic facts are true -- but it's also possible that (a) UA has chosen not to comment on pending litigation; (b) UA doesn't know whether or not the basic facts or true; (c) UA doesn't want to turn a one-day story into a two-day story by responding in the media; (d) UA's PR department is in upheaval, and nobody knows who has the authority to issue a press release; (e) the appropriate people are on vacation; (f) I think I've made my point.

spin88

The story is basically "United is a racist company that discriminates against Black passengers" No sane company wants a story like that in the Press. Even an insane company does not want a story like that in the Press. The story is all over the place. United beats on Asians, leggings, young moms with a two year old and a $986 ticket for the kid, dogs, old people in the Houston check in area, pearl harbor survivors.... not a line that you want to add "blacks" too....

United has said that it has no comment (see Nigerian Woman Sues United Airlines After Family Kicked Off Flight Because Passenger Complained Of Odor ; United Airlines sued by Nigerian passenger booted for ?pungent? odor, claiming racial discrimination | Fox News ) that is utterly, and completely stupifing. This story is now 4 days old. When a major consumer business - with an already battered reputation - takes this kind of bad press only complete, utter, and mind-blowing incompetence would have the response be "no comment" if they could say anything better.....