cl.lurker

+1 ^^

luv2ctheworld

My experience as well... although I would have to say if it got behind the pax and onto the seat, sitting on it would hamper the dry out. But then again, a blanket would fix the wet seat issue.

CruzinAway

It is much easier for me to have a not so sympathetic opinion of the OP given that I was not the person who had wine spilled on me. Given that, I still try to place myself into his shoes/seat. I would have probably gone to the lavatory, removed my wine soaked clothing and tried to wash it as best I could and placed a clean change of clothes on. (This scenario really reinforces how important it is to place one set of comfortable clothes in your carry-on bag.) I would also have cleaned the seat as best I could and sat down on a blanket. If there were no other seats in economy and the seat was truly soaked, I would have requested a move up to business class and would have been pleased if offered, and not totally upset if it was not offered.

It is very easy to say that a $200 e-cert is adequate compensation for an accident, but I did not have to sit in a reportedly wet seat for a few hours or more.

Maybe standing in the galley for a few hours airing out your clothes would have worked. When the FA's requested that you return to your seat you could have told them that it was wet and you did not want to get your clothes wet again. (I am not serious about this one......)

oldmonster

It is UA's standard practice to hand out E-cert. However, if the issue occurs on an international flight, it is easy to change it to a paper based systemwide travel voucher. Just email them back.

elihu1991

I second that. I was given an e-cert for an issue on the way from SFO to NRT and it was domestic only. I called- how old-fashioned of me- and they canceled out the e-cert and sent a paper cert good on any flight a week or so later. Just ask.

jonslow

Here's two somewhat similar experiences. My wife and I were flying paid C on BMI TATL and she spilled her own drink into her seat. Immediately an FA detached the seat cushion and snapped in a spare dry one. Now that's service.
Recently my wife and I were flying 80000 mile roundtrip US award tickets on LH TATL. The seating was 2+2+2 and we had a window set. Before we took off I played with my seat controls and the seat wouldn't go back to perfectly upright. I told the FA it wasn't a problem. But it was a problem in their minds for take off and landing. There was one empty C seat in the center row and the FA told me that the gentlemen next to the empty seat in the center row had agreed to take my wife's window seat so wife and I could sit together. I politely said we both enjoyed the window view. So they moved me to an empty window seat in First for the take off and landing and gave me one premium drink in F (Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch). I thought they handled that with class and decided not to aggravate myself by trying to get both of us moved to First for the whole flight. I figured that the full F upgrade wasn't worth a try since business was packed but there were only 2 pax in 8 seats in F; it didn't seem like F was easy to get as a freebie.
But UA doesn't guard its C seats like LH appears to guard its F seats. UA should have moved her up to an empty C.

weero

UA can do no wrong. At least not in this forum.

And not all travelers are greedy and vicious as I am - in the same (actually 50% same as it was only one glass) situation, I refused to sit down on the red bog which previously was my C seat. They tried to clean it up a few times but it kept the shine and colour ... so they finally moved me forward. But then, I only got a $150 cert. Domestic only. I sent it back and got an intl. one.

The OP should request the cert being swapped for a useful one too.

B407

I completely agree the compensation was not adequate and the behavior of the cabin crew lack professionalism. However, as someone who used to work in executive customer relations, and was in a position to offer compensation to customers for one of the world's largest company's, you simply waited too long. I'm sure if you were more persistent from the beginning you would've gotten some form of compensation that would've been more meaningful and useful to you. Trying to bring it up a year later, I'm sure the person at UAL's headquarters reading your e-mail about an incident that happened a year ago didn't even think twice about rejecting your request for compensation. I wouldn't be surprised if the person who received your complaint was in a position to offer you additional compensation, but simply did not out of spite. Get over it.

weero

I don't find $200 for stained clothes all that inappropriate. But what lacks good taste is to feed the OP with a cert that isn't worth anything to them and to let them sit in a sea of wine and here it is where the United spirit kicks in.

FriendlySkies

It would be nice if the OP would chime in, as I am curious why they decided to wait a year before asking UA for more. If they felt like this wasn't enough compensation, they should have been on the horn with UA right after the incident... My two cents.

Grace B

Hi weero,

This is a topic dear to my own heart (as you might have guessed).

I once, unfortunately, knocked a glass of red wine over my seatmate (who I didn't know). Well, I was truly mortified, as I know what red wine can do to things (seems some posters on this thread don't, though). I couldn't have been more apologetic, and the kind gentleman was really gracious about it. It was an accident, but I wouldn't have blamed him for being difficult.

Do people actually know how hard it is to remove all signs of red wine stains? I do. Try removing them from an expensive light brown suede leather jacket. It can't be done, so how is a measly $200 going to compensate you?

Keep smilin, Gracie...

weero

I was on the receiving end of this twice in my life and I imagine that it is infinitely easier than being the 'culprit'. But to be fair, I always dress in dark tones, wool/cotton/synthetics and those don't act up all that much when being cleaned.

But I can relate to you - I never carry replacement garments in the hand luggage as I need all the space for my hard drives and computers. So I am quite lost for an extended time when the liquid fate strikes .

mrredskin

haha... a "measly" $200???

not everyone is as high-class as you and your oh so elegant "expensive light brown suede leather jacket".

submit the dry-cleaning bill, collect the $200 e-cert, and go on your way. THAT'S what should have happened within a month of this happening

deniah

i dont purchase full fare premium tickets for personal travel, but i dont judge others that do. if someone chooses to spend 5000$ on a cashmere/wool suit that lasts a lifetime, rather than 5000$ on an ephemeral 8hr TATL-C plane ride, its hard for me to see the contempt.

dry-cleaning isnt a magic fix all, and it sure wont fix that irreparably damaged suit....

exerda

Had a NRSA FA wake me in the middle of a red-eye by spilling her just-refilled wine on me. Working FA tried to help clean up, but that's a ton of red wine and UA's napkins & tablecloths just aren't that absorbent. Even using club soda, I am betting the clothes are goners.

No sky kit offered and I should have been more demanding; my, "So I don't get one because she was off-duty?" got only a chuckle. Purser came by later, but it was to gift the NRSA a bottle of champagne.

Here I had just handed out several GTEMs this trip and then I'm reminded of just how inconsistent UA can be.