• 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 » United Airlines » The Bully Got His Way
United Airlines

The Bully Got His Way

Matthew Klint Posted onMay 4, 2011 1 Comment

Don’t you just hate it when bullies get their way? I flew from Denver to Boston on United today and one of the passengers was quite a character.

He was an older man, about 70, with a tacky plaid sport coat, yellow t-shirt, and khaki cargo pants on, with a full white beard, and those ugly 80’s eyeglasses. He had no status, boarded with zone four (after trying to jump the gun and board with first class), and was livid that he was in a middle seat in the back of the plane.

As he entered the A320, he asked a FA if there was room for his oversized rollerboard carry-on in the overhead bins in the back. The FA said yes and the man huffed and puffed about being too old to sit in economy class.

He gets to the back and apparently there is no more overhead space left and another FA sends him back up, instructing him to gate check his bag. The man goes crazy, uttering oaths at first, then quickly calming himself and blaming the FA up front for telling him to bring the back in the first place.

He complains about being too old to walk his bag back to the front of the plane, but eventually complies when the FA asks him if he wants to fly today (I usually hate such threats, but this guy deserved it).

He gives the gate agent a piece of his mind as she tags his bag, then demands a seat in Economy Plus, an open middle seat in bulkhead row six. His request is denied and the purser explains to him that Economy Plus is reserved for frequent flyers or those who paid $49 for it.

The man gets angrier, saying he should get the seat for free to "compensate" him for having to check his bag. When the purser again says no, he demands to speak to the Captain, loudly stating that he would not be bullied by a two-bit airline. Yes, he claim he was being bullied.

The purser consults with the Captain and they decide to give the loser the seat in Economy Plus. Now the man, with a scowl on his face, wedges himself in 6E (he was also a bit overweight), much to the delight of the passengers next to him I’m sure…

Good thing it was not me in 6D or 6F because I would have protested and requested a Service Director. You could look at it narrowly and say it would have been none of my business and I am not entitled to an open middle seat, but it sets a bad precedent when a bully is able to rob UA of $49 worth of revenue while ticking off the elites who occupied the seats next to him.

The man was quiet during the flight, so maybe it wasn’t such a bad decision afterall–the crew may have reasoned that it simply was not worth messing with a piece of garbage like him. I can’t say that I would have resolved the situation any differently. Expelling him from the flight would only have inflamed matters. Who knows, the quack might have filed an elder discrimination lawsuit.

So that was my adventure this morning from Denver to Boston. Sadly, the bully got his way. 

Get Daily Updates

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

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Previous Article Watch Those United Upgrades on Continental Codeshares!
Next Article Last Day to Apply for British Airways 100,000 Mile Chase Credit Card

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 Starlink Radio Interference

    Starlink Grounded: United Temporarily Disables Wi-Fi On Some Regional Jets

    June 9, 2025
  • United Airlines Spotify

    United Airlines + Spotify: A Mile-High Streaming Upgrade With Music, Podcasts, And Audiobooks

    June 5, 2025
  • a screen on a plane

    Fly Cheaper From Newark: Runway Ready, Fares Falling

    June 2, 2025

1 Comment

  1. FriendlySkies Reply
    May 6, 2011 at 1:17 am

    Remember that tv show about WN? Sounds like aomething that happened on the show :p

Leave a Reply to FriendlySkies Cancel reply

Search

Hot Deals for June

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

  • Cathay Pacific The Wing Business Class Lounge Review
    Review: Cathay Pacific The Wing Business Class Lounge Hong Kong (HKG) June 9, 2025
  • United Starlink Radio Interference
    Starlink Grounded: United Temporarily Disables Wi-Fi On Some Regional Jets June 9, 2025
  • Trump Army Parade
    Should I Attend Trump’s Army Birthday Parade In Washington, DC? June 9, 2025
  • 2FA Aeroplan
    2FA Now Mandatory With Air Canada Aeroplan June 9, 2025

Categories

Popular Posts

  • Qatar Airways Economy Class Breakfast
    Economy Class Breakfast On Qatar Airways June 7, 2025
  • Aegean Airlines Feast
    A Feast Fit For A King On Aegean Airlines May 23, 2025
  • Israel Flight Cancellations
    Major Carriers Extend Flight Cancellations To Israel: Here’s The List June 6, 2025
  • Chase Sapphire Lounge LGA
    Crazy Chase Sapphire Reserve Changes Floated May 11, 2025

Archives

June 2025
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  
« May    

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.