ozstamps

You have an EXCELLENT case to email 1K line, explain you were on this flight, attach some news links as to what went down (as in WHQ they may not even know about it) and ask that BOTH SWU's go back into your account to PARTLY compensate for the effective day delay and uncertainty and fear you were subjected to. Bet they'll agree in a heartbeat.

Me, I'd ask for that AND also mail in the white "service chit" you were probably given for which you'll get a $300 voucher IMHO.

JetBunny

Thanks Oz, I'll compose an email to them tomorrow... I'm having a more difficult than usual time lag adjustment.

"Service chit" - hmmmmmm, didn't get one of those! I don't think anyone did. Krispy Kremes, a bottle of water, some dog drool on our carry-ons, and a night at the Sheraton was about it. I was OK with that until I saw the extra SWU missing.

I did get a voucher for a free ticket on the outbound LAX to SYD from an incident involving one of the prison matrons dropping a foreign object into my dinner. (Enough said about that!!!) It was disgusting and the worst part was she made a joke out of it - no "Sorry that happened Ms JetBunny," nothing. Worst service I've ever seen. A let's-get-this-over-with attitude. Not only did I get a nasty gross object in my dinner, but the Purser didn't even know about it when I asked her for the Matron's name 12 hours later as were were getting ready to land. AND on top of that, they didn't take the dinner orders by status or ahead of time at all, they took them row by row ("Which entree do you want?") and served them right after, row by row, just like in coach. Not a great example of the UA business-class experience.

I have enough free tickets anyway, I just want my SWU back, I have some long hauls coming up and I NEED them!!!

LIH Prem

ozstamps

You should have been handed (as should EVERYONE on the plane), a white "International Services" folder about letter size that allows you to mail in the details of your inconvenience,

It was 100% United's call to turn the plane around, simply because "BOB" doodled his name, and 100% United's problem you were all a day late.

We had a day delay flying to SFO this year, and coming home a day's delay on the ground in SFO:

Purser walks around a totally dark, powerless 747 bellowing on a red Megaphone!

We were in First in latter case but EVERY pax got the white card and Purser announced it over PA. Standard deal is about $150 travel cert I think, and IIRC I wrote off separately and they sent us $300 or $400 each.

As I outlined, emailing 1K line asking nicely for BOTH your SWU to go back into account under these circumstances will be a cinch IMHO. They have no clue or no interest in what CS might mail you re travel cert. Be SURE to add news links above, as honeslty in ORD they may have no clue about all this saga.

I would NOT mention the 'fly in soup' deal (may have improved most UA soup offerings!) - separate issue and that will only confuse them.

studentff

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Midwest/0....ap/index.html

The man was arrested and then released without charge (he was practicing/learning English phrases from a newspaper). All 120 pax were rescreened for no apparent reason. Shame on the pax that "spotted the words and alerted an attendant" for overreacting instead of evalutating the situation, surroundings, and businessman in question.

I'm all in favor of captain's/crew's discretion on dealing with on-board problems, but perhaps UA should quietly provide some guidelines as to what constitutes an actual threat. In less than two weeks we've now had two fairly serious incidents due to crews over-reacting to written words. "BOB" on the SYD-LAX is not even threatening, and "suicide bomb" written by a businessman on his personal notes is not particularly threatening either.

JetBunny

Hi studentff - I disagree. I think the crew did the right thing in this case as well. Anyone these days knows it's inappropriate to joke or even mention the word "bomb" in an airport or on a plane. Even in Japan... The man had to know the context of the words he was "practicing." And if he's been reading/practicing English recently, that word is kinda all over the place.

And if I see someone next to me writing "suicide bomb" - I'm alerting the crew ASAP so they can check it out and determine the appropriate course of action based on their training and experience. Always better to err on the side of caution IMO. Remember that many the 9/11 hijackers were also dressed as businessmen.

JetBunny

FWAAA

Always? Are you positive?

You mean it's never acceptable to ignore non-risks? Ever? Are you sure? Always better to divert when no threats are made?

This wasn't "cautious" reaction, it was simply designed to teach the Japanese businesman a lesson (same as the SYD BOB turnaround last week).

I respectfully disagree with your sentiment. We currently have too many busybodies who think they are going to discover the next terrorists, even when no threat is made.

Is it ok for me to read books, magazine articles or newspapers onboard the airplane that feature the word "bomb" or "terrorism" in them? What if I watch a movie that features scary scenes involving airplanes? Or is the problem when someone writes or says those words?

bdschobel

The response to the Japanese businessman was totally moronic. Think for just a minute, people! Why would a real terrorist write "suicide bomb" anywhere? What purpose would it serve? If he has a bomb, then set it off. Why write a note about it? It's just sooooooo stupid!

Bruce

taucher

What?!?! Are you some kind of anarchist or something?

I can't believe how subversive and anti-American some people can be.



Tongue firmly in cheek!

JetBunny

Well, while I agree that knee-jerk reactions to minor things would be inappropriate, I really don't think the pilots/crew in these cases turned their planes around on a whim. Yes, err on the side of caution - because I'm sure the crew took into consideration all factors available to them and used all their sensibilities and experience in coming to their decisions. Unless the pilot has suddenly gone stark raving mad, which I guess could happen, they have to be aware of the consequences of all courses of action, and the repercussions of turning a plane around in mid-flight. Otherwise, anyone writing "bob," "bomb," (or even maybe "bill" or "nancy" - heck those could be secret codes for something heinous!!!) or saying "crash" or "explode" or whatever would cause panic and planes would be diverting all over the place. Sheesh.

None of us saw either note (on 840 or 1184) or were there to observe any other circumstances or additional behaviors by the Japanese man that may have also aroused suspicion. I have to believe that the crews in both these situations took these and other factors unknown to us into consideration before deciding on their course of action. After all, who knows how many similar things happen that are subsequently assessed by the crew to be non-threats or non-issues. We don't hear about those...

Have a great day!
JetBunny

ozstamps

Clever use of HTML. Please excuse my 'hacking'.

taucher

No worries. I wondered if anyone would find it.



Bdschobel was right on the mark in that post. I'm still amazed by the BOB incident as well. Caution is always needed, but so is common sense.

UnitedBozo

My favorite part of this Japanese Business Man article is the following:
---
Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Andrea McCauley said travelers need to be mindful of how they behave on airplanes because potential security threats are treated very seriously.

"We caution people not to write about bombs because if they're going on vacation, their travel plans will be disrupted," she said.
---

Has ANYONE ever been cautioned not to write about bombs because their vacation will be delayed?

So I guess right after the "do you have any repaired electronic devices" security checkin question we'll now hear "do you have anything in your hand baggage, such as books, that have the word bomb in it?"

Both of these cases are ludicrous, not in how the staff acted once a threat was deemed credible but rather in coming to the conclusion that there was a credible threat.

Amazonia

So does this mean that I'll have to refrain from telling the FA that the ice cream sundae she prepared for me was "Da Bomb"? (I know, the slang is no longer common parlance, but hey, I live in the sticks).

And, should I refrain from reading Variety in case there are any headlines relating to "a box office bomb"?

Would I be safe in substituting non-English "bombs?" Le Bombe?

Ah, hegemony appears to be having its way...

jhayes_1780

? you do realize this thread is 3 years old right?