Months after United Airlines found itself in the middle of a social media crap storm over a video of a ticketed passenger being dragged off a flight so an employee could take his seat, the airline’s CEO admits that the company has to learn to adjust to rapid spread of news online. [More]
united airlines
United CEO: Social Media Means People Will Pay Attention When Passengers Are Dragged Off Planes
By 7.19.17
United Will Buy Your Hot Plane Ticket In Advance, Then Sell It For Big Bucks
By 7.12.17
In response to its recent publicity crisis — spurred in part by the forcible removal of a ticketed passenger so an employee could take his seat — United Airlines has been trying to change how it handles overbooked flights, while still maintaining its bottomline. Now, United wants to pay travelers for their seats on popular flights — so it can turn around and sell that ticket to someone else for more money. [More]
United Gives Away Toddler’s Paid Seat, Forces Mom To Hold Son On Lap For 3 Hours
By 7.5.17
Here’s a little empathy exercise: Go find a 25-pound weight and put it on your lap. Now imagine you’re stuck like this on an airplane for three hours. Oh, and the weight is actually a 2-year-old boy who had a seat of his own until a United Airlines crew member ousted him to make room for a standby passenger.. [More]
Baby Requires Medical Treatment After Overheating On Delayed United Plane
By 6.26.17
A Colorado woman says United Airlines and personnel at the Denver International Airport didn’t act quickly enough when her four-month-old son became overheated on a delayed flight and needed medical attention. [More]
How To Make Sure You Don’t Accidentally Buy United’s Crappy “Basic Economy” Tickets
By 6.22.17
When searching for the best fare on a flight, it’s not uncommon for customers to peruse a third-party travel site like Expedia or Priceline and jump at the lowest number they see associated with a flight. But some United Airlines passengers say this tried-and-true method has resulted in the unexpected purchase of a no-frills Basic Economy ticket. [More]
Airline Complaints Soar Following United’s Forced Removal Of Passenger
By 6.15.17
The Department of Transportation has released its latest report on consumer air travel complaints, and it looks like a number of high profile incidents — including the United passenger who was dragged from his seat to make room for an airline employee — may have inspired peeved travelers to speak up. [More]
United Airlines Flight Grounded After Passengers Watched Jet Fuel Pour Out Of Wing
By 6.15.17
Being a passenger on a plane generally requires a good deal of faith in the laws of physics and in the experts who build and operate these jets. But every once in a while, a lay person will see something — like, say, jet fuel leaking out of the wing and onto the tarmac — and that faith can be shaken. [More]
United Airlines Sorry About That Video Of Employee Shoving 71-Year-Old
By 6.14.17
As if United Airlines hasn’t had enough customer service issues to deal with this year, the carrier is once again apologizing to a passenger. This time, the company issued regrets for a nearly two-year-old incident that was thrust into the spotlight this week after a Texas man filed a lawsuit against the airline and two employees alleging he was injured when one of the workers pushed him to the ground during a confrontation that was caught on security camera. [More]
Basic Economy Flights Exist To Make You Pay More For Air Travel
By 6.9.17
If you haven’t booked any air travel recently, you might encounter something new to you the next time you schedule a trip: A new class of travel called “basic economy.” In exchange for lower fares, travelers in the basic economy section board last, can’t upgrade, and don’t have access to overhead bins. This sounds fair, but these flights may not be the great deals that they seem. [More]
Musician Claims United Airlines Wouldn’t Let Her Board With Centuries-Old Violin
By 6.7.17
A musician who was on her way to join the Missouri Symphony Orchestra on Sunday to play for the summer season said she wasn’t allowed to board her United Airlines flight with her centuries-old violin. And after an ensuing scuffle with airline staff, her attorney says a lawsuit is likely. [More]
Will United Refund Tickets On Soon To Be Suspended Flights To Venezuela?
By 6.5.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Scoring a direct flight from the U.S. to Caracas, Venezuela just got a bit more difficult for travelers, especially those who prefer to fly with United Airlines, as the company announced it would suspend flights to the country this summer. [More]
United Facing $435K Fine For Allegedly Flying A Plane That Wasn’t In Airworthy Condition
By 6.1.17
United Airlines may have to fork over $435,000 to the Federal Aviation Administration after the agency accused it of flying an aircraft that wasn’t in airworthy condition almost two dozen times. [More]
United Mistakenly Removes Carry-On Bag, Stranding Man At Airport For 20 Hours
By 5.25.17
A United Airlines passenger from New Zealand found himself stranded at a San Francisco airport for 20 hours this week; not because of weather, or mechanical issues, or any sort of attempt to reenact the 2004 Tom Hanks comedy The Terminal. No, his prolonged stay in airport purgatory was thanks to a United employee who mistakenly removed the man’s carry-on bag from his flight. [More]
Dog Goes On 3,600 Mile Journey After United Puts Him On Wrong Flight
By 5.19.17
In just a few days, one puppy did more flying than many adults will do in a year, traveling on four different planes for a total of 3,600 miles — all because United Airlines put him on the wrong flight. [More]
National Guardsman Says United Wrongly Charged Him $200 For Checked Bag
By 5.18.17
A National Guardsman returning home to Texas following nearly two years in Afghanistan says United Airlines broke its own policy by charging him $200 to check a bag full of gear. [More]
United Passenger Says She Was Forced To Pee In Cup; Airline Has Different Story
By 5.10.17
A passenger on a recent United/Mesa Airlines flight claims that the plane’s cabin crew refused to let her use the restroom, forcing her to urinate in a cup. However, the airline contends that staff never made this demand. [More]
United Apologizes After Agent Cancels Passenger’s Ticket For Recording Her
By 5.9.17
Another day, another story of United Airlines being horrible to its customers. Thankfully, this incident doesn’t involve anyone being dragged forcibly off a plane or being flown to the wrong continent. This time, United is apologizing to a passenger whose ticket was canceled after he used his phone to record his interaction with airline employees. [More]
United Airlines Accidentally Sends Passenger To San Francisco Instead Of Paris
By 5.4.17
What was supposed to be a seven-hour flight turned into a 28-hour ordeal for a United Airlines passenger recently, after a passenger was able to board a plane to San Francisco instead of her intended destination, Paris. [More]
