United in China

[knloregon]

Heres a switch: I think most of us view PRC citizens more inclined to acquiesce to authority than westerners.. Perhaps they haven't suffered (and thus, become acclimated to) -- the post 911 Homeland Security indignities of flying as American have? --- in any case, bet United is going to have a 777 short notice charter agreement in China, going forward.

________________

 

A United Airlines flight from Shanghai, China, to New Jersey should have taken just 13 hours, but it took some folks three days to make that trip, after a firestorm of protests, threats, even violence.

 

United Flight 87 was scheduled to leave Shanghai Wednesday and bring 225 passengers to Newark Airport in New Jersey. The flight didn't land until Saturday morning after three days of cancellations, causing tense moments between passengers and United Airlines.

 

"You get the runaround by these airlines, said passenger Steve Borowka. "You're so powerless, just so humiliated and frustrated and you get so upset."

 

The flight was canceled twice because of maintenance on the Boeing 777, and a third delay came because the flight crew had been on duty too long. As passengers grew frustrated by miscommunications, tempers boiled over and a fist fight broke out.

 

“A group of people reached over the counter and ….grabbed [an airport counter agent] by the tie, and they pulled him physically across the counter and started slapping him," said passenger Pat Sinko, describing the violence at the scene after the flight was canceled for the second time.

 

Other passengers pulled the three irritated passengers off of the United counter agent, Sinko said.

 

The nightmare began, passengers say, after the first cancellation because of maintenance. The airline put all the passengers up in hotels. Thursday arrived, and so did a second setback: The replacement generator, which has to be shipped from the U.S., didn't make it to China in time. On Friday, United Flight 87 passengers were promised they would leave, even if travelers on another flight had to be bumped.

 

That's when the pilot of the flight told the passengers the original plane had been fixed and was located at another gate. One Chinese passenger refused to go to the other gate and organized a mini revolt to block newly arriving passengers from getting on the plane.

 

"He was like if we're not getting on that plane, nobody is getting on that plane," said Borowka.

A video taken at the gate shows the pilot pleading with passengers to go to the other location where another plane was waiting for them.

 

"That is the only way we're going to get out of here. ... My crew, the other crew, we want to go as much as you do," the pilot said.

 

"I can tell you the alternative is, if we don't have cooperation boarding here, these planes may leave empty."

 

Eventually, Borowka and the other passengers were ushered to the other gate and began boarding their new plane, and were dealt a final humiliating blow: The flight crew had been on duty too long. The passengers were bumped off the plane again.

 

"Some of the Chinese people wouldn't get off the plane. They were protesting, and the other people were trying to break down the door trying to get back in the airport," said Sinko.

 

Passengers also say they couldn't get to their luggage, some of which was unceremoniously dumped off carousels.

 

After three days of cancellations, the plane finally landed in Newark on Saturday morning, bringing the chaotic ordeal to an end.

United said it would cover passengers' expenses during the delay and offer each customer a full refund, as well as $1,000 off future travel on the airline.

 

Also Read http://abcnews.go.co...89#.UAVsN_V6Tmc

Edited July 17, 2012 by dnoblett
Reformated for ease of reading and added link to ABC News (see edit history)

[Yuanyang]

United once was a great pick over American. Now it's just another cattle-car being run by temporary employees and contractors that don't know their @$$ from a hole in your ticket.

[knloregon]

and compared to bankrupted American --- bankrupted in every way --- (including service..) United is STILL ahead --- in the race to the bottom....)

[dnoblett]

That truly got out of hand, they really should have either had a plane on stand by somewhere over there, or worked with the other airlines to get passengers into vacant seats on other flights. Would not take much to find 225 seats on competing airlines.

[tsap seui]

Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2011 1:54 AM

Subject: I am in Chinertucky

 

 

Hey Sean,

 

I made it to Chinertucky okay, although one day later. The plane took off from Dulles at 12:30pm okay and as we were passing through Canada the pilot came on and said a de-icer in the right engine was not working and we had to return to Dulles....dumping fuel from the time we hit American airspace again until we got back into Virginia ( to lighten the plane for landing). We got back to Dulles around 3:30pm, got a new plane and crew and finally left again at 8:30pm....whew, one long day. Of course I and the rest of the passengers missed their connecting flights in China.

 

United was cool about everything....as soon as I walked off the plane in Beijing a United worker gave me a new plane ticket for Shenyang airport, a voucher for a 5 star hotel in Beijing, and a food voucher for that hotel's restaurant. So, I got to take a shower in a pretty damn nice hotel and sleep in a bed that was very comfortable.

 

I got to Shenyang airport this morning at 10am and met there. We got back to our home and when I tried to log on and send this e-mail we found an e-mail from the US consulate telling us Wenyan's interview date is July 8th. That is perfect for our schedules and is one of two days we specified to them....now, if we can just get the visas for Wenyan and Fengqi.

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That was just a bit of an e-mail I sent after arriving in China last year. It was United flight 88 or 89 out of Dulles to Peking....a 13 hour flight also.

 

Not trying to take up for United, but I usually only fly those non-stop flights and they've been good and United has been very good to me. So they've got old American broads serving us, it's non-stop and they REALLY took care of us in Beijing.....of course you still had the f'in' complainers...Most often complainers are just like Northern Virginia drivers who think the world was only invented for THEM to use....LOL They wouldn't know a real damn hassle if it smacked them in the face.

 

When our plane got back to Dulles they had another one waiting for us, of course our original flight crew would have logged too many hours if they had flown us so United jumped through hoops to find another crew, who were on break, to crew the new plane for us. I got to Shenyang 12 later than I normally would have....big deal.

 

Sometimes ya just gotta sit in your FREE 5 star hotel and.... relax. Know wudda mean Vern?

 

Once I was teachin' a class in Vegas and as soon as it was over had to catch a shuttle to LA for a United flight to New Zealand to teach another class down in Wellington....the shuttle was late and in LA the flight was booked solid. United gave us a helluva nice room, $800 vouchers off on any future flights, put us in business class for the flight down under, and comped our meals.

 

Mebbe that is why they are broke now, they bent over backwards to satisfy a bunch of cranky butthole passengers who never appreaciated it anyway. LOL

 

Running something that depends so much on weather and aircraft maintenance, etc can't be very easy. Add in a bunch of crybabys who think they are the only people in the world and you get this bullshit.

 

Ya gotta go with the flow, Moe...or your flow will soon go and folks will be pissin' on yore gravestone.

 

Man oh man, the funny crap I've seen in airports back in the day when I wuz living that high flyin' life to here there and everywhere. It wasn't the delays that were the pain in the arse, it was the stupid people who thought they were the only ones breathin' oxygen on the planet....LOL

 

 

tsap seui

[dnoblett]

I have been a fan of United for some time, past couple trips to China have been fine by me.

 

Last time to China was around Valentines day a few years ago, weather in the states got a lot of flights canceled they scheduled me for a new flight a couple days later, when I did fly on the later flight the plane was 1/4 full.

 

Crap happens, and that monster delay probably could have been handled better.

[david_dawei]

I have flown United for several years by choice... but they have their problems like anyone else. I have seen more problems since the merger but don't see how the well-established china route would affect that. Too many business trips and too many stories... but they are out of touch on some level.

[Doug]

I flew it when it was Continental and it was just Ok back in 2005/6. American was just as bad back then with no leg room in either in the cheap seats. I wonder if that has changed.

NOW Delta was fantastic this recent trip I took. The cheap seats have room. The bottom of the seats slide forward as the back reclines. I didn't get a seat in the face from the guy in front and felt OK to recline mine. The plane was packed, but everyone comfortable. Oh and their website worked is the only reason I booked with Delta, as I was in a hurry last few days booking. AA and United both froze up.

You know those guys protesting are not thinking it through. The alternative is to fly a plane not up to the job? Thank goodness proper maintenance is a higher priority than irritable passengers. 13 hours of engines running and everything else functioning properly is a real miracle anyway. We have come a long way in aviation, but alternatives on Asian owned airlines is not what I want. 3 days delay for a safe flight is worth it.