LASUA1K

Honest question, what are you expecting from UA? 10K miles? A voucher? If you are a GS, 1K, they will just give you some token to make you go away. The FA I'm sure has a different side of the story and sadly can't tell us his side of the story.

Saint4805

It's funny you say that because for the FA to call the captain suggests that it could have been a bit more than the FA having a bad day.

sharmaintl

I have asked them for an investigation report. I want this incident documented. I too want to hear what the FAs explanation is. I also want a report on what remediation steps are being taken. I do not want the person fired, as some have suggested. Removing a passenger from a plane should not be taken lightly. It should be reserved for people who are a threat to the airplane, other passengers or staff, or those disrupting the flight. I did not qualify under any of these no matter which way you look at it.

I declined the 10k miles they offered me. I am treating this as an incident that if they ignore, will make me take my business elsewhere. I do not want to do this, it will be a pain as United is the prime airline at IAD, so I hope they take this seriously. Once this settles I will share the final response from United on this thread.

notquiteaff

So you have a backpack (personal item) and a rollaboard? Or is the scenario you describe when you just have the backpack as your only item?

zombietooth

Indeed. The poster is admitting to criminal activity, and since phones are ubiquitous, it is unlikely that you can prevent phone video no matter how many people you attack.

drvannostren

I had a similar, but not escalated situation flying BOG-IAH at peak season. I offered to be a volunteer, knowing I had no checked bags and obvs hoping to get some compensation. Ended up not needing my seat, but then I got on board the 57 only to find all the bins were totally full. I was in like the third to last row, and found that literally 4 of the bins were occupied by non-pax bags. 1 is like life rafts or something, ok fine, seems odd THAT's where to stow them, but I don't build planes I just work on the ramp. 1 bin was full of some extra blankets/peanuts...again, seems like there should be somewhere else to put that stuff but oh well, then 2 bins were full of FA luggage. At this point I'm thinking, can the flight crew not have their bags gate delivered? I've worked on the ramp for more or less 10 years and have seen plenty of crew bags as gate deliveries, if there's space needed, it just makes sense. Being last aboard, despite the fact that I was trying to be kinda helpful volunteering, I get it, the bins are full. So I asked if my rollaboard could be checked. I got a dirty look and a mouthful from the FA "blah blah, should've boarded earlier, blah, why didn't you check this in the first place etc etc".

I get it, people have bad days, I know I have my fair share of them, but then if you can't take the simplest request/question without flying off the handle, maybe you should re-think your chosen field and move into a job that isn't literally customer facing for the entire shift.

I think the OP has done basically all that can be done, I hope the FA's name was taken, but at the very least being a GS should get someone to pay attention to this. Write the blog post if you feel it necessary, you've already kinda done that here, but taking it to the media is a bit much. You didn't get beat up, it doesn't sound like any insults or slurs were thrown your way, so there's just no reason to escalate to that kind of level because you got yelled at by someone who shouldn't have.

zombietooth

On business, I always have both. When I fly for pleasure, I sometimes have nothing, but often, just the backpack.
And yes, I still put it under the seat in that situation.

Often1

Because the FA asked the Captain to offload the OP, both the FA and the Captain will have written statements which are sitting with UA. Other crew or UA employees who witnessed the incident will also have been directed to write statements. The non-UA witness who came forward may or may not have written a statement, although that is doubtful.

UA will ultimately almost certainly back up its FA for having recommended that OP be offloaded as well as the Captain for having exercised his discretion. There will be a summary report saying so. None of that will be provided to OP unless he files a lawsuit and some or all of those documents are produced in discovery if he survives a motion to dismiss. I can say this with some certainty both because UA wants to be seen by its employees as backing them up and because it does not want to create liability by acknowledging that it did anything wrong.

Thus, the minor token which does not admit liability and that will end it. Unless OP litigates and that is not easy or cheap to do, nor will many contingent fee bottom feeders take a case such as this where nobody got hurt.

LASUA1K

For the FA to call the captain, the OP may have done something that we don't know. The entire story is not being presented. I know plenty of FA's and they don't call the Captain unless something warranted them to be called. Something is not right here. The passenger who defended the OP could've been the typical passenger who is just angry at United. These complaints against FA's and United employees are getting old.

The OP has a blog, I'm sure this got them some hits. I made sure not to click on it..

LASUA1K

Good luck. It's he said she said (he in this case), at the end, you will probably take the 20K miles they give you and you will continue to fly UA. You may actually to speak to someone in Houston who handles these issues, and they are very understanding and caring and will note this. They will tell you they spoke to the employee and the captain, and they have a different story. They will offer you the 20K since you rejected the 10K.

What UA should do is just let go of you as a customer. It seems like you were annoyed that you didn't get to place your bag directly above your seat, you wanted someone to move a backpack, (which they didn't need to), you didn't like the FA telling you no, (remember FA's cannot touch bags in the overhead), the other passenger placed the bag before yout, you got mad, and probably used facial expressions, words, or something to show your displeasure.

It is what it is, take your 20K points, fly a different airline.

AeRoSpaceman

Since you are assuming what is above in bold, I went ahead and clicked on it. Hasn't been any activity on the OP's blog since July 5th 2017. So, no mention of this to get "clicks".

Aussienarelle

In regard to placing the personal item under the seat in front of you, bearing in mind most of the time I am in 1A so the FA takes my handbag to store it during take-off and landing, when I have had it under the seat in front of me my handbags require cleaning on a regular basis. The area where people's feet go are not clean and often are quite nasty as they are not deep cleaned after every flight (or even on a regular basis as far as I am aware). For the guys that may not be an issue for black backpacks but my expensive leather handbags take quite a beating. I suspect the overheard bins are not cleaned on a regular basis but the floors are quite filthy. Just another consideration why folks with their backpack may want to put them in the overhead bin, and also things are spilt all the time and I often end up with my handbag bathed in some liquid substance that is unidentifiable - a third world problem but a recurring expense for me. Yes, I am a lady so carry a handbag.

flyerbaby19

I've done that and it paid off. FA told me bins were full. I walked down the aisle and opened every single one of them to see if it just required adjusting and found space for my bag by just moving one luggage left and one right and there was space and saved having to check it. I have now learned not to trust FA's when they say all bins are full. This was WN btw.

PS - i'm not sure what's wrong w my brain, but I'm kind of on UA's side here not the OP.

bambinomartino

Agreed. I can see myself having this type of reaction if someone had taken pictures/video up my daughter's skirt or something, but I suspect Mr. Tough Guy's motive was erasing evidence of his friend's inadequate at best, or similarly criminal, at worst, behaviour.

The conversation here reminds me of the difference in attitudes regarding the "towel game" at beach resorts, with people arguing from different premise.

In both situation, there is limited resource that needs to be shared. Guy with a backpack only should be able to put it in the bin above. The people who plonk a towel on a beach chair at 6am, only to return after lunch, expecting the chair to remain unoccupied are entitled jerks.

A couple of years ago, at SVO, a Russian woman who may have been an 8 ten years prior, boarded the plane last and had an absolute fit when discovering that the bin above her seat was full. She unceremoniously and borderline violently threw the offending luggage on the floor. The FA did nothing.

iluv2fly

Two years ago, I was going ORD-LHR. I was in C in row 6 of a 767. The FA came by and asked me if I wanted OJ, H20 or sparkling wine for pre-departure. I said that I would like a Diet Coke. He said that I could only get what he offered. I said that I thought I could get a DC. He said no. I said fine, nothing for me then. I went up to F and asked the purser for a DC. He said sure, but why are you asking me, not the FA in C? I told him the story. He just said "really?" and gave me a cup with ice and the can. I took it back to me seat. The C FA came by and saw what I had. I gave him a wink, smile and nod. He went ballistic! He told me he was going to the captain to have me removed! I followed him and saw him in the cockpit talking to the captain. While waiting to tell him my side of the story, the purser asked me what I was doing waiting there. Told him the story. He kind of chuckled and said to let him take care of it. I went back to my seat. He obviously did. The only thing that happened was that the FA switched sides of the C cabin so he wouldn't have to deal with me.

So some FA's out there are really on a power trip.