Back in the last century, I had the unfortunate experience of being booked on a United flight from Pittsburgh. In those days, the hub for United was in Chicago. Most flights across the country connected there. Everyone knows the weather in Chicago in the spring is dicey, but I had no choice in the matter. The flight was booked for me.
Now, I had flown on United before and wasn’t real fond of their service. Like I said, I had no choice in time, place, or carrier.
We boarded the flight in Pittsburgh expecting to be in Chicago in a few hours and routinely catch my connecting flight to Los Angeles. Five hours later we were still sitting in the aircraft on the tarmac in Pittsburgh. The Chicago area was under a tornado warning.
We were offered no refreshments or even water. We simply sat in our seats for five hours until finally, the plane fired up and we were on our way to Chicago. Of course, my connecting flight was long gone.
At the United counter, I asked how they were going to get me home. “You missed your flight”, the agent said. I think his name must have been Captain Obvious. I can’t repeat what I said, but eventually, a manager appeared. After a few more unprintable words, they finally booked me on a flight that would leave the next day. Whoa Charlie, now I have to be here overnight? Who’s going to pay for that?
After a few more choice words, the manager found me a room in the Airport Ramada hotel where the United Airline personnel stay. I said room, well, it did have a bed … and a shower. My room was in the basement of the building, but what the hey, it was better than sleeping in the terminal. And that shower was just what the day called for. Of course, some towels and soap would have been a nice touch. I would have called the front desk but there was no phone in the room.
The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful, but that was the last time I would ever fly United Airlines, friendly skies or not.
I have since heard horror stories of others that flew on United. Never could I even imagine any airline would beat and drag a person off the plane so one of their people could have a seat. Unfathomable draconian acts of this nature don’t even happen in third world countries.
Now the CEO of United Airlines has bent over backward to apologize to the doctor they beat and literally dragged off the plane. He even offered to compensate all the passengers that were on the plane. I hear that two of the security personnel responsible for this tragedy have been fired. Well, that makes it okay! Not hardly!
Far be it from me to even try influencing others in their flying choices, but I won’t be flying United’s unfriendly skies any time in the future.
