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UAL's Captain Denny Flanagan (In-Flight Experiences, Sightings, Schedule, etc.)

Old Apr 23, 2016, 1:38 pm
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Last edit by: paranoiatx
Captain Denny's Retirement flight roll call. Please list your handle, cabin, and when you will be arriving in SEA, where we will arrange a dinner on 5/30.

Pat89339 - F - arriving 5/30
legalalien - F - arriving 5/31 (I can guest 2 into UC at either SEA or ORD)
Jubileesmom-F-arriving 5/30 ( I also can guest 2 into UC. )
Whiskarina - F - arriving 5/30
wxguy - F - arriving 5/30 via Capt Denny's second to last flight
FlyerBeek - F - arriving 5/29
JeepGuyDE - F - arriving 5/29 (need guesting into UC)
jmd001 - F - arriving 5/30 (would appreciate guesting into UC)
texasex95 - Y - arriving 5/31 (hopefully 5/30 if I can change my flight)
alanro - F - arriving 5/30 (I can also guest 2 into UC)
mendicantmonk - Y - arriving 5/30 (need guesting into UC)
SFO 1K - F - arriving 5/30 (I can guest 2 into UC)
wtigerFF - F - arriving 5/30 UA 635 (I can guest 2 into UC)
YRKInsider - F - arriving 5/30 UA 635 (can guest 2 into UC)
N1120A - F - Arriving 5/31 UA635 (Probably need guesting into UC)
CleUnited - Y - Arriving 5/30 (hopefully)
cawhite - F -arriving 5/30 UA635
paranoiatx - F - arriving 5/28 (can guest 2 into UC and/or 1 into CL)
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UAL's Captain Denny Flanagan (In-Flight Experiences, Sightings, Schedule, etc.)

Old May 24, 2016, 7:13 pm
  #631  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, DL PM/1MM, Marriott Amb/LT Titanium, HHonors Diamond, Priority Club Platinum, Hyatt Disc
Posts: 522
Originally Posted by SFO 1K
An F seat opened up on the final flight and I snagged it. Y has additional inventory (whole rows of E+ are now open):

Y9 YN9 B9 M9
Cool! I grabbed one when I saw one show up last week so after never having had a chance to fly with him, I'm now on Capt Denny's last 2 flights!
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Old May 25, 2016, 4:00 am
  #632  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: CLE
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 5,533
I have booked two seats in F on the last flight and unfortunately cannot make it. I will be cancelling these in the next couple of days. They may or may not go back into award inventory. Please send me a PM if interested in playing the UA award ticket lottery. I will try to sync my cancellation with your schedule so that you may have a better chance of scoring a golden ticket.
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Old May 25, 2016, 7:37 am
  #633  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: New England
Programs: UA 1K; Kimpton Inner Circle, Marriott Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 51
Hi Azzuro, nice to meet you yesterday and thanks for your help with my lost phone. It was great to meet another FT and Captain Denny could not be more gracious to us. I truly enjoyed the pictures from the "front office". Hope we can cross paths again. Cazmom6
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Old May 25, 2016, 6:52 pm
  #634  
Moderator: Mileage Run, United Airlines; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: The City/Honolulu
Programs: UA 3MM; Hyatt Glob*****; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,472
Captain Denny wanted me to post an email he received on May 5th. He said it pretty much is a perfect ending to his career.

Hello Captain Flanagan!

My name is Robert [last name redacted]. I am 17 years old and live in Denver, Colorado. I doubt you remember me, but my mother and I were traveling on one of your flights about six or seven years ago. It was a flight on board a Boeing 757-200 from Chicago O'Hare to Denver. We arrived to the airport in the late afternoon and were scheduled for a flight right about then. That night changed my life.

I had always had a passion for aviation, but that night you helped shape my future and became a role model in my life. Our flight kept having rolling delays due to weather in the Chicago area and it was on my birthday. All I wanted was to be home to see the rest of my family. When the flight was continuing to be delayed, you stepped up and made a personal announcement from the podium to the passengers asking us to sit tight and that you would soon return with food for us. A few minutes later you returned with pizza and a basket of fruit. As you walked around and personally greeted everybody while passing out food, you took the time to stop and give me a brief hello accompanied with a Boeing 757 trading card and some plastic wings. We struck up a small conversation and got on the topic of flying and how I wanted to be a pilot when I grew up. Without even a second thought, you escorted my mother and I down to flight ops and gave us a personal tour. You stopped to show me how to look up weather on the computer, show me how you planned a flight, and personally introduced me to a handful of pilots that night. On our way back up to the B gates, you handed me the large book on the history of United Airlines. But you didn't stop there. When we were finally boarding the aircraft, you took me up into the cockpit even so you were extremely busy trying to get a severely delayed flight into the air. Last but not least, you gave me the business card where I found the email address that I am writing this email to.

That night changed my life. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. From that moment on I have been working to become a pilot at United Airlines. Not just any pilot, though. I hope to someday carry on your legacy of premier customer service. There is one quote from you that I live by every single day. You have said that, "The cockpit is my office and I am the CEO of the airplane." You go above and beyond to make sure everyone has a very pleasant experience flying on your aircraft. I read in an article a few weeks ago about your retirement flight coming up. Tears came to my eyes when I read this. I wanted very desperately to get on your flight just to be able to fly on one more of your aircraft. Unfortunately, it seems as if all of the seats have now been sold and I must attend my college orientation the very next day. This coming fall I will be attending Metropolitan State University Denver to continue my pursuit of aviation. I will be study Aviation and Aerospace Sciences with an emphasis on being a Professional Flight Officer. I am currently working on completing all of the coursework for my Private Pilot License and hope to have that completed by early or mid summer. To this very day, my favorite aircraft of all time continues to be the Boeing 757, and I am jealous that you have gotten to log countless hours on it. I hope to complete my turbine time with a regional carrier and my ultimate goal is to become a Captain at United Airlines. Thank you so much for continuing to be an inspiration to me and many other pilots who strive to be the gentleman and excellent pilot that you are. I hope to someday continue your legacy of wonderful customer service in the friendly skies. I hope all is well with you and your family and hope that you enjoy a happy retirement.

Thank you for being a true role model,
He also included the picture that was taken in the cockpit that night.
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Old May 25, 2016, 7:48 pm
  #635  
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,867
WOW! ^ And talk about getting choked up
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Old May 25, 2016, 7:57 pm
  #636  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 337
What a great story, simply heartwarming.
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Old May 25, 2016, 8:25 pm
  #637  
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: DEN
Programs: UA MP Gold, 1MM, Global Entry
Posts: 470
I won't post details without permission but Captain Denny said that UA did something very generous for this young gentleman last weekend before the retirement dinner FTer's held in Denver. (And this young man is a TRUE 757 ENTHUSIAST who will be reading these posts) Another example of how UA steps up and delivers...So very cool. To this day I will say they take very good care of this 1K and with this young mans attitude I look forward to riding on his plane someday!

Captain Denny's daily selfless actions for passengers (and humanity in general) remind me how every interaction we have, no matter how small, can have the biggest and most positive consequences. People matter.

And Hi Cazmom6, pleasure to meet you also. Sacrificing clean dry cleaning is more than worth helping you retrieve your phone from the bowels of a mechanized seat.
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Old May 25, 2016, 9:00 pm
  #638  
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I saw this yesterday...quite a heartwarming letter and I appreciate that UA has really stepped up to give this kid an opportunity of a lifetime.

---

I won't be able to make last flight, but I was going to make second to last flight...now that it tenuous so I am going to try to get up to SEA to fly with Denny tomorrow.
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Old May 26, 2016, 3:02 pm
  #639  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: New England
Programs: UA 1K; Kimpton Inner Circle, Marriott Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 51
OMG, I want to cry. And I thought just getting to sit in the cockpit and getting my picture taken with his Captain's hat was a treat. The email was the real treat. Captain Denny is quite a gentleman, and to think he's influencing the next generation of pilots. Thank you for sharing.
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Old May 26, 2016, 8:42 pm
  #640  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, DL PM/1MM, Marriott Amb/LT Titanium, HHonors Diamond, Priority Club Platinum, Hyatt Disc
Posts: 522
I hope that we will hear when Robert starts flying for United! What a wonderful story!

I'm so excited that I'm finally going to meet and fly with Capt Denny next week!
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Old May 27, 2016, 7:05 am
  #641  
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Flew with him yesterday...like my own farewell flight. Spent two hours chatting after flight at ORD.

Last flight is going to be special.
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Old May 27, 2016, 10:27 am
  #642  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: BDL/NYC/BOS
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UA posted a video featuring robert and denny onto their youtube page this morning:

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Old May 27, 2016, 12:29 pm
  #643  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,324
That was fabulous!
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Old May 27, 2016, 1:02 pm
  #644  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: ORD-LAS
Programs: UA MM 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 4,419
As much as I may rip at United, this is the United I grew up with and learned to love. United has always done a great job with little things like this! Congrats United, congrats Captain Denny, you captain will be truly missed! Thank you for all the years, I too had one of your business cards from 2008, I was sitting in a middle coach seat as a 1K and you sent a nice note on a business card out to me. I was very honored that day, and I've flown several flights with you on both the 57/67. Enjoy that one last ride on the 57!
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Old May 27, 2016, 1:12 pm
  #645  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,652
Let's petition to raise the retirement age ^

No reason pilots can't fly past 65 as long as they can pass an annual physical. Rather have an experienced 68 year old captain at the helm than a 25 year old on an RJ. Will help solve some pilot shortage issues too.
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