Jul 17th, 2009 at 2:00PM: A non-stop United Airlines flight bound for Chicago from Sao Paulo diverted to Miami early Tuesday morning after the captain reportedly argued with a crew member who was not "respecting his authority". (I think there's a Cartman/South Park joke in there somewhere.)
Rather than continue the argument in the air, (which might have prompted the threat, "If you don't behave, I will turn this plane ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
unitedairlines posts
United Airlines pilot kicks flight attendant off flight
Jul 17th, 2009 at 2:00PM: A non-stop United Airlines flight bound for Chicago from Sao Paulo diverted to Miami early Tuesday morning after the captain reportedly argued with a crew member who was not "respecting his authority". (I think there's a Cartman/South Park joke in there somewhere.)
Rather than continue the argument in the air, (which might have prompted the threat, "If you don't behave, I will turn this plane ...United reduces cost of mileage tickets
Jul 16th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Amidst all of the increased fees and reduced services plaguing the airlines these days, it's refreshing to actually see a change that goes the customers' way. Albeit temporarily, United just reduced the number of frequent flyer miles necessary to book a free ticket on the airline. Reductions range from 20. Domestic travel, for example, has been reduced from 25K miles to 20K miles, while a ticket ...United Airlines computer problem delays O'Hare flights
Jul 2nd, 2009 at 11:05AM: United Airlines is currently experiencing some major delays and cancellations at Chicago O'Hare. The computer systems responsible for checking you in, are down and passengers have to be manually processed the old fashioned way. Most delays are between 2 to 3 hours, but many flights are also being canceled because of the glitch. United has issued a travel waiver for tickets issued for travel ...New fees aren't new, but airlines keep trying
Jun 23rd, 2009 at 12:00PM: Cheaper fares are being offset by an array of extra fees, as airlines try to bring in some extra revenue in order to keep planes in the sky. And, to a certain extent, it's working. United Airlines forecasts $1 billion in revenue from these fees this year – accounting for more than 5 percent of its revenue. But, as they try to find new ways to dig into your wallet, fewer and fewer new ideas ...United Airlines timelapse video shows how first class seats are installed
How to look like an experienced traveler at the airport (even if you are not)
May 26th, 2009 at 9:30AM: Summer is quickly approaching, which means a large number of you will be heading to the airport for your summer vacation. If you are one of the many people in the country that only visits the airport once a year, then chances are you are going to be quite unprepared for what the airport has to offer. In this article, you'll find some simple ways to arrive at the airport, and not look like a ...Twitter + Fares = Twares
May 21st, 2009 at 1:00PM: Twares may not be a word in the dictionary now, but it might be a common word in travel vocabulary soon. Twares is a noun, and it means you can get special, time-sensitive fare offers from United Airlines if you follow the airlines on Twitter. A tweet was sent from @UnitedAirlines at around 11:10 a.m. ET on Wednesday to promote a special $63 each-way "Tware" between Washington Reagan National and ...Misery works: airlines making money on baggage fees
May 14th, 2009 at 12:00PM: The one thing nobody says about the "nickel and dime" strategy is that it can work. For the airline industry, charging passengers for extra bags translated to more than $1 billion in lifeblood to a struggling business last year, according to the Department of Transportation. As much as you may hate to shell out that extra cash, last year, it went to businesses that desperately needed it.
Before ...March airline plunge softens in April
May 9th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Passenger traffic is still falling. That's not going to change for a while. But, the decline slowed in April, signaling that the prolonged sharp dips may be behind us. Some optimists even believe that the worst is over – though I maintain a healthy skepticism.
Note the metric being used: passenger traffic. There's a lot of mileage between asses in seats and money in the bank. On a positive ...Extra seat charges: big bias or svelte snobbery?
Apr 28th, 2009 at 8:00AM: As airlines are scrambling for any shred of extra revenue they can find, some policies are getting more attention than others. The so-called "fat passenger policies," which govern the accommodation of passengers who require more than one seat, have attracted the ire of the NAAFA. Never heard of it? It's a new one on me, too: the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. On the other hand, ...Making sense of the airline industry
Apr 27th, 2009 at 4:00PM: The situation is currently grim for airlines, having gone from "bad in January to ugly by March," according to USA Today, mirroring the U.S. economy as a whole. But, some feel that the worst is behind us. At the same time, a decline in business traveler traffic may suggest that we have a long way to go.
That's why I love USA Today ... two perspectives for the price of one!
Let's make one thing ...Daily Travel Deal: United launches mega fare sale
Apr 17th, 2009 at 3:30PM: United Airlines just launched an outstanding fare sale to the American Southwest, with fares starting as low as $39 plus tax. Texas is one of the focal points, with destinations such as El Paso, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas boasting the great prices, but other locales like Albuquerque and Oklahoma City are also a steal. Check out United's promotional site to see a full list of fares and ...United airlines "fat passenger" policy prompts plenty of backlash
Apr 17th, 2009 at 11:30AM: On Wednesday, I posted about the new United Airlines policy for charging "passengers of size" for 2 seats, if they are unable to fit in one seat or use a single seatbelt extender. Now, whether this new money maker is a good idea or not, is besides the point, at least for United, because the PR backlash is already starting to hurt them and has forced them to change the wording in their rules. The ...United Airlines to charge obese passengers for the extra space
Apr 15th, 2009 at 6:00PM: United Airlines just announced their plans to charge obese passengers for the extra seat they take up on their planes. They are not the first airline to do this, and most likely won't be the last. That said, their definition of obese means that readers with a bit of a beer belly won't have to worry too much. Only passengers who need more than one seat belt extender, or who can not sit in their ...United Airlines settles lawsuit over porn found in cockpit
Mar 31st, 2009 at 1:00PM: United Airlines has settled a two-year-old lawsuit in which it faced sexual harassment charges from a former female pilot who alleged she repeatedly found pornography hidden in the cockpits of domestic airline flights. The Seattle Times lays out the case, in which former Capt. Lisa Stout, a 737 pilot based in Seattle, says she found pornographic pictures of women on more than 20 flights over a two ...U.S. Airlines can't come up with any new ways to charge their customers
Mar 22nd, 2009 at 10:00AM: Some sad news from Reuters this afternoon (for the airlines at least). U.S. based airlines may have finally run out of new fees for their passengers. Indeed, after years of moving things that used to be free into a fee based category, there simply isn't anything left they can charge us for. Some airlines, have increased their revenue by over $2 Billion a year, just off things like meals, drinks ...U.S. Airlines hoping for a successful summer
Mar 11th, 2009 at 1:00PM: Let's file this one under "boo hoo". U.S. Airlines are hoping that summer air travel will help dig them out of the slump they have been in for the past year(s). As business travel has plummeted, consumers trying to escape all the doom and gloom for a couple of weeks of R&R is pretty much all they have left to hope for. So, if summer travel is this important for them, you'd assume they would ...United crew - it's time to serve drinks to the idiots in coach
Feb 24th, 2009 at 12:30PM: There is not much I like about United Airlines, but their Channel 9 in-flight audio is one perk you won't find on any other carrier. Channel 9 is the audio channel that lets you listen in on the cockpit communications with Air Traffic Control. I've always found it a great way to pass the time, and get a better idea what is going on when the plane is delayed. A reader on The Consumerist apparently ...United Airlines bringing 165 call center jobs back home
Feb 11th, 2009 at 10:00AM: Here is a bit of feel good news from the travel world - hidden between all the bad news was an announcement from United Airlines that they were going to move 165 call center positions from their International Call Center back to the USA. The new jobs will be added to their existing centers in Chicago and Honolulu. This news is great for several reasons - it creates new (and badly needed) jobs ...United Airlines working harder to clean up your mess
Jan 31st, 2009 at 2:00PM: United Airlines has always been the airline with the dirty planes, at least as long as I can remember. I've often taken flights with sticky armrests, seat pockets filled with crumbs and the general stench of uncleanliness. The airline had recently been ranked last in class in a JD Powers customer satisfaction survey. A combination of sloppy passengers, increasing delays and decreasing budgets had ...
