United had me a on flight from Korea next to an Infectious DISEASE nurse who had been transporting a severely infectious patient to Korea previously. This in 2008.100% Seat Allocation. The flight crew winced in the face walking anywhere near him. Mass graves in hot zones don't small as bed as this guy did.
When I approach the topic. They say 100% of seats are filled. Will they please speak to him? NO. Will the Captain speak to him NO. Will any member of the flight crew SPEAK TO HIM? NO.
OK— The passenger THEN GIVES THE HYGIENE SPEACH TO THE GROWN MAN because the airlines would not... LOVE THAT BUSINESS CLASS HOSPITALITY.
It went point-counter-point but soon he was washing in the toilet. The flight crew chuckled apparently amused by the events. The passenger had to their their JOB while they socialized instead of offering beverages.
Of course; the washing did not work. He went back and tried again with another change of clothes. This times he came back about 20% more reasonable; but it still exceeded ALL OTHER 3RD WORLD BODY HYGIENE issues I had yet encountered from an upper middle class American going home.
He then told me his story (the breath so bad my head was turned away as he spoke& I mean 100 times worse than Beijing standard breath). This was profoundly bad. As though my body knew we was a carrier of something bad.
He was transport an ambulatory infectious disease patient to a Korean hospital& his own words.
NOW - After 10 HOURS in THE STINK. UNITED decided they would have ZERO RECORD of me on my flight sent to IMMIGRATION USCIS according the APIS Protocols and Law...
Before a plane takes off; the manifest is electronically sent to the US for DHS to clear it. This is public knowledge. They never sent my information. I was not on that PLANE according to their listing. But yet it was allowed to enter us airspace. Land. No fighter escort. No nothing.
But when I went to the Immigration counter; the CONFUSION began. The question game and ultimately the SBC MARKING — SECONDARY BAGGAGE CHECK because YOUR HIGH RISK now that your airline violated FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
NOW — My connecting flight was closer than I thought; SO I REALLY APPRECIATED ALL OF THIS.
SO NOW; who to call. I ask the RED CARPET STAFF for a number. Shoulder shrug. Sorry; you call the 800 # to India please. OK.
NOW the GATE AGENT. I need the Supervisor or Location Manager for SFO airport for UNITED. THAT IS PROTECTED INFORMATION DUE TO NATIONAL SECURITY was a paraphrasing of the response.
Of course; US Airways and United regularly give me these people's emails and phone numbers as a courtesy to let them try to hide the messes they make from executive office complaints or press coverage; BUT HEY... TODAY its SECURITY.
So we have no supervisor from senior gate agent.
I get on the SFO flight. I know that sometimes the PILOTS or Flight Staff are helpful. As in when I had a UAL staffer tell me to go and clean out my ears because I said I couldn't understand her bad english and a Pilot gave me a card with the DOT URL for complaints and told me to bypass UAL complaints as they won't get anywhere. Words of a wise pilot with his Union printed DOT complaint card.
NOW THE PILOTS ARE MADE UNAVAILABLE by flight attendants just after I board. BUT AFTER GLAZING over at my story (still trying to get a supervisor) THE BIZ class flight attendant with blonde hair does me a real solid... She says:
Tell him..
So I tell him. A nice cordial gentlemen in a different uniform... He then stops me 5 minutes into my 10th re-tell of my story and says — HOW WAS THE FOOD ON THE FLIGHT???
I scratch my head. HE IS THE FOOD SERVICE CLERK loading food onto my PLANE.
UNITED's PREMIUM TRANSCONTINENTAL SERVICE BUSINESS CLASS flight staff referred my SERIOUS Regulatory, Personal, and Public Health related issues to:
Food service assistant!!!
By then the Gate Agent has come back and asks me to step off the plane to speak (CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE HEAR THESE STORIES)!!! He says that I will have to wait for a supervisor. That means missing my flight.
I finally say; I GIVE UP. I go sit down and work out my multi-page letter to the EXECUTIVE OFFICES.
Some interesting points:
#1 - This is 1 STORY of 100
#2 - The first offer of compensation was from an Indian Call Center with profoundly poor language skills and was $150 USD voucher against a future flight & -BUT that required her to put me on hold for 20 minutes and GET MANAGER APPROVAL.
Eventually some offers were made back; but it was too little too late... It was interesting to note that my original letter brought some commentary from the review who said it just had such details it just struck a note with him. Imagine that. Empathy or Sympathy from airlines executives; I was more impressed by that that by anything else I had ever seen UAL staff do.
I could write one of these a week with another fun UAL story that I have been part of or observed. Of course; I have a heart list for other airlines too. AA out of JFK is a truly horrible experience in every way as well.
Ohhhhh Singapore Girl... Your the only way to FLY!!! I miss Singapore Air so much.
I WILL PUT THE SUMMARY LIST in another listing to spare room.
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