The United debarcle

[Gabriel]

reality check:

quite clearly you haven't flown recently or are flying some strange airline. almost every one of the nearly 100 flights i took last year--domestic and intl--was fully booked in both economy plus/first/biz. this includes AA, Copa, and Avianca. i also doubt VERY much that someone is gonna get a free upgrade because of discomfort.

Not only that, but in United they will not allow you change the seat category. It happened to me twice in flights between Houston and Argentina that there were seats available in the first row of the back "block" (which was also an emergency exit row). In fact, almost the full row was available (because they charge more for them, only those seats of that block are premium economy). After the doors closed I moved to that row and very quickly the flight attendant came with the POS device saying that they were delighted that I had chosen to upgrade the seat. I said something about the seat being not sold anyway and would not be sold so it would cost exactly zero, nada, zilch to United that I sat there to what she replied something like "Masters or Visa"? In both instances I moved back to my original seat. In one of the instances, another guy moved to that row already in flight as soon as the seatbelt signs were turned off. Again the smiling flight attendant came with the same intention. That guy was more "brave"than me so he insisted with the same kind of logic that I had tried and when that didn't work he said that he would just remain in that seat to what the FA said instructed him to either pay for the upgrade or move back to his originality assigned seat and reminded him that it was a criminal federal offense to disobey the instructions of the crew so if he decided to stay there without paying for the upgrade she would not fight him but the police would escort him out of the plane as we landed. Seriously, no joke.

On American, on the other hand, several times they allowed me to move to another standard seat that happened to be premium economy for is "geographic" location (front row or emergency exit) that happened to be empty. Even more, more than once I requested that seat at the counter of the gate and they told me to wait until the last minute, if they were not sold and nobody upgraded to it they would give it to me, and then they did give me the new boarding pass. It is a nice gesture that cost exactly NOTHING. My loyalty is much higher for American than United. Unfortunately the tickets to Argentina in American are hundreds of dollars more expensive than in United, which becomes thousands of dollars when you multiply by 5 (+wife + 3 children). So there is where my loyalty reluctantly goes back and down to United. But for the same price and even a tad more expensive? I would fly American over united every time. Not for 40% more per ticket (I could buy a premium economy in United for that difference and not depend on the generosity of the airline).

[brianw999]

Not only that, but in United they will not allow you change the seat category. It happened to me twice in flights between Houston and Argentina that there were seats available in the first row of the back "block" (which was also an emergency exit row). In fact, almost the full row was available (because they charge more for them, only those seats of that block are premium economy). After the doors closed I moved to that row and very quickly the flight attendant came with the POS device saying that they were delighted that I had chosen to upgrade the seat. I said something about the seat being not sold anyway and would not be sold so it would cost exactly zero, nada, zilch to United that I sat there to what she replied something like "Masters or Visa"? In both instances I moved back to my original seat. In one of the instances, another guy moved to that row already in flight as soon as the seatbelt signs were turned off. Again the smiling flight attendant came with the same intention. That guy was more "brave"than me so he insisted with the same kind of logic that I had tried and when that didn't work he said that he would just remain in that seat to what the FA said instructed him to either pay for the upgrade or move back to his originality assigned seat and reminded him that it was a criminal federal offense to disobey the instructions of the crew so if he decided to stay there without paying for the upgrade she would not fight him but the police would escort him out of the plane as we landed. Seriously, no joke.

On American, on the other hand, several times they allowed me to move to another standard seat that happened to be premium economy for is "geographic" location (front row or emergency exit) that happened to be empty. Even more, more than once I requested that seat at the counter of the gate and they told me to wait until the last minute, if they were not sold and nobody upgraded to it they would give it to me, and then they did give me the new boarding pass. It is a nice gesture that cost exactly NOTHING. My loyalty is much higher for American than United. Unfortunately the tickets to Argentina in American are hundreds of dollars more expensive than in United, which becomes thousands of dollars when you multiply by 5 (+wife + 3 children). So there is where my loyalty reluctantly goes back and down to United. But for the same price and even a tad more expensive? I would fly American over united every time. Not for 40% more per ticket (I could buy a premium economy in United for that difference and not depend on the generosity of the airline).

Of all the airlines based in America, United has to be the worst overall in just about all areas of their service. They treat you like they’re doing you a huge favour by carrying you. My favourite airline from the USA years ago was Continental. The tragedy with them was when United took them over.

[Evan]

Things may be about to get a lot worse in Trump's Great Amerika. Say goodbye to your knees Gabriel.

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-02-27/airlines-unfair-practices-rule

I'm especially entertained by the desccription of 'unfair'.

[Evan]

I'm willing to make an exception for SleazyJet flights out of Manchester. Beat the passengers as needed. Turn back as often as possible. This is perfectly justified.


https://edition.cnn.com/travel/artic...gbr/index.html

[3WE]

In other news, Frontier is not waiving change fees for Coronavirus...(or is charging a $5.00 change fee depending on who you ask).

[Evan]

In other news, Frontier is not waiving change fees for Coronavirus...(or is charging a $5.00 change fee depending on who you ask).

Delta is waiving them, according to my inbox.

[3WE]

Delta is waiving them, according to my inbox.

We can't cut them some slack, change fees are still legalized robbery and they are doing this just for PR optics. No problem with them putting a little price on it, but the normal fees....

/bitchy unappreciative customer.

[Evan]

Airlines are flying near empty flights just to keep the landing slots alive. YOU WOULD THINK a few phone calls would establish a waiver on this policy until the madness passes. But OH NO... like every other bureaucratic rock this virus has turned over, the system is ENTIRELY unprepared to deal with this CLEARLY PREDICTED scenario. Braaaavo. Enjoy the silence airline pilots. I don't know what to tell the environment...

[3WE]

AA FA's allegedly limit 11 total pax into 2 rows because they didn't buy second class tickets (and the virus-transmission implications are...)...

Shall we make bold proclamations as to what they should have done?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-...154308554.html

[Evan]

AA FA's allegedly limit 11 total pax into 2 rows because they didn't buy second class tickets (and the virus-transmission implications are...)...

Shall we make bold proclamations as to what they should have done?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-...154308554.html

Seriously, let American go under. The world will be a better place.

Or better yet, bail them out (because we have no choice) with taxpayer money with the stipulation that EVERYONE gets to check a bag and reserve any available economy class seat for free for the next ten years. Why? Because now WE are the investors.

[3WE]

TeeVee makes that allegation that there's a little something EXTRA off in their FA culture...and sometimes I think it's true.

FA's from ALL airlines are frazzled from the nastiness they unrightfully endure from us and semi-unrightfully endure from the airlines operational rules and performance (and semi-rightfully endure), but sometimes there's a little bit more eye rolling in the AA stories as well as few personal instances that make you wonder if things are a little different and why they might be a little different...

[LH-B744]

I'm willing to make an exception for SleazyJet flights out of Manchester. Beat the passengers as needed. Turn back as often as possible. This is perfectly justified.


[...]

Holy f#ckin shit. Until only a few seconds ago, I assumed that you know the word Manchester only from picture books or from a storybook (dt.: Märchenbuch). Do not disappoint me.

Now I should tell you where I know the word Manchester from. It must have been the year of God 2010 (or earlier), when a man who called himself 'The Supermoderator' told stories in a rather unknown aviation forum, about flights who he does not want to take on board a 'Speedbird' (see my latest entry concerning call signs...)
BUT
he planned to travel to Manchester Ringway, and then he would not even take SleazyJet (which I've done in the past, God forgive me), but look for something with the
IATA code: EK
!

Ahm. As I said, I've made mistakes during the last 42 years. But this man on top of all that also stated that he never in this life was a passenger of an airline which really is only less than an hour away from him. For him, and for all people who sometimes forget about this young international airline, founded in 1974,
this is how an airline looks like, if you like to support your neighbors at Heathrow (!):

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9674375

Thank God, he never had a nickname where upon you could have assumed that he likes to support an airline which was founded only a dozen feet away from him, Speedbird type 747. ...

Back on topic. United connects Newark with Manchester ringway. And Manchester ringway is connected with Lohausen International airport, nonstop. Now tell me something. Older men, let's say older than me, seem to favor Manchester ringway, although they live only not much more than a footwalk away from Heathrow (!).

Where is the mistake?

Evan, why do people travel to EGCC, although at least since 1988 'Heathrow' should be the place to be (taken from 'a fish called Wanda') ?

PS: Here at Lohausen, we also see this EK jets. But I never had a problem with my home airline, which was the LTU until 2008, and since then our local airline, the Lufthansa. Which I know from inside the cabin, otherwise I would not own this nickname since more than 11 years!

[LH-B744]

I never tried to find that out. But is it a fact that in a flight number which usually is flown on board a 747-400 the real and loyal passengers do come from cities where the 747 is not originally based?

For me and my nickname, this is an open question. But for the Supermoderator and EK that seems to be a fact.

Only a few months ago, here in this forum I read somebody who wrote, 'Can't U tell us where still the 747 is on the schedule?' Well. Yes. This is an aviation forum.
Where if not here will we help you.

Call sign 'United 747' never again responded since they buried their very very last four engined long haul jet (!),
on November 7th 2017 after a flight from San Francisco to PHNL Honolulu International, on board the last UA-B744, the last UA Boeing 747 in the air on this planet.

Since then, aviation enthusiasts around the planet might look for four engined long haul jets. And yes, there still are some.
Vancouver International airport. Don't ask me about the airline and the a/c type, but that until March 3rd 2020 was a good place to see one four engined long haul jet.... ..... ...

And I hope that CYVR will soon be again one of the places!

[CarolW]

I never tried to find that out. But is it a fact that in a flight number which usually is flown on board a 747-400 the real and loyal passengers do come from cities where the 747 is not originally based?

For me and my nickname, this is an open question. But for the Supermoderator and EK that seems to be a fact.

Only a few months ago, here in this forum I read somebody who wrote, 'Can't U tell us where still the 747 is on the schedule?' Well. Yes. This is an aviation forum.
Where if not here will we help you.

Call sign 'United 747' never again responded since they buried their very very last four engined long haul jet (!),
on November 7th 2017 after a flight from San Francisco to PHNL Honolulu International, on board the last UA-B744, the last UA Boeing 747 in the air on this planet.

Since then, aviation enthusiasts around the planet might look for four engined long haul jets. And yes, there still are some.
Vancouver International airport. Don't ask me about the airline and the a/c type, but that until March 3rd 2020 was a good place to see one four engined long haul jet.... ..... ...

And I hope that CYVR will soon be again one of the places!

Really! That's my area! But I can't spot from my actual location. YYJ is closer to me, yet still out of my reach for spotting.

[brianw999]

Carol, slightly off topic, but I’ve found your new mode of transport ! ........ https://youtu.be/FCPGQg2eRL8