#1 - 2006 UNITED EXPRESS - 1,000 - 2,000 Passengers in IAD with No Baggage
Offload for 20 Flights. People are Getting Restless. Their friends, families, and services waiting. Airport police are busy writing tickets to cars waiting hours for their families and ignoring the impending riot of multi-hour passengers receiving no information
HE IS WHAT A BAGGAGE HANDLING SUPERVISOR TOLD me after pressing several times for real information and asking the right questions which made the I DON"T WANT TO GET FIRED TODAY flag go off and the truth came out.
1. Baggage handler fist fight with ua express pilot at dulles on tarmac
2. Other people join in
3. CITY BAGGAGE MANAGER FOR UA EXPRESS FOR IAD Walks off the Job and away from the situation.
ALL TIMES FRAMES
Seen at IAD and LAX:
1. Baggage handler throw the bag the highest contest
For those of you who haven't seen this game. It is essentially where baggage handlers so as to entertain themselves; throw bags up as high as they can from the cart before landing under the force of gravity as hard as possible onto the conveyor feeding into the cargo section of the aircraft.
NOW - This provides hours of fun and enjoyment apparently.
BUT IMAGINE THIS — You see you own bag being thrown in the AIR as part of their game while your on the plane and they are loading.
YOU notify you pilot immediately.
HE & Whispers a few words to the Flight Attendant and continues pre-flight while about 20 people on the plane watch in shock as their bags are hurled.
YOU KNOW THIS HAPPENS. But rarely do you get to see if with your own eyes and see your own bag being hurled.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE THOUGH - Once I had the same thing happen with a Delta flight and I told the PILOT directly. He went downstairs to SPEAK TO the baggage handlers and THEY SPOKE TO HIM WITH THEIR FISTS; IRONICALLY; all I did was delay the flight; but lets get back to United.
Diapers - diaper hygiene
You need to change your baby's diaper. Some airlines like Air India, sometimes Thai Airways, Air China won't say a word while someone changes a baby's diaper on the seat instead of the bathroom. BUT with UNITED I expect someone to say get to the bathroom; because the whole area smells of feces and there is a "LIMITED" consumption of LIMITED FOOD SERVICE going on.
TO FINISH IT OFF& THE USED DIAPER WAS PLACED IN THE MAGAZINE HOLDER - So that everyone had to smell it for the remainder of the flight. AND NO MEMBER OF THE UA STAFF SAID EVEN ONE WORD that I could observe.
(On Air India I saw the diaper mashed into the actual seat leaving feces on the cloth seat - Empty adjacent one)
Safety for cockpit door and during landing
If its Thai Airways or Emirates or China Air or China Southern going into mainland China or Hong Kong or pretty much arriving anywhere departing mainland china on those carriers; A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE OUT OF THERE SEAT GETTING THEIR BAGS while the plane is still moving pretty fast.
BUT ON UNITED & How about this — 30 SECONDS (approx) from TOUCH & Someone speaking NO ENGLISH gets up and rushes into the Bathroom — the FORWARD ONE& Right next to the cockpit. Going right by the flight attendants seated up front who should have stopped this for national security, policy, and safety. HE ENJOYED THE LANDING IN THE BATHROOM.
Again; I have seen the same thing on American Airlines and Continental so I give UNITED CREDIT for not being alone on that one in the continental U.S. Except that they didnt even try to stop him. NOTHING WAS SAID.
When United replies to this; they will probably suggest he was an Air Marshall but he I'm about 95% he was a tourist or businessman - I think Nigerian from having heard the voice earlier on boarding.
SPEAKING OF NIGERIANS& How about when someone decides to pretend that they are a PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL player to the United Express staff and how about when the STAFF DECIDE & NO GLOBAL SERVICE, NO EX-PLUS, NO 1-K, NO DISABLED, NO ONE NEEDING TO TAKE MEDICATION shall be entitled to a BEVERAGE FOR THIS FLIGHT SEGMENT...
But this 7 foot tall tourist. He helped himself to 3 glasses of Orange juice. And the flight crew were just peachy to bring him another; but alas his thirst had been quenched. Apparently a decade of elite flying and a serious to take a prescription for a medical condition doesn't register on that scale. After the first request for WATER was ignored. I just decided I didn't want to stress out by arguing with the staff.
I spoke to the man by the way. I meet many Nigerians in south east asia and in washington DC for that matter. I joked. You have them tricked pretty well. He couldn't make up the name of a team fast enough when they asked and after a 4 second delay he said Atlanta. I knew we was lying because of training to read people well. He laughed at my joke with a nod as he knew I knew the real story.
BUT THANKS UNITED. I appreciate the concern for your most valuable customers... And after 24 hours in transit& that WATER would have been nice.
flatulence - caughing
OK. It can be embarassing. We all have the issues where someone on the plane is passing the gas and will not politely do it in the lavoratory.
But what about ua staff. Shouldn't flight staff have the courtesy to do this there?
I've seen this in the 'SURREPTITIOUS' I didn't do it was by flight attendants and also the accidental & lean over to serve a drink — and... THERE I AM ON THE OTHER END OF THE JET STREAM CHOKING ON IT...
IS THERE A UNITED STAFF directly to handling the passing of gas; a FLATULENCE COURTESY PROTOCOL if you will mandating some charcoal pills and doing that in their toilets if possible.
In loci parentae (spelling) - united watching your kids
When United is tasked with watching your children travelling alone; shouldn't they pay attention where possible to things that are perhaps inappropriate for a child to hear?
LIKE SAY & A MAN OR WOMAN ON A CELL PHONE before take-off have a SEXUALLY EXPLICIT and GRAPHIC conversation with the significant other as to what HE/SHE had in mind to do to HE/SHE later. Notice my gender neutrality and politically correct manner of expressing or hinting at the nature of that particular conversation.
Luckily, by the time I was ready to try to say shut-up there is a young child near you; the individual had terminated the conversation.
UNITED STAFF— Went over a few times. Asked the child something. Nothing said to the HE/SHE/IT.
SEND YOUR KIDS WITH EARPLUGS IF THAT IS THE STANDARD OF CARE and many flight attendants have children and should know better making it even more sad. Either way its some form of apathy.
how about one with a global service (not me) that i observed interacting with united gate staff:
So your a GS. Your a big revenue generator. Your company spends over 100,000 USD on your flying each year with United probably. You expect some nice counter service. An upgrade use here or there.
BUT & WHAT HAPPENS WHEN the UNITED GATE STAFFER is very very very very attracted to the Beautiful Young Woman Behind YOU. YOUR GLOBAL-SERVICES-EGO is broken is half as your asked to STEP ASIDE. Obvious he made a temper tantrum. Some verbeage about terminations. Step aside. You see; she looked too good.
After GS stepped aside; HE MOVED INTO RICO SUAVE What can I do for you on your economy non-elite (color identification on ticket) ticket today since you are so attractive... MAYBE SHE HAD MILES or an UPGRADE — who knows.
The end game. He passed her his phone number. She flirted and smiled. They talked for 5 minutes while a line built up. Global Services was on his cell phone claiming to call the powers that be.
HE COMES BACK& NO UPGRADE FOR YOU... Just gave it to her... I know you were here first... But HAY... I guess he didn't look at good as she did to the UA gate agent. One wonders what the rate of upgrades are involving excessive cleavage showing on females with male gate agents.
Social Hour more important that Customer - YET AGAIN.
homosexual - homophobic - politically correct - sexual harassment
reasonable standards..
So a blatantly homosexual flight attendant is helping you?
So your an attractive guy built well, 6-pack.
But NOW. FLIGHT ATTENDANT is touching too much. He is bringing you new sodas and water and peanuts every 5 to 10 minutes. YOU are getting the greatest service EVER by UNITED and in economy.
BUT the FLIGHT ATTENDANT — Keeps putting his hands on your LEG and keeping it there whenever he asks how you are doing? What can he get you? Etc.
Then the hands migrate to the shoulder touch, should rub, a mild little trap massage. At some point; your desire to be politically correct and non homo-phobic is being overrun by the fact that this is some CROSS BETWEEN FLIRTATION and MOLESTATION.
Iad-lax flight 2005. Reported to united. No reply.
checking firearms & not a popular topic...
How about checking firearms on hunting trips; generally acceptable or perhaps your a LEO and check it in to go between jurisdictions or your just relocating and moving your legal firearms with you in your check bags.
This requires the SPECIAL YELLOW CONSENT card that you sign and it says ITS NOT LOADED. Your not supposed to have to prove it. They are not required to even see the weapon usually. Also; double locks are generally the standard of the day.
NOW - TOTALLY ASIDE from UNITED RESERVATIONS reading me off the standards for in cabin LEO carrying of sidearms which should remain PRIVILEDGED and in channel& and TOTALLY aside from NO CONSISTENT answers from UNITED WHATSOEVER AS TO POLICY
My issue is with a dulles counter check in staffer:
#1. Why do you need a firearm? Don't you think guns are part of the problem and not the solutions. Preaching gun control by a UNITED staffer who I PAY for the service of checking my baggage which may include this in a fully legally compliant manner??? UAL STAFF JOB IS NOT TO PREACH POLITICAL VIEWS TO THE CUSTOMER
#2. Ok. Display it. SHOW ME IT Your not supposed to do this. The whole reason you sign the card is that YOUR WORD is good enough to say under these penalties; its not loaded. NOW YOU COMPROMISE THE RISK OF THEFT OF DIVERSION OF THE BAG AND RISK SCARING PEOPLE IN THE LINE
Everyone at this CHECK IN got to see that MR XYZ was checking a firearm. Its like yelling out WE HAVE A LEO HERE CARRYING A FIREARM at the security check or a bypass. So now; if one wants to steal IT on arrival; all the more easy.
I did have a wide berth as I walked the bags over by hand to TSA manually.
jfk - horrible english coupled with speech impediment
I just could not understand what the UNITED gate agent was saying.
I asked her politely; i can't understand your english or what you are trying to say.
Paraphrasing - maybe you need to clean out for -ing ears then &
By the way; there were 2 UNITED staff there to witness at the counter but none seemed to hear this. I looked over to 1 and repeated what she just said to me... They looked at me dumbfounded...
BTW— FIRST CLASS REVENUE TICKET and ELITE FLYER & just the perfect revenue generating demographic to do this with...
ONE said that she was calling a supervisor... She did appear in shock when I told her... So I do believe that she really wasn't paying attention to what was said... (Said supervisor never showed up after 2 HOURS of waiting for the plane)...
I told the Flight Attendant on the plane to recover indentifying information about the individual for my complaint. PILOT asked to speak with me. He told me not to bother with executive offices or customer service. He said to use the URL for the DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION Common carrier complaint form. He had a printed business card that had the URL printed on it.
NO SUPERVISOR EVER SPOKE TO ME ABOUT THIS - Total opportunity to speak with supervisor - ALMOST 3 HOURS from Incident to Doors Closed. It wasn't my check in counter I went to. She was working another flight.
US Airways had a similar incident with me at JFK. I think that SWEARING should be a ONCE your suspended and TWICE your gone situation since they need to reduce their employee base anyway.
I have heard the F word several times before by UNITED staff but never directed at me and very rarely toward a customer. United Baggage staff I have observed swearing at customers who get irate about baggage delays.
So you have surgery?
So you need a little help?
So you need someone to lift a 10 pound bag for you?
So your in biz class & think maybe they will want to help?
No. No. No. And No.
UNION RULES. We DO NOT need or have to help you with your overhead. Sure its easy. Sure we do it for elderly all the time. But if your not elderly and you just have shrapnel in your spine. No way will we help you unless we want to.
this is what i have been told. I have been made to injure myself post-operative blatantly because some UNITED staff are selectively lazy and selectively interpret their rules.
75 year old lady - ok i can help.
40 year old man - walker - no sorry
25 year old post-op - sexy looking - can help.
Whatever the policy; Its common courtesy. Also when its done for others in front of you and then you refuse; you LOOK BAD and UAL looks BAD. Thanks again for never helping me 1 time with overheads.
but there is a trick. You can have an elderly person pretend its his or her bag and then ask the flight attendant and they will be compassionate and assist many times. Then tell them it was really yours as you might get an angry look and a:
"your getting it down yourself then"
Even if you a wearing a corset compression wrap and limping.
Thanks united. Thanks for caring about people.
peanut toss - peanut assault?
At what speed and momentum does a belligerently thrown bag of peanuts (or snack mix) by a UNITED flight attendant at a UNITED Customer become:
A) Inappropriate
B) Assault
C) Ground for Dismissal
D) Absurd
DOES this standard change if the WHOLE BOX of peanuts it thrown at a passenger?
Luckily UNITED is not alone. I have seen this one on AMERICAN AIRLINES
out of MIAMI also. Foolish man; hungry because of a 6 hour delay with no food service. How dare he ask?
Complimentary or operational upgrade requests at lax in 2005 by gold or 1k =
You are beneath me as a person and I shall treat you as rudely as possible. This must be the case as I can attest to a bad attitude and a grumble almost every time I asked that question to gate staff going from LAX-IAD every 1 to 2 weeks.
It became so obvious that they were going to be rude; that I would pre-empt and ask them if they intended to be extremely rude or unprofessional to me because I was about to ask them for an upgrade.
YET & at LAX when 2 Uniformed UAL employees are able to passionately kiss behind the area where the printer sits at the Gate; that is just fine even if it means 40 minutes to flight time and no gate staff available. Also the guy should remove the lipstick and she should fix hers. Evidence of their little bit of enjoyment while everyone waits.
BUT — They were among the most nice and professional gate agents I have yet encountered at United. Maybe the kissing policy should be permitted.
falling over from pain at the gate while begging for an upgrade... From the extreme spinal pain...
UNITED - LAX-JFK Premium Service. Economy Plus begging from Upgrade because of extreme neuropathic and discogenic pain. Basically a 8 to 9 out of 10 in pain.
Waiting in that long line to ask the question; my back got tired and a jolt of pain and lightning hit up my back and I made it to the ground. Not a huge hard hit. But enough that people noticed.
NOW& THE GATE STAFF. Didn't notice. Too busy with their issues they did not notice or chose to ignore it. Customers on the other hand. They came to help me. Also; airport staff seemed oblivious; not stopping the high speed cart for me.
Who was there to assist me:
United Passenger
Passengers of Other Airlines
The Janitor who would clean the toilets.
The humanity was not lost with them. With the gate staffers; the humanity was long gone. Also 300 lb people whose feet hurt take precedence over serious injuries with those carts I would find out.
AGAIN& SUPERVISORS — United staff never say NO about the supervisors but they EFFECTIVELY INSURE THAT NO IS THE ANSWER.
1. First 800 number.
2. Then repeat.
3. Then repeat story to same ranked staff to waste time or trick you into believing that they are the supervisor.
4. Then page supervisor calls in and decides its not important enough
5. Then tell you that you can talk a later flight if you want to talk to a supervisor.
There is often a subversion to avoid the escalation. I see this many times. Again its not only UAL. Aa.Co. Nwa. Dl. I see it more with US based carriers than anywhere else.
AND THAT TOLL FREE COMPLAINT LINE AND WRITE IN ADDRESS are like their RED BADGE OF COURAGE AND APATHY & to truly ignore you and your plight to the fullest.
ua 1 k - observation - gate agent
A UNITED 1K (saw the card on the bag) passenger was being obnoxious to a United gate agent I saw some time back. I remember him noting his intent to file a formal complaint.
The gate agent said; this is my plane. I decide who goes on this plane. I am in charge. If you are not a good little boy. You will not get on this plane. Do you understand me. Paraphrasing. I wasn't that close.
I was trying not to laugh as the condescension was so strong that it was just absurd. I would have had a station manager out and missed my flight for sure had it been me. But Mr. Ego decided to turn spineless and let her behave in this ridiculous manner.
Out came his phone. His phone to defend his honor since he didn't stand up to her inappropriate commentary.
water & medication—
I also addressed this one time. But it happens other times too.
You see; if you look unhealthy or if you look over 65; you will get compassion; limited compassion; but compassion from United flight attendant staff.
If your young have medical issues that are not immediately visible; DO NOT HAVE ANY EXPECTATIONS.
Is business class if you ask for water to take your medication for extreme pain; you can expect a glass. This is true.
BUT IN COACH; you need to take your medication and are stuck on ground delay?
Paraphrasing from real incident:
Ual: sir no.
Me: but i need to take my.
Ual: sir no. Sir everyone is thirty; why should you get a drink and no one else.
ME: I NEED TO TAKE. My... She had left. While I was speaking..
a normal united syndrome.
She was having a bad day so naturally I should too.
Naturally; they could accommodate a senior citizen.
FOR UNITED STAFF riding for discount or gratis — THEY WENT AHEAD and made up a COMPLIMENTARY MIXED DRINK on ground delay. BUT FOR THE PASSENGER who is youthful and needs to take pain medicine; SHE WALKS AWAY WHILE YOU ARE TALKING AND PUBLICLY EMBARASS YOU IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.
Then later people ask you; That wasn't right. I saw that. I hope you are calling to call that in. A DOZEN people express sympathy at the lavoratory line later but NO ONE ACTS ON THIS STUFF. Its buried in the huge mound of Complaints.
Why on earth should a free traveller catching a UNITED ride to work get a MIXED drink on ground delay when WATER FOR MEDICAL NECESSITY is DENIED to a passenger.
the world isn't blind or fair -united and appearances
Its also interesting to notice the different experience I had when I was an 8% bodyfat bodybuilder in a tank-top versus having 30% body fat in an expensive custom suit.
FAR AND AWAY; The 8% Tank Top service was better than the Big Fat guy in the nice executive suit.
We are referring to 2 beverage requests versus 10. (example)
We are referring to pro-actively offering pillows from other cabinets
We are referring to nice friendly smiles from flight staff
We are referring to questions:
Is your seat comfortable?
Can I turn down that shade for you to help you sleep?
Are you too cold or hot right now?
Would you like some lemon in your water?
THEY HELPED ME WITH MY BAG & a huge athletic guy they went ahead and helped me with that bag without my asking. But when I am overweight and Injured - THEY REFUSE even when I ASK.
That is irony for you...
SUMMARY OF MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES EN MASSE:
If you look good; your United female flight staff will oftentimes flirt with you and this brings ingratiation attempts whether conscious or not and yielded a Net considerably better class of service.
I have had this occur to me so many times it is well correlated and predictable.
I have had the benefit or curse of rapid body fat shifts enough to be in both professional athlete body fats and obese body fats more than one time while flying a lot. I can therefore; correlate the difference in behavior over time by the UAL staff over time.
ALSO - Everyone from cab-checks to TSA to the Electric Cart to the food service people all endeavor to assist that bodybuilder. He must need help with that carry on. Even USCIS and US Customs and foreign immigration and foreign customs treat you better when your in shape and athletic. So the world isn't fair; but I doubt UNITED every thought to address this aspect of their policy.
How do those other people feel around when they see flight attendants ingratiating one passenger in the same class of service because they find he or she attractive? I see it all the time. Its commonplace.
Over 30% Bodyfat; the may have been looking out for my diet; because 1 out of 3 flights they never even bothered giving me my Peanuts. THANK YOU for trying to reduce my intake of saturated fats United.
Summarizing
I believe that a United flight attendant only offers you a drink so that he/she will not be fired; in general. The difference on Singapore Air or ANA or JAL or BA is that they LEGITIMATELY WANT TO MAKE ME HAPPY and do a good job.
Handing me a cola with a grunt and angry look does not send the message of customer appreciation. It costs United $0 extra to compel that that face me a fake smile. I highly encourage a fake smile policy. Its better than grumble.
Some old school flight attendants (which yields other problems) still have a service mentality that is proper; but it is rare and virtually gone in the new recruits after 6 months out.
I still remember an sia story:
ECONOMY CLASS.
Highly Discounted Ticket.
I fell asleep on an international flight (all SIA flights are international).
The flight attendant (39 kg @ 22 years old - i found out later) took an extra blanket. Removed it from the plastic seal to keep it from getting stale (HINT HINT). And then while I SLEPT she wrapped it around my feet in a bundle.
SHE WAS NOT EXPECTING a THANK YOU!
SHE WAS NOT EXPECTING to be fired for not.
SHE WAS NOT EXPECTING an award for doing it
SHE WAS NOT EXPECTING a raise for doing it.
They taught her to make the customer happy and that is what
she did.
I laugh at these Union baggage rules.
110 pound young Chinese guys in Singapore and 110 young Thai guys in Thailand all lift those bags even at 100 pound onto the cargo bay. 85 pound ladies still lift 20-25 pound bags into the overhead if you ask.
The ratio of body weight to lifted weight is almost double what one would expect in the U.S. With a U.S. Flight staff and they do it with no complaints.
U.S. AIRLINES LIKE UNITED have lost their way.
Its nothing about the passenger anymore
They have alienated their own employees and many of those employees are no so apathetic with the eventual termination situation that they treat the customers poorly. The work ethic is almost completely lost.
Those are some of my experiences and observations.
I have about 100 more stories just for UNITED and some are much better than these.
I am sure a mail merge response will be forthcoming about how United strives to be the very best and our Flight staff always try to help our customers with special needs. All customers are treated equally. We value our elite customers. ETC ETC ETC.
But it rarely translates like that...
that being said —i like united pilots.
They will answer my questions most of the time
They will change plane temperature if I can convince flight staff to call them
They generally keep me well informed.
They will generally activate channel #9 if asked.
That is my second installment of many of complaints.
Thanks for reading world.
United: There is very little you can realistically say to undo what
has already transpired. I wish I had a list of the 100 to 200 people to terminate although probably 50% have quit, retired, or been fired or excessed already anyway.
I would not want the job of retasking UNITED. Its extremely hard work and I feel for how difficult it is to try to fix such a broken machine. I think Unions are part of the problem and not the solution though.
I think that management is haughty and high strung and inaccessible to the customers real views and to the realties of the day to day. They need to come down from 100,000 feet for at least a 5,000 foot view one or two days a month and get a sense of things.
ALSO ITS TIME FOR UNITED to have a SECRET FLYER program like the SECRET SHOPPER. They write down names and comments as to policy violations and bad behavior. Pay independent people to fly empty seats to observe staff behavior. Keep a database and when you need to push people out; try to root out the bad apples because there are plenty of REALLY GOOD PEOPLE AT UNITED who are going to be outraged at hearing some of the things that have happened to me.
Cheers
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