A United Airlines flight attendant called for security on an elderly disabled first class passenger who asked for assistance stowing her cane and small purse, since she’s not allowed to keep them with her for takeoff because she was seated in a bulkhead row.
A fellow first class passenger on the flight shares the incident.
- An “elderly disabled” passenger seated at the first class bulkhead “politely asked the flight attendant if she could help put” up her “small purse and a fully collapsed” into the overhead bin.
- The flight attendant “got super defensive and aggressive,”
ABSOLUTELY NOT, I CANNOT DO THAT DUE TO UNION REGULATIONS, WHAT IF I GET INJURED, MA’AM, MAAAAAAM!!!
- The lady became apologetic, explaining that she “only asked because she’s disabled and can’t do it herself” and noted that she’s never had problems when making this request before.
- The flight attendant didn’t let it go. She “kept insisting that lady was being unreasonable.” Fortunately another passenger stepped in to assist the woman in stowing her carry-ons. But the flight attendant “then angrily slammed the bins closed and stomped back to her jump seat.”
Hopefully that would have been the unpleasant end of it, but the flight attendant decided to delay the flight. The plane had already pushed back. It sat, though, for a few minutes before a pilot came on and announced that “there had been an incident and we’re heading back to the gate.”
Security boarded and told the elderly lady that the FA felt uncomfortable because the lady was “talking down” to her. Everyone around was stunned — it was exactly the opposite (the FA was the one who was being aggressive and yelling at this poor old lady).
Since it was obvious to staff who boarded the plane that there was no threat, they left and did not remove the elderly disabled passenger. This was awkward for the flight attendant, who “then gave the safety announcement in the most eerie, overly cheerful, almost sociopathic-sounding voice.”
Here’s video of the employee who boarded the aircraft talking to the woman:
Just witnessed really upsetting incident with a disabled elderly passenger and United flight attendant
byu/mildlyburner inunitedairlines
The idea that the flight attendant was prohibited from helping by ‘union regulations’ is just incorrect. The flight attendant’s union contract may be what the crewmember is referring to, but it definitely does not say they cannot help with the cane.
Flight attendants generally aren’t required to assist passengers with their bags, however Department of Transportation regulations actually do require the airline to provide the assistance that the passenger was asking for!
Once a passenger with a disability has boarded, airlines must provide assistance, if requested, such as:
- moving to or from the lavatory, including using an on-board chair to assist, if requested.
- stowing and retrieving carry-on items, including assistive devices.
This flight attendant is everything that’s wrong with airline culture, and why in many ways Delta crews whle not as good as they were pre-pandemic (too many good ones left, and their replacements aren’t up to par) are the heart of the ‘Delta Difference’. Their flight attendants are somewhat friendlier and more helpful – treating passengers as people.
Credit: United Airlines
It’s important to note that this isn’t necessarily a union versus non-union result, as some online commenters suggest keying off of the flight attendant’s reported claim about union rules. Southwest Airlines crew are generally quite good and also unionized. There’s a saying, though, that management ‘gets the unions they deserve’ and decades of bad management at United is difficult and time-consuming to reverse, doubly so in a unionized environment.
Would not be surprised if the FA loses her job for this incident. United will absolutely throw her under the bus if needed; it’s one thing to just outright refuse to help a disabled passenger, but it’s another to delay the flight by lying about what really happened. If the FA was removed at that point, the flight would be delayed further because United would have to find someone to take their place.
Incidents like this are not great. I feel for anyone negatively impacted. And it is a case-by-case basis. However, I fully expect this to be made into a ‘unions are bad’ propaganda as even Gary is alluding to here. Yet, an incident like this does not and should derail nearly 4 years of negotiations.
This was a clear violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which could result in a fine of up to $150,000. In addition, the passenger could sue under the ADA for damages, including emotional distress.
This lady was probably too nice to file a complaint, but if I were United’s general counsel and heard about it, I’d be sweating.
So what is United’s response? And what happened with the passenger wa she removed?
This article is missing some stuff
I smell an ADA lawsuit, and rightfully so.
The flight attendant should have immediately reassigned to the back of the airplane. Then she should have been given several weeks off after completing the flight to study up on the regulations about disabled passengers followed with a complete course on being a flight attendant as given to new hires, with similar pay. After that, probation under more qualified flight attendants. Too bad gate agents and pilots have to baby sit people like her. The union should have clapped back at her because any regulations have been approved by and implemented by the airline and thus are airline regulations. Why drag the Union’s name in on regulations she made up?
United about to settle an ADA lawsuit in 3…2…1.
@jns — I watched the video from Reddit. No mention of ‘union’ there. The alleged reference to ‘unions’ comes from “a fellow first class passenger” (technically, could be ‘hearsay’ which is not ‘reliable’ for the underlying substance of what they say they overheard), so maybe that is indeed what was said, or they’re adding their own opinion to the mix, which as I suggested above, may be all part of United’s attempts to derail existing long-term union negotiations. It’s a tactic. Beware.
What a weird story. Not sure I’d believe if were it not for a personal experience. I had an issue with a United FA during the virus disaster. I was in my usual 1B coming home from Florida, munching on some trail mix. She wanted me to keep my mask on my face and nose between bites. While technically this was the way we were supposed to do it, she was so damn aggressive that I was slow to respond. She just wouldn’t leave me alone. When we landed, a very nice official detained me in the jetway and asked me about it. I told him what had happened, knowing I was technically in the wrong. Not sure what the result would have been, but the Captain came along just then and loudly declared that my mask was off most of the flight. This was an obvious fabrication, since he couldn’t have seen me through the cockpit door. He was, after all, flying the plane. The nice man thanked me for my time and that was that. I have a great deal of respect for FAs because their job is incredibly complex. I think occasionally they just ‘snap’ and do something stupid like this one did with the purse and the cane.
Give stupid people power and they will abuse it…
this seemed weird. normally fa takes your jackets and put em in the closet and hand back to you just before landing. should there be more stories behind?
@Tim Dunn — I know you haven’t commented yet, but I hope you will at your convenience, good sir. You should be proud of @Gary Leff for his (backhanded) compliment of Delta’s (currently un-unionized) flight attendants. However, I vehemently (and respectfully) disagree with this false premise that the reason Delta is better is because they don’t have a flight attendant’s union yet. Fellas, I agree, from my anecdotal experiences, Delta does seem to treat most folks better, but it’s not because of unions or lack thereof–maybe it’s their company culture, better leadership, honestly, I don’t know, and I hope they keep doing whatever it is their doing. I hope…they Keep Climbing. Though, regrettably, today, in this post, Gary is needlessly attacking unions when they are not to blame, and generally have been beneficial to most workers, industries, and the American society at large. Now, where’s @Mike P to pile? Bah!
@Craig Jones — Well, at least it wasn’t on American Airlines, right? Bah! (I know, your blog…)
It is about company culture, and it has been rooted in the way both Delta and Southwest have treated both their employees and customers for years.
The best thing about the present time is that there are videos of everything and this flight attendant interactions will probably cost her a job in the service industry for the rest of your life
@1990 re Delta, I believe profit sharing has a lot to do with it. The employees recognize that if the company does well, it’s going to directly impact their compensation. For 2024, DL non pilot employees got like a month of salary as their profit sharing payment? (Vs AA where I believe the FAs all got a few hundred bucks?)
@Dave Hockenberry – “And what happened with the passenger wa she removed? This article is missing some stuff”
reread the article? “Since it was obvious to staff who boarded the plane that there was no threat, they left and did not remove the elderly disabled passenger. “
Craig Jones is absolutely correct on this. I will never forget the flight attendant Covid mask police. As he said give stupid people power and watch out.
What do you expect from the self-appointed Best Airline In The World?
I am most definitely concerned if Flight Attendants just snap some of the time. We have seen when pilots have snapped.
I have a very strong feeling that we are not hearing the ENTIRE story about the Flight Attendant-Passenger interaction. This whole story is from just ONE passenger. It would be much more believable if there were several witnesses.
If you are not capable of putting your own carryon in the overhead bin, then you should check your bag. Why should it be anyone else’s problem?
Seems like a flight attendant that’s been on the job too long and hates their job and life. Presumably I would have interjected and said I’ll be more than happy to stow it for the customer. (I generally do for elderly people). In part to keep flight attendant been on the job too long cool and the flight on time.
Not really buying most of this story. Even the video seems off – I don’t see an “elderly” ladies. One is chatting away and the other looks quite animated.
I suggest this relates to the hiring process. If the FA believed she was not allowed to assist, her job was to ask someone that could help. End of story.
1990 – unions ARE bad in this century. And the waitress DOES deserve to be fired. And ideally prosecuted if an attorney can think of something.
The FA will not be fired. She could get administration punishment like a three day grounding and a few days of remedial training on her days off. But she was dead wrong about not being able to assist with a simple request like placing a cane in the overhead bin. I am a 40+ year FA and a RN so I know the rules. And I would like to think I am a decent human being.
I once boarded a plane with an injured hand. It was also United (either first or business;I don’t recall) and when I told the attendant that I didn’t have use of one hand, she refused to help.
With many foreign airlines, it’s routine in business or first for the flight attendants to ask if I need help with my overhead storage whether I ask for it or not, or whether I appear to be in need of it or not. It’s surprisingly common in Asia for a petite flight attendant to ask me, a man of above average height (especially for Asia), whether I’d like help placing anything in the overhead bin in business or first.
Airline regulations typically limit the size and weight of overhead items. United doesn’t seem to have a specific weight limit, but it seems like a reasonable requirement that a flight attendant be able to lift a certain amount. Based on that, United could add a weight limit to carry on luggage. For other airlines, limits from 25 to 40 pounds are typical, and it would be a moot point for anybody who places the item personally.
Any flight attendant who is incapable of putting a cane and small purse in an overhead bin without risk of injury should not hold that job. It’s too risky to have such a person serving hot coffee or pushing a meal cart.
What a despicable person. That flight attendant should be fired.
It’s really sad that instead of a little compassion, the FA got aggressive about it. How would she like it if someone had done that to her grandmother? SMDH
Thank you for your biased One-Sided account. Now let’s get the truths from the flight attendant. And FYI, Delta is about the worst airline going specifically because they’re non-union flight attendants. Don’t give a damn. Any other BS I can call out for you?
Why is Delta Airlines being brought up. When it’s clearly a United Airline issue.
Keep Delta out of it please!!
Overly entitled sky waitress.
Buy First Class, get the Basic Economy experience. I’m so sick of the “we’re only here for your safety” mentality many FA’s spew. Yes, you’re there for safety, but you’re also very much a face of the airline and as such, you’re there to assist. If you hate your job, leave. She, and many others, just aren’t cut out for the job and this is my issue with unions. In a lot of cases, it makes getting rid of these types difficult and time consuming.
@Todd Majewski – she was literally asking for help putting her folding cane in the overhead bin
Oh tell me it was the Rosie O’Donnell lookalike (both in face and girth) flight attendant on United. I had her (?) last week in F.
Well it wasn’t like the customer was asking the FA to lift and stow her suitcase. Hopefully she was removed from service, the incident investigated and terminated the employee. Sounds like a psycho who is in the wrong job match.
Getting rid of cabotage law should help put it into this nonsense although I’m not holding my breath. It would be very nice to take a Singapore Airlines flight from Atlanta to LA
I find this story entirely believable, having experienced a similar issue with a FA on AA back in 2023. Some of these FAs are just drunk with power or totally bitter with resentment.
@Gary, it has NOTHING to do with unions and EVERYTHING. So with with whether or not you take pride in a job well done and have genuine empathy for the people you care for on in a role. I have good and bad employees on every airline I’ve flown, Delta included.
@Todd, you cannot be serious. The lady was putting her CANE and her purse in the overhead because she was in a bulkhead seat. If you honestly think she should have checked her cane that tells me something about you.
If the issue was the cane and the purse why didn’t the FA suggest moving the pax to a non-bulkhead so she could stow her cane under the seat and ask someone else to move to the bulkhead (those are my favorite seats since no one can recline in front of me). The FA was trying to problem solve. They were just trying to flex their power.
“If you are not capable of putting your own carryon in the overhead bin, then you should check your bag. Why should it be anyone else’s problem?”
She asked about a purse and a cane. She needed the cane to walk onto the plane so that would not make sense to check, and I don’t think anybody is going to put their purse in checked baggage.
But indeed.. this is not union versus non-union. She would have most likely just said FAA regs, or company rules, or some other thing otherwise. I don’t view the Delta comment as anti-union either, more a comment on Delta treating their FAs better so they are in a better mood overall and more likely to do more than the bare bare minimum (or in this case, less than the bare minimum since regs apparently do specify FAs are to help disabled people stow their items.)
It doesn’t matter if it happened on a United, Delta, American, Alaska, Or Southwest flight, that is an individual person making very bad choices. At the very least, she should be put on a step of discipline and on the far end terminated and possibly individually sued.
@Frank — No. As I said before, and historically as today, unions are good for workers, industries, and the society at large. Also, your suggestion to use attorneys to ‘go after’ anyone is an abuse of law, which is ironic, especially if the original concern with this incident was an individual’s abuse of power. Cruelty begets more cruelty. That is not the way, sir. Companies (and, indeed, unions) can re-train people. Let’s actually seek to solve underlying issues, not just vilify and scapegoat others.
I tore my rotator cuff while on vacation. I then had to make it home with all of my luggage from camping, so a large suitcase and stand up paddle board were checked, and a pretty heavy carry on. I had my arm in a sling, and obviously could not life my bag. The flight attendants on Alaska did not hesitate to help me. I was also in the bulkhead row of first class.
@Larry David Bradley — I’m fascinated by your idealism (free trade, woop woop…), but, yeah, there’s no way, especially with the current administration, that our ‘protectionist’ government would allow what you’re suggesting. Could you even imagine the 180-degree shift they’d have to make? The about-face on their xenophobia alone would be astounding. Yup, it is truly wild that the formerly ‘free trade’ neoliberal party in the USA is now all about tariffs, just because their mad-king said so, even though nearly all actual business/wealthy people are getting whacked by these policies. Anyway, let’s be grateful for the few ‘fifth freedom’ routes that do operate, like JFK-MXP and EWR-ATH on Emirates, JFK-FRA and LAX-NRT on Singapore, etc.
UA’s FA are the absolute worst. Until recently, I have stopped flying with them over 10 years ago because of a run-in with a despicable gate agent. On my recent flight on UA PDX-SFO-PDX, while my outbound was fine, on my inbound flight during snack service I asked for an additional chocolate crisp which I quite enjoyed on my outbound flight. This snack is a piece of thin cookie covered in chocolate which probably cost the airline a few pennies. This female FA probably in her early late 40s or early 50s answered me in a manner as if I was the guy with a sign at the traffic light asking for money. She said that she had to go through the cabin first to make sure that everyone had their share before she would give me another one. I was seated in the aft of the plane with maybe 6 rolls behind me and not every seat was taken. I watched her as she moved through the cabin and most pax declined the snack offer. I also noticed that she had boxes of these snacks stacked on top of the cart. So, did she return to give me another snack? Of course not. I despise this airline mostly for their gate agents and the FAs who always act like they’re doing you a favor and they don’t want to be bothered by any requests. Clearly, this hasn’t changed in 10 years. Alaska Airlines has the most pleasant FAs, they’re always glad to help and with a smile.
This incident is emblematic of the growing cultural rot in many U.S. corporations, especially in the aviation industry. An unhealthy obsession about rules and regulations has spiraled from reasonable safety measures post-9/11 to an absurd failure to have basic common sense and common decency and a tyrannical “respect my authority” attitude. No flight attendant should even need to consult ADA regulations, the union contract, or a lawyer to know that it is the decent thing to do to simply help an elderly person. This used to be taught even to young children. There was an entire Pixar movie devoted to the topic (“Up”). Show this article to someone living in east or southeast Asia and they would be even more appalled than Americans, and rightly so.
It is possible to have both a union culture and a service culture, but this is contingent upon having reasonable management (no Robert Crandall-style “one olive” miserly penny-wise but pound foolish cheapskate behavior), reasonable union leadership (that balances the genuine health, safety, and quality of life needs of flight attendants and pilots with the operational realities of commercial aviation and service culture), and genuinely extroverted, kind, friendly, and compassionate flight attendants.
The uncomfortable truth is that not everyone is cut out to be a flight attendant and very few people have the patience and endurance to stay a flight attendant for years or even decades. During the “Golden Age of Flight” there was a strong pressure for flight attendants to be young, thin, slim, beautiful, and friendly. Perhaps in hindsight it was a mistake to move away from this model, because while the beauty standards were perhaps too strict it created a natural “exit” mechanism from the industry. Flight attendants would “age out”, bringing in fresh blood that had not been jaded by years of occasional bad interactions with passengers.
Perhaps we should treat being a flight attendant as similar to being a professional athlete (a job for the young who can then convert into coaching or management once they retire). The aviation industry would probably improve significantly if the corporate management better incorporated the views of former flight attendants, and a perennially fresh coterie of flight attendants would significantly improve the service culture. The key is to improve the viability of the flight attendant-to-corporate pathway to compassionately provide for the career needs of flight attendants (perhaps by agreeing in the union contract to allocate a certain percentage of the corporate jobs to former flight attendants), and then encourage jaded flight attendants to either move into corporate or leave. The service culture could also be improved by having executives and corporate employees randomly fly on their airline’s flights quietly to “rate” the service. They could hand out on-the-spot large bonuses for exceptional service. Word would spread quickly.
This is just an example of how Ludacris customer service has become. Instead of providing customer service to this woman, the FA decided that she wasn’t going to help her and when push came to shove, the FA turn the spotlight around on the customer and made the customer the problem, going so far as to even try to have the customer removed from the flight. This is how the new breed of employees can take any given situation where they are the one in the wrong, but turn it around and make the customer the problem and management backs them up, because management is just as bad. Which is probably why these employees get away with how they treat customers because they see their managers doing it.
An overwhelming amount of cultural rot has occurred. This is not limited to aviation.
The decent thing for a gentleman to do in the courtship of a woman was to appear at her doorstep, black car waiting at the curb, dressed in a sharply fitted blazer, with a bouquet of roses in hand. The gentleman would treat the woman to a fine dining experience and conclude the night with a gentle kiss of her hand.
In today’s dating market a gentleman might pay $5 for bubble tea, show up in a T-shirt and jeans, no flowers, and expect to go all the way.
@Unintimidated — Wait, did you ever confirm whether you were formerly @Dick or not?
I was a Walmart Greeter and have had costomers talk down to me.
I hate people who feel entitled.
@1990 Fact: This never would have happened on Delta. Why? Delta is non-union. United is union. Inflated ego, power trip, hiding behind fake union rules (Mommy’s apron). It’s like the difference between the post office (union) and FedEx (non-union). Who do YOU trust to get the package delivered to the right address and delivered on time?
Just another example of how United puts the “hospital” in “hospitality.” In all my years of well over a million miles of airline travel, United tops my no-fly list.
I’ve had a similar incident on Delta in first class so I wouldn’t give them undue credit. However on a recent Hawaiian flight, a flight attendant was in the aisle as we boarded in the main cabin helping people put their items in the overhead bin which I found amazing after flying on Delta for the last 20 years and never seeing that happen. Not sure what’s going to happen now that Hawaiian has been bought out by Alaska but we will see.
What an unnecessary chain of events! Back in 2019 I flew several times while in a sling after shoulder surgery, and I was told by several flight attendants on different airlines that they weren’t allowed to help me stow my bags. I always thought it was because the cabin door was open so they weren’t yet “on the clock”. They were always nice about it, I think having a giant visible incision may have been part of it, and I always managed to find another passenger to help me if I needed it.
What is the matter with people like that FA? Such a small thing to ask, to stow her cane and purse. However, this passenger knew from experience that in a bulkhead seat she could not put them under her seat. Myself, I would not chose a seat that made me dependent on asking for help.
Remember that for many decades UA’s slogan was “Fly the Friendly Skies of United!”
We are great again! USA USA USA
AAer here and I’m always happy to help except with heavy, full roll on boards. My mom uses wheelchair assistance and only carries on small items. The big suitcase gets checked, as it should. Lots of older folks manage to overpack their onboard suitcase and it can be dangerous. I’m strong but also a mastectomy survivor and overhead lifting can be tough with unpredictable loads. Purse and cane — no brainer!
I never post replies but this story did it for me.
My gosh! What is the problem with a little kindness and decency in the world these days?
This could have been a no story at all if the FA could have the heart and decency to help this disable person and PAYING customer. It could have been done in 10 seconds or less, end of story.
This could be your mother, grandmother, sister or any of your family members flying alone and in need of a little help. Ten seconds of your time to help another human.
This is NOT who we want to be.
This is NOT the world I want to live in.
I don’t blame an entire airline for this, is society that is at fault here.
Let’s be humans again, please!
Anyone else think this Flight Attendant needs to be taken out of service?
Seems to be more than a bit power hungry and doing an immense disservice to all the amazing flight attendants who strive to do the best they can.
Calling security only furthers her twisted perversion of “power”.
Time for a different occupation.
That as..hol. flight attendant needs to be fired and that lady should be refunded her ticket price.
The Union needs to catch up with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
@unintimidated sadly, in our world today, any demonstration of chivalry can easily be misconstrued as sexist. I’ve held doors open for the opposite gender and got side eye. I’ve referred to women my senior as “ma’am” because I was raised that you call people older than you “sir” or “ma’am” and have been screamed at and called sexist.
At this point, I have just given up and keep to myself. I don’t make eye contact with people when traveling. Not the FAs, not other pax. No one. People have become a combination of entitled, mean and / or too emotionally fragile for me to want to waste my time engaging with people looking for a reason to hate on others.
Back to this story, sadly, this FA cares more about themself then providing very low-risk support to an older pax in need. It’s ironic that certain age groups are biting the very hand that has allowed them a life far better than most of their parents had.
If I had been in first, I would have made it very clear to the FA (and the captain) upon deplaning that I had seen the whole exchange, and would be emailing the entire executive leadership team about an employee that needs to be working at Walmart by the end of the week.
I experienced the “Delta Difference” some years ago, when an FA ridiculed me in front of other business class passengers, and for that reason, I NEVER FLEW DELTA again for over 30 years.
United typically has some FA’s who are unhelpful, and rather uppity, but in general, they’re fairly nice and easy going. The bad ones ALWAYS seem to stick out and stick it to the passengers as though it were a game…
@Will- totally agree. That F/A should have been fired on the spot or at least removed from service at the destination. The captain should have intervened – as the “captain” of the “ship” and had the F/A and not the passenger removed. Imagine having to go back to the gate for this. Thankfully the ground crew saw the absurdity of this and allowed her to stay. Fire that sucker and I hope everyone in F wrote to UA about her. What kind of a person could she be?
This STEWARDESS (not flight attendant) should be placed on the no-fly list
@Key West — Nah, it’s flight attendant these days. The times they are a changing. Just as it’s ‘the global south,’ formerly ‘developing countries,’ and ‘the third world’ (or ‘s-hole countries’ if you’re the President, you know, like the ones with the gulags he’ll send us to.)
@Life Logic for Dummies — Almost missed you as your silly comment was on the former page. Let’s be clear: This incident had nothing to do with unions. And unions are good for workers and the society at large. You’re like the guys who say insane stuff then call it ‘common sense.’ Just because you call it that doesn’t make it so. As for the United States Postal Service, it is indeed an American treasure, is relatively reliable and certainly necessary, and we should honor the men and women who serve it. What is up with some of you folks these days… are you gonna attack public libraries next? Yeesh.
Unsurprised. I witness similar but less-severe events like this with regularity on UA. Last week, I watched the man sitting next to me in first class politely ask the FA to hang his coat. She jeered, “absolutely not, I’m not yout mom. I’m sure by now you’ve figured out how to work a coat hangar.” Rolled her eyes, walked back to her jump seat, and proceeded to read her magazine.
Welcome to world-wide Aeroflot.
This is yet another example of why I will NEVER board any commercial aircraft owned by a U.S-based airline again.
Ain’t gonna happen.
I will eventually travel to Europe again, but I’ll take a Greyhound bus from Ohio to JFK, and then get on a plane that is not owned by an American company.
I am an American, by the way. I’m just sick of the gross behavior of the flight crews, and equally sick of the concrete-feeling seats that are being installed on more and more planes.
I hope the entire U.S. aviation industry falls flat on its disgusting face. Soon.
US Management does not care about passengers, their customers are the credit card and other companies that buy their milage points.
Rude to an elderly disabled passenger on a plane? Straight to El Salvador ☠️
Hopefully, the Fa was just having a really bad day, and will realize the unacceptable behavior on her part. As for the poster who said the older passenger should have chosen a seat not in the bulkhead, they should understand that the disability probably required the bulkhead
The Reddit comments indicate this was out of Denver. Wonder if there will be any follow up. The PAX is obviously seated in 1D, so the flight number and date would give United’s DEN station manager all the information needed to begin looking into this—to the extent they even want to do so. I have never seen a call for security and a plane turning back to the gate result in the passenger STAYING on the aircraft! That FA really must have felt about a half inch tall.
I am not saying this was or wasn’t United. The source of this is a Reddit thread with a edited video that does not show any FA interaction. Also, nearly all (maybe all?) United safety announcements are recorded and played on the monitors. I don’t see enough to tell if this was even a United flight. Did GLEFF try to find another source to corroborate?
If she was disabled, how come she was in an exit row?
This is a BS story NEVER HAPPENED !!!
And this is why I’ll never get on a airplane. If I can avoid it. Too much sh!t to deal with before getting on. And too much sh!t too deal with after getting on. Don’t have the Patience to deal with it all.
I fly United a lot. I’ve been 1K for over 10 yrs. At times I have FA setting next to me in Eco+ as they transit or going on holiday. I’ve actually helped a few of them with putting bags in the overhead. I’ve not seen a case like this but I have seen them tell people that they can’t help them. But usually they just lend a hand. Why didn’t another passenger help sooner? I would have!
@Jim — You’re a good and decent human being. We need more folks like Jim.
@Jeff Silveira — You’ve asked the right question. The answer is likely, no, Gary, nor the original poster (on Reddit), does not actually care about the full context; it’s clickbait, and fodder for internet debate and outrage. His adding of union bashing, and others piling on here, is sad and unwarranted. That’s why earlier I suggested this may even be an astroturfing of anti-union sentiment as the FAs are completing their negotiations with management after four years. Hmm.
@J — I hope that you meant to say, ‘in accordance with the law, provided due process, and if deportation is appropriate, perhaps, to El Salvador, in a reasonable time,’ right? Less ‘burn the witch,’ and more ‘rule of law,’ please. Vigilantism is not the way, either. C’mon on, now.
@Lori Renee Fye — Really? Greyhound? Oof. Why not rent a car at that point. From Ohio, the fees on the PA Turnpike might be steep; so, if you’re actually concerned about avoiding ‘mistreatment’ on US carriers, please consider Delta (CVG-JFK?). (@Matt, @L737, am I doing the meme, correctly?)
@christopher kneeter — You say “never get on an airline” on a website called “View from the Wing.” Oh, duh-duh dear, Pooh Bear.
I’m short, so I have to reach over my head to get a bag in the bin. I also have neither depth perception nor peripheral vision. Do you really want me swing bags over my head in a confined space? I’ve never gotten grief from FAs or fellow passengers when asking for assistance. The FA was beyond out of line.
I am, and have been for many years, a world traveler on many different airlines from around the world. I travel in my own manual wheelchair, and carry my own cane to enable me to get from the door to my seat. I have ALWAYS been politely greeted by the cabin staff, offered a hand to hold, and escorted to my seat. The staff person then specifically asks to assist in getting my cane and other carry on into the overhead bin.
The FA discussed in the article was probably royally ticked off that the extra 30-40 SECONDS she would have had to talk to the other FA in 1st Class about her upcoming flight to and vacation in Buenos Aires were lost due to her having to deal with the older, disabled passenger who kindly asked her to store a cane and small purse in the overhead bin. Yes, I’m glad the passenger kept her cool, but I sorta-kinda wish that—AFTER the plane had reached cruising altitude—she would have kindly suggested this to the FA: “Hey, hon, here’s an idea for you. Next time, just shove my cane up your a**.”
The comment about newer flight attendants not being up to par is spot on. I know a major airline flight attendant instructor who commented that the new hires don’t want to work. The captain will ask the purser/lead flight attendant where the rest of the cabin crew is. The gate agent will call scheduling who in turn called the missing flight attendant(s). “Oh, we had a chance to go water skiing.” “Wait a second…you have a flight to work.” “Well, we’ll take a sick day then.” After a couple of those, the recalcitrant flight attendants get fired. Hopefully, they won’t get hired by another airline since they have to list all employment with no gaps. But then the cycle starts all over again.
What a misleading headline. You have no idea what the flight attendant said to security. If she actually had requested the removal of the individual, tat is what would have happened. And it would have been the pilots call, not hers. I’m sure the disabled lady in question acted civil after the discussion with security. That’s probably what the FA was after by having the two meet. Privileged people sometimes need to be taken down a notch.
Thanks for the comment about Hawaiian Airlines. Yes, they seem to practice common sense. Not like the clown attendant in the story. He needs to spend less time thinking up excuses and doing what comes naturally to most of the other flight attendants. Reassign his butt. He needs to remember everyone on the flight is actually in it together.
@J Did you have the “Venezuelan Visiting Delegation” from Parks & Rec in your head when you typed that, coz it sure as hell filled my head whe I read it?!
“Miss your appointment at the dentist’s. Believe it or not, straight to prison”!
I got yelled at by a FA for being drunk and disorderly.
Chorus of voices: not him you nitwit. The guy in the back half naked!
FA looks back to a guy with his underwear on his head. She said “oh sorry” and left.
Probably not surprising since the same airline has beaten and drag a passenger off plane because over selling the seats
I try to avoid the “big three” US based airlines. Generally Asian airlines are helpful and charming and so they are my #1 choice if available.
Whatever happened to the old sales/marketing slogans that the customer is always right and that honey gives better results than vinegar?
@John Needham — Ahh, an idealist. You may have rose colored glasses, good sir. While those are nice thoughts, I’m not sure it was ever that way for all of us. For instance, in prior eras (and perhaps, today), if you were a certain gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, age, orientation, or some other background, you might not be treated as well as someone else. Hmm.
Anyway, many people are credited with that adage, including Harry Gordon Selfridge from the 1900s. The phrase he used was actually “The customer is always right, in matters of taste.” It meant that a salesperson shouldn’t judge the wants of the customer. However, it doesn’t mean to just give everyone everything they ask for all the time. It’s nuanced. It’s case-by-case.
As for the ‘honey over vinegar’ idiom, I scoff at that one as a bit naive. Sure, in some situations, it is easier just to appease others for a quick win, but in others, we must hold firm, especially against bullies (fight or flee, and if you do choose fight back, fight to win, build a coalition of allies and take out the bully). Again, it depends.
Wow, another rude UA FA! Had an experience flying Polari$ to CDG last week. Wife was signed up for a Vegan meal and there was just NO WAY to change that. Daughter asked for a meal from economy (shown as possible on UA’s site) and there was NO WAY to do that either. Apparently NO WAY for my wife to just get whatever my daughter wasn’t getting either. We were not seated together. When I asked if there my be something, anything to be done, she threw up her hands (yes, literally) “fine, she can have MY meal”. I was about to suggest I’d just swap with my wife…
She didn’t bother to wake her up on landing either. Fully reclined. SMH. I wonder if she would have been so rude had we been seated together.
I won’t be paying for Polaris next time.
Feeling a little salty about springing for a United Club card right now.
Once my absolute go-to airline, I now avoid United Airlines like the plague. They are awful!
Funny, I don’t see the “small bag” or the cane. Are we sure this is what was going on?