A United Airlines pilot who flies Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft kicked a top MileagePlus elite passenger off of a cross country flight from Newark to San Francisco and shared the story to social media.
The captain had gone up to the gate for paperwork and overheard this ‘1K’ customer cursing at the gate agent prior to boarding at Newark airport.
Standing there, literally throwing every combination of the “F” word at the gate agent was a 1K member (or so he claimed) angry about something. I stood there for a second, looked at him, and asked if he was flying to SFO.
He confirmed he was. I then turned to the [gate agent] and told her to re-accommodate him on another flight, because he WAS not flying with me that day. I honestly thought he was going to punch one of us at that point but to his credit, he simply threw a few F-bombs at us and walked away.
United Airlines at Newark
1K status requires spending at least $18,000 per year with United. It does not, however, require class. The pilot didn’t have context for why the customer was swearing. It’s Newark, so reasonable to assume they were receiving poor service. But the customer’s reaction crossed a line.
I say good for the pilot! But does a pilot have the right to kick a passenger off for their choice of language? Sort of.
49 USC § 44902 provides broad latitude, within certain bounds laid out by the FAA, for the captain of an aircraft to refuse transportation to a passenger if they feel that passenger might be “inimical to safety.”
A pilot’s decision cannot be arbitrary or capricious – but that’s not the same as saying it has to be reasonable. It’s generally presumed that the actions of the pilot are reasonable, and judged based on facts the pilot was aware of at the time and the time constraints they’re under.
- If they hear only one side of the story, and it’s incomplete
- And they make a decision based on that information
- And they’re in a rush to get the plane out
- That’s probably going to be fine under the law
United Airlines Boeing 757 in San Francisco
If the captain felt that a passenger could be a safety risk solely because they heard the passenger’s foul language, they’re probably within their rights to refuse that passenger transportation. They cannot kick you off for using bad words. But they can kick you off if they feel your bad words make you a safety risk. And as long as that judgment isn’t arbitrary or capricious it won’t be reviewed.
Taking it upon himself to share the event to social media could be more costly to the UA pilot than it was for the passenger.
Customer was probably cursing about new United boarding policy that boards group 1 economy first, creating huge line in group 1 boarding line and hanging out in jet bridge for first class pax. How you get group 1 economy unclear but good news is all groups arrive same time. So he should chill.
The captain did the right thing. The captain does have the right to deny boarding. In most cases, the company would be consulted but rarely would the company disagree. If the passenger is treating the already overworked gate agent in the manner reported, there’s a good possibility that the same will occur airborne. That would be a miserable flight for all concerned. That captain stood up for the entire crew, which includes the ground crew. Maybe a little “humble pie” will calm the clown passenger down.
I agree with Tim Dunn, maybe posting it on social media wasn’t a good idea!
Absolutely agree with the Captain’s decision. That Customer could benefit from an anger management session. It is never appropriate to confront a gate agent in that manner, or anyone else for that matter. The Customer was demonstrating strong signals of instability and it is high time we begin to recognize the signs prior to disaster. Better head him off in Newark than have to land in Chicago to take him off because he snaps again while inflight. Good job, Captain.
Without context on the situation the pilot abused his position of power to boot someone off. He already assumed cause of the foul language the customer was in the wrong. He does not know what occurred prior to foul language that could have provoked the situation.
Maybe he should of stepped in and spoke to the customer himself and see what the issue was and solve it and if unsolvable then place the customer n another flight.
Yawn. I may have no college degree. I may even only have a thousand hours of training. I like to call myself a professional but have neither a professional degree, nor any job the department of education or census bureau would consider professional. I also wear a fake costume to fake an appearance of importance. Because of all of the above I lack the intellect to think it’s appropriate to post to social media. Look at me I’m an important professional.
Sincerely hope this is a fake post.
Overflation on the title much, Gary? The passenger spent at least $18K last year, but definitely not on one ticket.
@Mark Group 1 is not economy. It’s a combination of first class, Premier Gold and above (who may be sitting in Economy), and Star Alliance Gold.
@Mike… Maybe he did all those things. As you said, without context, there is no way to know what actually went down.
There is no worry to this pilot at all and it doesn’t matter that he posted it. In fact, it good to show “elites” that their status won’t save them from bad behavior. It’s not just the pilots that have that power. If a flight attendant is have issues with a passenger, all they have to say is “I don’t not feel comfortable with them flying” and they are off. And finally while the gate agents have very thick skin because they see and hear a LOT, they can take you off before you ever even see a pilot or flight attendant.
And you really better think twice about assaulting any of them. It’s a felony and the punishment for assaulting such workers is a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 10 years in prison.
@ptahcha, it is now. That’s my point. FYI I’m 1mm with UA not that it matters anymore , obviously.
No Gary, It is not reasonable to assumme poor service because it happened at Newark. I have flown out of Newark several times a year for the last 12 years and have never, yes that’s never, received poor service. Your comment is uncalled for and an insult to all the hard working United employees at Newark Liberty Airport.
It’s time people are held accountable
I’ve had it with people like the customer who escalates situations to swearing and cruelty
Mike said “He already assumed cause of the foul language the customer was in the wrong. He does not know what occurred prior to foul language that could have provoked the situation.”
The customer was wrong. Period.
The gate agent might have *also* been wrong.
But there is no circumstance that makes the customer right when they swear like this
I have to constantly train my team to deescalate horrible people like this. When they can’t, I have to deal with the customers
I’ve had it with these sorts of people and wish I could do what s/he did.
“The customer is always right” mentality coupled with our new political atmosphere which makes being ignorant and loud a virtue must stop
Lastly
People who swear like this are security risks. Period.
Probably the correct decision to deny boarding. I agree with Tim Dunn that posting this was a mistake. Almost certainly violates UA employee guidelines.
The fact that the pilot took time to (apparently gleefully) post that he’d summarily booted a pax before said pax even stepped on the aircraft, based upon the use of foul language with a gate agent tells me that this pilot is drunk on authority and was completely uninterested in figuring out who was in the right or wrong. Swearing is low class and indicative of an inability or disinclination to better express oneself orally, but it isn’t a crime or necessarily an indicator of trouble. If the pilot didn’t care to possibly correct a service error on the GA’s part or explain to the pax how the GA was in the right, the least he could have done would have been to have warned the pax that he has one chance to quiet down and get on the plane before he gets the boot. Pilot didn’t even do that.
Let’s not forget that this was in Newark. People there will drop F bombs in the course of attempting to render a friendly greeting.
Here’s hoping the customer sues UA and the pilot, and wins. We do not know if he was reaccommadated on another flight.
We also don’t know if one of the many EWR UA sc*mbag gate agents started cursing at the passenger first.
What we do know is EWR is a cesspool, the TSA agents there are criminals, and the UA gate agents there are as*sholes.
Cheers!
The f-word in New Jersey is simply a standard greeting. Captain is way out of line without context. What’s next, kicking Southerners out for their offensive accent?
“We do not know if he was reaccommadated on another flight.”
We can infer that he was:
Per the pilot “I then turned to the [gate agent] and told her to re-accommodate him on another flight”
“Scumbag agents”
“Cesspool”
“TSA criminals”
“UA @holes”
So you excuse a person who is swearing up a storm
And then label an entire airport thusly
Passenger was given the equivalent of a time out. Good. No matter the cause, you need to control yourself.
The “F” word is commonly heard in music these days. It is actually common place. Angry is more the problem. Maybe everyone should be screened for being angry and those who are arbitrarily kicked off the aircraft. Like in the Soviet Union, be very careful what you say.
The ability to kick out a pax is within the captain’s right.
Walking by, hearing curse words thrown by a pax with no knowledge of context, and making a unilateral decision without understanding the context, seems to be an overreach of that ability.
Without knowing the context, the pilot impacted a pax day/life. This seems a bit cavalier. The cursing may have been.a direct result of something United or that agent did. While the language is not necessary, it doesn’t mean the agent was automatically guilt free. It’s within the realm of possibility the agent instigated something, the pilot would never have known, because he never asked what’s happening.
Unacceptable behavior at the gate, does not get better onboard the plane. Therefore the pilot absolutely did the right thing by denying the passenger from boarding. People need to think about the risk to the other passengers onboard a plane at 30,000 ft.
As far a 1 K status- Status does not entitle people to be disrepectful or abusive. Think about the impact the abusive passenger had on the gate agent and other passengers. Making that passenger take the next flight allows them to cool down. We have all seen videos of fist fights and abusive passengers onboard airplanes. Stopping them at the gate, is just smart.
I have witnesses several altercations between airline crew and passengers, and many times the crew member instigated the incident. I know this was a gate agent but the same thing could have happened here. I don’t condone swearing and lashing out at an employee, but sometimes their threats and behavior kind of ask for it.
I wonder what a breathalyzer test of the passenger would have revealed. I believe if alcohol were banned at airports and on planes, passenger disruptions would disappear as if by magic. Of course, that will NEVER happen or even be considered.
There are protocols for denying passenger boarding and using social media. The Capt may be “right”, but he will be answering some questions from management if he skipped these ptotocols, and the passenger files a complaint.
The pilot is going to have to prove that swearing at a gate agent posed a threat to the safety of the flight.
That’s going to be difficult to do in court…
Pilot may just have cost UA a lot of money.
Captain was 100% right and I applaud him.
@Sammons: No…banning alcohol is not the answer. Banning irresponsible adults is the answer and that’s what this Captain did…and right on the spot.
My friend in HR always tells me…the best way to get rid of a problem employee (person) is to never hire them in the first place.
I think this was the Captain’s version of that adage!
Another sad OPM flyer thinking theyre the sh!t because they have airline status.
Good job on the captain, shouldve banned him from flying for next 24 hours. One missed powerpoint presentation and the corporate bossman wouldve been mad at poor willy.
Fine line. 49 usc s 44902 has intent for safety. How far does this extend away from aircraft? If customer is f-bombng the reservation agent 100 mi from airport? The proper approach would require a fair warning to customer to not use fould language, giving choice to 1K flyer. Because if not, the fine line into Arbitrary and Capricious gets crossed quickly. Just saying,…
Good for you, Capt. Point him to the bus station. We don’t have to accept the bottom.
Not impressed with the pilot actions. Didn’t take 5 seconds to inquire what the issue was and possibly defuse the situation.
Nope pulled the DYKWIA just like the passenger. He “assumed” a lot from overhearing a confrontation. Then ran to social media for his pat on the back.
After working 30+ years in CS, this is a regular daily occurrence. When hasn’t a NY/NJ passenger used colorful language! The planes to EWR would be empty, if denied for dropping the f-word. Capt needs a lesson in tolerance. If the gate agent needs support in handling a passenger, they can call their supervisor – once the passenger are onboard, then the capt has the authority to have them removed. It’s like Munchkinland, he has no power outside of the airplane.
As for him getting in trouble for posting this on SM, the pilots union is strong, he will face no repercussions.
Captain was correct in his actions. The customer is not always right and this one was not. And the Captain does not need to know or see the other side of the argument. If he sees that type of behaviour he knows if it is continued on board, the passenger is a danger to everyone in that aircraft.
It’s an assumption that $18k was spent – could be a corporate contract perk or million miler partner. And with United’s head-start bonuses could be less than 18k even if done the standard way.
There is a difference between using the F-word and using the F-word *AT* someone. If the latter, absolutely do not let that person on the plane, they are not in the state required to be cooped up in a metal tube with hundreds of other people.
If the former, still probably don’t let them on the plane, and chalk that one up to “Don’t think you can coast through life being an *** without consequences.”
Whether the UA staff “started it” is completely immaterial.
While I’m as tired as everyone with the behavior on aircraft today the pilot really should have stepped in and found out what was going on. Had the passenger been jerked around for 24 hours with rolling delays while being given very little info? Was the gate agent a smart a**? He should have gotten some context and acted from there.
I recently had a young employee and his wife fly for the first time. He was quizzing me as they were a little nervous. After he said they were flying Southwest I paid for Early Bird as an anniversary present. Explained about luggage and boarding and if there were issues call me and I would help them out. Fortunately it was direct flight. My last advice was that no matter what happens don’t engage with airline staff unless absolutely necessary. If they had to sit in vomit with a screaming child pounding their seats just suck it up for two hours.
Agree with Pilot. Bad behavior is out of control. There needs to br more call-out and consequences to the perp of such bad behavior. I applaud the pilot. Need more of this!
It’s New York/New Jersey. The F word is colloquial, everyday language up there.
Gary says “It’s Newark, so …”
For some reason, I was expecting this to lead to “It’s Jersey, that’s just how people talk here”. Haha
For the others posting here asking why is Gary posting this, and the pilot did the right thing, it sounds to me like Gary is actually not criticizing the pilot in this particular post. I could be wrong, idk
Also I would agree with what the pilot did. The pilot and gate agent are on the same team. So he was just sticking up for his teammate. I would have done the same thing if I were in that position (thankfully I don’t work in a public facing role at my job; I don’t know that I could handle it. I did a little of it when I was younger and more patient)
So the pilot pushed the cussing guy onto some other pilot’s plane and felt proud enough of his decision to post it to social media? There is more than one bad actor in this story.
I was not criticizing the pilot, I thought I was clear on that. I found the incident interesting, and worth flagging the parameters under which the captain has this authority.
Well, one thing that’s a joy about Flyertalk is anonymity. However with a specific incident like this (even though it was months ago), United probably is aware of who the poster is now!
Human decency seems to have gone out the window, and I’d boot the customer too. As a former counter & gate dragon (and mgt too), I’ve denied boarding due to unruly behavior (and I have pretty thick skin). In fact, one time it happened in our ticket lobby, with 2 other airlines beside us (and all could hear), I told this couple they weren’t flying on us today, and if they keep it up, I bet these other airlines won’t let you fly them either. That’s when the supervisor from Airline B (who was in position next to me) even jumped in and said “I won’t sell you a ticket..”. The 3rd airline also refused to sell them a ticket, but the 4th (they were in a different lobby) did take the customers and they missed that flight – they were in the bar dunk, and that escalated into another screaming match. *sigh* You can’t fix stupid.
Flyertalk pilot poster did the *right* thing, now was it following policy, probably not. But I bet you everyone within an earshot probably won’t act like that, ever, and understand Captain’s Authority.
What a silly title to this story. Maybe less focus on catchy/exaggerated/untrue titles?
Profanity is not any more common in educated, well-to-do circles in Jersey/NY metro than anywhere else. Bad manners exist in poor/poorly educated places all over the country. Newark is poor, but for the international airport. There is extreme wealth inequality in NY metro so some parts are very poor, whereas others are very rich.
If you are on a United TCON as a 1k, you are most certainly not the type of poor whose ill manners can be brushed aside.
I fly frequently and have seen this kind of behavior at the gate, and because they are rewarded like toddlers that throw a temper tantrum, it only escalates inflight. People that have zero self-control are a safety risk, no doubt about it. Ask any flight attendant how many time they have been physically assaulted..the number it eye-opening. I would not be surprised at all if Mr 1K was intoxicated. At some point there need to be consequences for unacceptable behavior.
Passenger didn’t get kicked off for using the ‘F’ bomb. Passenger got kicked off for using it repeatedly, while verbally attacking the gate agent. Clearly showing the passenger could not control his temper.
And what about the other passengers waiting at the gate, especially children. Wouldn’t they be uncomfortable watching the man abuse the gate agent. Some passengers might intervene to protect the gate agent. I think most wouldn’t want that man on the plane either.
No personal information was given out, so there is no ethical violation committed by the pilot. Pilots, flight attendants, and gate agents should be free to tell their stories, as long as they don’t violate privacy laws and airline policy. Especially at this current time, when many passengers can’t control their tempers or actions.
“It’s Newark, so reasonable to assume they were receiving poor service.”
No, it’s not reasonable.
Not one bit.
It is unreasonable for you to post that within context, context I’m comfortable telling you that you can’t back up.
And, no, I’m not from nor do I live (or for that matter know anyone) in New Jersey.
Gary – there is no need to cite the federal code, which prescribes when a carrier is REQUIRED to refuse transport – a much higher standard than those in the airline’s own condition of carriage, which basically says that they can deny boarding for just about any reason they see fit. Verbally assaulting the gate agent is almost certainly included.
FAA Zero Tolerance rule is still in effect. Abusive language is considered unruly behavior. Guy is lucky he was only reaccomodated and not formally reported.
How many of these entitled people do you think United’s Newark staff deals with on a daily, no, hourly basis?
“It’s Newark, so reasonable to assume they were receiving poor service.”
Everything you *may* have said after your ignorant comment is now NULL AND VOID.
@Lars
You’re incorrect. This type of behavior in public goes against social mores. Even at Newark in
International Airport.
Would you find this behavior acceptable at a restaurant? How about Amsterdam Schippel airport? London Heathrow? At a museum? At a hotel lobby? I’m thinking even in the United States, and many of these other places, the police would be called.
Someone who is so out of control that this is the way they respond needs to be kept on the ground six miles off the face of the earth..
The moment the pilot put this on social media, he was WRONG, I hope the asshole passengers sues and wins.
Glad the pilot did not let the disrespectful passenger get on the flight. People acting so entitled. Glad someone higher put him in place. Co-workers should standup for each other when someone is disrespecting them.
Parnel:
Why do you feel that way? Why can passangers use social media to their advantage and not the pilot.
It seems like the pilot is doing the industry a service by informing passangers to behave properly or they don’t have the privilege of flying. Remember, it is a privilege, not a right to fly.
Based on the passangers behavior, I hope the gate agent didn’t provide anything more than a ticket on another flight.
As a fellow 1K flyer who grew up in NJ, with almost 4 million miles on United, in all honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing the passanger banned from flying on United for a year or so. There is no excuse for throwing F bombs at gate agents, EVER!
The captain of an aircraft or for that matter of any vessel, has the absolute right to refuse passage to anyone or thing he/she determines to be a risk or will be detrimental to the safety of this journey.
Thank you captain for your actions. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend, it is not a ticket to be completely disrespectful and offensive to working staff or other passengers in the terminal who had to listen to this horrible behavior. I wish they are banned from United flights, would be great since I am a frequent flyer myself.
Just like the pilot, people are making judgements based on just one side of the situation. Knowing United like I do, they can make any normal person angry enough to go balistic.
Sensationalized maybe? I’m guessing the unruly passenger just shut his mouth and quietly boarded the flight. The story never went past him walking off, he never got rebooked.
United airlines and the management team have created the 1K and GS monster , entitlement at its best and united and the management keep feeding it
I miss my beloved Continental Airlines.
Good for the pilot. Don’t get me wrong there are a lot of nice 1Ks but I for one have seen 1ks throw that “I’m a 1K”out there.When they were wrong. They are bullies,when the hear that word No that entitlement behavior kicks in. I am glad he didn’t get on board and make us none 1Ks listen to his F bombs.
Good for the pilot. Don’t get me wrong there are a lot of nice 1Ks but I for one have seen 1ks throw that “I’m a 1K”out there.When they were wrong. They are bullies,when the hear that word No that entitlement behavior kicks in. I am glad he didn’t get on board and make us none 1Ks listen to his F bombs.
As a former captain for TWA/American, if somebody is acting up, I can and have kicked people off my airplane. This is a private company and can deny service. Airlines have denied service for life, no fly list.
This has nothing to do with an $18,000 ticket. Either Gary is clueless about how United Premier status works, or he’s using clickbait for more views.
I’m officially blocking View From the Wing for its misleading articles and for its God-awful web page formatting that wastes half the mobile screen on margins. Good riddance.
You cannot blame United or its crews or ground personnel for crass, belligerent and entitled passengers. Done people cannot or will not control themselves. I worked for a major airline for years. The term we used was “unfit to fly.” The captain is ALWAYS right. The risk he wanted to mitigate was abuse to the crew and other passengers in flight. Great call.
I say THANK YOU CAPT. I had the pleasure of dealing with a 1K who also was throwing a temper tantrum and the F word was a favorite. He had a bit to drink and he o ly became worse as the day progressed.
No person should have to put up with such behavior, EVER.
I hope he was denied boarding, refunded his ticket, lost his 1K status and banned from flying on United for life. Nobodys business is that important. People need to grow up…..
Too many times I’ve been trapped in a metal tube for hours with a problem personality that gate agents wanted to board the problem just to get them off their hands. Good on the pilot, though I doubt the gate staff appreciated having the problem left on their hands
To all who are slamming the 1K passenger and not knowing the entire situation should be just as ashamed as those supporting the pilot for posting about the situation, y’all are the problem. That 1k passenger, like many of us elites, know the process better than probably 75% of the folks working it (airline, security, counter, etc) because we travel and travel regularly!! (Small note, at least historically until airlines started selling status vs butt’s in the seat accrued).
Was the 1k passenger use of the F-bomb in bad taste yes, was it justified we don’t know, but reasonably most likely so.. We also don’t know their body language at the time too, which would speaks volumes to If this person was a threat or not.
Now the pilot, is 110% wrong on so many levels for posting this scenario and should be reprimanded!!! First and foremost, the action did not happen on their aircraft and second, he wasn’t aware of the entire story!!!! The story, if published, should come from the Airline’s communication team!!! If at all…
I’ve read all the comments and it’s pretty shocking and absurd to me! I agree with Mike 100%. A few things to consider.
1. Customer is ALWAYS right has been the business model for every private consumer engaged company since the beginning of time.
2. Flying is NOT A PRIVILEGE!!! It is a PAID SERVICE that folks like the one in the story and myself pay for dearly! Airlines got bailed out for Covid but yet they still charge all these junk fees. The flying experience does not at the very least compare to what it was 30yrs ago!!
3. The “unruly” customer was NOT on the plane, he was at the gate. The Captain could have investigated the incident to find the cause if he was that concerned. He didn’t. He simply decided from his vantage point he had saw and heard enough. Pilots are NOT JUDGE JURY EXECUTIONERS! Sorry not sorry. The placating to the pilot is nonsense! He gets paid to do a Job to the best of his ability. An upset customer at the gate does absolute nothing to prevent that.
Finally, we have arrived at a time when customer service is no longer about the customer. Well guess what folks? Without the customer, there is NO COMPANY!! The flight experience has been diluted and diminished all while the cost to do so has risen exponentially! So I say boo to the pilot! I hope he faces discipline! And boo to all the folks who so unwittingly takes the side of an airline pilot at a gate incident that didn’t involve him with a HIGH PAYING CUSTOMER. The ineptitude of reasonable thought astonishes me!
My frequent flying earned me 1K status and I just boarded my second EWR outbound this week. a) I find Newark ground personnel to be professional and pleasant, and treat them accordingly with kindness. b) When travel gets messy (and this complicated endeavor often does) I roll with it. c) Imma all for that captain calling out a jerk, who perhaps learned a lesson during the imposed timeout from his tantrum. Yours in contributing to the friendly skies…
To paraphrase Norm Macdonald, I hate everyone involved in this story.
Stuff like this is why the only time I fly in the US is to get the heck out of this country. I’d move but my well-paid job requirements are that I live here. I’ll leave, and take my pension as soon as I qualify.
Nobody is more valued and respected respected than the flight crew. You’re a guest in their house and should act accordingly or suffer the consequences of being an unwelcome guest. The sooner you flying punks realize this, the better. Do us all a favor and ride Greyhound next time. I promise you, the bus driver on Greyhound won’t tolerate your behavior either.
@William Alford…Punks? Maybe you should watch your language and expand your vocabulary! Without paying passengers, there is No airport, No plane, No flight crew. Period punk!
Bravo to the captain, for removing this ill mannered person from the flight!
Why does the author assume that the passenger was receiving poor treatment?
Having work for an airline for many years, I have encountered numerous passengers, who have approached, customer service, representatives “ready to fight“.
Examples:
— the flight is booked completely full and they would like to switch their seat to another row to sit in their lucky number or window for an aisle or vice versa and it’s not available-~ cursed at!
— cannot understand why they have a center seat, asked to change to an aisle or window, which by the way was unavailable, but secondly, explain the rules of the basic economy fair which states numerous times prior to making the final purchase that assignments are not able to be requested until day of departure (this was before a BE person could pay extra to choose a seat).
After the rules that the passenger apparently did not read, but accepted were explained to the passenger he reply was, “I didn’t f*%king ask you that!”
— a mechanically delayed flight had a announcement made stating that the mechanics update the situation, within 60 minutes, passengers were advised not to go far from the gate area so that they were aware of any updates. Also advised to listen for concourse, announcements, and ensure that if they had the mobile app that they would receive notifications in that manner. About 20 minutes later, mechanic said the flight was ready to board, made an announcement re-boarded all passengers, except three. Made multiple announcements across the concourse, paging them back that the flight was closing the door shortly when they arrived back to the boarding area to see that they had missed. The flight started cursing profusely and one threw their carry-on bag against the wall.
Things that people do in an airport they would never do at the store or the bank!
Society has gone crazy!
I’m sure the customer was acting like an entitled jerk but I think it’s hilarious how people complain about how airlines operate and treat them, and then two seconds later are licking airline boot when a story like this comes along. Remember that pilots are airline employees just like arrogant gate agents and flight attendants and will back.up their union comrades no questions asked no matter the actual situation.
You curse and swear … you get what you deserve. As for those thinking that the customer was right, well you’re wrong. The Capt is in charge, don’t like take a bus…. and let the drive throw you off…
As an Airline Pilot, I refused service to several people on my airplane over the years, generally because they were either drunk or out of control. We have to consider the effect these yahoos might have on the other passengers & the crew.
If you’re that mad at the gate, it’s quite possible you’re going to be that upset after the plane takes off. I would make that assumption any day of the week. Good on the captain for doing something about it before the plane left the gate.
As it takes $18,000 to get 1K status with United, I’m sure that’s why he gave the post that title. Therefore, he is not clueless and it’s not clickbait. Have a great time trolling somewhere else!
Great decision by the pilot. This passenger probably would have made other passengers miserable and who knows what else.
There’s no excuse to make a scene and drop F bombs but…
Anyone that has flown United out of Newark know that some of the gate agents are incredibly bad at providing any semblance of customer service. There’s something about Newark that just promotes a bad atmosphere. The 1k guy may have had a legitimate issue, but lost when he took it too far.
Thanks to the Captain who made the correct decision. I was a flight attendant for years and have seen similar situations during boarding. It was best that the pilot never even let the guy in.
Well, not so fast, that bit about the “customer is always right” has its genesis in matters concerning taste and personal preference, not carte blanche to act like a douchebag. If I order (and pay for) a pink and purple suit from my local tailor to wear with my yellow and green shoes? Well, the customer is always right. If I order a pizza with ham and pineapple (yum!) and ask the guy to literally coat the top of the pizza with 1/2” of red hot chilli pepper? Well, the customer is always right.
If I harass some dude in the airport because I think I’m special and can do and say whatever I want? Be prepared to get kicked off the flight, arrested, and maybe even get punched in the mouth. Granted, we don’t know the other side of the story… but have any of us ever seen anything positive happen when some entitled douchebag raises his voice to a ticket agent, much less drops the F bomb? Good Lord, I’d be getting the popcorn ready.
I can’t see what the passenger did here that “crossed the line”. To the contrary, the pilot was on a power trip and not only did he cause an involuntary denied boarding situation but also went on to boast about it on his personal social media account. Passenger should sue. Using foul language doesn’t cross any line as long as no threats are involved.
I am a flight crew member. It is about safety. If a person can cuss out an agent , how do we know that they will not listen to us during an emergency ,or hurt us or passenger? People can act cray cray on the ground, but in the air is another story. We have a duty to protect everyone and have them arrive to their destination safely.
The passenger has recourse through the courts to sue the airline. As long as he was not causing a disturbance, using foul language is protected under the First Amendment as free speech. No policy or code can trump the First Amendment.
@Dan..you are totally off base in your counter argument. What you’re referring to is tastes and preferences, much like Burger King have it your way type deal….Customer is always right hinges on the idea that the customer is the one who patrons and supports the business and any disagreements that don’t run afoul of law, should be deferred to the customer. That’s in keeping with customer service and loyalty, and not transactional service which won’t keep a business thriving for very long. You also speak so hypothetically as if you know what happened. You don’t, you know nothing at all. So again I say, the pilot had no right or authority to remove the passenger from the flight that he had not even boarded. Pilots don’t dictate the environment in an airport. It’s no wonder customer service has gone down the drain in America, most people have been duped into settling for something much much less. Shame. Shame shame.
Stefan, using foul language ay any service worker shows lack of control, class and courage. These people deal with “ douchebags” all day long and are expected to be professional and polite. Anyone who abuses that or thinks there is nothing wrong with that is a douchebag. Hint, hint….
I’ll take it a step further. The captain has a DUTY to prevent an overly rude and angry passenger from boarding his airplane.
I was an airline pilot and wrote crew training courses.
It’s a captain’s responsibility to make decisions to maintain safety. A captain is authorized to deny boarding or remove a passenger based on behavior as opposed to characteristic. A captain is not authorized to say, for example, “That Middle Eastern man looks suspicious. Deny him boarding.” That would be an opinion based on a characteristic. A captain IS authorized to remove a passenger because, “That person is repeatedly shouting and cursing at a stranger in an angry tone. The person’s behaviors could be a safety threat.” This captain apparently did act based on specific behavior, so that appears appropriate.
As for posting on social media, generally employees are not authorized to discuss company business on public forums. There are, however, industry forums where pilots share operational information. The article doesn’t specify exactly where the comment was posted. If I were reviewing the situation, location would matter, but a key point, I think, is that, apparently, the pilot didn’t post any identifying information about the person in question. On one hand, it might be better not to discuss company activities at all. On the other, it might be useful for some members of the flying public to see an example of behavior not tolerated for safety reasons.
Hazardous behaviors are somewhat like hazardous materials that aren’t allowed on planes. They won’t necessarily cause a problem, but for everyone’s safety on the plane, the liklihood is too great to risk in an airborne aluminum tube.
At the same time, a pilot knows that any of his or her potentially controversial decisions could be questioned and possibly punished. Also, the job of pilot differs from that of doctor, lawyer, etc. A pilot would be the first victim at the scene of an accident. Being an airline pilot involves a lot of responsibility and “judgment calls”. A bystander’s mileage may differ.
I am a VIP Global Services employee at United Airlines with almost 26 years of service. 1k travelers are commonly known at United as the trouble makers, the entitled ones and what they don’t realize is that any CS agent working a flight will not need the pilot’s authorization to deny boarding anyone who is threatening the safety of any flight. Our top travelers known as Global Services who are require to fly 400% more than that 18000 required for a 1K usually are the best travelers, well behaved and never feel as entitled as 95+ of 1K members. And as when 1K customers feel like they deserve more for what they are, otherwise they could go somewhere else, Global Services are INVITATION ONLY, so just to let you know if your assistant is not able to do the math for you, between 4’000,000 and 18000, it is a huge difference. So 1K’s next time you think your entitlement is gonna get you what you demand for, think about you are not even off the ground yet, perhaps you’ll need to be a little bit smarter not a smarter asset. We the agents who have control over flights, we can always find the worst middle seats onboard and we definitely communicate with crew members.
The First Amendment applies to governmental action, not to private companies.
I say the Captain did the right thing!!!
If you don’t know how to interact in public stay home or hire your own private transportation.
Where you can act like an idiot by yourself.
Some people think just because they have reach a certain Status.
They can say and treat people any way they want. Probably speaks to his family like that!!
Hats off to the Captain.
And no sympathy for that entitled passenger. (Jerk).
Again if you don’t know how to act in public stay home.
Tim
Thinks just because you pay you can treat anyone like dirt.
I say Tim is probably one of those jerks, and has no clue on people skills and thinks f bombs are appropriate for every occasion!!
Another piece of trash in our society!!
@FrequentFlyer2…usually Tim saves responses for thoughtful and invoking conversation, it’s clear you are not that. To be clear….Tim thinks the pilot should have handled the situation much better than he did, and not jump to conclusions or neglect to try and resolute the “customer service” issue. This entire event is left to the interpretation of the pilot given to the masses. If the pilot felt so obligated to take action, he should have used more principles of reasoning in doing so since according to most of you, Pilots are the ruler of the skies and airports and higher than the almighty……you sound like an ignorant bigot who votes against his interests. Read a book sir. Good day to you.
In my 38 year career as an airline pilot I have had passengers removed from airplanes, usually for inebriation, abusive behavior or mistreating a flight attendant. and the company backed me on the decisions.
I would never post the event on social media, mostly because social media has more than its share idiots who have an opinion only tenuously attached to reality.
@ Tim M
Guess I was right about you!!!!
But either way if you did your homework and as stated By pilots.
The Captain has the last word and the decision about denying a passenger from boarding or if on the aircraft have them removed. Just common sense!!!
So my dear ignorant one.
The one who needs to read a book is you.
Your hanging on the old theory that the customer is always right.
Not so !!!!
@FF2, Says the coward who wont put his name on his comments. I stand by what i said and i stand on business! I’m hanging on the theory that the pilot went overboard and way out of line, and if I was the customer, I would file suit against the airlines and receive just compensation. Also, I was being facetious regarding pilot. There was no confirmed safety issue here for passenger to be denied boarding. Just an angry customer and a egotistical pilot! There is no pilot without the flying customer.
The airlines are a business industry jus like all others. They charge ridiculous junk fees, extremely hard to deal with, and overall is one of the worst rated service industries. Customer service is a real thing, not a mere thought.
As I said previously, you sound like a corporate wannabe who votes against their own interests at the ballot box, or some ego maniac living life as a pilot. So again and again and again i say, without the customer there is NO PILOT, NO AIRLINE OR AIRPORT. If thats too hard for you to accept, you should crawl under a corporate rock! Furthermore, You should find something else to entertain yourself, Faux news perhaps??
1. The Captain is not required to “investigate”.
2. If a potential passenger is incapable of controlling his behavior the reason is irrelevant. No one should be in a metal tube with people who can’t control themselves.
3. Excellent customer service was provided to the other 100+ passengers who were not put in a potentially dangerous situation nor delayed thanks to the Captain’s quick assessment.
Now… what do we think of passengers being denied boarding due to inappropriate attire and/or tshirts, hats etc featuring profanity?
@Tim M
If you are acting like an ass.
You’ll be treated like an ass.
Probably you’ve been down that road plenty of times.
And Probably use the words filing suit a lot to back up your clueless thinking!!
Man wake up.
The Captain has the final word.
Nothing to do with corporate thinking.
So I must ask from under what rock did crawl out of?
Yes you paid to fly ,but not to act like a total idiot and curse people because your angry.
Plus what does politics and voting have to do with this article.
Again clueless and baseless.!!!!!
Remember, there are cultural differences. As a native NYer, I grew up hearing f bombs all the time. Some of colleagues from different regional cultures say things like gosh darn instead. It is also possible that the brgging pilot who flexed his power did not i quire if speaker banned had a disability and could not control his verbal ticks. For those unaware, suggest you google Tourette’s syndrome. All in all, there are too many assumptions being made. The pilot apparently made no inquiries –simply, as Wayne once bragged, “I don’t act, I react.” I don’ want a pilot who is just rea tive and can’t be bothered to figure –at least when its not an emergency requiring instant decisions. Impulsiveness is not a good quality in a pilot, IMHO.
@Skeptic In MD…..THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU….seems there’s not many of us left with constructive reasoning. Your comments are refreshing sir!
Thanks Captain, this Flight Attendant appreciates your actions
A pax who cannot follow the rules of reasonable social behaviour at the gate is unlikely to follow instructions from crew in the air. That very behavior could threaten the safety of that or any flight. Thanks, Captain! You also spared his prospective fellow passengers a potentially miserable flight with UAL
Well done, Captain. When I was flying, I would brief my cabin crewmembers to not put up with foul-mouthed boors swearing at and demeaning them. Their behavior never improves when they get airborne, but it is much harder to manage there. No one should have to work in such an environment. Even if it is not obvious, there is a good chance that some alcoholic beverages were involved, and that can present a real danger in the air.