• Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Live and Let's Fly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Flight Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Lounge Reviews
    • Trip Reports
  • About
    • Press
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Award Expert
Home » Law In Travel » Flying With Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Law In TravelUnited Airlines

Flying With Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Matthew Klint Posted onSeptember 19, 2020November 14, 2023 35 Comments

In losing Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the United States lost a brilliant justice and trailblazing woman. Today, I look back on a United Airlines flight gone awry, which forced the late justice to rapidly evacuate down an emergency slide after her aircraft experienced engine trouble. I also look back on the justice herself.

An Emergency Evacuation For Ruth Bader Ginsburg On United Airlines

It was September 14, 2011 and the justice, then 78 years-old, was traveling on UA586, a Boeing 757, from Washington Dulles to San Francisco to speak at a legal conference at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law. Prior to takeoff, a pilot noted smoke coming out of one of the engines and made the decision to evacuate the aircraft. Slides were deployed and all 179 passengers, including Ginsburg, were directed to quickly exit the aircraft. One passenger was injured, but Ginsburg was just fine. Already at that time she was battling pancreatic cancer and had recently undergone chemotherapy. Passengers were placed on another aircraft and the flight eventually departed several hours late.

Talk about a wake-up call!

Over the years, Ginsburg continued to travel on United. Here’s a picture a pilot shared with me from a flight last year:

a group of people in a plane

My Thoughts On The Late Justice

If you’ve never watched On the Basis of Sex, a 2018 movie which chronicles the remarkable life of RBG, I strongly recommend it. Whatever your political persuasion, there is no denying that she was a tenacious, hard-working, sacrificial, woman who fought strongly for her conception of equal rights for women and others.

There’s such a tendency to put our partisan blinders on, especially during this time, but I stand in awe that Ginsburg was able to be a mother to her three-year-old child, attend law school, be a member of the law review, and essentially attend law school for her sick husband at the same time. Throughout her career, she pushed boundaries and broke glass ceilings, carefully crafting legal arguments to persuade skeptical judges and justices before joining the Supreme Court herself in 1993.

Appearing before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 1971 in a case known as Sprogis v. United Airlines, Ginsburg argued that it was unlawful for United Airlines to discriminate against female flight attendants on the basis of marital status. At the time, United had a policy that female flight attendants had to be unmarried and remain unmarried while employed. The policy did not apply to men. Ginsburg successfully argued that such disparity violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The court agreed and held the flight attendant was entitled to judgment as a matter of law (i.e. no need to even hear United’s side of the case).

Although seen as the liberal firebrand of the Court, she had a tender side as well, including a close personal relationship with the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who was at the opposite end of the spectrum on most major issues that came before the Court.

If you’re so inclined, listen to this obituary on RBG from NPR’s Nina Totenberg:

CONCLUSION

Ginsburg was a legal giant and a trailblazer. While her death sets up which may be the most contentious battle to fill a Supreme Court seat in U.S. history, today I hope that all of us, even those who disagreed with her judicial philosophy, will take a moment to recognize what an impact Ginsburg has had on the American judiciary and indeed on everyday life, including flight attendants, some of whom are still flying today thanks to Ginsburg’s labor.

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Previous Article Spirit Airlines Flight Attendant Argues With Passenger Over American Flag Face Covering
Next Article Chicago, New York Hurt COVID-19 Tourism Recovery With New Fees, Attitudes

About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

Related Posts

  • United Flight Attendants Tentative Deal

    At Long Last, United Airlines Reaches Tentative Labor Deal With Flight Attendants

    May 24, 2025
  • a woman looking at a man

    He Flirted On A United Flight…Then Let Her Walk Away

    May 23, 2025
  • Jon Gooda United Airlines Newark

    United Airlines Promises Smoother Summer Travel At Newark After Weeks of Delays

    May 23, 2025

35 Comments

  1. David Wood Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 12:48 pm

    Thank you, Matthew, for this fitting, flight-related, tribute to such a remarkable woman.

  2. Jackson Henderson Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    RBG was often on the wrong side of freedom and the trail she blazed was the religious/economic/personal liberties being stepped on. She is not a good example for young men and women to follow.

    • Cybertronic Reply
      September 19, 2020 at 2:50 pm

      1, wrong and 2, way to respect someone who served our country for so long and has just passed. Says a lot about you.

      • Gene Reply
        September 19, 2020 at 4:23 pm

        Amen.

      • Jackson Henderson Reply
        September 19, 2020 at 10:19 pm

        RBG served the cause of expanding government power/limiting religious; economic; personal freedom and justifying it through eloquent writing. Her service was not helpful to the cause of freedom.

        • Jjo Reply
          September 21, 2020 at 11:20 pm

          Everything she wanted and fought for had the recurring component of EQUALITY for all people. No need to complicate it and hide behind inaccurate rhetoric suggesting a “limit to one’s freedoms.”

    • UA-NYC Reply
      September 19, 2020 at 8:50 pm

      Seriously go F yourself you retrograde troll

      • Noway Jose Reply
        September 23, 2020 at 9:03 pm

        Jojo is correct. Jackson Henderson is wrong.

  3. Tripeee Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 1:48 pm

    Thanks for the post , agree, people should not let their politics blind them to what a brilliant woman she was and how she served this country for 27 years

  4. Joe Chivas Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 2:11 pm

    I remember her most for the great shots she took at Trump. I loved it when she called him a “faker”. She was the only justice on the Supreme Court who was unafraid to make partisan political statements. She will be missed. RIP RBG.

    • Andy K Reply
      September 19, 2020 at 3:18 pm

      She actually apologized for that remark. Shows that she’s a classier person than you are.

    • Ksa63 Reply
      September 20, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      Making partisan political statements is one thing Supreme Court justices should not be doing. Like her or not the statements were out of bounds. And such type of statements by a Supreme Court justice should not be celebrated, either by the left or the right. The fact she made them demonstrates her lack of impartiality. So sure, she served the country for a long time and can be honoured for that. But a review of her decisions demonstrate a serious lack of impartiality.

  5. Gene Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    @ Jackson — No, that would be you who is wrong.

  6. PM1 Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 2:40 pm

    Well said Matthew! RIP.

  7. derek Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 2:58 pm

    Justice RBG was very derelict in her political duty, but not much in her government duty. She was too sick to attend some court sessions. However, she wanted to last until Biden was elected but refused to listen to others to step down when Obama was President. That’s a political decision and since she expressed political goals (of lasting long enough), she failed that miserably. She expressed the same traits as Trump. Stubborn.

    Now Biden is a flip, flop, flipper. (No in 1992, Yes to Garland, No to RBG’s successor appointed by Trump). McConnell is a flip flop (No to Garland, Yes to Trump’s appointee).

    Poor RBG, RIP.

    • profan Reply
      September 19, 2020 at 3:23 pm

      +1. She was so selfish, put herself first ahead of the country. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2009 she should have stepped down and allowed Obama to appoint another justice. This would have avoided the crisis we are about to witness.

      • ken Reply
        September 19, 2020 at 5:12 pm

        It was her golden age since 2007, so why should she have stepped down? I am happy that she stayed because she influenced so many things since then. however, the crisis you are referring to is because of sloppiness and divisiveness of the democratic party, not because of her. If DP had the unity in 2016 election and if slightly more democrats went out and voted for their hated Hillary, things would have been different.

        • profan Reply
          September 19, 2020 at 8:18 pm

          What great things has she influenced that another capable liberal (and younger) justice could not have? Justices are servants to the country, they are there to serve, not to pursue her own stubborn ambitions.

          The hagiography being written about her now is quite exaggerated. She was a middle-of-the-pack justice who was often indifferent to the progressive causes she is praised to have cared about. The crisis that is coming now with Trump’s apparent desire to replace her with a conservative justice was entirely predictable (and predicted). This article, published in 2016 is a nice summary: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2016/03/the-rise-of-the-ruth-bader-ginsburg-cult

          Now because of her selfishness millions of American citizens (specifically the women (if Roe
          v Wade gets overturned) and minoritiess she supposedly cared about) will suffer possibly for decades from a republican-appointed supermajority.

          • Dave G
            September 20, 2020 at 1:25 am

            The only country with shrunken brains reign at the supreme court. Didn’t she hear anything called retirement?
            Also it’s sad to see how many dumb people making comments here.

      • Pete Reply
        September 19, 2020 at 5:17 pm

        You sound like a white man.
        I could be wrong.

        Lots of class calling a recently deceased woman selfish…may you never have to endure tragedy and hardship in your life because I don’t know if you could handle it.

  8. Andy K Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 3:19 pm

    Thank you for the non-partisan post. RBG is certainly worthy of our respect.

  9. Min Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    Justice RBG you will be missed forever
    RIP and safe journey home

    Now be scared who is “he” going to put in Supreme Court?

  10. Grace Kim Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    Matthew, you mention that she was headed to the Hastings School when her United flight required an emergency evacuation. When she (eventually) made it to California, she told her audience:

    “I would just like people to think of me as a judge who did the best she could with whatever limited talent I had to keep our country true to what makes it a great nation and to make things a little better than they might have been if I hadn’t been there.”

    Amen! Thank you RBG!

  11. DaninMCI Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    “The power I exert on the court depends on the power of the power of my arguments, not my gender”
    ― Sandra Day O’Connor

  12. Paolo Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 6:38 pm

    The grumpy old white men have all but conceded that the presidency is gone; this gives them one final shot at writing part the agenda going forward. Of course all ethical considerations go out the window…they will do anything to sustain their self interest.

    • Christian Reply
      September 19, 2020 at 7:31 pm

      Not necessarily true. Sure, if they do so it’s a blatant power grab that demonstrates not only limitless hypocrisy considering their same arguments four years ago but let’s give them a chance to prove that they care about the nation and not just power. Let’s verify before condemning.

    • Mitch Cumstein Reply
      September 19, 2020 at 7:39 pm

      Wouldn’t it be great if we could just get rid of all the white men in this country? Would certainly makes things a lot easier for the rest of us.

      • Christian Reply
        September 19, 2020 at 8:22 pm

        Nah, I’d be gone too. I’d settle for fairness and consistency, which are not really prevalent in the federal government right now. Sure, white men are the ones stopping things up for personal interest but getting rid of us seems a bit harsh. Sorry bud. For that matter, I’d argue that we need white men to be part of proportional representation as part of a fair allotment.

    • Jackson Henderson Reply
      September 19, 2020 at 10:26 pm

      I’ll take grumpy white men who stand for freedom rather than young men who burn our cities and destroy everything they touch.

      • UA-NYC Reply
        September 19, 2020 at 10:35 pm

        Based on your posts across the travel blogs, you stand for bigotry and racism, not “freedom”

  13. Paul Reply
    September 19, 2020 at 9:32 pm

    I saw her on a United flight from Washington Dulles to Barcelona in business class. I was sitting in my seat, and I see a frail, short elderly woman pass me by, as she did, I looked at her face. I knew it was her, she looked exactly in person as on Tv. It was a cool moment in my life….just the vision of her…and a close look indeed.

    • derek Reply
      September 20, 2020 at 12:23 pm

      If you didn’t show that you recognized her, many famous people would be upset. I have seen several Senators and similar politicians. They love it when you recognize them. One was looking around to see if anyone recognized her but no takers. Finally, I let her know who she was as she was waiting in a long TSA PreCheck line.

      Movie stars are a bit different. They get too much attention so some of them like peace and quiet.

  14. Nick Reply
    September 20, 2020 at 3:30 am

    Lol, I love it when those fighting racism and sexism rail about ‘white men’.

  15. dee Reply
    September 20, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    Well said Ksa 63 !! Jackson I agree with your comments

  16. anon Reply
    September 22, 2020 at 10:08 am

    I’ve been interested in that tidbit about Sprogis v. United Airlines, but I can’t seem to find evidence that she argued or had anything to do with the case? Can you point me in the right direction? I’d like to learn more.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for May

Note: Please see my Advertiser Disclosure

Capital One Venture X Business Card
Earn 150,000 Miles Sign Up Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 100,000 Points
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles!
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 Miles
Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn $750 Cash Back
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Earn 120,000 Membership Reward® Points

Recent Posts

  • private member clubs
    Private Clubs Are The Latest Trend In Luxury Hotels May 25, 2025
  • a plane on the runway
    ANA Passenger Tried To “Murder All Onboard”, Diverts To Seattle May 25, 2025
  • Thompson Miami Beach courtesy of Hyatt Hotels-Two-Queen-Beds-With-Balcony
    Sneak Peek At The Thompson Miami Beach (Opens Fall 2025) May 25, 2025
  • Motion Sickness Uber
    I Used To Get So Much Done In Ubers. Now I Just Try Not To Puke. May 24, 2025

Categories

Popular Posts

  • a room with a table and benches
    Where To Smoke At Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) April 26, 2025
  • United Airlines Polaris Lounge Chicago Review
    Review: United Polaris Lounge Chicago (ORD) May 1, 2025
  • United Airlines Refresh Polaris Lounge Chicago
    First Look: United Airlines Reopens Renovated Polaris Lounge In Chicago (ORD) April 29, 2025
  • a hand holding a blue card
    Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus Offer Ending Soon May 2, 2025

Archives

May 2025
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Apr    

As seen on:

facebook twitter instagram rss
Privacy Policy © Live and Let's Fly All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Live and Let's Fly with appropriate and specific directions to the original content.